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Subject: {ASSM} Solstice Magic 04: Country Magic and City Magic - Boyce and Jezzi 1-6/6 (M+familiar, magic/fantasy, implied het sex, fairly mainstream)
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Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 03:10:05 -0400
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Solstice Magic 04: Country Magic & City Magic - Boyce and Jezzi 1-6/6
----

Boyce [B]: Lives near the wood (English Name)
Jezebel (Jezzi) [G]: Chaste (Biblical Name)

Boyce & Jezzi 001

---

The Doctor studied the mangled body on the bed, and sighed.  "We'll do
what we can, Boyce, but there won't be much left.  You're looking at
years of rehab, once the prosthetics are attached."

Boyce smiled.  "It's ok, Doc.  I was getting tired of this body,
anyway."

"Suicide?  We don't let that happen here.  Besides, I don't think
you're the type for it, after you managed to ride that horse all the
way from your farm, to the hospital."

The air behind the Doctor shimmered, then a young man was standing
there.  He placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder and spoke softly.
"Did *I* say anything about suicide, or did you?  All I wanted was a
second opinion about the damage.  That body was getting to be a
hassle, with all the breakdowns it was having.  Wish they didn't start
that every fifty years or so, but a man gets used to it, eventually."

He sighed.  "Jezzi was pretty fond of this one, so I suppose I could
have rebuilt it, but..."

He was silent long enough that the Doctor had time to turn and study
him before he spoke in a whisper:  "Boyce?"

"Yeah.  Hey, look, you folks did your best and we appreciate that.
Send me a bill, or bill my insurance company.  And...  If you want to
keep my old body for folks to practice on, you can.  You'd better hook
up all the fancy stuff, though.  Nobody home any more, to run it for
you.  It's flatline, Doc.  Non compos mentos.  Whatever."

Boyce lifted his hand from the other man's shoulder, turned away, and
was out the door just before all the monitoring equipment sounded off.

* * *

After they had the body hooked up and stabilized, one of the interns
sighed.  "What now, Boss?  Boyce kept himself in good shape for his
age.  Do we have a directive on file?  Maybe we can use the parts."

"He told me I could do what I want with the body."

"Yeah?  Not good enough."

"I know.  He mentioned a 'Jezzi'.  Maybe we can find her and have her
put something in writing."

The intern laughed briefly, then managed to sober slightly.  "Boss?
Good luck.  Jezzi is the name of that mare he rode in.  Guess we
should call animal control about her?"

"Check before you do.  She might have wandered off by now, since she
wouldn't let anyone get near her after we hauled Boyce in on a
stretcher.  I'll go talk to admin, and see what we can find out from
his insurance company.  He did say they'd probably cover this."

"If they don't?"

"What else?  We send a bill to the address we have on file for him.
Maybe it will get paid."

"Damn rare."

"True.  Not our problem, now.  He looks stable, so let's turn him over
to monitoring, while we go back to work."

* * *

Jezzi nuzzled the young man after she inhaled deeply of his hand.
"Boyce?  Too much damage, or you were lazy, again?"

"Both.  Mostly being lazy.  Tired of all the constant repairs.  Easier
to make a new body and move, than it would have been to take the time
to do the repairs right.  Hate to admit it, but those delays because
of the loss of nerve function bit me pretty good."

"I noticed.  I stood in the sprinklers while I waited, but you're
still going to have to give me a bath when we get home."

"Now who's being lazy?"

"Guilty!  Let's go home before someone decides to try and steal me."

He got on, then they turned and once she was on the street that went
past the hospital, she started galloping.

A cop spotted them, followed them briefly, then shook his head wearily
before he called it in.  "The rumors were right.  Call Highway Patrol
and let them know Jezzi just hit the onramp and accelerated into
traffic.

"Alone?"

"No.  She had a passenger.  Didn't look like Boyce, but we all know
she decides who gets to ride her."

"True.  It will be passed on.  Anything else?"

"No."

"Got it.  We have a report of some kids in your area.  The usual.
Speeders, almost hit some people in a crosswalk."

He sighed.  "Give me the details, and I'll see if I get lucky."

"Yeah.  Details as follows..."

After he had what he needed, he sighed and gazed longingly at the
onramp.  "Sure wish that was me, on Jezzi."

