"Gerren," declared the young man proudly in response to H'rit's inquiry. He clumsily applied butter and jam to his last biscuit and took a large bite.

H'rit nodded his approval. "That's a very good name." He glanced over at Xandrian, who was drinking his tea and ignoring his breakfast. "It means 'of the earth', am I right?"

Xandrian grunted in reply.

"I like it," Gerren said. "I like your name too, and Xandrian's." He finished his biscuit and looked down at his empty plate, and then he gazed longingly at the uneaten food on Xandrian's plate. "May I have that" - he paused to get the correct word - "breakfast, Xandrian? My body still wants more food." He rubbed at his stomach though the over-sized nightshirt he wore.

Xandrian slid his plate over. "Have at it. Not too fast, though, or you'll get sick. And if you get sick you'll have to clean yourself up - that is not part of our Agreement."

"Thank you!" Gerren attacked the pile of scrambled eggs.

H'rit sat down at the small table and accepted a cup of tea from Xandrian. "It's really quite remarkable," he said quietly. "Did you create his appearance?"

"No," Xandrian replied. "Aside from ears, eyes, fangs and claws, his semblance didn't really change all that much. He was wilder looking, of course, but I guess you could say this is his human... version."

H'rit watched Gerren move on to devouring the biscuits on the plate. "I wonder how old he is; in this human form I would place him somewhere between eighteen and twenty. He acts a bit younger right now, but I imagine that is due to his inexperience."

Xandrian shrugged. "A few centuries, perhaps. His curiosity about earth and humans definitely works in our favor - at least we don't have to deal with a sullen servant. And his human form was the only payment he requested."

There was a knock at the door. Xandrian rose to admit the housekeeper, and he introduced her to Gerren. From her lack of fear Xandrian figured that Kisannon must have have spun some fanciful tale about how Xandrian transported the young man to the castle.

She held out a hand and said, "Come on, my lad. We'll cut that mountain of hair and get you washed up and properly clothed."

Gerren looked at Xandrian, and the mage nodded. Gerren stuffed the last biscuit in his mouth, got up from his chair and took the woman's hand.

"Good lad." She turned to Xandrian. "I'll take care of provisioning him, my lord, and I'll present him to you when you and your companions are ready to depart later this morning. Come on, boy," she said, and she tugged at Gerren's hand and pulled him into the hallway.

"I'm Gerren."

"Well, come on then, Gerren."

"What's your name?"

The door closed behind them, and the two men listened to them until their chatter faded away.

H'rit gathered the dishes onto the tray for the maid to collect. "He's a chatty one. You aren't worried that he will accidentally tell everyone what he truly is?"

Xandrian handed him his empty cup. "He can't; I built a geis into the transformation that will physically prevent him from speaking about his true nature to anyone but you and I. I don't want to risk weakening the geis, however, so both of us should make sure that we don't tell others. Even Jomm... especially Jomm, actually. I don't want to find out that he's afraid of demons and then have him refuse to lead us further. Gerren's inquisitiveness and naivete can be explained by him being on his first journey - and we can truthfully say that he came from this remote estate." He headed toward the stairs, and then turned back toward H'rit. "I need to wash away the glyph circles - can you help? When we're done I suppose we should pack up and find Jomm - he wanted us to be on our way no later than noon, and I don't want to hear him bitching about me causing a delay."

"Of course." H'rit set his cup down and followed his friend up the stairway.

Two hours later, they were standing outside the castle with their things. Jomm and a stablehand walked over to them, each man leading two horses.

"I was told you're bringing a servant?" Jomm asked Xandrian. "Are you sure that's a smart idea? This is not exactly a pleasure trip."

Xandrian scowled at him. He didn't like being second-guessed, much less by Sir Traveler's Wisdom. "Kisannon arranged it; I was told that you knew about it. I'm sure you'll appreciate having him along - H'rit and I will need to spend a lot of our time in study and preparation, and our servant will be able to help you with the horses and everyone's gear."

"Besides," H'rit added, "we are supposed to be nobles on a pilgrimage, and having a servant along is expected."

"You have a point," Jomm conceded. "Well, he'd better pull his weight."

The men loaded up their horses, and Xandrian had to suffer Jomm's advice on the best way to tie the packs to the saddle.

"Xandrian!"

All three men turned around. Gerren was smiling as he hurried toward them, laden with his gear, and he was followed by the housekeeper. He set his packs on the ground and then stood still, arms stretched wide. "Look at my new clothes!"

