The group that left the fortress in the pass was noticeably different from the one that had arrived months before.

  Every one of the student-mages walked with more confidence and less entitlement. Some bore scars and limps from injuries taken during the fighting, but they also carried with them the hard-won experience that the time on the front had earned them.

  More importantly—at least in my opinion—the distance that the student-mages had previously held from the soldiers charged with protecting them was nearly nonexistent now. When we made camp each night, the students would pitch in with getting the camp set, either by hand or using their magics to judiciously assist. Those that had come with us on the raid before were both the most helpful while being the most conservative with their mana usage. I saw it for what it was: the conservation of resources. They’d happily help gather firewood and work to light a fire by hand rather than waste the mana to light it magically, mana that they might need in a fight at any moment.

  Valda made good on her request, releasing her pact with the salamander the same day and performing the simple ritual needed to summon and bond with me.

  I was reminded of the conversations that I’d had with the girls about different types of contracts that the summoners traditionally forged with a summoned creature, since what Valda had described was more of a ‘mentor’ type contract than a guardian one. However, when it came time to actually make the pact, she insisted on forging the same guardian contract the other girls had.

  “I would like to gain the ability of Shape-Shifting, but it’s not a traditional magic like we practice,” Valda had said. “I have enough fire magic to be able to get by and having a capable guardian who is also willing to share power is worth far more. That and your other contracted have told me of how you have some powers that only work for guardian contracts.”

  I couldn’t really find a reason to argue with her thoughts, so we set up the guardian contract and I gained another bond-mark to match the others. Valda’s was on the inside of my forearm, a small curved sword shaped like a claw that radiated excitement when I touched it.

  The trip to the capital took another six days for us. It would have taken far less time if we used the carriages like when we’d first come out this way, but no one complained about the walk. I was pretty sure that they were all just happy to be heading back to Juneau. Thankfully, there were at least wagons to transport tents and other supplies for those that didn’t have dimensional bags.

  I worked with Valda every day, renewing the Grant Power on Shape-Shifting for her whenever it ran out so she could practice. The lizard-folk woman was nothing if not dedicated, alternating between testing out different form changes to drilling herself to be able to do what I did: shift on instinct.

  My other contracted watched in morbid fascination as Valda practiced. They had all struggled mightily with the body-dysmorphia that came with a fluid form. Valda was no different, but she mastered the disquiet she felt through discipline and it grew to bother her less and less as time went by. I’m pretty sure she was also reassured by the fact I was always there and ready to help if she got stuck.

  The fact that I never seemed to suffer from the strange feeling of dysmorphia was another thing the girls brought up during our conversations while walking. It sparked off because I continued to practice and experiment with Shape-Shifting in order to understand it better and to further build my muscle memories. Plus, it was rather cute to have one of the girls hop up onto my back to ride sidesaddle whenever I took a quadrupedal form.

  “I don’t know why it doesn’t bother me,” I said after the third time it’d come up. “Just that it doesn’t. My best guess is that I know, instinctively, that I can change back at any time. That this is a willing change and that I am not trapped in the form. I practiced a lot, just like Valda is, to get used to doing different things and working with different body types.”

  “I’m just looking forward to when you rank up the power again,” Kassandra insisted, a sexy smile on her face and a wicked twinkle in her eye. “The mass limits are almost high enough that you could shift into a lamia like me, and that would be hot.”

  “You are just excited about having more of Liam to coil around,” Rieka teased, poking her friend in the cheek gently with one finger.

  “Can you blame me?” Kassandra asked, shooting her friend a hungry smile. “I just hope that he doesn’t end up being cold blooded like I am… that’d just be unfortunate that I can’t snuggle up around a warm Liam whenever I want.”

  I didn’t comment on that, instead focusing on helping talk Valda through shifting her hands so that her claws vanished to leave behind normal fingers like my own.

  Kassandra is going to find some way to make it sexual. She’ll do it for even the most innocent of ideas, I thought with a shake of my head. That or she’s going to—

  I bit back a yelp when I felt the hand grab my ass, glancing over my shoulder to shoot Kassandra a glare only to find Jane smirking up at me, her large mouse ears twitching in amusement as she continued to knead the handful of my ass she’d grabbed.

  “What?” she asked with innocence that I’m sure she was learning from Kassandra. “It looked lonely.”

  Shayla’s giggles at the exchange drew the attention of the other two back to the situation and we ended up distracted even further from Valda’s training, though the lizard-folk woman’s half-smile told me she didn’t mind that much.

  <><><>

  The Ironclaw capital was much like the fortress that we’d spent the last several months in.

  The buildings were built into the ground with peaked slate roofs to protect from the snow, while the streets were wide and floored in cobblestone to prevent them turning into mud with the winter snows and changing weather. Unlike the fortress in the other pass, though, it was massive. Easily four times larger and filling the entire valley behind a massive defensive gate blocking the pass. Large curtain walls wrought of dense, dark stone wrapped around the city to ensure it was safe from all directions, and it commanded a powerful view of the valley and the lowlands from its position high on the mountainside.