* * *

There was a Highway Patrolman waiting for them when they got home.  He
was leaning on his car, and when Boyce got down so he could open his
gate, the man ambled over and held out his hand for Jezzi.  "Playing,
again?"

"No, Gilbert.  Just stretching out the kinks, for a change of pace.
Are you here to give us another ticket?"

"After you warned us, then turned our best portable dyno into scrap?
No, Jezzi.  I'm here to find out who your new rider is, so I can pass
it on for you."

"Boyce left his old body at the hospital."

"Sounds bad.  What happened?"

"I *told* him he should have repaired that nerve damage, a long time
ago, but he insisted on leaving it alone, to help people believe he's
still mortal.  He fell off the cultivator and it ran over him.  We
decided to make it look good, so I took him to the hospital, instead
of helping him do the repairs here."

Gilbert nodded slightly, then focused on his neighbor.  "Well?"

"I'm still Boyce.  Call me a grandson who decided he wanted to
continue the family tradition."

"You actually have family?"

"Yes, they're out there.  All the plumbing works fine.  The marriage
was real, but eventually she decided she didn't want the hassles of
living with an immortal, so the divorce was amicable.  Might even be
another Boyce out there, but she hasn't said, either way, and I don't
ask."

Gilbert sighed.  "Thanks, Boyce.  Mind if I ask a few questions?"

"Never have before.  See no reason to change that.  These for you, or
the people you work for?"

"Myself."

"Go."

"A mare, in this day?"

"Fewer complications, if we add a woman.  Mostly, though, Jezzi does a
better job of keeping me from getting bored, when she's a mare...  in
public."

"Oh.  I forgot she's a shape shifter.  What's it like, to have all
those powers, and know you'll live until you decide to die?"

"Easier for you to find out on your own, Gil."

"The answer is still, 'no', Boyce."

"Probably a good decision.  It's hard to explain, because I go through
mood switches about it.  Most of the time, I'm ok with it.  Jezzi's
been with me since the beginning, and that helps.  Someone would find
you, if you decided to accept The Gift.  She or he would be linked, so
they'd be whoever you need them to be.

"Other than that, I was a simple man then, and I still am, really.  I
run a farm, because I know how to do it, and it makes me feel useful.
If that changes, I'll find something else to do."

"You ever consider quitting?"

Boyce laughed.  "Lots of times.  Thing is, there's always something
new to be seen, or do, so I've never gotten around to making the
decision to die."

He gestured at himself.  "It was a stupid thing to let happen, but the
tumble wasn't anything more than a new experience, and a pretty good
joke at my own expense, to boot."

He rested his hand on Jezzi's neck.  "Jezzi really enjoyed herself
when she lectured me while we were going to the hospital.  We've got
the old spark back, and that's a nice feeling, after all these years
of me watching her butt when we're plowing.  Don't get me wrong, now.
She has a nice one, no matter who she's being, but I don't go that way
when I'm in the mood.  Think of it like you would any honest farmer's
appreciation for a healthy hunk of horse flesh."

"Mare, Dear.  A stallion would drive you over the top in a matter of
days."

"If you say so.  Anything else, Gil?"

"Give me at least a week to calm things down, before you get silly,
again?"

"Chase some more speeders past the property, so Jezzi can run the
fence line with them, before you folks have your own fun with them?"

"Fun?!  You know better!"

"Sorry.  We do.  Let's hope you get that week.  Call us in, if you
need us.  There's sensible, then there's *sensible*, and there's no
need for folks to wind up with shorter lives than they were supposed
to get, just because someone else decided to be stupid and abuse what
power they were given, when someone gave them a key to more than they
should have access to."

Gil sighed.  "Wish we knew how come it's been getting worse lately."

"You actually clueless, or just venting?"

"Sorry.  Venting.  Love to chat more, but I've been here too long. See
you next time."

"Take care, Gil.  Remember.  If you call, we'll come."

"Thanks."

They watched him leave, then Jezzi snorted.  "Wise, for his age. Let's
hope he never figures out we put a geas on his car."

"And him, Jezzi.  World needs more people like him, and isn't that the
main reason we're here?"

"I'll give you that point, but you'd better give me a bath, before we
do anything else."

He laughed.  "You're spoiled, Jezzi.  Ever since I got that hand held
shower, you've managed to 'forget' how to bathe yourself!"

