Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2838542" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 125, “Magical Rings and Spoons”, Monday, March 20th, 1882, 7:30 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>At the El Parador Kate stopped at Ginnie's table on her way upstairs and said "Please stay out of Dorita's kitchen for the night. I'm just going upstairs for a few minutes, and after you've finished your dinner I have something to show you." Kate warned Mr. Gonzales, and a few minutes later she brought Ginnie into the wizard's public rooms and through the door that was now exposed for the girl to see.</p><p></p><p>Ginnie walks through the door of room, her face goes through many very subtle changes while Kate watches starting with surprise, then confusion, realization, and then analysis the entire event takes less than five seconds and only because Kate knows Ginnie well can she see the changes at all. As Kate watched Ginnie, she remembered how she had rediscovered happiness here. "This is our safe place, Ginnie dear. In more ways than one." </p><p></p><p>Gonzales gives Kate a smile and says "Perhaps you would like to give your ward a tour my little Sandpiper?" "Of course," she answered, a genuine smile on her face even though a shadow still hung over it. Kate laid her hand on Ginnie's shoulder and guided her through the long front room with it's plain table and fountain of an elven figure. "This is where I study. We often sit out here when we just want to talk about something. In here," she said opening another door, "is the workshop. I haven't done anything in here yet, but this is where we would make magical potions and such things. Not a place for anyone with clumsy fingers." </p><p></p><p>The door to Mr. Gonzales bedroom was open, so Kate let Ginnie peek inside. "This is my teacher's real room. It's rare to find him actually in the outside room. Now, here is the room that I think you will really be interested in," Kate said, leading the girl over to the library. She looked down at Ginnie and opened the door, revealing the shelves lined with volume after volume, with room for a great many more. The rest of the furniture consisted of a desk and a couple comfortable chairs. "We took most of these books from Johnny Ringo. They aren't all about magic, many are just ordinary books which are treasures in and of themselves." Kate waited a moment. "What do you think, Ginnie?"</p><p></p><p>She watched as Ginnie took the few short steps to the shelves and began devouring the titles with her eyes. Kate leaned against the doorframe and sighed. How could it be that a few months ago she thought children would never be a part of her life? Kate heard her teacher approach from behind. "I'm not sure I'm ready for all this," she said to him, her hands clasped over her stomach. </p><p></p><p>Gonzales says, "But she is. Come Ginne." They walk over to a desk that has two stacks of books piled on it. He says, "I haven't had a chance to check these yet. They're all in Latin. I'd like you to start reading them, as you did for those other eight books. This is a very important responsibility and I would normally not entrust this to one as young as you. But you are old beyond your years and I trust you. Katherine and I will be over in my workshop." She begins to devour the texts as Gonzales leads Kate into the workshop. </p><p></p><p>He tells her "It is alright. I have alarms that will alert me if she tries to venture where she shouldn't, although I suspect she will do exactly as I have instructed her." "I think it's a case of telling her to do just what she wanted to anyway. She has a good head on her shoulders, if she can control her excitement she'll be fine. I've seen her try a couple simple spells, one right in the Lucky Lady. That's mostly what I'm afraid of, that she will think she is unseen when she isn't. I brought her here, anything that happens to her....." Kate stopped and shook her head. "There's no use worrying about that. So, what is our lesson for the night?"</p><p></p><p>He replies, "Tonight we will work on the spells of Nystrul. He was a great wizard in the Fourth Century. He came from Milan, the same Italian city that our new friend Joseppi is originally from." He goes to his desk and removes many pieces of paper. He says, "But it is equally important that we also work on your scribing skills. If you can create a scroll of a spell then you can maximize the number of spells available to you. A scroll could also be used by one trained to read them, which would include your friends Ruby and Sonoma, and Ginnie soon I would imagine." </p><p></p><p>Ginnie begins reading the text that were assigned to her translating and transcribing them into English as she reads. On a second piece of paper she writes down anything she can hear from Ma'am Kate's lessons which she will tuck into the small pocket she has made under her sash if she hears anyone coming from the other room.</p><p></p><p>Gonzales and Kate spend the next two hours with him teaching her the basic mechanics of magical writing, explaining the variations of ink and paper and how those can make subtle influences on the spell's effect. He also explains the importance of the setting in which the scroll is scribed, as places with heavier magical ley lines make the magical writings less susceptible to becoming damanged.