Osmond nodded to Miss Longueville for her to put the curtain back over the mirror and placed the 'Bell of Sleep' back in his desk. "It says something of the elf's skill that he managed to take out the Gramont boy with out any overt magic. Very impressive, and I could only list a few commoners that could match that accomplishment."
Miss Longueville licked her lips, "It was just against a second year student but still..."
"That's right," Colbert added in, "and if my theory is correct and he had been successful in disarming the golem and used it's sword, Mr. Gramont wouldn't have stood a chance."
Miss Longueville looked at Colbert but Old Osmond wanted that detail kept secret, "Regardless, I am impressed with the familiar's restraint and Mr. Gramont's caution in escalating the matter. Ms. Longueville, please congratulate Louise on the duel and inform her personally as well as the rest of the staff that the school rules will be changed to prevent these sort of fights from occurring in the future. We would not want Mr. Gramont to set a precedent in fighting familiars."
Miss Longueville sighed but left the two men alone. This time Osmond opened the door to watch her leave. After she turned the corner, Osmond shut the door and reinforced the wards to prevent eavesdropping.
"I'm sorry for that Colbert, but there is something I want to make clear to you. Do not tell that woman anything of importance. Do I make myself clear?" Osmond glared at the 'Fire Snake' Colbert and nodded.
"If you don't trust her then why have her so close?"
"Just because I think she's lying to me is no reason to get rid of her. Especially not till I find out what she's after. Who knows, maybe she actually has a good reason for it."
Colbert bowed his head, "Thank you for your trust in this matter."
"I have a small measure of trust in your judgment, but I've been lured by pretty women too many times not to give you this warning. The secret you've learned is too important for you to share it with anyone. It's bad enough that others will guess at it without this proof." Osmond took the book and placed it in his desk before turning the illustration brought by Colbert into ash.
"Now is there anything else Colt?" The tension in the air evaporated, and Osmond gave an absentminded grin. Colbert raised a hand to say something but then shook his head.
"No, Headmaster. Do you wish me to return the familiar's belongings?"
"That is entirely up to you. I will support your decision whatever it may be."
"Thank you, Headmaster." Colbert left the old man to his thoughts.
"Drat, I should have told Ms. Longueville to send me some dinner as well."
------------------------------------------------
Louise was quite happy with how everything seemed to be going her way. Her familiar had wiped the floor with the two-timing Guiche. Ms. Longueville had given Louise a personal message from the headmaster apologizing for the oversight in the rules allowing a Noble to duel a familiar. Never mind that the familiar had won and it had put an end to that stupid Malicorne's rumor that Link was just a commoner playing dress-up.
In fact, by the evening the fight had grown to epic proportions and the true story matched it only in the most basic of facts. That Guiche had managed to escape with his life from the foul enchantments of the elf. Louise wasn't going to complain about the larger than life tales when they so clearly revealed how awesome she was.
After the fight, Link had his hand bandaged by the maid who had retrieved her. Louise had been quite cross by the way the commoner was making eyes at her familiar and was about to say something on the matter, when the maid cast her eyes downward and fled. Just as it should be, Louise thought.
Link had been quiet for the rest of the day until he retrieved her dirty laundry during the night. The two of them set up a time to go in to the woods and work on the one thing that still made Louise angry. Her magic.
"Alright, lets start with what we know. You cast a spell and an explosion happens. The explosions can be of different sizes. Long distance manifestations and pin point accuracy as shown by the teachers takes years of study. So, first question can you shoot one of those explosions a distance?"
Louise furrowed her brow, "I don't know, I've never tried that before."
"Well, no point in just standing around. Give it a try and if anything bad happens, I'll carry you the whole way back to a healer. I swear it."
Louise tried to think of a spell that would have the effect, Link was asking for and in her mind she remembered her mother practicing in the field near their home. Showing the strength of a true mage to her daughters till all three proved lacking in one way or another to reach the level of strength their mother so clearly treasured.
