Battle Hymn of the Republic

“If you say so, Miss Smith, I’ll finish up here and then head out,” Willow said back as she planted the pitch by her side and a closed hand against her hip. On one hand she couldn’t wait to get home and wash up, but on the other she had been hoping for something a bit more hands-on with Jane. Resist...

Ruarc read the letter. Then he read it a second time. Even then he displayed little in the way of emotion. His taciturn face flicked between the letter, the included information, and Six-Piece perched on his desk phone. A deep breath in, a slow breath out. With a few steady paces the Irishman crosse...

“Good work, Aurus,” Ruarc praised the guardian. The man’s eyes had become stern, and very pointedly did not acknowledge Six Piece directly. He had little interest in being civil with someone willing to kill children simply to send a message. Noting the envelope, Ruarc walked back to his desk and dre...

Jane found Willow on the tail end of cleaning stall number four. The Brit had popped in a pair of wireless headphones. While bobbing her head and quietly half-singing along , she was spreading out a new layer of straw when she saw Jane enter. Thanks to her headphone’s awareness mode and not needing ...

A grandfather clock pendulously toiled away as it filled the office with its rhythmic notes. It sat centered against a side wall, flanked on either side by large dark oak bookshelves. A range of academic texts punctuated by various baubles from a number of time periods filled the shelves. Along the ...

Nodding sagely, Ruarc listened as his apprentice spoke. He wondered if he looked wise, because he certainly didn’t feel like he was. His quiet contemplation was spent wondering what he could say or do to help Drysi through this tough time; the tea and snacks had tapped out his A-game. This kind of t...

“Peachy ken, Miss Smith. Just thought it looked familiar, got nothing that would give me a reason to use it. Same wi’h the horses. Never even touched one, ain’t no way I’m gonna mess with something five times my size an’ ten times my weight,” Willow confirmed as she held the pitchfork over her shoul...

Willow was visibly relieved to hear there were boots she could borrow. The runners she’d worn were scarcely a few months old; a gift her dad had sent her when he heard she’d been accepted into a fancy foreign boarding school. Somehow even when he was traveling the world he still had a knack for buyi...

”Hmm, okay, uh, wow, should… should I ask if she’s okay one more time…” Willow’s brain seemed to be misfiring. She was right about to see if the triclops needed any more assistance, but Drysi had covered her mouth and now she found it hard to speak. Magic folk are a strange lot. After all a hand ov...

The Glade With a cockeyed smile Caoranach dispelled the shadowy blade, and immediately began sweeping her hair back and up before replacing the hair pin. Her once pristine sable hair looked to have lost much of its luster and was now flecked with grey; a matter that made the fey pout. Flicking her e...