AUTHORS NOTES:

Archer1eye - Yay! I ran through all of the options I could think of and literally wrote "Zombie cow Mooooooo" in my notes :D

Drouppi - Haha! I hope that the start of this chapter will develop Jocam into a better character than his former 'extra' role :D

As always thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 31

20th Day of Late Winter 768 n.c

I woke up pleasantly refreshed, despite the interrupted sleep. Normally I'd be bleary eyed and yawning every second breath, but for some reason I was feeling alright. I noticed that Illith was already awake, which seemed at the same time understandable and unusual. As Illith took over more of the responsibilities of the 'eldest girl' it made sense that she'd be up at my usual time to help Mother with breakfast. For a girl who liked her sleep ins so much, it was quite a surprise that she was able to change so quickly in only a tenday. I freshened myself after using the outhouse (which reminded me how spoiled I was in Malkarov's tower) and began to make my way into the kitchen to wish Illith and Mother a good morning. I noticed as I came out of the outhouse that Father and Jocam were busy dragging wood to the bonfire and were piling it higher. Jocam saw me and waved at me to come to him, so I hiked my skirt (I thought that I had better wear a dress to Church at the very least) and skipped around the puddles towards him.

"Good Morning," I greeted him.

"I'm sorry," he returned. I stopped, puzzled.

I looked at him in confusion, "Sorry for what?"

He looked deeply ashamed and it hurt me a little to see, what was he ashamed of?

"For not killing the kobolds so that you didn't have to do… that," he forced out.

"For using my magic in a way that meant we weren't likely to be skewered by those things?" I asked.

"For having to use your magic to save us," he said bluntly.

That left me further puzzled, I couldn't understand what he was getting at. I thought that he might have had the same concerns as Father, but this sounded like something else was wrong instead… or as well.

"Jocam," I asked, "are you more concerned about what I did, or that I did it?"

He took a deep breath and confessed, "I'm the boy Sharein, the eldest boy, I'm the one who is meant to protect you. I'm meant to protect you, but you've never needed me to protect you before, ever. Then last night I thought you needed me to protect you, but you didn't, you didn't at all. If anything you protected me, us, you protected Father and me. Father explained to me this morning that what you did last night wasn't what I, we, thought it was. I understand that Shar, sort of. It was still scary though, and that just makes it all worse. Not only did you do it, but you did it in a way that was scary and I shouldn't have been scared."

I understood, or at least I thought that I understood. Mother never really taught us girls to strictly observe and copy her as a role model we nonetheless did. We copied what we saw, for the most part, but Mother was never the model Easthavian woman. She was always slightly different from the other women in town, much more suited to life out on the farm away from everything. Father on the other hand was always instructing my brothers on how to behave and act. These lessons made my brothers, in all honesty, not that much different from all the rest of the boys in town. I couldn't tell him that he was wrong, that it wasn't necessarily his job as a boy to protect girls. Because, for as long as the rest of the girls in town were growing up being taught that their job was to be protected, there would always need to be protectors. I didn't think that I'd be able to convince him that Father's lessons were wrong either. It was obvious that he had been presented now with a situation where the lessons were wrong and he was blaming himself for it.

"Oh Jocam," I said and grabbed him into a hug that he returned hesitantly, "I'm not like other girls. How many other girls have become apprentice wizards? I can't speak for Illith or Kara, it may be that they will grow up different from the other girls in town like me, but you'll meet a girl in town that will need you to protect her."

Jocam seemed mollified by this and whispered a thank you before we parted. He straightened himself out, wiping his sleeve across his eyes.

"Father said that we will travel into town early to speak to Mayor Crownever. The Mayor may call a town meeting after Church," Jocam informed me, "Father says that he can't ever remember hearing of kobolds coming this close to town."

"Thanks Jocam," I told him, "that sounds like a very good idea."

He nodded to me and started backing up, "I'd better finish helping Father here. We'll be in shortly."