</p><p></p><p>It was odd to see the lines of strange writing across the page, still distinctly in her own hand. The details were important, and it felt strong here in these rooms. "It seems to me using scrolls would be fairly obvious. The times when you would need them most would be when you could not, when others could see you. Or is it rather like using a derringer? If you need it that badly, it doesn't matter who sees? Is a scroll magically protected somehow. For example, it won't burn easily? What happens after you've read the words?"</p><p></p><p>Gonzales lets out a loud belly laugh "Like a derringer! What an analogy. Katherine, you always have to be careful. Scrolls are one of he easiest things to deal with. They could be left in a book, under a plate on a table, better yet, fastened to the bottom of a plate. The art of being subtle is very important. The art of misdirection is also valuable, which is the purpose of these spells. </p><p>So, let me now teach you those spells. You've actually now written most of them with my help, you're just missing a few key words." </p><p></p><p>He spends the next hour training her in the first spells, Nystul's Magical Aura. He explains, "What the spell does is create a false magical aura around an item. The spell itself is easy to cast but requires passing a small square of silk over the item, which can be obvious. But if you use the component at the time of spell creation then you don't need it at the time of casting." </p><p></p><p>He then teaches her the second spell, Nystul's Undetectable Aura. He explains how the spell is the opposite of the other, it allows a genuine magical item to be masked so that the magic cannot be detected." When they are done he says, "Using these wisely will help with Ringo. You're biggest asset now is that he is unaware of the power that You and Ruby can control. If you can misdirect him, make him think the magic is coming from somewhere other than you, then you'll have an advantage."</p><p></p><p>She replies, "Something like what I did in buying the leathers, so when I use the protection spell my appearance will change as little as possible. But you have to be prepared then, and have scrolls in places where you are likely to be. And the right scroll at that. A bit complicated. From what I saw, Ringo isn't far behind you in skill. Can Ruby and I really match him in any way?"</p><p></p><p>Gonzales replies, "It is best not to try. A one-on-one match with him and either of you would not be wise. Best to stick with your friends. But in the mean while you should take this again." He hands her the Wand of Magic Missiles that he had loaned her for the stagecoach ride in January.</p><p></p><p>"Thank you. There are a few things we collected from the Cowboys; I tucked them away in here for safe keeping." Kate turned the wand over in her hands. "I used this spell at the farmhouse. We were concealed in the trees. The look of terror on the man's face when they struck him...." She shivered slightly. </p><p></p><p>She went and fetched the wand and spoon. "There are some other things as well, but they've been dispersed among the others. I was able to glean some information about them, enough to get an idea of what they did.” He replies, "Ah, excellent. I'll take a look at these items and let you know by tomorrow." </p><p></p><p>She asks, “The rings the Pepita and Angelica wear, how do they work?" He says, "Well, it's complicated but basically they create an invulnerable protective shell around the baby. Diseases, spells and physical objects are unable to break through, so the baby itself will not come to any harm. It also gives added strength to the mother, essentially stabilizing the body. So you would not have to deal with things like morning sickness or extreme fatigue that normally accompanies pregnancies."</p><p></p><p>She replies, "So the only thing that can hurt the baby is... well... if I should be killed. I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen. There are a few other things we collected, I might still have some. I'll dig them up for you. I do have a few of these," she said, taking out the patches she had kept for herself. "They do some healing, but we aren't sure how much. The others have some bullets, Chester has a jacket.... I think I'm forgetting something. I'll remember. </p><p></p><p>I think it's time I was in bed, and Ginnie too. We'll see you tomorrow morning, I know you have that errand you wanted to run, so we'll get out of your hair early. We'll talk about these objects and I can get the ring? Who should I expect to understand what it means?"</p><p></p><p>He states, “The Rings? Well lets see, Pedro, Dorita and Sonoma of course. Obviously Pepita and Angelica will know, and Maria of course. And Maria's brother Estaban. Possibly Grant. I don't think that Carlos or Jose know what the rings do, but they will recognize it as one that belonged to one of the girls. I guess that's it. Oh, and Conrad Booth will probably also figure out where the ring came from, based upon what you said nothing escapes his notice."