Shady Baby
Chapter 6
Where Were We Supposed to Turn?
Summary: Rincewind, Lucks, and Haun are now on their way to the University. Rincewind is contemplating Lucks' wizardry…until a surprise visitor happens along.
Author's Note: Everything is going ok so far. I know the computer will say this is Chapter 7, but IT'S NOT!!! It's Chapter 6!!! Thank you.
Disclaimer: We at Nightingale Productions would like to say: "Gurgle. Need…water…help." Thank you and enjoy the show.
The caravan bounced along the road, pulled by a very willing Donkey, affectionately named Bullhorn. Rincewind was in the back, hunched between a pile of clothes and some skillets, enjoying another sandwich. Lucks sat behind Haun, who was driving, on a pile of straw. Lucks filed her nails, while Killer took a nap in the sun. Infact, if you listened close enough, you could tell he was snoring.
Haun was trying to make conversation with Lucks, but she didn't seem to be too interested in talking. Lucks was trying to think of something to say to Haun, but couldn't. She had never had much contact with boys, but she acted just like one. The girls around her never really wanted to make friends, considering Lucks always wanted to play war or cops and robbers. Unlike the other girls, she wasn't worried about getting her dress dirty, or smudging her nail polish.
Killer slept. Rincewind had his mouth full.
"So," said Haun, "How long have you lived in The Shades?"
"All my life. My father is a farmer, and he preferred the land here than in Ankh-Morpork" Lucks responded, accidentally breaking her nail off because she filed so hard.
Haun frowned. "He did?"
"Yeah. That was kind of my reaction when I asked him."
"Have you ever wanted to move?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"When I saw a mother being robbed of some food and money in her kitchen."
"When did you see that?"
"I was six."
"Tough."
"What about you? When did you get here?"
"I just kind of travel. I made a home for myself in Ankh-Morpork a while ago, but the robbery was pretty bad there too."
"You can't get away from it on the Disc."
Haun thought for a minute. "I wonder what happened to those guys that were trying to rob me yesterday?"
Lucks stiffened. That event made her uncomfortable, even though she was sure she hadn't had a thing to do with it.
Inside the caravan, Rincewind's ears perked up.
"I'm not so sure I want to know" Lucks said.
"Well it had to be magic! How did it happen, do you think? Did Rincewind shrink himself and hide in your pocket?" Haun asked.
Lucks forced a laugh. "I didn't find him until after I got home."
"Find him?" Haun wrinkled his brow in confusion.
"He got lost in our garden, however one does that, I'm not too sure. I caught him over the head with that skillet and made him explain himself" Lucks said a little too proudly.
Haun laughed. Rincewind, however, listened even closer. He had heard Lucks' parents talking about some thieves disappearing into the ground at the market earlier, but he didn't hear them mention their daughter. Maybe they didn't know.
"Strange stuff just seems to follow me around" Lucks said on her own accord. "When I get angry, especially. I don't have time to scream before something breaks or flies in front of the person I'm mad at."
Rincewind almost choked on his last bite of fried mollusk. Of course, you fool! He slapped himself on the head, a little too hard causing him to tumble backwards into a bale of hay, which knocked over a whole rack full of berry flavored hair tonic.
He added together the information in his mind. This girl experienced most unnatural occurrences when she was angry, usually described as encounters with the other side at the University. Rincewind thought and thought, and finally it came to him.
This girl had wizarding powers. And if she didn't harness them…
Rincewind cleared his throat. "Excuse me, erm…"
"Haun" he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice.
"Haun…are you quite sure you know where to go?" said Rincewind, "Time is a rather important factor here."
"Since when do we have a deadline?" Haun asked. Lucks scoffed. "Don't mind him, he blurts out random things all the time. You'll get used to it."
She turned around to face the misfit wizard. "Shut up," she growled through clenched teeth.
They stopped a few hours later to make camp for the night. Haun had started to fall asleep at the reins, and Lucks couldn't hold out much longer either. Killer was falling asleep every five seconds, although he was supposed to be on guard dog duty. The only person awake was Rincewind. He was still thinking about the possibility of Lucks being the world's next female wizard and trying to think of some way it couldn't be true. He hadn't.
Suddenly, as he was lying down on a bed of pine needles, he remembered. A staff! Every wizard must have a staff, and Rincewind had seen no sign of a staff lying around Lucks' house. Smiling with satisfaction, he lay down and tried to sleep.
He awoke shortly after to the sounds of Killer whining and growling, like something was trying to hurt someone. He jumped up and whammed his head on a tree branch, recovered himself, and went to see to the others.
He found Lucks staring at the ground, Haun next to her, his face a mask of puzzlement. Whatever it was was obviously not trying to hurt them but it had an effect of dumbfounding people.
Rincewind joined the stricken teenagers. "What's going on, then?" he asked sleepily.
"We thought you might be able to tell us, Mr. Wizard man," Lucks said.
Rincewind stepped in front of Lucks and almost had a heart attack at the sight at his feet. It was a staff, and not his either. He didn't know where it had come from, but it was the most beautiful one he had ever seen, and there was no doubt it was a wizard's staff. It was long, made of some kind of wood he had never seen, but looked oddly familiar. It seemed to have a low, octarine glow radiating from it, and twisting shapes were winding their way along its body.
Suddenly, the revelation came to Rincewind. It came so quickly that it knocked him off his feet.
He lay there on the ground, still gaping at the staff, and realized that all his ideas were reality. This girl was a wizard. And her staff had come to find her.
"Ok, I'd like a little explanation here please, Rince. Why are you writing on the forest floor, it's just a piece of wood…" Lucks started.
"No, no it is not just a piece of wood, this…this is a major event!" Rincewind stuttered. He stood up and looked Lucks directly in the eye. "Lucks, listen to me. Is your father a wizard?"
"No, he's a farmer."
"Does he know anyone who's a wizard?"
"I think one of my great uncles was, or something…his name was Mambrow, I think, why?"
"Did he have any children?" Rincewind was speaking with fury now.
"Yeah, he had like, seven sons, they're all grown up now. His wife was pregnant with an eighth son, but he died in her womb. Really tragic, the family still talks about it."
Rincewind's jaw tightened. "Do you remember your Uncle Mambrow visiting you ever?"
"The last time I saw him was after his son died. He gave me something, although I don't remember what it was. All I know is that my dad wrapped it up in a blanket and stuffed it in the back closet. I never saw it again."
Rincewind buried his face in his hands. "I knew it!" he said, quite muffled. "I knew it!"
Haun turned to Lucks. "Is he…ok?"
"I'm not quite sure, but I wanna find out."
