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“Alright,” agrees Roland.

“I’ll be out at the workshop for the rest of the day,” he tells him. “I’m taking Illan and the others somewhere for probably about a week. The new recruits will be staying here with you.”

“Very well,” he says as James turns and heads over to the workshop. Sitting on his desk is the crystal he’d infused with the defensive spells the day before. He still has the two crystals out in the woods charging, one from which he will transfer the stored power it contains into that of his defensive crystal.

He looks down to the sack that had once been bulging with crystals sitting on the floor by the workbench. Reaching down, he picks it up and only finds two crystals remaining. Taking the larger of the two, he infuses it with the receiver crystal spells and then places it on a shelf over against the wall. Have to get this set up better so it will be more visible and less likely to get lost or broken.

The box to hold the Fire is prepared with all the spells it will require. The defensive and warning crystals are out in the forest charging, he just needs to transfer the power of one and infuse the other with its spells. The receiver crystal is ready and positioned. All that’s left is to dig up the Fire tonight and place it in the box before they set out in the morning.

Leaving the workshop, he sees Miko and Roland over by the woodpile chopping more firewood. Suddenly, a scream rips through the air as he sees Uther and Jorry come running toward Miko.

“We’re under attack!” cries Uther.

“Oh, help! Heeeeeeeelllllllp!” wails Jorry.

James sees Illan grinning at their antics, but Miko has a grim look upon his face. He knows it’s him their making fun of. Doing his best not to smile, for they are pretty darn funny, he moves away from the workshop and goes over to them.

“Stop that right now!” he yells at them.

They come to a stop and look his way as the grins begin to fade from their faces.

Coming closer toward them, he continues, “I asked you not to bother him about this and I meant it.”

“We were just having a little fun, is all,” Uther explains.

Illan begins making his way over to where James is confronting Jorry and Uther.

“I don’t care if you were,” he says. “It will end, now. Do you understand?”

They both nod their heads.

James glances to Illan as he joins the others and adds, “We are a team, all of us here. We’ve been through too much together to treat each other in this manner. I will not tolerate it in my presence or on my property.”

“Yes sir,” says a chastised Jorry.

“We didn’t mean anything by it,” Uther says. Then he looks over to where Miko is standing with the axe in his hand and says, “Sorry Miko.”

Miko just nods then goes back to chopping wood. His next strike is a bit harder than it had been before. James can see him working his anger at being the brunt of a joke out on the wood.

“Now, don’t you gentlemen have something better to do?” he asks them.

“Yes they do,” Illan tells him. “Follow me please.” Jorry and Uther fall in behind Illan as he leads them off to the barn. James watches them for a moment and when they reach the barn door, Illan has them pick up a rake and shovel.

Illan glances back at him and gives him a wink as Uther and Jorry proceed to muck out the barn. James glances over to Miko who’s noticed where they’ve been put to work and he sees a slight smile begin on his face. The next chop of the axe sounds more normal as his anger begins to subside.

Heading back to the house he’s told by Ezra that dinner is still an hour away. Not having anything pressing to do, he sits in his favorite chair by the window in the front room as he relaxes until it’s ready.

Tersa comes out of her room shortly after he got himself settled and brings over a small brown object. It’s a rabbit shaped stuffed animal. “I thought perhaps children would enjoy something like this as well,” she tells him as she offers it to him. “Miko caught some rabbits today, and after their skins are ready, I’ll try using their fur as well.”

Looking it over, he nods and hands it