I nodded in return and made my way into the house, skipping over the puddles on the way back. It occurred to me on the way, that if Mother forgot (or didn't realise that she was meant to) to teach us that we needed protection from boys, what other lessons didn't she teach us? It made me wonder if that was why I was the way I was? I tried to think of a time when Mother needed Father to protect her from something, but I just couldn't. If we girls came across a snake, we would tell Mother and she would deal with it (often chopping it's head off with a shovel). No matter what lessons she forgot to teach us, I would not trade her for any of the other mothers in Easthaven. I thought about my friends; Beka would grow up to be a model Easthavian woman, despite her desires to become a Sister. Mari was the next closest, slightly different from growing up as a farm girl. Brahdi was in no way shape or form an Easthavian girl, but that was due to wherever her Mother was from. I giggled to myself at the thought of Brahdi suddenly behaving like a proper Easthavian woman.

I wished Mother and Illith a good morning when I got inside, that was returned cheerily (which surprised me from Illith). Kara and Jara both stumbled out from their rooms, rubbing their eyes. I gave them both a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"You'll likely be leaving early with Father and Jocam, Jara," I told my youngest brother, "If you want to see a dead monster first then you might like to have a look at the bonfire."

His eyes went wide and he rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Mother cocked her head at me and gave me a look of admonishment.

"Sorry Mother," I apologised, "has he somehow stopped being all about blood and guts and monsters in the past tenday?"

Mother gave a rueful laugh, "Of course he hasn't. I'll never understand how boys all grow up like that."

I knew better than to try to help with breakfast, so I helped Kara get ready instead. Breakfast was ready early and Illith called Father and the boys in.

"Quick breakfast and then we'll be off, Mother," Father said as he came in and sat down, "We'll check on the Meadowbroek's first, in case they got raided as well."

"Should we have gone over there last night?" I asked.

"Why would you go visit last night?" Kara piped up and was shushed by Illith.

Mother put her hand over Illith's briefly, before explaining "A group of kobolds attacked our farm last night and killed one of our cows. Father, Jocam and Sharein killed them and scared them off."

Kara inhaled sharply in surprise and put both hands over her mouth in reaction. I hoped that Jocam wouldn't feel bad at Mother's summary of events.

"We shouldn't have any more trouble from them, it's okay," Mother reassured her.

"Speaking of which," Father said, "we prepared the cow and loaded it onto the cart. Nothing else got to it through the night, so we should be able to get a bit of credit on it still."

Father and the boys wolfed down some breakfast and left quickly. He gave me a quick one armed hug and a kiss on the forehead that washed away any remaining anxiety I was feeling.

Once they were gone, we finished breakfast at a more sedate pace. Illith and Kara helped Mother pack up from breakfast and I went to pack my bag ready for my return to the Wizard's Tower.

We were picked up by Mari and Missus Meadowbroek in their cart.

"Are you alright Sharein?" Mari greeted me as I climbed up into the back of the cart, "I overheard Master Askilain telling Father about a kobold attack last night? You Father said that you played the greater role in their demise."

I noticed Missus Askilain paying close attention to the conversation behind her as Mother lifted Kara up onto the seat next to her.

"Better than ever Mari," I said, "I appreciate your concern greatly. Who would have known that the Wizard Malkarov's lessons would prove themselves worthy so soon?"

"How many were there?" She asked.

"Eight, I think," I said, "although we let one escape to warn it's friends. Their remains are in the bonfire ready to be burned when Father gets home."

I gestured to the bonfire, that could be seen from where we were, Mari put her hand up over her mouth and paled a little (possibly at the sight of what was obviously a scaly arm sticking out from some branches).

Once Mother was seated and we were on our way, I noticed Missus Meadowbroek raise an eyebrow to Mother, who nodded in return and whispered something into her ear over Kara's head.

"Enough about such morbid topics," I said to Mari with a sly smile, "have you a plan to hurry along a certain question that seems to be much delayed?"

The rest of the trip into town was filled with conversation about Mari's problems, with advice offered from all sides. While Mother's and Missus Meadowbroeks advice was sound and extremely useful and Illith did occasionally have some good ideas; Kara's best advice could have been summarised (because it was very convoluted and strange) as "Make Tomas kill something for you and cook it up for him. Boys like killing things and eating things."

Honestly, it felt like pretty sound advice.