Louise imagined that same blast her mother had shown so long ago and cleanly cutting the tree to be used as firewood for the winter. "Tempest Wind!" Louise called, stabbing forward with her wand.
No winds answered her call, just like every other time, the elements did not answer her call. Instead raw magic flew through the air, invisible to the eye but its presence still felt as it with a tree 50 paces away, and exploded. Shard's of wood carpeted the area around the trunk like a healthy mulch while the rest of the tree toppled over.
Louise was grateful it hadn't exploded in her face, that might have done more then break her arm.
"Good first attempt. Still the aim leaves something to be desired. You were aiming for that tree right?" Link pointed to a tree 40 paces away and thirty degrees to the right of the one she had exploded. Her wand directly pointing at the tree made it a logical conclusion.
"Now, we'll work on that until you always hit what you're aiming at. After that I'll want to see your biggest explosion and then your smallest. Tell me which one's easier to accomplish. After that I'll probably start teaching you how to fight, your skills tend to lean towards that profession."
"That profession?"
"Mercenary, Soldier, Knight, Warrior, Adventurer."
"And if I wanted to avoid that field of labor?"
"Next best thing I could recommend is demolition of buildings, removing tree stumps, or something that relies more on you talking then your magic. Diplomat, courtier, or wife. I'm just throwing out suggestions here."
That last one raised some uncomfortable facts as it had become common knowledge that Louise was a zero, her family had looked for a suitable family to marry Louise in to. Most had been wary, fearing that any children would inherit Louise's failure and there had been talk of Louise having to marry in to a merchant family. Luckily, Louise hadn't had to suffer the indignity of being betrothed to a commoner. "I am already engaged." Louise said.
"See, you'll find your place in this world Master." Link assured her.
Louise had spent most of her teen years knowing what her place was, a failure and a disappointment, but maybe Louise could make a new place for herself.
"Keep on practicing Master. I'll give suggestions to help you, just keep on casting."
----------------------------------
Louise learned quickly that she just wasn't used to this kind of casting. For the longest time, she had been ostracized because of her failure in being able to do what anyone else could, no matter how simple. It wasn't surprising that after twenty minutes of straight spell slinging that she wanted to put her wand arm in a sling. Louise hadn't even gotten to any of the other exercises her familiar had proposed.
Link had tried to offer pointers on when to release the spell and trying out different gestures and even just holding the wand out while casting. That blast had ended up knocking both of them down and after a careful inspection of limbs they found no permanent damage.
She was sweating and her grip on the wand was shaky at best and her aim hadn't improved by any noticeable margin, in fact her first cast had been one of the better attempts. Despite all that, for the first time she wasn't being yelled at over being such a failure and asked for one of the more talented people to intervene and show the proper way. That would have been difficult considering it was only her and her familiar there.
Still the walk back to the castle was a quiet one as the setting sun made the stray clouds look like tongues of flame.
"Familiar, tell me about yourself."
Link looked at her from the corner of his eye. Considering the amount of time they spent together there was a lot that they didn't know about each other. What else was important after all, whatever the past Link had was done with. He was her familiar and she was his master. A sacred relationship that looked deeply in to the person performing the person and granting them with the companion that was perfectly suited for them. During this time Link had been mostly silent, supportive, and except for a few indignities, had followed her commands. Still at times like this she grew curious.
"How about a trade," Link suggested, "Tell me about your life and I will share mine."
"That's not how it works, as my familiar your supposed to do what I tell you to." Louise countered, though a little weakly considering how tired she was.
"Is that so? I've tried looking at the other familiars but considering how most of them are silent animals I can see why you'd think that. Alright if you really want to know, I once had a horse, I met her when I was young and she was a pony. During the time I rode her, I placed my life on her back, and her life was guarded by my bow. We couldn't communicate with words but with time we gained an understanding with each other. Even knew when the situation was going to turn bad. It was a partnership that accomplished more then either of us could have done on our own."