The woman had done an excellent job. Gerren's wild mane was gone, and although his chestnut hair was still unruly, it was freshly washed and expertly cut to just above the nape of his neck. He wore the simple garb of a servant - linen shirt, wool breeches and a plain leather jerkin. The clothes were a mix of greens and browns, and they suited him very well.

"A handsome lad, is he not?" she asked with a laugh, and then she ruffled Gerren's hair. "He cleaned up well."

Xandrian pointed to Jomm. "Gerren, that's Jomm. He'll show you how to ready your mount. Go on," he told Gerren, and gave him a small push in Jomm's direction. Xandrian walked over to the woman. "Thank you for your help," he said. "I will be sure to compliment the Archmage on the hospitality you have shown us in her stead."

"Our pleasure, my lord. We wish you good journey." she curtsied and returned inside.

He turned back to his companions, and when he mounted his horse he glanced over at Gerren. The young man was perched atop his pony, and he was grinning from ear to ear. Xandrian pulled up alongside him. "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm on a horse! I'm on a horse," Gerren patted the beast's neck, "and he isn't afraid of me." He tilted his head back and gazed at the sky. "It is day, there is the sun and the sky and I am walking on the earth." He fingered the amulet that hung around his neck.

"You're riding on a horse," Xandrian corrected, amused. "The horse is the one walking on the earth right now." He reached over and tucked the amulet inside Gerren's shirt. "Keep this beneath your shirt. It should remain hidden, if possible - as well as the mark we both bear." Xandrian felt smooth, warm skin beneath his fingertips, and a steady, living heartbeat. He pulled his hand away.

"Let's get going," he told Jomm.

~.~

The sun was warm on his shoulders, the horse warm and living beneath him. Gerren drew in a breath, delighting in how the air was cool and dry when it entered his body, and warm and damp when it exited.

He breathed in a deep breath, then a shallow one. He held his breath until his lungs demanded air, and when that made his heart race he rested his hand against his chest and felt his heartbeat thumping against his fingers. Then he hugged the pony's neck and listened to its heartbeat and breathing, and smiled as he felt its coarse coat ripple and twitch beneath his cheek.

Gerren put his fingers against his wrist and felt his pulse tap against his fingertips, and repeated the action for the pulse at his throat.

It was wonderful. It had been more than half a century since the last time he had walked outside the Abysm, and that had been only for a solitary night, in his true form. Now he was going to be living on this plane for at least a moon's cycle, and - even better - living as a human. Gerren was glad he had answered the mage's Beckoning, and so far he was very pleased with their Agreement.

He studied the men who rode with him.

Despite Xandrian's slender frame and delicate features, Gerren sensed strong power in him, and a strong mind and will as well. He liked that Xandrian had not been afraid of him the night before, when Gerren had broken through his two containment circles. He smiled to himself as he recalled the shocked expression on the man's face. Xandrian had been wary and careful with him, but he had shown no fear - not even when Gerren had touched him.

He was beautiful, too, with his golden blond hair and strange-colored eyes. Violet, the housekeeper had called them. Gerren liked pretty things, and both Xandrian's beauty and power had drawn him out of the shadows of the Abysm like a bright beacon.

The other mage, H'rit, had power too. It was a different power from Xandrian's, though; its energy was more peaceful and regenerative. Gerren could tell that their magic was not the same, and that H'rit could not have Beckoned him or Agreed with him. He enjoyed watching the two men converse with each other as they rode along the dirt tracks of the Pilgrim's Road. Their looks were a pleasing contrast, as H'rit was dark-haired and had eyes the color of moss. There was contrast to their personalities too; Xandrian was irritable and moody, while H'rit had a calm and patient demeanor. Despite the differences in their personalities, there was an ease to their interaction that told Gerren the two men knew each other well, and were comrades.

Gerren did not sense that same ease with the third man, the redheaded tracker. He decided that Jomm must be a stranger to the other men, even though he was the one leading the way. The man had no magic to him, but he was skilled in many things that the two mages were not. Gerren had the distinct impression that this was Xandrian's and H'rit's first time on a journey, since Jomm was telling them how to do things too.

Jomm seemed to really like telling people how to do things, and he especially liked telling Gerren what to do. Xandrian had explained that only he and H'rit knew Gerren's true nature, and that everyone else - Jomm included - thought that Gerren was Xandrian's servant. Which he was, technically, within the terms of their Agreement, but Jomm behaved like Gerren was his servant too, and Gerren did not care for that.