"When I need hands, I have you.  Besides, who taught *you* how to be
lazy?  You had your chance to relax, at the hospital.  Now, it's my
turn!"
====

Boyce & Jezzi 002
---

Boyce was daydreaming when he felt the plow stop moving.  He managed
to shout 'Whoa!", but it was too late to stop the heart wrenching
sounds of wood splintering, yet again.

Elgin and Jezebel, his stallion and mare, waited patiently while he
looked the plow over.

When he was done, he sighed and spoke wearily to his horses.  "Well,
it looks like you two get another vacation, while I repair the plow."

He gathered the pieces and reattached the plow so they could drag it
back to the barn, then they went home.

He rubbed them down, made sure they hadn't been hurt by the sudden
stop, then sighed and slapped their rumps as he sent them into their
paddock.  "Thanks.  You two go relax."

He had some food, then went to the barn to look the damage over.

Finally he settled on the stool and simply stared at his broken plow.
"Maybe I should give up, and find something else to do.  This being a
farmer isn't working out."

He lifted his head and looked at his field.  "I should have known I
was being taken advantage of, when I was offered a chance to have my
own farm.  I guess it will be good soil, if I ever get rid of all the
rocks.  Five years, and I'm still breaking my plow on them."

A nose came over his right shoulder, then the rest of the head, before
it pressed sideways.

He laughed and held it there briefly, then moved so he could look into
eyes that he was willing to believe looked at the world with a clarity
he didn't have.  "Hello, Jezzi.  Got out of your paddock again, I see.
Well, thanks for the company.  Looks like you and Elgin get a few days
to rest up, before we finish plowing that field."

He sighed.  "Sometimes, I wish...  Oh, never mind.  I'm tired.  I sure
wish there was way to stop breaking the plow."

He flinched when a calm voice spoke from behind them.  "There is,
young man, but there's a price that has to be paid, before you can use
it."

Boyce stood, then turned to see who had spoken.  "I don't know you,
stranger.  Are you going to offer me..."  He waved at his farm.
"Another deal like this one was supposed to be?"

The man laughed.  "No."

"This price.  Will I have to give up my freedom?"

"Again, no."

Boyce sighed.  "I have no money, so don't waste your breath by trying
to sell me something."

The man nodded slightly.  "Tell me, Boyce, do you believe in magic?"

"I did, when I was a child.  I am a man, now, and have yet to see this
'magic'.  It is a nice dream, but...  without proof, I no longer waste
my time with those dreams."

"So you need proof?"

"Yes."

"You are a good man, Boyce, and the world will always have a need for
such as you.  After I leave, ask Jezzi to give you The Gift.  I
think..."  He laughed again.  "You will have your proof."

Boyce watched while the man turned and walked away.  After he was gone
from sight, Boyce sighed and walked over so he could watch Jezzi's
face.  "Jezzi?  I feel like a fool, in one of those plays about the
simple.  But, I have nothing to lose, since no one is near to see my
simpleness.  What is this 'Gift', that he spoke of, that you can give
me?"

Her ears came forward, then she turned her head and snorted softly,
before she faced him and...

Spoke.

"The Gift, Boyce, is the ability to control the power that surrounds
us."

He stared at her.  "You spoke!"

"I am always speaking to you.  This time, I chose to speak in your
language, instead of mine."

He sighed.  "I must be mad, to think you are speaking to me, Jezzi,
but as long as no one is nearby, to wonder why I speak to my mare, I
will indulge this madness."

She laughed.  "I will do my best to not disappoint you."

"What is the price I must pay?"

"You will learn to call boredom your true enemy, and seek new ways to
keep it from your life."

"That's it?!"

"In return, you will become as a god, and no one will say you yea, or
nay, if they bother to notice you at all."

"Gods live forever, Jezzi."

"So will you, unless you choose to die, and that will require a
special effort on your part, because no one will help you, not even
I."

He swallowed, then spoke in a whisper.  "Will I...  Will I be able to
create life, as we were created?"

"Yes, and no.  Mostly, no.  You will have the ability to create a new
body for yourself, then move your soul into it, when you get tired of
the body you have.  It is not permitted, for us to create totally new
life."

He looked around, then down at his broken plow.  "Will I be able to
repair my plow?"

She laughed.  "Of course!  That is a simple thing.  It is also a good
way to begin, if you still want The Gift to enter your life."

