You cannot open a book without learning something.

Pre-Fall philosopher

“You were slightly conspicuous in any case,” Countess Rocastle said as they walked in the slowly darkening streets of White Meadow, with her two guards as an escort.

“It’s not a big city, and although late season travelers aren’t unknown, people with obvious scuff marks and at least one in military gear is not that ordinary.”

“And you don’t have problems with… deserters?” Johanna asked.

“The Warden’s authority around here is light. After all, it’s mostly an accident of history and of the Wars of Unification that the Demesnes are in the Montana rather than the Dakota. Nobody cared much about that back then, and it hasn’t changed that much. Deserters are an army problem, not a Demesnes problem.”

“That said,” she added, turning slightly to throw a look at Johanna, “Don’t make me say what I’m not saying. This is the Marches of the Montana, after all.”

They arrived at what looked like a miniature version of Maistry’s Keep, with a lot fewer floors. And, unlike the Keep, this smaller fortified structure was entirely enclosed within the town walls, rather than separate. Johanna got confirmation of what she’d spotted previously but judiciously refrained from asking about the artifact.

A pair of butlers, reminiscent of the protocol at the capital, took possession of their cloaks, and they were immediately brought into a small dining hall, where five seats were already placed around a large table. Countess Rocastle wasted no time heading to one, seemingly at random and gestured.

“Take seats. You’ll probably find dinner better than at the Inn. Not to disparage Jory’s works, of course, but with little in the way of guests, he tends not to make too much of an effort.”

Johanna exchanged looks with the rest, and they finally took seats. Johanna sat closer to their host, of course, and Peter actually took the furthest seat – just in case he needed to be unnoticed.

They had barely sat when the servants brought glasses and a large pitcher. From the look and smells, it was some form of hot mulled wine, which felt heavenly. They poured for all four and their host, and then retreated, leaving Catherine Rocastle to taste the brew.

“Now, of course, normally, I don’t really bother looking after people who show up unexpectedly. You wouldn’t be the first people trying to run away from the Montana coming through here. Deserters are rarer, but with that levy stupidity, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a lot more running around.”

She put down her glass and looked at them, before focusing again on Johanna.

“But then, normally for such, you get a placard at home, with rewards for their hometown and a reminder to families that they’re complicit if they are found not to have turned them in. Sending one to all places in the Montana is… very unusual.”

“So, there’s a bounty after us.”

“Including a poor drawing of what you’re supposed to look – which is why I wasn’t even sure who was Mrs. Milton and who was Mrs. Donnall. The description was better, but what was very surprising is what it said.”

“They included details?”

“Yes, but mostly that they warned of you all being very dangerous since you are supposed to be all Talented. Which explains why they state it’s safer to kill you rather than try to capture you, and the Warden offers the same reward for either.”

Johanna shuddered.

“Not that surprising,” Catherine explained. “People can be bound and disarmed. No one can remove or negate a Talent, no matter what it is. The notice didn’t include much in details, except that you are all quote-extremely dangerous-unquote. Two high sorceresses and two strong heroes.”

“That’s me and Laura,” Johanna admitted. “Fire and Mind aspects. And well, my husband and Peter are… pretty good at what they do.”

Catherine whistled, startling Johanna.

“Anything pertaining to fire is dangerous, no matter how tiny it looks. But mind seems to be… even more so?” she asked, looking at Laura.

“And you don’t want a test. People really get upset when I do that.”

“You’re tempting me. Maybe later, then. After dinner. But I wonder how you got together. Talents are rare, finding that many in the Montana is even more unexpected.”

Broths were brought in, and Catherine sipped a bit, wincing.

Johanna decided to start immediately without waiting for it to cool down. Now that she’d acknowledged her Talents, she had no reason to hide her fire resistance.

“We… actually, we knew each other before. We got levied together from home in the west.”

“There must be something good there if western Montana has so many Talented. I hear the shoremen revere the ruins as magic and worship heroes.”

“We’re not from that far. Near Valetta, actually.”

“And when you deserted, you decided to run here, rather than home where they’d expect you. Good idea.”

“And you’re not tempted to… you know… turn us in?”

“If that was my first idea, I certainly wouldn’t be inviting you at home,” Catherine laughed. “It would be men-at-arms with swords in the middle of the night with Jory using his spare keys.”

“As I implied,” she continued, “I’m not a major supporter of the Warden. This war is pretty much his fault. Well, that of his ancestors, but sometimes the sins of the fathers are visited on the son.”

“Many people back in New Benton were saying Victor was preparing to invade, is that right?” Peter asked.