He found it amusing that Xandrian didn't like Jomm telling him what to do either.

The late afternoon sun peeked out from behind a bank of clouds and bathed the land in reds and golds. Gerren's breath caught in his throat at beauty of the sight. I will watch the sun set tonight, he thought, and I will sleep and then tomorrow I shall watch it rise. He smiled. He was looking forward to sleeping, and wondered if he would dream.

"Gerren! Stop daydreaming and keep your horse moving!" Jomm rode over to him and gave the pony a gentle swat. "I want us in the next town by sunset. You don't want to miss supper, do you?"

"Supper?" Gerren blinked and looked over at Xandrian.

"The evening meal," the mage told him.

"Oh, yes - I would like to have a supper!" Gerren had thoroughly enjoyed his other two meals, and now there would be a third?

Jomm snorted. "Well, keep moving, then." He maneuvered his stallion back up the road, and as he passed Xandrian he jerked a thumb back at Gerren and asked, "Where the hell did you find him, that he doesn't even know what supper is?" He laughed. "You sure know how to pick servants."

"Shut up, Jomm," Xandrian said.

~.~

They were little over two weeks traveling on the Pilgrim's Road, and Xandrian was beginning to regret the 'no beating' part of his Agreement with Gerren.

It seemed like not a day had passed when the converted demon hadn't leaped off his horse in order to run over and inspect some new-found wonder. During their second morning on the road Gerren had run like a madman through a field of wildflowers and returned covered in pollen, which had made Xandrian sneeze for the rest of the afternoon. Two days later when they passed a large lake, both he and the pony had jumped in, leaving both of them - and Gerren's gear - completely soaked. And three days ago Gerren had climbed a tall tree while they stopped to eat their midday meal, and when he accidentally knocked down a wasp's nest it had left them all badly stung. Jomm was still bitching about that incident, even though H'rit had quickly healed them all.

Gerren was not taking well to Jomm ordering him about, either. Of course, as far the tracker was concerned Gerren was a lowly servant who could be pressed into any menial labor Jomm didn't feel like doing. Xandrian was tempted to tell Jomm about Gerren - just to enjoy the man's reaction - but he was reluctant to interfere with the geis that prevented Gerren from accidentally revealing information about his true nature.

So he had to put up with not only their bickering, but also Jomm's lectures about how unruly servants should be properly dealt with.

Today's wonder was going to be the waterfall ahead of them, Xandrian was sure of it. It hadn't been visible when they first entered the wooded valley, but they were able to hear the roar of the water and when they came to a small clearing Gerren gasped and pointed over at the cascading water that thundered from high above the wall of rock to their left.

"H'rit! What's that?"

"It's a waterfall, Gerren." H'rit answered, and then he explained the geology to him while Gerren stared open-mouthed at the rushing water.

Xandrian decided that his friend was enjoying his role of teacher a little too much. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's just water moving vertically," he said in an effort to quell the lesson. "Let's keep moving."

"But it's beautiful!"

Jomm snorted. "Did they keep the brat in the dungeon? He acts like he's never seen anything before. I hope you didn't pay a lot for him, Xandrian - he's not very bright."

"Shut up, Jomm," Gerren said with a low growl. "I have seen many things. Things that even you have not seen. I just could not touch some of them."

"Yeah, like you touched those chickens at the last inn we stayed at - that innkeeper will be lucky if they ever lay eggs again. How much extra did he charge us for that, Xandrian?"

"I didn't hurt them!" Gerren protested. "I just wanted to touch their feathers, so that I could know what they felt like."

Xandrian watched him stroke a small white feather that he had attached to the leather pouch he wore on his belt. Xandrian knew that inside the pouch were Gerren's 'treasures' - small rocks and other items found on the roadside - and he found it fascinating that the demon was collecting these objects, almost as souvenirs. "You should have asked permission first," he told Gerren. "Those chickens belonged to the innkeeper, and you mustn't touch things that belong to other people. He had to buy eggs to feed his patrons because you upset the chickens and they wouldn't lay their own eggs."

"I'm sorry." Gerren looked longingly at the waterfall. He pointed at it again. "Does that belong to other people? The fallwater?"

"Waterfall," H'rit corrected.

"Of course not,'" Xandrian answered. "What does that have to do-"

Xandrian was interrupted by a loud whoop from Gerren. The young man hopped off his horse and ran toward the water, shedding every stitch of clothing along the way. His now riderless pony ambled over to the pool at the cascade's base and began to drink.