"Jezzi?  I...  I'm frightened.  Will you stay with me, if I do this?"

"Always, Boyce.  If you wish..."

She blurred, and suddenly a young woman was standing where Jezzi had
been.  "We can live as husband and wife.  I cannot give you children,
but everything else you can receive from a woman, I can give you."

He sighed, then nodded his head.  "Let us...  Complete this mad
adventure.  I wish to receive The Gift, from you."

She nodded, then walked over and fitted the broken parts of the plow
together.  "Come, Boyce.  Place your hands on where it is broken, then
command it to be healed."

He placed his hands, stared at them, then sighed again before he spoke
hesitantly,  "I believe in my madness, so I will do as I am asked.  Be
healed!"

There was a flash of light and heat, and when he pulled his hands
away, there were no signs of any of the times the plow had been
broken.

He felt it for minutes, and looked for signs of all the repairs he'd
made over the years, and found none of them.

When he finally looked up, Jezzi held out one of her hands.  "Come, my
husband.  There is much we may spend the rest of this day, any many
more, talking about."

She suddenly giggled, startling him.  "Of course, tomorrow I will have
to become a mare again, so I may help you and Elgin plow the field.
From now on, I will stop us, before the plow breaks!"
====

Boyce & Jezzi 003
---

Boyce woke to the sound of someone humming.  He rolled to his side,
then squinted, to see if he could learn who was in his home.

It was a woman, and after some thought, he realized it was the same
women he had spent the afternoon, evening, and part of the night,
getting to know better.

His attempt to hide that he was awake, failed.

She noticed him watching her, then tossed her head back to get her
hair out of her eyes.  "So, My Husband.  Do you enjoy what you see?"

"Jezzi?"

"Of course.  Let's share breakfast, then we will go spend the morning
plowing the field, before we return and I help you get used to looking
at the world as it has become for you."

He got up, settled at the table, then continued to study this woman
who had suddenly become part of his life.

Something about the way she moved was vaguely familiar, but he
couldn't figure out why, until he watched her thighs while she was
turned away.  Where had he seen that...  "Jezebel!  You move like she
does!"

She looked over her shoulder and smiled.  "I should, since I am she."

She set a plate of food in front of him, and he was stunned when he
realized part of what she served him was meat, and it wasn't any he
was familiar with.  "The meat?  What kind is it?"

"Hare.  The fat one who has been brazenly raiding our garden.
Tomorrow, his family will be captive, and they will provide a welcome
variety in your diet."

She sat opposite him and pointed.  "Eat.  We have a busy day ahead of
us."

He stared at her, then laughed.  "So.  Whoever you are, you are a true
female.  Have you also decided what changes you are going to make to
me, so I am fit to be your husband?"

"I will teach you what you need to know, so you may decide if you wish
to change yourself.  Whoever you become, I will fit myself to you, as
much as you fit yourself to me, in the way that happens in all good
marriages."

"Fair enough, since it seems I will eat as good, or better, than many
Lords do."

She laughed.  "Better, if you had said 'Priests'."

He sobered.  "True,  If the farm prospers, we will have to remember to
pay our tithe, and more, to keep him from asking too many questions
about why it prospers."

"So, you accept the reality of The Gift, and the fact your mare can
choose to be your wife?"

"I do, Jezzi.  I gave my word that I would believe in magic, if proof
was given."

* * *

One of his neighbors came by a few days later, after they had finished
their morning chores.

"Good afternoon, Boyce.   I was sent to discover whose voice came to
us on the wind."

Boyce chuckled.  "Tell your wife that once Jezebel settles in, we will
come to visit, so she may learn what she wishes to know."

"Jezebel?  She has the same name as your mare?"

"She does.  Or, at least it is the one she gave me, when I asked."

"Ah.  I will leave the rest of the questions for my wife."

He looked around, then frowned.  "Speaking of your mare, I see she has
escaped again."

"She's a free spirit, unlike Elgin, who is content to stay home. Since
I couldn't convince her to stay in the paddock, I quit putting her in
it.  She roams free, and is here when I need her, so I put up with her
antics."

"Aye.  Females do have a will of their own, and wear us down, until we
see things their way.  Will we see you on Sunday?"

"We'll be there."

"Good!  A new voice will be welcome!"

Boyce laughed.  "What?  Are you already tired of your wife's voice?"