“I’m not saying it’s a family tradition, but… it’s a family tradition. Ever since the Wars of Unification brought the Maistry family to power, they’ve sought to add to their rule. And, well, waging war internally within the Union is not a winning proposition. The Treaty was made for that, after all. But then, sometimes, people will do whatever to expand their rule, rather than improve what they already have.”

She took a distant view.

“That’s what my husband says. Said, maybe.”

“Said?” Johanna asked.

“David vanished a few years ago. I’m pretty sure he’s still alive. I know, in my heart, he is, and will find his way back to me.”

She sighed.

“I still want to be called Kitty, but I sometimes despair. Sometimes. But enough about me. I invited you to see what kind of runaway you were that warranted that much attention. And, well, how much trouble you bring with you.”

“We’re just passing by,” Johanna said. “We escaped by trekking across the northern mana barrier, and we’re just resupplying. Once we leave the Montana, then we’re good.”

“How so?”

“If the laws of the Warden no longer apply, then we’re off the hook from the draft.”

Catherine shook her head.

“Is that what you think?”

“The Treaty says you can’t apply laws from outside the State you live in.”

“That’s what it says. What it means is that the laws of the State you live in still apply.”

“Isn’t that what I just said?” Johanna wondered.

“It means that if the State you’re running into allows for the draft, then unless you qualify for an exemption there, your drafting in the Montana remains perfectly legal, even with retroactive law benefit. You may argue for the duration, potentially, but not its application.”

“Oh. Oh…”

“And unfortunately, most States do have a draft, even if the details differ. Like Dakota – I think the main difference is that, if you have a child under 16 instead of 12, both parents can’t be drafted simultaneously.”

“Shit. Excuse me, Mrs,” Tom said.

“Excuse accepted, Mr. Milton.”

“We killed some soldiers sent back after us. Does that mean?…” Johanna asked.

“You can argue self-defense, certainly. But that’s impossible to argue if you are still legally deserters.”

“But we ran away because the Warden was slipping drugs to us.”

“Drugs?” Catherine asked.

“Some contraceptive drugs. Preventing us from having children.”

“I stole the box, and it’s in my bags at the Inn,” Peter added. “Something called Zeroluck.”

“And he was using that to prevent you from getting out of the draft?”

“Yes,” Johanna said.

“Even for the Warden, that does seem a bit excessive. Trying to extend the draft… You must be truly talented, then.”

Johanna decided to provide a little truth.

“Tier 7. Both us. And, well, I don’t think there’s the same system for Heroes, but Tom and Peter are probably in the same levels.”

“Thanks, but I know the ranking of sorcerers. The Mages of America lists only six tiers.”

“We are… above even Elena Worchester.”

At least she assumed for Laura, based on her gaining an entirely new ability. Now that she thought of it, the replacement of an adept-level ability with a massive one probably pushed her a tier above.

As she said, we are unknown quantities.

“Really? I can’t tell if you’re bullshitting me or not.”

Johanna – and the rest – slowly unwinded as they ate Catherine’s dinner. Countess Rocastle did not seem to be that impressed by their Talented status, no matter what. Johanna still kept the extent of their abilities deliberately vague, even if the woman was easygoing. The Warden himself had been a bit stiff, but not evil-sounding like a real novel villain. Yet here they were.

“I suggest we adjourn in the library. It’s cozy, easy to warm, and we can chat a bit more there,” Catherine finally suggested.

They all stood up and followed the Countess. The manor was not that large, and they quickly found themselves at a door. A sleepy dog raised his head briefly, but that wasn’t what struck her. The truly amazing sight was the extent of the shelves.

“Gosh, you have lots of books,” Johanna said.

“I love them. And I’ve read them all, unlike some stuck-up nobility who collect them to simply show their wealth,” Catherine explained.

“I never had a big collection. I was going to probably get a bookcase… you know, back at home.”

“There’s time. This one was started by my husband’s great-grandmother, not me. My own mother was bad, she would always start a book, then drop it mid-way and pick a different book. She had maybe twenty and almost never finished any.”

“What’s your best novel?”

Catherine threw her a pitying look, and Johanna quickly amended her question.

“Or good stuff on the Ancients. Or the Fall.”

Catherine smiled at the face-about and took pity on her. She looked a bit at the shelves, and tiptoed to one, pulling a leather-bound tome and she gestured toward a small table next to a comfortable chair. She placed carefully the book in the center.

“One of my treasured possessions. It’s not about the Ancients directly, it’s more about how they saw the world around here, before the Fall. It makes you realize what the Fall changed, and how differently they saw the world.”

“May I?” Johanna asked.

“Go ahead,” Catherine replied, gesturing toward the tome.

Johanna gingerly reached for the precious book.