Azure bonds - Kate Novak [30]
"Most strange, indeed," Olive agreed, returning Akabar's level glare. "But"-her eyes returned to her soup bowl, and she took a gulp of broth before continuing-"these are strange times, so the sages say. Mannish kingdoms war and plot while old gods, long forgotten, stir in their restless sleep." She lifted the soup bowl as if making a toast. "Let's celebrate your good fortune at having your valuable tome returned to you, instead of probing into yet more mysteries." She drained the soup bowl and held it out again. "Is there, perchance, any more soup?"
Akabar drained the last of the pot into Olive's bowl. Olive leaned toward the treasure pile, plucked the magical book from the coins and carvings, and held it out to the wizard as he held out her soup bowl. Both parties gave the other a smile that was less than earnest as the exchange was made.
Akabar inspected his book for signs of damage. Alias reached for a tiny pouch near the treasure pile and loosened the string about its neck.
"Not that," Olive objected. "Those are some of my personal effects." But Alias had already dumped the contents of the pouch on the ground. A collection of keys, picks, and wires glittered in the dirt. A small gold ring rolled toward the fire.
"Oops, sorry," Alias said nonchalantly as Olive snatched the ring from the ground. "You know, that ring looks familiar," she added before the bard had a chance to pocket it.
"Oh, this? I picked it up in the dragon's lair as well."
"I have one just like it. Same blue stone set in gold."
"Maybe you dropped it when you were fighting the dragon," Olive suggested. "Can you prove it's yours?"
Alias regarded the halfling's nervy challenge with considerable amusement.
Olive slipped the ring on her finger. At first it jangled about, too large for her tiny digits, but a moment later it shrank to a perfect fit. "Oooo. It's magic. Was yours magic? What did it do?"
Alias was unable to reply since she had not bothered to experiment with the ring she'd looted from the assassins. But she knew now as well as Akabar just how safe her possessions were in the care of the halfling bard.
Akabar looked up from his books, which he'd been checking for damage. "You had best be cautious with that thing, little one" he warned.
"Nonsense," Olive said with a sniff. "There's no danger as long as you know the right way to deal with these things. All you have to do is hold your hand over your head-" the half-ling demonstrated, while Akabar stepped backward and Alias rose to her feet "-and command the ring, 'Show your power to me.' If that doesn't work then there are certain key words you should-"
They never heard the rest of the bard's lecture. Suddenly the ring's power did indeed display itself. Akabar's tome began to glow a soft blue, as did a ring on his finger and the one on Olive's. Alias's sigils outshone them all, emitting blue beams crazily about the pine forest.
"Damn!" the swordswoman shouted, tears brimming in her eyes. She wrapped her cloak tightly around her body, though a blue glow peeked out at the hem and neckline.
"What was that?" Olive gasped, her eyes glued to Alias.
"Detect magic, I imagine," Akabar answered, moving to the swordswoman's side. "You aren't in any pain, I trust?"
"I'm fine," Alias muttered between clenched teeth.
Olive continued to stare at the swordswoman as though she'd grown a second head. "You have a magical arm!"
"Ignore it," Alias muttered.
"But, it's really magical! Incredibly magical! More magical than anything I've ever seen. I'll bet you could have sliced Mist into pieces. Maybe we should go back and try it."
"I said, ignore it!" Alias shouted.
For the next several minutes an embarrassed silence reigned in the camp. Akabar cleaned out the dinner pot and used it to heat