</p><p></p><p>"That's quite a few people. I'll make sure to ask Maria to keep it to herself." She sighed. "That's the price of safety, I suppose. As for Mr. Booth, knowing where they came from and why are two very different things. I guess we will soon see just how observant he is." </p><p></p><p>Kate spent another half-hour chatting with her teacher, glad of this time to relax. She always missed him when he was gone, his rooms were always here to refuge in, but it wasn't the same without him inside. After a while she got Ginnie and they went off to bed, waking bright and early and refreshed the next day.</p><p></p><p>Chester wakes up with the sun. He washes his face and dresses for work, whistling one of the songs Clarisse sang the previous night. Finally he straps on his gun belt and puts on his hat. The Deputy Marshall goes over to the EL Parador to eat breakfast. He says, "Good morning, Dorita. How are you today?" as he sits down. </p><p></p><p>She replies, "Good. Good. Better if you eat. Can't catch thieves on empty stomach." Chester waves his hands in mock surrender. "You don't have to convince me. I'll have some eggs and a glass of buttermilk, please." "Still don't know why you drink that. It's better for making flapjacks." </p><p>"It's something I picked up in the Army. Lots of cavalry troopers drink it."</p><p></p><p>An hour later, Katherine and Ginnie join Gonzales for breakfast downstairs. The candle is lit and Ginnie then gives a short summary to both of the volumes she read the night before. Four look to only be histories. A fifth is an translation of speeches by a 12th century French diplomat, but there are some handwritten notes in the side margin that might be nothing or might be some of code. </p><p></p><p>Gonzales says that today he will be making the side trip down to the city of Chihuahua, Mexico with a few members of Arcade's gang. He expects to be back by mid-afternoon at the latest. He also hands Kate the magical spoon, telling her that it is a Spoon of Purity. He explains that the item was created originally for Kings back in the middle ages, who feared that their food might be poisoned. By using the spoon to stir any liquid up to a gallon in volume it makes it drinkable, negating any poisons or diseases. He adds "This is a handy item to have in the wilderness, as you can't always find drinkable water. Sailors also value the item, as it enables seawater to transform into fresh drinkable water."</p><p></p><p>Kate answers, "We guessed it was something to do with changing food in some way. Or perhaps creating it if you didn't have any. This is one of things you'll never think of until you really need it." She tucked the spoon away in her purse.</p><p></p><p>Ginnie begins reading the text that were assigned to her translating and transcribing them into English as she reads. On a second piece of paper she writes down anything she can hear from Ma'am Kate's lessons which she will tuck into the small pocket she has made under her sash if she hears anyone coming from the other room.</p><p></p><p>She says, "I hope your errand will go well today, and I'm glad it won't be a long one. I should probably head over to the Lucky Lady and check in with Nanuet and Miss Florencia, see if there is anything we want to do today. But before I do, I should probably get that ring and then run before your Granddaughter sees it. I'm not sure I'm ready to handle her just yet."</p><p>He replies, "Okay, I'll go talk to Pepita. Meet me on the porch swing in a few minutes and I'll pass it to you discretely." </p><p></p><p>Morning arrives to soon for Minerva, she is tired and sore from over exertion and a sleepless night. Sensing that Luna is watching her she cracks open a gritty eye and mumbles "Aren't owls supposed to sleep during the day?" Luna responds with a soft hoot and flutters over to her perch where she can watch the cranky priestess from a safe distance. </p><p></p><p>Minerva pulls herself out of bed and gives grudging thanks to the goddess and Jupiter, apologizing for her impatience of the night before but at the same time reminding them that "I could use a little more guidance, here". She dresses quickly and thinking that a hearty breakfast might be just the thing to clear the cobwebs from her head, descends the stairs in search of Bea and to see if the miners have left any breakfast crumbs uneaten. </p><p></p><p>She enters the kitchen and is greeted by the comforting scent of sausage and bacon frying and the clatter of dishes. Bea is busy at the stove "I heard you out in the yard last night. Sounds like you had some trouble sleeping. I thought you could use a good start to your day" Minerva hugs Bea in appreciation of her maternal instincts. "The goddess Diana has surely smiled down upon me today! Bless you, Bea. I feel better already." She smiles and takes a seat at the table. </p><p>Bea pours them each a cup of coffee and Minerva eats her meal as she listens to Bea chatter on about the bake off. </p><p></p><p>"Oh, my yes, It's all very exciting. Almost all of the ladies in town are entering their best jams and pies. Well, except for that Mrs. King woman." she says waving her hand dismissively. </p><p>"And we've decided to hold a raffle and use the money to help purchase books for the church. Don't you think that's a marvelous idea?" Not waiting for an answer she continues "Oh, and you'll never believe what we're offering as a prize to the winners! A chance to go to Tombstone to see