The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (29 page)

“I thought you didn’t like being looked at that way.”

“Not from strangers or from men I’m not interested in. You’re my husband; I want you to want me.”

“Didn’t you specifically say you wanted to wait for us to consummate things?”

Alice’s cheeks became rosy and she pressed her index finger together. “Even if I ask you to wait to have the meal I don’t mind if your mouth waters.”

“I do look forward to it, from what I’ve seen it’s very enjoyable. I just have other things on my mind.”

“I see.”

Without any warning Alice pounced.

She jumped onto him, knocking him back onto the grass. Waldo suddenly found himself pinned to the ground with her holding his wrists. Her tongue had slipped into his mouth and was licking and teasing his own. Her breasts were pressing onto his chest and she was rubbing them back and forth and around.

With her knees she forced his legs wide apart and settled the lower part of her body between them. She was grinding against him. Her whole body was rubbing and pressing on him producing the most delicious sort of friction.

His initial reaction was to tell her to stop, but after a moment he found himself enjoying it and all thoughts of resistance fled his mind.

There had been scantily clad sex slaves in Castle Corpselover; but because of Enver he had never taken advantage of their services. He had also been so devoted to trying to become competent with magic it had left little time for other interests.

Alice’s surprise attack was threatening to change all that. She felt very good and he began to want more.

Then, after just a few minutes, Alice let go of his wrists and popped back up to her feet. She was looking down on him with a self-satisfied little smile on her lips. “Well, I’m full now. Good night darling.” She ambled off to her blanket.

Still sprawled out on the grass and not sure what had just happened he managed to answer. “Uh, yes, good night.”

Waldo was not completely certain, but he suspected Alice might be toying with him.

Chapter 21

We All Have To Start Somewhere

He blew off a bit of shaving and put away his knife. “It’s done.”

“You finished your wand darling?”

He nodded. “I’m not sure how much good it will do me, but I have a wand now at least. I will still need to sand down the edges a bit and carve some words of power into it.”

“What are those?”

“Wands are very personal magical items. It helps to carve words or names into them with a special connection to the user.”

“Did your old wand have words carved in it?”

“Yes; ‘Corpselover,’ ‘power,’ and ‘death.’”

“How… sweet. Why did you choose those?”

“I didn’t. My mother chose the words.”

“Will you use the same ones?”

He slipped the wand into on eof the deep pockets sewn in his nice white robes. “Probably, but I’ll decide for certain later. After we get to Bittford and meet this hedgewizard.”

XXX

The two of them reached Bittford early the next afternoon.

Bittford was a fair sized village with close to a thousand people. That made it much smaller than a city like Stratford, but far larger than Fall River had been. At the village center there was an Inn, a couple stores, a smithy and a simple temple. The houses were of lumber or mud brick with thatch roofs. They were unpainted and of a similar, basic design, but looked to be in fair condition.

There were plenty of people out and about and as the two of them came walking down the muddy road folk stopped and stared.

“Interesting,” Waldo said.

“What’s that darling?”

“The way they gape at me now isn’t much different from when my robes were black. I expected them be falling on their knees crying out in adoration.”

“Well, even if you have these on, you’re still a magic user. It’s only natural that people be a little wary.”

“So long as they don’t form an angry mob that will do.”

They went directly to the Inn. No one greeted or approached them. Everyone kept a safe distance. When they stepped inside there was a portly Innkeeper behind a bar and three men in muddy work clothes at one of the tables. All four of them stared at the newly arrived couple.

Waldo cast his eyes about.

“Are you looking for something?” Alice asked.

“I thought all the Inns in this country had women with revealing clothes.”

Alice blushed slightly. “We won’t ever be visiting a place like that, and please don’t ever mention it again.”

“Why not?”

“There are just certain things best left in the past.”

“You mean like how your breasts are not the equal of my mother’s?”

Alice sent him a look of complete disbelief. He could sense a spark of anger rising in her through their connection.

“Can I help you sir?” The Innkeeper asked cautiously from behind his bar.

“My correct title is, ‘Master’ not, ‘Sir’.”

The Innkeeper raised an eyebrow.