Louise nodded, "Fine, if you're not my pet and not my servant then be my partner. Means you'll still be taking care of my laundry, protecting me, and everything else."
"I suppose so, but there would be one critical difference, Master."
"And what's that?"
"You would have to protect me in return."
Louise just shook her head, what was up with the elf? He was from a race that noble mothers used as a boogeyman to frighten misbehaving children. The history of elven warfare and how they almost destroyed the human race if not for the Founder's intervention was an uncontested fact. The last raid humanity sent to elven land ended with ten thousand men, a horde of commoners and mighty nobles, annihilated by a thousand elves if the rumors were to be believed.
Despite whatever Link might have been, friend to royalty or lowly peasant, he had shown impressive skills during his fight with Guiche. He was a warrior and if there was some enemy that even caused him to pause, what chance did Louise the Zero have of doing anything useful. Less then nothing.
---------------------------------------------------
Owner of a small fiefdom, Lord Mott, had visited the queen hoping to get certain concessions for the goods being produced in his land. Frequent patrols from one of the Knight orders to give protection from bandits, subsidies to lower the price and cause more people to purchase his land's goods, and permission to raise the taxes.
He hadn't held out much hope for success but it was a new low to be given a simple courier's job of delivering a warning to the nearby Tristain Academy. Mott had been a student at the academy when he was a boy, young and awkward, and had gotten good marks while there and the politics of taking over his family's holdings had led to him being comfortable with his wealth. He had never married, but considering his habit of sleeping with the servants, Mott was sure there were a few bastards who'd come stake a claim eventually.
That was one of the attractions to young women becoming household servants, the fact that if they played their cards right they would get the chance to live like nobility. Especially if they instilled proper affection in the child. It was a mystery why a few would refuse his offer when he made it.
Speaking of attractive young lasses, Mott caught sight of a fair maiden with black hair like the night and eyes with just the hint of exotic to make a man's heart pound. Dressed as a maid, he approached the girl, "I wish to know your name."
"Siesta, my lord."
"Siesta," Mott tried it out, not an unpleasant name at all, "thank you that will be all for now." He proceeded to the headmaster's office after that and was pleased to see that despite how long ago it had been that the room was still the same. Why, he could still remember that time he'd been caught peeping in the girl's bath his third year. He was sent here to be reprimanded personally by the headmaster.
It had actually turned out that the headmaster thought his choice of girls to view had been juvenile and had regaled Mott with the pleasures of seeking out mature women. Mott had never shared that opinion, far preferring those who still had an innocence about the world and love. It was an enchanting notion.
Mott reached the Headmaster's office and knocked on the door. It was answered by a woman with green hair and glasses. Her mouth drawn down in a frown and wearing a plain outfit fit for a commoner. Too old to attract his attention and too bitter to catch his fancy he ignored her and walked in to the room where Osmond was smiling quite happily though he was touching his cheek.
"Why Mr. Moth, it truly is a pleasure to receive your company today. Please sit down and have a seat. Miss... why don't you get the man some tea and he tells me what brings him back to the old Alma Mater."
The secretary took out a wand and began preparing the tea, not a commoner then but her lack of station implied she had been disowned or her family had been made penniless. Whatever the circumstance that had led the woman here it only confirmed his thoughts that she was beneath his notice.
"Still playing that old game Headmaster? I suppose its none of my business how you keep yourself amused in your old age but I am here on a matter of the crown. Certain rumors have begun traveling through Tristain that Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt is in the area. The queen wishes to know if the school is properly defended." Lord Mott could barely hide his humiliation over giving such information but at least the Headmaster looked serious.
"I see, this is an important matter. I believe the defenses are strong enough to hold up to a team of square class mages and no matter his reputation, Foquet shouldn't be able to breach in to the treasury where the oldest and most sacred artifacts of the land are kept. Any more public act will of course meet with my personal attention."