that performance by Pauline Markham's entertainment troupe. You know the one with Josephine Marcus in the lead performance. I heard it was absolutely wonderful! ... Bea chats on unaware that Minerva isn't listening, oblivious to faraway look in her eye. </p><p></p><p>"So what do you think? Isn't it coming along nicely? Bea says. Minerva snaps out of her reverie "What? Oh yes, You are doing a splendid job Bea. It sounds like you have everything under control. Um, I have to go now." Minerva says and hugging the woman again strolls over to the Lucky Lady in search of Chester. </p><p></p><p>She enters the saloon to find Jeff Mills cleaning up from the night before. "Buenas Dias, Senor Mills. How are you today?" She is soon sorry that she asked as she is forced to listen politely and make appropriate sounds of sympathy as he tells her how much work it is running the place when two of it’s owners are out of town and "Chester is too busy flashing that shiny tin badge of his and that Indian hasn't shown up yet today. How am I supposed to run the place without any help?" She says, “I am looking for Senor Chester, do you know where I might find him?"</p><p></p><p>Nanuet comes out of his reverie shortly after sunrise. Maska has already left him, probably long ago. He stretches and yawns, stands and begins to slowly limber up his body. "Now I know why most people sleep indoors" he chuckles as he works the knots out. "Time to head over to the Lady and see how she is this morning." </p><p></p><p>Nanuet makes his way through town to the Lucky Lady saloon just in time to hear a comment about the Indian who didn't show up yet. He waits a moment outside to hear if anything else would be said about him, but then he hears Minerva's sympathetic voice replying to Jeff. He pushes open the doors and announces his presence. </p><p></p><p>"Hey Jeff, didn't realize you needed help this morning or I would have been here already. And good morning Miss Minerva, I trust you slept well last night?" Nanuet makes his way past her and over to Jeff so that he can receive instructions for the work that needed to be done.</p><p></p><p>She replies, "Buenas Dias to you also Nanuet. Yes I slept fine. I trust you did also?" And without waiting for a response she turns to Jeff. Well, Senor Mills, it looks like your help has arrived. I'll be on my way then. If Senor Martin arrives please tell him that I would like to speak with him. I will go check and see if he is at the jail." Minerva says and departs.</p><p></p><p>Nanuet is half listening to Jeff Mills as he rattles of the work that needs to be done around the Lucky Lady as he sees Minerva leave. She seems like she was mad, hmm... should have done more than say hello I guess. "Yup, I hear ya Jeff, I'll be right back to give you hand, I uh I need to check on someone." Nanuet hustles out the back entrance and makes his way behind the saloon and heads to a spot where can head off Minerva.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2838542, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 125, “Magical Rings and Spoons”, Monday, March 20th, 1882, 7:30 P.M.[/B] At the El Parador Kate stopped at Ginnie's table on her way upstairs and said "Please stay out of Dorita's kitchen for the night. I'm just going upstairs for a few minutes, and after you've finished your dinner I have something to show you." Kate warned Mr. Gonzales, and a few minutes later she brought Ginnie into the wizard's public rooms and through the door that was now exposed for the girl to see. Ginnie walks through the door of room, her face goes through many very subtle changes while Kate watches starting with surprise, then confusion, realization, and then analysis the entire event takes less than five seconds and only because Kate knows Ginnie well can she see the changes at all. As Kate watched Ginnie, she remembered how she had rediscovered happiness here. "This is our safe place, Ginnie dear. In more ways than one." Gonzales gives Kate a smile and says "Perhaps you would like to give your ward a tour my little Sandpiper?" "Of course," she answered, a genuine smile on her face even though a shadow still hung over it. Kate laid her hand on Ginnie's shoulder and guided her through the long front room with it's plain table and fountain of an elven figure. "This is where I study. We often sit out here when we just want to talk about something. In here," she said opening another door, "is the workshop. I haven't done anything in here yet, but this is where we would make magical potions and such things. Not a place for anyone with clumsy fingers." The door to Mr. Gonzales bedroom was open, so Kate let Ginnie peek inside. "This is my teacher's real room. It's rare to find him actually in the outside room. Now, here is the room that I think you will really be interested in," Kate said, leading the girl over to the library. She looked down at Ginnie and opened the door, revealing the shelves lined with volume after volume, with room for a great many more. The rest of the furniture consisted of a desk and a couple comfortable chairs. "We took most of these books from Johnny Ringo. They aren't all about magic, many are just ordinary books which are treasures in and of themselves." Kate waited a moment. "What do you think, Ginnie?" She watched as