“Please ignore him,” Alice said. “He wants everyone to call him that.”

Waldo shot her an annoyed glance. “I don’t suppose you have wine here by any chance do you?”

“We have ale,” the man answered.

Waldo made a face, one more hardship. “We’ll have some then and a meal.”

“We have mutton and potatoes and wheat bread.”

“That will be fine.” Waldo said and sat down at an empty table.

Alice sat down beside him as the Innkeeper went to the back to tell someone to ready the food, before filling two large tankards with a foaming brown liquid.

As this was going on Alice glanced over at the table where the three men were staring.

“Looks like I won’t have to worry about being hungry later.”

“That’s nice,” Waldo said absently. He stared down at his drink. The color reminded him of muddy water and it had a wheaty smell to it.

“Could you at least pretend to be upset that there are men lusting after me?”

“That would be like being upset about a wolf wanting to devour a lamb. A sensible person should accept the natural order of things.”

“Well it’s natural for a husband to be jealous when strangers are eying his wife.”

“Shouldn’t I take that as a compliment? It’s not as though I would be upset if people admired the horse I was riding.”

“Now you’re comparing me to a horse?”

“It’s just an example; obviously you’re worth a lot more to me than any horse.”

Alice sat there and just stared at him.

“You’re planning to kick me aren’t you?”

“I am thinking about it.”

Waldo frowned at her. “Do you want me to kill them for looking at you?”

“Who said anything about killing them?”

“Well that’s a relief. I would have had to use you for that. Killing people for me is a part of your duties as my familiar.”

“Wife. Darling, I am not asking you to murder anyone. I don’t even expect you to beat them up.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“I just want you to be jealous.”

“So you want me to be jealous, but not to actually do anything about it?”

“Yes.”

“Well that’s pointless. It’s like being thirsty but not trying to take a drink.”

“It’s not about doing anything; it’s about showing that you care.”

“By feeling jealousy?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t the fact I bought you proof of that?”

“I’m going to kick you now.”

XXX

A few minutes later the Innkeeper came to their table with two plates filled with hot food.

“Is there anything I can help you with sir?”

“Can you tell me where to find Roger the hedgewizard?”

“Why?”

“My reasons are none of your business. Do you know where he is or not?”

Alice saw the man stiffen.

Whack!

“Ow!” Waldo began rubbing one of his shins. “You kicked me!”

“Did I?” Alice asked sweetly. “Must have been an accident.” She sent the Innkeeper an indulgent smile. “Please forgive my husband’s rudeness. There is an important matter we need to meet with Master Roger over. It would be a huge help if you could tell us how to find him.”

She looked intently into his eyes.

The man’s cheeks turned cranberry red and he tried to suck in his gut. “He lives in the woods a quarter mile west of the village. There’s a little path that will take you straight to his door, so you should be able to find it. I can tell you though that he won’t go with you. The other two didn’t have any luck and you won’t either.”

“Other two?” Waldo asked as he rubbed his bruised ankle.

“I always heard you White Mages knew what all your sort were about. Two others came to visit him; last one was a couple years ago I think. They wanted to invite him to Avalon but he turned them down. Roger is one of us, and he’s not one for putting on white.”

Waldo smiled triumphantly at Alice. “See? I told you they weren’t to be trusted.”

“They?” The Innkeeper asked.

“The other White Mages,” Alice said quickly before Waldo could answer. “There are different groups, and ah, uhm…”

“Factions,” Waldo provided seeing what she was doing. “We have different philosophies on how to achieve our ultimate goal.” Smiling he lowered his voice conspiratorially. “We’re trying to conquer the world you know. You shouldn’t trust any of us.”

“As you say sir.” The man replied nervously and scuttled back to his bar.

“Why did you say that?” Alice whispered. “That’s only going to cause trouble for us.”

“That’s fine, so long as it causes trouble for Avalon too. I intend to make the name Waldo Rabbit feared throughout the land by the time I’m done.”

“And you’re going to do this by spreading rumors in bars?”

Waldo shrugged. “We all have to start somewhere.”

With a shake of her head the two of them began to eat.