The secretary rolled her eyes at that statement, but did not interrupt their conversation as she placed down two hot cups of tea between the men. "Very well, I will send a messenger to Her Highness about the fact since you believe nothing immediate needs to be addressed on the matter. By the way I have one small request, on the way to this room I met a maid named Siesta. I would like to buy her bond."
The headmaster shook his head, "I'm afraid that just won't be possible. You see one of the recently summoned familiars is quite fearsome and most of the servants refuse to go near it. Siesta is the only person at this time performing the task and considering the danger I am loathe to force anyone else to take up the responsibility."
Mott sighed, it figured that he couldn't pick up a new mistress. It had been months since his last one had to be retired but if the matter was as the headmaster described it then there was no easy way to force the issue. "Truly disturbing, are you sure there is no danger to the students if it causes such a fright."
"I have faith in Brimir and the sacred ritual. The students are safe. The familiar has had enough opportunities to run rampant and not taken advantage of them that I can trust it as well."
"Danger within and without. I suppose its not really my concern but I am sad to hear that I can't get the servant under my employment. She seems like a gentle soul. If you ever find her no longer indispensable, please notify me on the matter. If there is any thing else you wish included in my report now would be the time. No, then I shall be leaving."
Going as quickly as he had arrived, Lord Mott left the office and returned to the stables. On a whim, Mott took a look around to see what fearsome beast would inspire such fear in the common folk but nothing in there looked worthy of such distinction. Perhaps the familiar was adored by its Master so much that they kept it in their room or the story was a ruse for the real reason that the headmaster turned Mott down.
A stable hand entered carrying a pitch fork and a bucket with a rag secured around his nose and mouth. Mott called out to the commoner, "Excuse me, I was told that the servant Siesta is tasked with feeding a specific familiar. What kind of beast is it?"
The stable hand bowed his head to hide his eyes, "It's not a beast my lord. Siesta is in charge of taking care of the elf that one of the students summoned."
Mott froze at that, "An elf? Are you sure? Is it tame?"
"I suppose so, some of the nobles thought it was a trick and the elf was a commoner dressed up until he fought one of the second year students and won. I wasn't there but Joel, he's a gardener who was taking care of the grounds when the duel happened said it was impressive. The noble summoning twenty golems armed with all sorts of different weapons and the elf nimbly dodging and destroying them over and over. Smiling so much, like he was having the time of his life. Sounds like an elf to me. As for being tame, it does what ever its master says as far as I've heard."
"And who is its master?"
"The pink haired brat... begging your pardon my lord, I mean Lady Louise Vallière. She's pretty well known among the servants and students."
Lord Mott decided to let the slip pass, as whatever the reason, the man still held proper respect for him and the knowledge that an elf had been claimed as a familiar was big news.
If he could get Louise as a pawn, then he just might be able to use her familiar to protect his land from bandits. If the elf proved adept then Lord Mott might even be able to expand his lands from the small holding it was in to a noble estate. Indeed the future was looking very profitable.
He would have to send the girl an invitation. Nodding to himself, he retrieved his horse and traveled back to his home to prepare for the event.
----------------------------------------------------
It had been a few days since Louise's first practice session out in the woods. Every day after they had gone out again till Louise looked like she would drop. Link would still classify her aim as unable to hit the broadside of a barn at a hundred paces but at least Louise had improved so that she hit around the same range consistently. A plus on the one hand that Link no longer had to worry about the girl blowing herself or him up by accident, and which really hurt whenever they happened.
Their almost daily visits to the infirmary had the school nurse, Mr. Adams, concerned and asking the oddest questions about elf culture, criminal behavior, and mating habits. He claimed it was for a book he was writing but Louise had blushed so hard over the last topic that she had commanded Link not to answer any of the man's questions.
Link was fine with that and had followed the advice but the visits were still common. Things were getting in to a comfortable routine until Louise unexpectedly received a letter, being unable to read the local language, he asked her what it said.
"Just an invitation to a minor noble's home, one I've never heard of before, at that. Its nothing to worry about. What is of for more import to me is that we properly arm you."