Ginnie took the few short steps to the shelves and began devouring the titles with her eyes. Kate leaned against the doorframe and sighed. How could it be that a few months ago she thought children would never be a part of her life? Kate heard her teacher approach from behind. "I'm not sure I'm ready for all this," she said to him, her hands clasped over her stomach. Gonzales says, "But she is. Come Ginne." They walk over to a desk that has two stacks of books piled on it. He says, "I haven't had a chance to check these yet. They're all in Latin. I'd like you to start reading them, as you did for those other eight books. This is a very important responsibility and I would normally not entrust this to one as young as you. But you are old beyond your years and I trust you. Katherine and I will be over in my workshop." She begins to devour the texts as Gonzales leads Kate into the workshop. He tells her "It is alright. I have alarms that will alert me if she tries to venture where she shouldn't, although I suspect she will do exactly as I have instructed her." "I think it's a case of telling her to do just what she wanted to anyway. She has a good head on her shoulders, if she can control her excitement she'll be fine. I've seen her try a couple simple spells, one right in the Lucky Lady. That's mostly what I'm afraid of, that she will think she is unseen when she isn't. I brought her here, anything that happens to her....." Kate stopped and shook her head. "There's no use worrying about that. So, what is our lesson for the night?" He replies, "Tonight we will work on the spells of Nystrul. He was a great wizard in the Fourth Century. He came from Milan, the same Italian city that our new friend Joseppi is originally from." He goes to his desk and removes many pieces of paper. He says, "But it is equally important that we also work on your scribing skills. If you can create a scroll of a spell then you can maximize the number of spells available to you. A scroll could also be used by one trained to read them, which would include your friends Ruby and Sonoma, and Ginnie soon I would imagine." Ginnie begins reading the text that were assigned to her translating and transcribing them into English as she reads. On a second piece of paper she writes down anything she can hear from Ma'am Kate's lessons which she will tuck into the small pocket she has made under her sash if she hears anyone coming from the other room. Gonzales and Kate spend the next two hours with him teaching her the basic mechanics of magical writing, explaining the variations of ink and paper and how those can make subtle influences on the spell's effect. He also explains the importance of the setting in which the scroll is scribed, as places with heavier magical ley lines make the magical writings less susceptible to becoming damanged. It was odd to see the lines of strange writing across the page, still distinctly in her own hand. The details were important, and it felt strong here in these rooms. "It seems to me using scrolls would be fairly obvious. The times when you would need them most would be when you could not, when others could see you. Or is it rather like using a derringer? If you need it that badly, it doesn't matter who sees? Is a scroll magically protected somehow. For example, it won't burn easily? What happens after you've read the words?" Gonzales lets out a loud belly laugh "Like a derringer! What an analogy. Katherine, you always have to be careful. Scrolls are one of he easiest things to deal with. They could be left in a book, under a plate on a table, better yet, fastened to the bottom of a plate. The art of being subtle is very important. The art of misdirection is also valuable, which is the purpose of these spells. So, let me now teach you those spells. You've actually now written most of them with my help, you're just missing a few key words." He spends the next hour training her in the first spells, Nystul's Magical Aura. He explains, "What the spell does is create a false magical aura around an item. The spell itself is easy to cast but requires passing a small square of silk over the item, which can be obvious. But if you use the component at the time of spell creation then you don't need it at the time of casting." He then teaches her the second spell, Nystul's Undetectable Aura. He explains how the spell is the opposite of the other, it allows a genuine magical item to be masked so that the magic cannot be detected." When they are done he says, "Using these wisely will help with Ringo. You're biggest asset now is that he is unaware of the power that You and Ruby can control. If you can misdirect him, make him think the magic is coming from somewhere other than you, then you'll have an advantage." She replies, "Something like what I did in buying the leathers, so when I use the protection spell my appearance will change as little as possible. But you have to be prepared then, and have scrolls in places where you are likely to be. And the right scroll at that. A bit complicated. From what I saw, Ringo isn't far behind you in skill. Can Ruby and I really match him in any way?" Gonzales replies, "It is best not to try. A one-on-one match with him and either of you would not be wise. Best to stick with your friends. But in the mean while