  Unlike the Coldeye capital, there was no castle for the ruler. Instead, Valda’s mother held her court in a massive stone longhouse that was part mansion, part fortress, part administration center.

  Riders came to meet us within an hour of our group coming into view of the watchtowers on the city, the stern lizard-folk guards confirming the orders Valda had twice before bidding us to continue to the gate and riding back to make the report. They were respectful, but not obsequious when Valda introduced herself, something that I personally respected them more for, given how many of the guards back in Kintos had kowtowed to the young nobles attending the Juneau Academy.

  We were only allowed enough time to drop our things off in the bunkhouse that had been set aside for our use when Valda and Rieka were summoned to speak to Valda’s mother and make the report for the rest of the student-mages regarding the raid.

  I, of course, tagged along with my bonded. Since we were being presented to a queen in her own right, I made sure to dress in the nicest local clothes that I had, but didn’t bother wearing a weapon. At this point, word had gotten around the soldiers about the ‘strange creature’ protecting my contracted, so I leaned into that by appearing as normal as possible, but very obviously not a kin or lizard-folk.

  Rieka walked on my right, her arm tucked into mine and dressed in a pristine white shirt with a high collar and a pair of gray riding pants. She had her spell-rod tucked into its holster on her belt, with the familiar leather pouches holding her spare spell components. It would have honestly been more strange to see her without such accoutrements, but with the way she carried herself, the worn leather and scratched handle of her spell-rod might as well have been encrusted with diamonds.

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  Valda was on Rieka’s other side, dressed in sturdy clothing, a cream shirt like Rieka’s with dark brown pants that tucked into heavy boots. But over top of her shirt, Valda wore a leather tunic reinforced with metal plates, with her new sword sheathed at her waist. Both girls had taken the time to brush and rebraid their hair, Valda’s tight braid bouncing against her back while Rieka’s looser French-braid made a quiet shush noise behind her as it swayed in time with her steps.

  “Be polite, but don’t grovel,” Valda was advising as we walked through the large front doors in one end of the longhouse. “Both of you are recognized and blooded warriors. Anyone here who shows you disrespect is either stupid or trying to provoke something, so do not give them the pleasure.”

  “So like another day in court?” Rieka asked, a small, amused smile on her lips. Her arm in mine tightened slightly as we stepped out of the bright afternoon light and into the far darker interior.

  I squeezed her arm back, slowing my pace to let her eyes adjust while I used Shape-Shifting to force my own to adjust to the darker interior immediately, then slowly relaxed the shift to let them sync properly without losing track of anything.

  The longhouse reminded me again of the documentaries and the online videos that I’d watched about the vikings. The floor was thick stones cut and polished to a shine, with thick rugs and hides spread out to warm the stone. Braziers burned regularly along the length of the large room to shed light and warmth, while a large central fire-pit held a bed of crackling coals. Long tables were stacked against one wall, with benches beside them, clearly moved to allow for space at the moment, while a beautifully carved wooden throne banded with iron and decorated in bright, shimmering silver sat at the far end of the hallway. To the right of the throne was a massive oak table spread with papers, maps, and small figurines.

  I took it all in with a glance while my girls slowed to let their eyes adjust. I noted the dozen guards scattered around the large room, all lizard-folk and all of them armed to the teeth and wearing iron brigantine armor that was well-cared-for. Three more lizard-folk stood at the far end of the longhouse by the table, talking in low voices while standing over the table of reports.

  With the threat assessment complete, I focused on the woman that I was sure was Valda’s mother and the head of the Ironclaw clan.

  Like Valda, she had dishwater-blonde hair and green scales on her cheeks and forearms. And like Valda, her hair was shaved on the sides with the top allowed to grow long. But unlike Valda, her mother’s hair hung to her calves and looked to have been doubled back on itself during the braiding to contain all the hair.

  Either she’s an accomplished warrior in her own right, or Valda’s mother knows exactly when and how to pick her fights, I thought as Rieka gave my arm another gentle tug to let me know she was used to the lighting.

  The older woman was also built along similar lines to her daughter, with a full bust, strong shoulders, and wide hips. A sword hung from her waist while a second, far-larger sword hung in a sheath across the back of the throne.

  Valda spared us a glance to make sure we were ready before leading the way across the open space to where the three elders were conferring.

  We’d barely made it a third of the way across the open space before the trio looked our way. Valda’s mother had been sporting a look of concentration that melted in a look of surprise before that was replaced with a proud smile and she called out to us.

  “Daughter! I am glad that you have arrived. Your father and I were just conferring with the general about what happened during this raiding season and your feedback will be quite helpful.”

  Studying the two men with her, I immediately picked out Valda’s father since he was the one smiling proudly at her. The other man was easily several decades older and his scarred face with its black scales was set in a permanent scowl. Valda’s parents showed where she got her practical dress choices, both wearing simple tunics and pants with wide jeweled belts with large enough buckles and metal plates to serve as partial armor.

  “I would be happy to assist, Mother,” Valda answered, giving a bow towards her parents as we finished our approach. “I brought with me Princess Rieka to help in the explanation and her… Ahem, Our guardian, Liam the Traveler.”

