Moral Stand (Aether’s Revival Book 7)

Gregory watched the flames finish the simulation for him. “That’s what I thought. Any other group of magi guards would get savaged worse than we did. The naginata gave them enough reach that multiple men could each deal with a wolf before it got to them.”

He wondered if or how he should pass that information along to his men, but discarded it. Gregory was sure they’d be talking about it in town, and someone who overheard them would disbelieve the story. Which should in turn lead to a discussion about past units’ casualties, he thought.

“Any hints on when you might rank up again, little flame?” Gregory asked the aether.

It wavered side to side before going back to normal.

“Figured that’d be the case. I’m pretty sure my next rank means I’ll be speaking with Daciana… I wonder how they’re all doing? It’ll probably take a while for letters to go out and then return… I might get one from each of them before the year ends, maybe two, at most. It hasn’t even been a month yet on this patrol, but it feels like it’s been so much longer.”

The chime of the fourth hour got Gregory to let his meditation lapse. Stretching as he got up, he left his room to find the others leaving theirs. “Good morning. I have a lot to do today.”

“I can help with that if you’d like, sir,” Davis said.

“Not this time, Lieutenant. I want to meet the people who’ll process the bane beasts myself. After I get a deal from them, then maybe, but honestly, it’d take the wagon to move the carcasses if not for my ring.”

“That’s true, sir. It would also mean trying to get the blood out afterward.”

“All the more reason for me to handle it. Rafiq, can you come with me?”

“Certainly, if that is what you want, Gregory.” Rafiq dipped his snout in a nod.

“I think you might be helpful. I have a small speech to give this morning before breakfast.”

The three adults and two young men started down the stairs. “Is it a good speech, sir?” Hanz asked softly.

“Just some reminders about not starting fights,” Gregory said. “The men might want to boast a little about fighting the bane wolves. I’d expect some pushback; a normal unit would’ve had serious wounds or deaths from that ambush.”

“That would be likely,” Davis agreed.

“I looked over the fight with different variables: standard armor and weapons would’ve cost us at least one life and a lot of wounds. Because we knew the ambush was coming, used reach weapons, and I broke the alpha’s attack, we had none. It’ll cause some stir, which is fine. I just want to make sure it doesn’t escalate.”

“Yes, sir.”

~*~*~

The men took the talk well, and their breakfast was tasty, but now, it was time for Gregory to get on with things. Rafiq walked beside him, taking in the town. He was glad it wasn’t winter yet, though the thought did prompt him to ask, “Have you begun looking for winter clothes, Gregory?”

“I need to,” Gregory said. “Maybe after we deal with the bane wolves? How have the hearts been for you?”

“Good, but they’re not the best for either of us. I’m glad you brought yuzu with you. We’ll need it with the amount of impurities we’ll be ingesting.”

“We’ll have to make sure we’re in one town or the other for that…” Gregory murmured. “Maybe do a quick march between the towns that week?”

“That is still months away, but yes. It will require some thought when it draws closer.”

The butcher was against the southern wall of the town, with the tanner fully outside the walls to keep the smell down. Gregory had been assured the butcher would buy the entire carcass from him, then sell the hides off.

“People aren’t used to seeing a magi with a slave?” Gregory murmured the question.

“I think it is more that my heritage is not common in this area,” Rafiq replied. “Crocodilians like myself are more common in Limaz than in the cold north.”

Gregory considered that for a moment. “Are you going to be okay during the winter?”

“It will be difficult, but I will endure. I will have to pay close attention to my scales. I might need a few more items to keep them in good condition with the cold. I’ll be speaking with the shopkeeper at Furry Needs when we return to Coldwood.”

“If you need something that isn’t here, let me know. Maybe we can send for it.”

Rafiq’s smile was genuine. “Thank you, Gregory. I’m sure that the owner will be able to acquire anything I need. I believe this is the place.”

The Cutting Block was the name of the shop, with the sign depicting the image of a slab of meat with a cleaver in it on a block. Gregory nodded as he led the way into the butchers. The front room was small— a counter ran the length of the room where two people stood, helping customers. Three women were being helped or waiting to be helped.

It wasn’t until one of the people being helped was done that anyone noticed Gregory. The butcher started to call him forward ahead of the other woman waiting, but Gregory shook his head.

“Help her. She was here before me,” Gregory said. “I have a lot of business and will take far longer. It’d be best for her to get what she needs first.”

The woman thanked him, looking down at the floor, but stepping up to the counter. The other woman who’d been helped finished a minute later, bowing to him as she left the shop. That left a young woman behind the counter to help Gregory instead of the grizzled man.

Gregory gave her a smile, trying to place her heritage. Her eyes were solid black, which went well with the black down she had instead of hair. “Good morning, miss. I’m hoping you can butcher the bane wolves my men cut down on our last patrol.”

“We have handled them for previous magi, sir,” the butcher replied. Her voice was harsh and a little discordant.

“I have just over a dozen,” Gregory said. “Where would you like them?”