"Oh, no!  It will be nice, to have two Angels come to Earth, instead
of one."

"I am newly spoken for, so I'd better not answer that the way I'd like
to.  Can you stay for lunch?"

He sighed.  "I'd like to, but there are too many chores to be done.
Another day."

They shook hands and Boyce nodded.  "Another day.  Tell your wife we
will come over after lunch, tomorrow, so they can visit, while I help
you with the chores I know you've been putting off."

"Thank you, Boyce."

Boyce watched his neighbor leave, and after he was gone from sight, he
sighed.  "I'd forgotten about his wife's interest in everything that
goes on."

Jezzi joined him and leaned against him.  "Later, I will become a mare
and let myself be seen some distance away from here, to put some truth
in your lie."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome.  The food is waiting for us."

"Then let us heed its call."

* * *

The village priest shook Boyce's hand.  "So, the bachelor is no more?"

Boyce smiled and wrapped an arm around Jezzi's waist.  "Yes, and no
complaining.  Her cooking is as good as her singing.  When the harvest
is done, you may come and find out for yourself."

"Thank you.  Are you married in the eyes of the Lord?"

"Not yet.  The decision will be hers, not mine, after we decide we can
get along with each other when things are not going well."

"The vows would help you survive the stress."

Boyce nodded.  "Perhaps.  They would also force us together when we do
not wish to be.  Again, it is Jezzi's decision to make, because I have
made my feelings clear about the matter."

The priest sighed, then eyed Jezzi.  "A wedding would be good for the
village."

Jezzi smiled.  "Many things are good for the village.  I have already
heard talk of a man who spends too much time with women who are not
his wives.  Several women spoke of a gelding, to gentle him into his
proper place in the community.  I have not been approached, yet, so I
will withhold my judgement in the matter.   Come, Boyce.  The walk
home is long, and there is much that needs to be done."

The priest had flinched and glanced at Boyce, then relaxed when he was
looking somewhere else.  "May God be with you, always, Jezzi, Boyce."

Jezzi nodded.  "Thank you for your thoughts, and blessing.  May He
always be watching over us all."

They left, and didn't say anything to each other until they were out
of the village.

Jezzi giggled.  "Did you see his shock when I mentioned gelding?"

"I did.  He is young, and not happy with celibacy, so he does
something about it.  He has a taste for showing virgins the ways of
the flesh, and as long as they are not betrothed, nobody has said
anything, that I know of."

"He is skilled at what he does, and they remember, then share that
knowledge with others.  However, there has been a sudden increase of
baby boys who do not grow up to look like their fathers, and some
people are wondering if he spreads God's Word where it is not welcome.
If they ever have proof of his attentions, action will be taken."

"Ah.  That is the reason for your warning.  I don't know if I want him
to heed it, or not."

She laughed.  "It will not be I, who tells of what she has seen.
Nobody pays attention to what a wandering mare sees."

Boyce laughed, before he sobered and gestured.  "All this talk of the
ways of the flesh has reminded me that I am a man.  Would you care to
be a woman, to that man?"

"Yes!"
====

Boyce & Jezzi 004
---

Boyce's farm had prospered, finally, so one of the first things he'd
done was buy two more horses so he could raise a small herd.  Jezzi
spent all of her time as his wife, after she 'died' and he supposedly
buried her in the small orchard he now had.

All in all, once the rocks had been cleared, the soil had turned out
to be quite good.

Other things in his life, were not so good, and he managed to hide his
distaste for the man who had confronted him while he was plowing.

"Boyce, God feels you have failed him."

"Oh?  How?"

"One of His commandments, is to be fruitful, and multiply."

"We do not desire children."

"It is not what we desire, it is His Will, that we must concern
ourselves with.  Perhaps it is time to seek a new wife, since the one
you have now, seems to be barren."

"I will not set Jezzi aside, in favor of another."

"Many men have more than one wife, Boyce."

"I am not many men.  Have you considered the fact that if we had
children, we could not give freely of the bounty we harvest, so others
may have more children?  Perhaps it is God's will, that Jezzi and I
remain childless, so that people who do desire children, can have the
ones we might have had."

Boyce smiled faintly.  "If we had children, we would not have the
extra that we donate to you, so you may see that it is given to those
in need."

"Hmmph!  Your points are ones I hadn't considered.  I will pray for
His guidance in this matter."