  Rieka gave Valda’s mother a polite half-bow, smiling kindly to her and getting a welcoming nod in return from both parents and a slight bow from the general in turn that set my hackles up.

  When Valda reached my introduction, I gave Queen Ironclaw a nod as well as one to her husband, but ignored the general outright. Something about the old man’s posture told me that he was the kind of man to jump to conclusions and cause problems because he believed it a right of his rank.

  “Liam, Princess Rieka,” Valda said, continuing the introduction. “These are my parents, Queen Emilia Ironclaw and her husband Caleb Ironclaw. And beside them is General Benedict Earthshaker.”

  “ ‘Our,’ my daughter? Can you explain? I thought you had chosen to bond with a salamander?” Emilia asked, glancing curiously between Valda and me, her blue eyes sharp.

  “Mother,” Valda began, squaring her shoulders. “I was presented with the opportunity to get to know Liam while at Juneau and during this posting. I understand that parting ways with my salamander will put me behind the curve, but the potential with his assistance will outweigh the momentary loss of progress.”

  “And just how did you get to know him?” Emilia asked, her eyes narrowing and wrinkles of concern forming on her forehead.

  “By giving me a sparring partner who could teach me to use weapons I wasn’t familiar with,” I interjected, seeing that Valda’s mother was taking things the wrong way. “My contracted companions suggested her as someone they both respected and knew could do the job. This continued during the mission to guard the pass.”

  Emilia’s eyes narrowed as she studied me again, going from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, taking everything in.

  “Before you judge him, Queen Ironclaw,” Rieka interjected politely. “May I give you a bit of context that you might be missing?”

  I darted a glance at my wolfish princess to find her icy-blue eyes sparkling with amusement and a very faint smirk on her full lips. Her tail was hanging limply behind her, but I could see the very faint twitches at the tip to indicate she was forcing it not to wag.

  Emilia gave a brief nod of acceptance and Rieka inclined her head in thanks before looking up at me, the sparkle in her ice-blue eyes growing even stronger, augmented by the love I saw in those eyes.

  “Liam is what is known as a Traveler. He is a being from another world who answers the call of summoners that can reach him to assist with specific tasks. He is most definitely not something as base as a simple summoned creature. I have watched him single-handedly defeat a polar worm, war-golems, and more. He’s saved my life more times than I can count, along with saving my mother’s at least once.”

  Emilia’s eyebrows had risen with each statement Rieka had made, while her husband’s neutral expression had slowly shifted to one of amusement. The general’s stormy look of irritation hadn’t thawed in the slightest, not until Rieka mentioned the last part.

  “More than all of that, Liam is something that we haven’t seen on Cortha in living memory. Liam is a human.”

  The general’s eyes widened in surprise at that and he immediately stepped forward, peering closely at me.

  “A human?” he murmured questioningly, looking me over. “No, that’s impossible. They are all dead. The gods wiped them out millennia ago. If any survived, we’d have seen some sign of them. But I’ve been hearing rumors…”

  “I’m not from Cortha,” I answered simply, meeting the old man’s eyes. The derision he’d been holding earlier was gone now, instead replaced with a mixture of fascination, fear, and respect. “I accompanied Princess Rieka Coldeye when she was assigned to assist in protecting that pass, along with three more of my contracted companions. During that time, we got to know Lady Valda better and she approached me to see if I was willing to accept her as a contracted as well when I showed what I could do.”

  “I would like to know more about this…” Emilia said slowly, glancing between her daughter, me, and Rieka. “But I trust my daughter’s judgment in this… I wished for you to give me the full report on what led you to make the rash choice to go on a raid over the border. The effect of the raid is easy to see now, but I want more information on what happened.”

  “I would be happy to tell you about it, Mother,” Valda said, her tight shoulders relaxing as her mother abandoned the line of inquiry she’d been following, at least for now. “It is why I brought Princess Rieka and Liam with me.”

  “Indeed,” Emilia nodded, gesturing for them to come closer and join them by the map-table. “I also have a missive for you, Princess Rieka, to take to your mother. It is important, but not time-critical. So I will entrust it to you for now and ask you to deliver it to her when the opportunity arises after you return.”

  “I would be happy to,” Rieka said easily, smiling at the larger woman before turning her attention to the map of the border, stepping away from me to join Valda in explaining what information that they’d collected that lead to the raid, mentioning in passing that it’d been helped by my capture of several raid-leaders.

  The weight of eyes on me drew my attention away from the table and towards Valda’s silent father. The large male lizard-folk was studying me with an intense look on his face. I met his eyes and didn’t back down as the general moved over to join his queen in taking in the discussion, darting glances back at me every so often.

  Valda’s father, Caleb, and I continued to study each other for the better part of a minute before the silent man gave a sudden and curt nod of acknowledgment and his face softened into an approving look.

  “I trust you’ll look after her, especially if you are bonded to little Rieka and Gemma hasn’t intervened,” the big man said, his voice rough and full of gravel.

  “What I have with Valda is called a ‘guardian’ contract for a reason,” I said, offering the large man a smile.

  He nodded once, offering a thick arm to me in solidarity. We clasped wrists and shook before rejoining the group by the table.

  -----

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