Walking Mage

Ch8: Social Standings

One piece of the puzzle that she could not figure out was why the Patrol had come to harass Runner's family? Not the Guard or the hired grunts used by merchant nobles, but City Patrolmen. This could only mean that someone high up was involved and they felt so strongly about it they felt the need to intimidate a poor family.

What Lynn had learned in the few short cycles as a Mage was that slight difference between the Guard and Patrol

The Guard, both Royal and other, are in place to protect a person or place. The Patrol, both City and Outer, are in place to guard the rules of the City and the Royal decrees.

It was all strange and sometimes confusing, yet the two checked each other and kept one or the other from getting to powerful or to greedy.

Roar was twisting it's neck around so much at all the sights and people that Lynn began to fear that it would fall off her shoulder.

Taking ahold of the dragite she blew hard and thought of it calming down. Roar blew a cloud of warm smoke back in her face that smelled of cooked meats. It seemed to smile at their little game, and even wagged it's long tail.

Frustrated Lynn blew a steady stream of air and thought of the dragite settling down. For a second she thought it had worked. Then Roar blew a shot of smoky air at her. This time it was looking like it just loved their new game.

Now, why isn't it working? Lynn thought, all I want is for Roar to settle down and stop snapping it's head around like a child at the fair!

Immediately Roar stopped resisting her and gave her a playful nip on her upper lip. Not sure what to make of it she set it back on her shoulder and continued walking the park. It's tail still flicked from side to side whenever it saw something interesting.

Thinking a praise to the Almighty Lynn began to walk again. Humming a children's song she puzzled over why anyone would be harassing Runner and her family, over her, a plain Walking Mage.

In her ear Roar began to warble softly to the song she was humming. It was soothing so she let it do most of the work. Problem arose when she stopped thinking the words, to think about the problems she was facing. Roar came to a stop as well.

Lynn bagan again thinking and humming the basic melody, Roar picked back up with her. Leaving her to wonder, but she let it go for more pressing matters.

Four vendor stalls lined the side of the path out of the park. Three had odds and ends that Lynn had no interest in. The fourth had sheaf after sheaf piled up and flatened with rocks.

The rocks kept the wind from taking the thick paper and thin skin sheafs away. The man and woman inside the stall looked old enough for them to have been at the landing here in the New World.

"Good day to you kind Mage." The ancient women said in a stronger voice than should have come out of her mouth. "Have you come for maps or is it a bit of history you desire?"

Slowly and gently Lynn began looking at one stack of sheafs. They were made of the finest skins and written with the best of inks. Lynn was partially interested but not enough to buy at this time.

The large sheafs were made to be rolled away, framed on a wall, or left on a desk. Mostly written with stories of history or tales of wars and fighting.

About to walk away, because none of it interested her, Lynn was stopped by a middle aged man who just then walked up next to her.

"Pardon Lady Walking Mage but I believe you should see one of the maps we have hidden away." He stayed a slight distance from her as he talked.