you should take this again." He hands her the Wand of Magic Missiles that he had loaned her for the stagecoach ride in January. "Thank you. There are a few things we collected from the Cowboys; I tucked them away in here for safe keeping." Kate turned the wand over in her hands. "I used this spell at the farmhouse. We were concealed in the trees. The look of terror on the man's face when they struck him...." She shivered slightly. She went and fetched the wand and spoon. "There are some other things as well, but they've been dispersed among the others. I was able to glean some information about them, enough to get an idea of what they did.” He replies, "Ah, excellent. I'll take a look at these items and let you know by tomorrow." She asks, “The rings the Pepita and Angelica wear, how do they work?" He says, "Well, it's complicated but basically they create an invulnerable protective shell around the baby. Diseases, spells and physical objects are unable to break through, so the baby itself will not come to any harm. It also gives added strength to the mother, essentially stabilizing the body. So you would not have to deal with things like morning sickness or extreme fatigue that normally accompanies pregnancies." She replies, "So the only thing that can hurt the baby is... well... if I should be killed. I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen. There are a few other things we collected, I might still have some. I'll dig them up for you. I do have a few of these," she said, taking out the patches she had kept for herself. "They do some healing, but we aren't sure how much. The others have some bullets, Chester has a jacket.... I think I'm forgetting something. I'll remember. I think it's time I was in bed, and Ginnie too. We'll see you tomorrow morning, I know you have that errand you wanted to run, so we'll get out of your hair early. We'll talk about these objects and I can get the ring? Who should I expect to understand what it means?" He states, “The Rings? Well lets see, Pedro, Dorita and Sonoma of course. Obviously Pepita and Angelica will know, and Maria of course. And Maria's brother Estaban. Possibly Grant. I don't think that Carlos or Jose know what the rings do, but they will recognize it as one that belonged to one of the girls. I guess that's it. Oh, and Conrad Booth will probably also figure out where the ring came from, based upon what you said nothing escapes his notice." "That's quite a few people. I'll make sure to ask Maria to keep it to herself." She sighed. "That's the price of safety, I suppose. As for Mr. Booth, knowing where they came from and why are two very different things. I guess we will soon see just how observant he is." Kate spent another half-hour chatting with her teacher, glad of this time to relax. She always missed him when he was gone, his rooms were always here to refuge in, but it wasn't the same without him inside. After a while she got Ginnie and they went off to bed, waking bright and early and refreshed the next day. Chester wakes up with the sun. He washes his face and dresses for work, whistling one of the songs Clarisse sang the previous night. Finally he straps on his gun belt and puts on his hat. The Deputy Marshall goes over to the EL Parador to eat breakfast. He says, "Good morning, Dorita. How are you today?" as he sits down. She replies, "Good. Good. Better if you eat. Can't catch thieves on empty stomach." Chester waves his hands in mock surrender. "You don't have to convince me. I'll have some eggs and a glass of buttermilk, please." "Still don't know why you drink that. It's better for making flapjacks." "It's something I picked up in the Army. Lots of cavalry troopers drink it." An hour later, Katherine and Ginnie join Gonzales for breakfast downstairs. The candle is lit and Ginnie then gives a short summary to both of the volumes she read the night before. Four look to only be histories. A fifth is an translation of speeches by a 12th century French diplomat, but there are some handwritten notes in the side margin that might be nothing or might be some of code. Gonzales says that today he will be making the side trip down to the city of Chihuahua, Mexico with a few members of Arcade's gang. He expects to be back by mid-afternoon at the latest. He also hands Kate the magical spoon, telling her that it is a Spoon of Purity. He explains that the item was created originally for Kings back in the middle ages, who feared that their food might be poisoned. By using the spoon to stir any liquid up to a gallon in volume it makes it drinkable, negating any poisons or diseases. He adds "This is a handy item to have in the wilderness, as you can't always find drinkable water. Sailors also value the item, as it enables seawater to transform into fresh drinkable water." Kate answers, "We guessed it was something to do with changing food in some way. Or perhaps creating it if you didn't have any. This is one of things you'll never think of until you really need it." She tucked the spoon away in her purse. Ginnie begins reading the text that were assigned to her translating and transcribing them into English as she reads. On a second piece of paper she writes down anything she can hear from Ma'am Kate's lessons which she will tuck into the small pocket she has made