The man left, and once he was gone, Boyce snorted.  "Trust a man of
the church to think of himself, first."

After he cleaned the plow and put everything away, Boyce sat on the
porch to relax, and think.

Jezzi found him there, and settled on his lap.  When he held back his
usual passion, she turned slightly and studied his weathered face.
"You are...  quiet."

"The priest sought me in the field, and made it clear that in his
eyes, I have failed God, by not being fruitful.  He went so far as to
suggest I seek another wife.  I refused."

"Was that wise?  Stallions usually have more than one mare."

"I don't know if it was wise.  It was right."

"True.  Did you point out the good we are able to do, because we can
spend more time making our farm prosperous?"

Boyce laughed.  "Oh, of course!  And he rethought his position enough
to announce he will pray for God's guidance."

"So, the private gelding has done some good!"

"Perhaps.  The man is still greedy, and abuses his position in other
ways."

She sighed.  "We could change that."

"I know."

He held out a hand and his tankard floated into view.  He reached and
when he had a firm grip on the handle, he tilted it and took a long
drink, then he spoke softly.  "Are you still my companion?"

"Yes."

"I do not want to leave, but I have a feeling we must.  Soon, it will
be impossible for us to hide our differences.  The village is a town,
and the neighbors move ever closer.  Even if they didn't, the children
who roam the woods around us, and seek to know why we stay aloof from
many things, appear in ever increasing numbers."

She kissed him tenderly.  "And, my Love, you are bored."

"Truth!  It will be cold enough for a fire, tonight."

"I will cook enough so we have journey rations to last us for several
days, and pack what we treasure, so I may carry it while you ride."

"Thanks, Jezzi."

* * *

Jezzi went mare, and Boyce put all of her tack on, before he found
ways to tie the few possessions they'd decided to take with them, so
they wouldn't fall off.

Jezzi looked out the barn door and studied the farm.  "The twilight
will help us hide our leaving.  No one watches."

Boyce led her out, then got in the saddle and spoke sadly.  "Take me
to the house."

She did, and both of them studied it for a time, before she sighed.
"It has been a good life, Boyce.  As long as I have lived, I still
find it hard to leave a place where I have roots."

"I hope that wasn't meant to console me."

"It wasn't.  It was to give you perspective.  We will, if you choose
to live a long life, do this many more times.  We will find a new
life, somewhere, and eventually tonight will become a memory that
holds no power over us."

They were silent, then he sighed.  "Are we still unwatched?"

"Yes."

He pointed at the house.  "Burn!"

There was a sudden glow in the windows, then the thatch roof burst
into flame.  After the house was entirely in flames, he leaned
forward, touched Jezzi's neck lightly, then gathered her reins into
his hands and spoke softly.  "Let's go."

She turned, and neither of them looked back.

* * *

The next day, when searchers looked for tracks, while hoping that
Boyce and his wife had escaped, they found no sign of her passage
through the tall grass that surrounded the burned out shell of what
had once been the home of two of the most respected members of their
town.
====

Boyce & Jezzi 005
---

They were a couple days away from their old home, when Jezzi flicked
her ears in different directions.

Boyce sighed.  "Company?"

Her head bobbed slightly.

He sighed and spoke louder.  "Ok.  I know you're out there, so you
might as well say hello."

Four men in ragged clothing stepped out to surround Jezzi and Boyce. 

Boyce narrowed his eyes while he looked at each of them, then he
nodded slightly.  "So that's the way of it?  I have, you don't, and
you seek to change that situation?"

"Tha' Lord God gives us no choice, if we want us an' our families to
survive."

"Well, if you're willing to be honest men again, I'll give you my
travel rations, and some money, so you can follow this trail for about
4 days, until you get to a town that recently had a farmhouse burn
down, with no survivors.    If you can't buy the land, there are
plenty of folks who need the help of families who are willing to do an
honest day's work, and they'll pay for that help, or house and feed
you and your families, until you can find some land of your own."

The leader shrugged.  "We heard about that fire, but since we have
nothing, we decided to stay here.  Now, if you'll be getting down,
we'll let you live, if you give us everything else."

Boyce sighed and made a gesture that took in all of them.  "Four
against two is pretty unequal."

"It makes up for you having, and us not."

"Well, since I've had my offer refused, it's been interesting talking
to you, but now we must be moving on."