"Armed? I already have some weapons. I'm sure if I just go up to Colbert and ask him nicely again, he'll hand them right over." Link spoke in such a sweet tone that he almost believed himself.
"Don't be ridiculous, you are quite skilled in combat as I saw in the duel but not everybody is going to be as big a push over as Guiche. If you're going to fulfill your responsibility to protect me then I'm going to get you a weapon and I won't hear another word against it."
Link was actually touched by her gruff manner. "Alright Master, I am skilled in a wide variety of weapons but it is my preference to wield a sword and shield. I prefer the balance of offense and defense it gives me."
"Good, in that case, since it is the day of the Void, classes are not happening today. We'll go in to town and find you a sword but we'll have to take a horse to reach there quickly. Considering what you told me before about owning a horse, it should be an easy ride."
In an hour's time the two found themselves leaving Tristain Academy on a borrowed horse and making their way to town. Link had the reins with Louise wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as Link let out a hiya. Link was a little disappointed with the horse's speed and after a little while allowed the animal to go at a slower pace.
It really was invigorating to be back in the saddle and he was doing quite well so far. The road was hard dirt that left a trail behind them and the trees were a vibrant shade of green and wildflowers of red, yellow, and blue lined the path.
Link had to admit that the land here was well cared and beautiful. In a way it reminded him of Hyrule.
In order to avoid a panic, Link had been given a student's black cloak to pull over his head and hide his ears. When they arrived in town, Louise began leading them around town, looking for a specific shop she'd heard about but had never been to.
Link didn't mind as this allowed him to get a better look at the town. As well as the people who lived here. The walls were thick and the guard looked well trained, every man in his position keeping a sharp eye for trouble. The houses looked sturdy and well constructed, with a few places adding decorative elements of monstrous faces and delicate friezes.
The people looked clean and hawkers proudly proclaimed their wares to everyone around seeking to draw attention. Food, jewelry, and cloths that all looked to be of good quality to Link's eye as they passed by.
Eventually they entered a shop with two crossed swords on the sign overhead and various types of blades in the display case. Some of them looked quite fine. Link began walking through the store as Louise talked to the salesman.
"Shopkeeper, I would like your finest blade." The shopkeeper was a greasy man with a weak chin, fat nose and thinning hair. He clapped his hands together and began walking to the back of the store. "Of course, my lady. I will be back in a moment with one of the greatest swords I have in my shop."
While the shopkeeper was out, Link continued to look through the rest of the swords on display. If there were even a few that he might try out if he didn't approve of whatever the shopkeeper had.
When the man came out, he was holding an ornate weapon, covered in jewels and shining like gold. "This sword was made by the great Germanian sword smith, Hanz Meyer, and has many powerful enchantments that will help you take out many of your enemies. You can have it all for two thousand gold. A low price for such a splendid weapon but I really think it suits you my lady."
"Two thousand, why I could buy a house for that much. That price is outrageous!"
"But without a well made blade you won't ever make it back to that house should trouble befall you."
Link decided to intervene at this point, "It's fine Louise, that sword is just a decorative piece, and too flashy, I just need something simple and I'll manage."
Louise looked like she wanted to argue the point, but considering all their visits to the infirmary had been draining her allowance she let it go. "What can I get for seven hundred and fifty?"
"Oh, I suppose you can pull something out of the bargain barrel for seven fifty." Giving the two of them dirty looks, the shopkeeper took the golden sword and slid it under the counter.
Link began sorting through the barrel pulling out various blades, and watched as the runes on his hand lightly glowed. Link turned so that the fact was hidden from the shopkeeper, unsure of what the meaning of it was, he decided to ignore it and kept giving the swords a practice swing before setting them aside. It could be said that the rusty two handed blade he'd picked up started to talk to him it was a shock.
"Here, here, here. What's this? Have things gone so bad that now I'm going to be wielded by an elf."
"What?" The shopkeeper looked stunned for a moment, "What did you say?"