under her sash if she hears anyone coming from the other room. She says, "I hope your errand will go well today, and I'm glad it won't be a long one. I should probably head over to the Lucky Lady and check in with Nanuet and Miss Florencia, see if there is anything we want to do today. But before I do, I should probably get that ring and then run before your Granddaughter sees it. I'm not sure I'm ready to handle her just yet." He replies, "Okay, I'll go talk to Pepita. Meet me on the porch swing in a few minutes and I'll pass it to you discretely." Morning arrives to soon for Minerva, she is tired and sore from over exertion and a sleepless night. Sensing that Luna is watching her she cracks open a gritty eye and mumbles "Aren't owls supposed to sleep during the day?" Luna responds with a soft hoot and flutters over to her perch where she can watch the cranky priestess from a safe distance. Minerva pulls herself out of bed and gives grudging thanks to the goddess and Jupiter, apologizing for her impatience of the night before but at the same time reminding them that "I could use a little more guidance, here". She dresses quickly and thinking that a hearty breakfast might be just the thing to clear the cobwebs from her head, descends the stairs in search of Bea and to see if the miners have left any breakfast crumbs uneaten. She enters the kitchen and is greeted by the comforting scent of sausage and bacon frying and the clatter of dishes. Bea is busy at the stove "I heard you out in the yard last night. Sounds like you had some trouble sleeping. I thought you could use a good start to your day" Minerva hugs Bea in appreciation of her maternal instincts. "The goddess Diana has surely smiled down upon me today! Bless you, Bea. I feel better already." She smiles and takes a seat at the table. Bea pours them each a cup of coffee and Minerva eats her meal as she listens to Bea chatter on about the bake off. "Oh, my yes, It's all very exciting. Almost all of the ladies in town are entering their best jams and pies. Well, except for that Mrs. King woman." she says waving her hand dismissively. "And we've decided to hold a raffle and use the money to help purchase books for the church. Don't you think that's a marvelous idea?" Not waiting for an answer she continues "Oh, and you'll never believe what we're offering as a prize to the winners! A chance to go to Tombstone to see that performance by Pauline Markham's entertainment troupe. You know the one with Josephine Marcus in the lead performance. I heard it was absolutely wonderful! ... Bea chats on unaware that Minerva isn't listening, oblivious to faraway look in her eye. "So what do you think? Isn't it coming along nicely? Bea says. Minerva snaps out of her reverie "What? Oh yes, You are doing a splendid job Bea. It sounds like you have everything under control. Um, I have to go now." Minerva says and hugging the woman again strolls over to the Lucky Lady in search of Chester. She enters the saloon to find Jeff Mills cleaning up from the night before. "Buenas Dias, Senor Mills. How are you today?" She is soon sorry that she asked as she is forced to listen politely and make appropriate sounds of sympathy as he tells her how much work it is running the place when two of it’s owners are out of town and "Chester is too busy flashing that shiny tin badge of his and that Indian hasn't shown up yet today. How am I supposed to run the place without any help?" She says, “I am looking for Senor Chester, do you know where I might find him?" Nanuet comes out of his reverie shortly after sunrise. Maska has already left him, probably long ago. He stretches and yawns, stands and begins to slowly limber up his body. "Now I know why most people sleep indoors" he chuckles as he works the knots out. "Time to head over to the Lady and see how she is this morning." Nanuet makes his way through town to the Lucky Lady saloon just in time to hear a comment about the Indian who didn't show up yet. He waits a moment outside to hear if anything else would be said about him, but then he hears Minerva's sympathetic voice replying to Jeff. He pushes open the doors and announces his presence. "Hey Jeff, didn't realize you needed help this morning or I would have been here already. And good morning Miss Minerva, I trust you slept well last night?" Nanuet makes his way past her and over to Jeff so that he can receive instructions for the work that needed to be done. She replies, "Buenas Dias to you also Nanuet. Yes I slept fine. I trust you did also?" And without waiting for a response she turns to Jeff. Well, Senor Mills, it looks like your help has arrived. I'll be on my way then. If Senor Martin arrives please tell him that I would like to speak with him. I will go check and see if he is at the jail." Minerva says and departs. Nanuet is half listening to Jeff Mills as he rattles of the work that needs to be done around the Lucky Lady as he sees Minerva leave. She seems like she was mad, hmm... should have done more than say hello I guess. "Yup, I hear ya Jeff, I'll be right back to give you hand, I uh I need to check on someone." Nanuet hustles out the back entrance and makes his way behind the saloon and heads to a spot where can head off Minerva. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded
Top