Jezzi started to move, and the nearest man grabbed for her bridle.
"Whoa, there!"

She stopped, jerked her head free, then turned and crushed the man's
hand.  After she did that, one of her hind lags lashed out and her
hoof slammed into a second man's chest.  Blood gushed from his mouth
and nose as he slumped to the ground.

The remaining two froze, and Boyce nodded slightly.  "She's battle
trained."

He unhooked a small bag from his saddle and tossed it on the ground.
"Split this four ways, so their families have a chance.  If I hear it
hasn't been, we'll come back and finish what you started."

He waited, and after nothing was said, he nodded and kneed Jezzi into
motion.

When the man in front of her didn't move, she turned her head slightly
and focused on him while she pulled her lips back in a warning.

He flinched, then kept his hands at his sides while he moved out of
her way.

Boyce nodded without speaking, and they resumed their journey.

When they stopped to eat, Boyce spoke mildly.  "I saw the knife the
dead man held.  Wasn't your reaction a bit extreme?"

"If he truly had a family, without him there, his wife will have a
better chance of making arrangements for her and their children."

"I hear anger in your voice."

"He held a Knight's blade.  If he held it for service given, he did
something to earn his current fate.  If not, he obtained it less than
honorably, and had earned his death, if he was discovered."

"In either case, it was obvious he was willing to use it on one of us.
I chose to appear mortal, so any rumors spread about us are...  less
likely to cause problems later."

Boyce laughed when she started cropping the grass.  "So, now, if
anyone meets us, I am a traveler with a usually gentle mare, and no
threat to anyone, because I have a mare who will protect me.  It's as
elegant a solution as you are, beautiful."

"Thank you.  Nobody is nearby, so you can heat your food."

He dug out one of the sandwiches they carried, and held one hand over
it until steam rose from it.

He held it up so Jezzi could see it, and grinned.  "Not as hot as you,
but it will satisfy the needs of my belly."

She was still laughing when he settled with his back against a tree.

After he ate, he dozed for awhile, then they resumed their journey.

* * *

They wandered for years, going in whichever direction their whims sent
them.  Their adventures were few, and those they did have, were never
the kind that would be talked about and turned into local legends.

Usually, they arrived in a place quietly, stayed for a time, then left
as quietly as they entered.

It was inevitable they would tire of traveling, so one day, when they
paused to look over a lush valley, Boyce got down and moved so he
could rest a hand on Jezzi's neck, before he spoke to her.

"Well, Jezzi.  Should we settle here?"

"I could use the break from travelling, and it would be nice, to get
to know people as more than briefly met strangers."

He chuckled.  "And, we are both bored, which makes the decision to
settle an easy one, right?"

"Right!"

Boyce ran his fingers through his now white hair, then ran a hand over
his chest while he chuckled.  "I think things will go better, if I do
not appear to be an old man."

He shimmered, and where the old man had stood, a muscular youth of
about twenty appeared.

He stretched, then smiled.  "Ahhh...  It feels good, to get rid of the
aches and pains.  Your turn, Love."

She laughed, shimmered, and suddenly a young woman with long brown
hair stood where a mare had been.  She did her own stretching, then
she wrapped an arm around Boyce's waist.  "Come, let us see what
opportunities await a healthy couple, who wish to settle and become a
farmer, and his wife."
====

Boyce & Jezzi 006
---

Boyce and Jezzi found the local inn, paid for a room for a few nights,
then got directions to where they could get something to eat.

After they were served, Boyce looked at the girl who served them.  "Do
you know who we should talk to, about settling here?"

She stared at him  "You *want* to live here?!"

"We do."

"I'll get my father.  He's the closest we have, to a real Lord, since
he used to be a Knight."

"Thank you.  We're in no hurry, so he can wait until its convenient
for him, to talk to us."

"He'll like that!  I'll tell him.  Do you need anything else?"

"Maybe later, if the food is as good as it smells."

He handed her two coins.  "One, for the cost of the extra food, and
the other, for you, to thank you for your help."

After they'd had their second helping of the stew, and the girl had
cleared their table and refilled their tankards, a man who appeared to
be in his early thirties, came out to stand by their table and study
them, before he nodded slightly.  "I'm Sir Halloran. I own this
tavern, and I'm the one who settles any disputes in the valley, so
folks made me their Lord.  I let them do as they will, most of the
time, since I know my place in the world, and I was never intended to
be a Lord of anything.  