"Sword, I demand you silence yourself." Louise ordered, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
"It has been a long time since this has happened, an elf marked by destiny even." Link dropped the blade at that.
"Hey! What's the big idea dropping me like that? I was just getting to know you. Well if you treat all your weapons like that then I don't want nothing to do with you."
"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. I promise to treat you well but you must keep my secrets."
"I get the picture partner, though how a secret can be something a person can tell just by looking at you."
The shopkeeper's face had gone white and he gestured at the door. "Out!"
Link protested, "I'd like to purchase this blade first."
"I don't care, if you want the blade, take it with you. Derflinger's nothing but a nuisance to me and I will not bear the reputation of selling to an elf. A mob would be on my store before nightfall. Now get out of here before I call the guard."
"Now see here, I am Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière and I will not stand to be treated in such a way." Link grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, with that the two of them walked away with the sword. The shopkeeper's eyes on them the whole way out and Link could hear the man's sigh of relief when they crossed the threshold.
------------------------------------------
The ride back to the castle was a silent one. The kind of quiet that gets underneath a person's skin and itched. When they finally returned to the academy, Link went to sit by his tree while Louise returned to her bedroom.
Link placed the sword against the tree and looked up at the stars. "You said I'm an elf in that store. Does that mean you've had contact with elves before?"
"Yes partner, back in the time I was forged I helped fight against many elves. I was well suited for the task. I could tell you such stories..."
"That's not all you said. You also mentioned I was marked by destiny. What did you mean by that?"
"There is something special about you partner. I can tell which hand is supposed to wield me, it is a bond of the soul, but something else has claim to you. It is inactive right now but if that changes I think my claim would be invalidated. Does that make sense to you partner?"
"Yes, it shouldn't come up though. The only time its activated is when I meet someone with a similar bond and I have heard nothing to suggest that would happen here. If it does..."Link did not like to think of the Triforce of Courage.
He had been chosen to bear it but Link was not a skilled mage like Ganondorf or Zelda. He knew that when combined with the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom it gave the power of a God, able to reshape reality itself. A manifestation of the power of the Goddesses that created the world.
In pieces, the Triforce of Power had allowed Ganondorf to chain the spirits of the dead, control monsters ancient and terror inspiring, conquer a kingdom in a single day, and gained immortality. With Zelda, using the Triforce of Wisdom, she managed to create a new piece of magic that would pierce even the darkest of spells and wound the invulnerable. For Link, he could not claim any single event where the Triforce of Courage had turned the tide of battle. It had only revealed to Ganondorf who his enemy was when they finally came face to face. Since then the mark had always remained dark.
"...I'll deal with it."
"After talking to you, I don't think you're an elf. I was wrong," Derflinger finally spoke, confused by its own admission. "The similarities are superficial, mostly the ears, but you're something different."
"I've wondered about that. This land is so strange I couldn't know if the elves of this land bore any relation to my people considering how quickly I was associated with them."
"Maybe in the same way monkeys bears a likeness to men." Derflinger started laughing hard at that. Link left Derflinger to it, he had been the butt of many jokes from his companions and Link was still ignorant on what an elf was capable of. Maybe he'd be lucky and never meet one.
Resting his head against the tree Link fell asleep to its chuckles.
---------------------------------------
Miss Longueville didn't like to lose sleep but time was growing short. The headmaster was suspicious, Colbert was always trying to chat her up, and everyone else pitied her. She hated to be pitied.
It was for this reason that she found herself outside the Academy vault personally inspecting it. The massive door was impressive and the runes inscribed all over the door. She placed her hand on the door and could feel the power bound in to the very fabric of the wood and metal.
Figuring it was worth a try, she tried to break those bounds but her magic found no weakness. The wood didn't turn to dust and the metal to rust. The subtle approach was not going to be enough. Miss Longueville should have expected as much.
On edge over the current suspicion and being so close to the treasury. In the distance, Miss Longueville could hear footsteps approaching. Deciding it wasn't worth her time to find out who it was she walked the other direction.
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