"What the hell are you doing?" Xandrian yelled.

Jomm and H'rit both laughed. "Well, Xan, you berated him the other day about jumping into that lake with his clothes on," H'rit pointed out. "He's obviously learning."

"Learning what? A lack of modesty?"

"Let him be, Xandrian," said Jomm. He got down from his horse and gathered their water skins. "There's good water here, we can let the horses drink and I'll fill our skins while he frolics a bit."

The mage huffed and dismounted, and then he walked his mare to the pool's edge to let her drink her fill. Gerren's laughter made him look up, and Xandrian saw the young man standing naked beneath the cascading water, his arms outstretched. Gerren's hair was plastered against his head, and he was sticking out his tongue, trying to catch some of the falling liquid.

While he stood by his horse Xandrian watched the display, and he found himself wondering what it would feel like to stand under that torrent of water, to let it course over his bare skin and feel it pounding against his body. Xandrian had only seen colored drawings of waterfalls in books, and he almost wished that the other two men weren't there, so that he too could shed his clothes and feel the water's power on his own body.

Xandrian's gaze was drawn to the water running in rivulets down Gerren's chest; it trickled along the valleys of his taut abdomen and then down, lower still, between his muscled thighs.

His body was perfect.

Xandrian looked away, his mouth suddenly dry. He swallowed hard and tugged on the mare's reins to coax her away from the water. "Gerren, come out now and get dressed," he called, turning away so that he would not have to see Gerren's nudity again.

H'rit joined him. "I have only seen such a thing in our schoolbooks," he said. "Remember when we were young and we looked through the geography books and promised ourselves that we would see those wonders for ourselves?"

"I remember," Xandrian said, and he took a chance and looked back at the cascading water. Fortunately, it was now Gerren-free, so he was able to appreciate the vista without distraction.

"It's an amazing sight. I can only imagine what goes through Gerren's mind when he sees these things, for he had no books to look at."

Xandrian glanced over at Gerren, who had finished fastening his breeches and was now tugging on his shirt. "I don't know. I get the impression that sometimes he has been able to view our plane from the Abysm, although most likely from afar."

H'rit was watching Gerren too, and he smiled. "Perhaps he made the very same promise to himself, who knows how many decades or centuries ago. It's been fascinating to watch him experience life on this plane, and I must say that in this form he has a very agreeable personality."

Xandrian said nothing. While H'rit obviously enjoyed answering the young man's constant stream of questions, Xandrian sometimes found Gerren's talkativeness exhausting.

"Xandrian!" Gerren ran over to him. "Look what I found in the water!" He held out his hand, and nestled in his damp palm were two rounded, perfectly clear stones. "They look like drops of water, but they are hard!"

Jomm poked his head over Gerren's shoulder. "Well, look at that! Those are called 'river gems' - they're bits of quartz rock that have been tumbled and polished by the river's flow. Now that is a treasure worth keeping in that bag of yours."

"River gems," Gerren repeated, smiling. He tucked one in his pouch, and then he reached out and took Xandrian's hand. "Here, I got this one for you," he said, and he placed the second, larger stone in Xandrian's palm.

"Go get your horse, Gerren," Jomm said. Gerren obeyed him and went to retrieve the wandering animal, who was contentedly munching on a patch of grass.

Xandrian held up the stone. It was almost the size of the upper part of his thumb, and it sparkled in the sunlight like a drop of captured dew.

"It's very unusual to find a larger stone this clear," Jomm remarked. "Usually they're no bigger than a fingernail, and they got their nickname because people would have them cut and set into jewelry. Quartz is plentiful in this valley, and there are even a few caves near here that have formations of it, but the big 'river gems' are hard to find these days. Gerren must have found them right at the base of the waterfall." He reached over and touched the stone's smooth, clear surface. "This is a gift of considerable value, Xandrian."

"He doesn't know it has value, to him it's just another pretty 'treasure'," Xandrian retorted. He glanced over at Jomm. "You said there are caves nearby with quartz formations?" he asked.

The tracker nodded. "There's one not too far off the Pilgrim's Road, we'll pass it tomorrow." He jerked a thumb at Gerren. "He'd like it," he said, and he mounted his horse and then headed over to round up the other two men.

"I would like it too," Xandrian murmured, and he thumbed the smooth crystal before he carefully tucked it away in a pocket. He climbed back on his mare and followed the others out of the clearing, and for once he didn't mind Gerren's excited chatter.

tbc...