"Gabriella has a good eye.  It's not often, that she tells me someone
she's served has a kind and gentle look to them.  She mentioned you
folks are interested in living here?"

"Boyce, and my wife Jezebel.  We liked the look from the pass, and
decided that we're tired of wandering.  If there's some land
available, we'd like to settle and become farmers."

Halloran sat in one of the chairs and shrugged.  "Lots of land
available.  If you aren't superstitious, you can take over one of the
abandoned holdings.  We lose a couple families every winter, and few
choose to live here, because of the harsh winters.  If that doesn't
suit you, you can look around, talk to people to find out what is
already held, then mark your own land and clear it."

Boyce nodded.  "What about payments and stuff like that?  We'd be
pleased to contribute to the church, if you have one, so there will be
something for those in need."

Sir Halloran studied him thoughtfully.  "You sound pretty confident,
for someone as young as you are."

Boyce leaned back.  "It's a short story to tell.  We both served well,
and when we decided it was time to work for ourselves, we had enough
money saved that we can take the time to make sure we start right. I'm
not afraid of hard and honest work, so once I have some land, I'll buy
a couple of horses, and use what I learned, to make my own plow. After
that, time is all we'll need.  And a few good crops, of course."

"Plenty of horses running free, so all you have to do is capture what
you need.  A lot of them are still tame, so you'll probably have more
than you can use, if you keep water out for them, and offer treats
once in awhile.

"Seed shouldn't be a problem, either, since there are plenty of
abandoned fields around.  Finding a plow will be difficult, but not
impossible to do.  You mentioned you could make your own.  Are you a
blacksmith?  If you wanted to make extra money, or have a way of
trading for what you need, a lot of folks have things they need
repaired."

"I'm not a real blacksmith.  All I know is what any good farmer needs
to know, so I picked up a lot of things, instead of learning a real
trade."

"If you can survive the winters, you should do ok.  As long as you
help others, they'll help you when you need it."

"Thanks.  We've paid for a room for a few days, so we'll take the time
to see if we can capture a couple of horses, then look things over,
before we make a final decision."

Sir Halloran held out his hand.  "Folks call me Hal, or Barkeep, most
of the time.  They only add the Sir when it's serious."

Boyce shook hands with him.  "Boyce is all I have, but if I earn
something else while I'm here, I'll pay attention when it's used."

Hal laughed and let go, then he looked at Jezebel.  "What about you,
Jezebel?  You have the look of a woman who is used to doing more than
being a wife."

"I'm Jezzi, to my friends.  Well, I can cook for small to medium sized
gatherings.  If you want, you can show me your kitchen, and I'll give
you a sample.  I know how to recognize some of the plants used by
healers, and then prepare and use them.  I know how to slaughter my
food before I cook it.  Boyce knows I am barren, and we are not the
type of people who want children in our lives at home, but we do enjoy
them, and will help if asked."

She bent her head so she was looking at the table.  "And...  I enjoy
singing.  If your church has a choir, I would like to join it."

Hal flinched, Boyce noticed and raised an eyebrow, so he sighed.  "We
don't have a church.  We do have Father Killian, and those who
worship, usually do so in his barn, when the weather is bad, or in his
field, when the weather is good.  He was here long before I was and...
you should meet him, and form your own opinion.  All I will say, is
that he is far more tolerant than I am used to, for a man who serves
God."

Boyce nodded.  "As long as we have a man of faith we can talk to, we
will be content.  The road we travelled to get here, taught us that
faith is not as simple as we were taught in our village church."

Hal laughed.  "Yes, living on the road is good for that much."

He stood, and gestured at his daughter.  "I will go back to my duties.
If you need anything, ask, and if I stock it, it will be served."

He winked at them.  "She is spoiled enough, so you won't need to tip
her again.  Ever since my wife died from the fever, people here have
helped me raise her."

Jezzi smiled.  "Ah.  That explains her easy confidence that she will
get what her heart desires, eventually.  If you decide I am worthy of
your kitchen, and she approves, of course, I can spend some of my time
here being a mother."

She grinned at Gabriella.  "I was a wild one, too, until Boyce tamed
me!"
====

End: Solstice Magic 04: Country Magic & City Magic - Boyce and Jezzi
1-6/6

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