The last customer was leaving, so the older man behind the counter came over. “That many, sir? They normally have an alpha with a pack that large.”

“I have its remains, too.”

That got the man to pause. “Ahh… if you’ll bring them into the back, it’ll make it easier on us. Just have your men take the wagon around the side and—”

“They’re in a storage item, not a wagon,” Gregory cut the man off gently.

“Oh… umm… this way, then.” He walked to the end of the counter, lifting the hatch for Gregory to step around into the back.

“I’ll be right back, Rafiq.”

“That is fine, Gregory. I will wait here for you,” Rafiq replied.

It didn’t take Gregory long to offload the carcasses. There was some back and forth for the butcher to handle making the meat into jerky for him, removing the bane cores, and selling the hides to the tanner. In the end, Gregory paid for the meat out of his pocket, with the furs being the bonus his men would split.

When they made it back out front, Rafiq was chatting with the young woman. The pair seemed to be having an animated discussion about how best to prepare jerky.

“Kona,” the butcher said a little tightly, “don’t bother the magi’s slave.”

“She isn’t bothering me, sir,” Rafiq said. “We were discussing different methods of turning bane meat to jerky.”

“He had good suggestions, Father,” Kona said, her voice just as discordant as before.

“If you want to try it with the meat I’ve supplied, feel free,” Gregory said as he came back to the front side of the counter. “Thank you, Mr.…?”

“Sorry, Magi. I am Frenton Block. This is my family’s business.”

“I would ask you to use at least two of the wolves to try what Rafiq was suggesting. He’s an archivist in the academy, so he is very knowledgeable. Where did the suggestions you told her about come from?”

“From some of the oldest records,” Rafiq said, sidestepping the answer. “It will leave more aether in the meat; that I can promise, if you do it correctly. At the worst, it will end up like most bane jerky.”

“We’ll do it for the first two. If it does improve the quality, we’ll continue using it,” Frenton said. “Kona, go start on skinning.”

“Yes, Father.” She went into the back, giving Rafiq a smile before she left.

“We’ll be back in two weeks to pick up what you have, then again every two until you finish what we brought. Do you have a suggestion for who to use in Coldwood?”

Frenton looked thoughtful. “I don’t like suggesting competition, but we never have a shortage of bane beasts. They always attack magi. I’d go with Cleaned Cuts. Blasot’s a good butcher.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said. “Have a good day.”

As the pair left the shop, Gregory gave Rafiq a grin. “Young lady might be smitten with you.”

“No. She wants to know more about her job,” Rafiq chuckled. “She was asking me about the attack, and was shocked that there were no casualties. I suggested a way to improve our jerky, and she was very receptive. It will cost one core per two wolves, though.”

“Worth it,” Gregory said, “if it works like you think it will. I don’t doubt that it will work. Does that recipe come from before Wesrik fell?”

“Yes. It isn’t restricted knowledge; some magi have known it. Magus Brown, for instance. He read about it after his magus posting. Sarinia gave him access to the cooking books we had from years past. From what I’ve heard, he has continued to push that knowledge forward. His missives to Sarinia go straight into her private records. It’s part of the deal they agreed to.”

“Huh… I had no idea.”

“That is the point. His knowledge is recorded for the future, but not given to the uncaring.”

“Good.” Gregory scratched his chin. “Umm… she was part-eurtik, wasn’t she?”

“Vulture,” Rafiq nodded. “Her father and mother both have traces. They combined to make hers a little more obvious.”

“Ahh, that explains the voice and eyes,” Gregory nodded.

“Two of her more distinguishing marks, yes.”

“On to the bakery; the morning rush should be done by now. I also need to take the report by the commander’s office.”

“I will go back to the barracks after the bakery, if that’s okay?”

“That’s fine. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go to the command post.”

~*~*~

As it turned out, Gregory ran into Captain Hendil as the guard was leaving the bakery. “Magi, welcome back to Icelake,” he greeted Gregory.

“Captain, I hope your day is peaceful.”

“It is. Will you be coming by the Gilded Cup tonight?”

“Myself and my lieutenant will, at least for a bit. Could I impose on you to take my report to the commander so I can continue my shopping?”

“I was heading back that way, so it’s no problem at all.”

Gregory nodded and handed over the report. “Thank you. I’m sure the commander will have a few questions later.”

“Oh?”

“Bane wolves.”

“Ahh, yes. I’ll make sure he gets it as soon as I get back. We’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll be there.”

As the captain walked off, Rafiq gave Gregory a questioning look. “Why not go yourself?”

“Because then, I’d have to explain to the commander now and again tonight to his officers. It’s easiest to hand it off, then only have to explain it once,” Gregory chuckled. “This will give me more time to train today.”

Rafiq chuckled. “Always pushing to improve. You and your wives break the curves of training and power for the new generation of magi.”

“We’re dedicated to changing things.”

“Yes, and those of us who understand thank you.”

The pair fell silent as they entered the bakery.