Of Heroes and Happenings

The Perfect One, Chapter 8

From her place behind the counter, Windy watched Gwn'itt place a newly-enchanted item on a specific display rack shortly after beginning employment. With the item in place, Gwn'itt's hands began to move in a specific pattern and Windy heard the reserved, younger Mage mutter a few words. Windy recognized the spell as Seeming. Knowing that Gwn'itt's appearance was the result of a spell, Windy's own, arcane abilities allowed her to see beyond the spell, to the true person underneath.

A young man appeared, superimposed over the genderless construct that the spell maintained. He was a handsome man; wide-shouldered and physically fit. Windy could see a shortsword sheathed at Gwn'itt's side. He turned to smile at her, revealing a carefully-trimmed beard that was as orange as his hair. Instead of the immaculate braid hanging to the middle of the construct's back, this Gwn'itt had a lock of hair hanging on one side of his face, which had apparently escaped from the low ponytail designed to corral hair that would hang just beyond those wide shoulders. White, even teeth were revealed from behind the thin, masculine lips that curved upward in an easy grin. The eyes, skin and hair color of the construct were Gwn'itt's own, Windy found. In all, he was a rather handsome man that . . . suddenly flickered into a woman who was as beautiful as the man had been handsome.

The woman Gwn'itt had a narrow waist nearly hidden by her generous figure. That same smile now came from wide, full lips set in a shapely face that had previously been hidden by the beard. Her brow was more feminine than his had been, hair piled elegantly atop her head.

Windy did her best to look only at the construct after that day but, knowing that the genderless form Gwn'itt maintained for the world was just a spell, Windy was fully aware of Gwn'itt's true forms, aware of each time Gwn'itt's gender flickered from one to the other. Eventually, Windy came to understand that the Seeming spell had been cast so often by Gwn'itt, that it had become pure reflex to recast it each time it failed. She wondered if Gwn'itt was even aware that it was being cast, at times. Windy quickly came to love both of them as much as she loved the genderless form she'd come to know so well.

~~~

Despite having been away from home for nearly five years, Gwn'itt maintained contact with Horeb through regular Scry and Sending spells. At first, given the way Horeb's sons hounded Gwn'itt and Aleban, Gwn'itt had suspected Horeb of betraying Gwn'itt's location, even by accident. As time went on, however, that suspicion had proven fruitless and had been set aside in favor of maintaining contact with Gwn'itt's beloved father.

Horeb was aging, Gwn'itt knew, and had turned the family business over to his sons. Though Horeb had wished mightily to grant part of it to Gwn'itt, he understood why Gwn'itt would have found it impossible. Still, Horeb was pleased that Gwn'itt seemed to have found somewhere to make a life, especially after the death of Aleban. As any loving father, Horeb worried over his child, Gwn'itt, and wanted only for Gwn'itt to find happiness and satisfaction from a life well-lived.

In furtherance of his desires for his child, Horeb urged Gwn'itt to lower carefully built defenses and let the others at The Djinn's Daughter get to know the real Gwn'itt as well as Gwn'itt was getting to know them, to let them know Gwn'itt the way Horeb did. Despite knowing that Horeb was probably correct, dropping that guard was a difficult thing for the naturally-reserved Gwn'itt to do. Would the people Gwn'itt had grown to consider as family still accept Gwn'itt, if they could see the truth? Desperate to maintain the life Gwn'itt was slowly building, the young mage just couldn't let the Seeming drop.

"Gwn'itt, when you may pause, I've a request to make of you." Windy's quiet voice registered through the enchantment that fully occupied Gwn'itt's voice and motion, but had allowed that mind to wander.

A tiny nod was all that could be spared to assure the store's elderly manager that she'd been heard. As soon as Gwn'itt could safely pause, it was to ask her what she needed. The request surprised Gwn'itt.