right. He allowed me to give him a name, since we’ve worked so much together over the years. « I paused. » I think of him as male, even though elementals have no gender. That’s probably sexist of me. «
» Probably, « Granuaile agreed. » I’ll give you a sensitivity point for noticing, though. «
Oberon said.
» Thanks, « I said to them both, and then I returned my attention to the earth, sending my thoughts down through my tattoos.
//Druid needs Ferris / Book protection / Iron cell//
» He’s done this sort of thing for me before, « I explained. » He knows precisely what to do. Watch. «
Granuaile leaned over to see iron seeping up from the ground and solidifying underneath the boxes. It built up like magnetic iron filings along the sides, slowly hardening into a black wall, and then it closed over the top until all we saw was an iron box without a visible weld or seam.
» Wow, « Granuaile said. » You could get a job building bank vaults. «
» Those books are worth more than anything in a vault. Okay, they’re protected from divination now. What’s next? Have Sonora fill in the pit? «
She glanced at me, recognizing that I was testing her.
» No, I don’t think so, « she replied. » The iron will rust if you don’t protect it from the next rains. Groundwater will get it. «
» Excellent. What should I do? «
» Thank Ferris and call back Sonora to put nonporous rock around the iron, then fill in the pit. «
» You’re right, we should thank Ferris and Sonora both. Sonora will ask us to do something in return for this favor, and if it’s in your power, I think you should do it. You might as well start building goodwill now. «
» Ferris won’t ask for anything? «
» I’ve fed him so many faeries over the years that he feels like he owes me. « I thanked both elementals and asked Sonora to encase the iron in granite and fill in the pit. We were silent as Sonora worked. After my books were secure under the earth, I introduced Granuaile to both elementals.
//New Druid / Unbound / Wishes speech//
Almost immediately, a black iron marble formed on the surface of the soil.
I pointed at it and said, » That’s a little piece of Ferris right there. Pick it up and concentrate on thoughts of welcome and curiosity. Ask if there is anything you can do for him. «
Her mouth fell half open and she glanced at me uncertainly. She still had difficulty believing sometimes that this could happen in an age of science. Before she could pick it up, another marble emerged from the ground. This one was solid turquoise.
» Is that one a piece of Sonora? « she asked.
» Yep. This is how you’ll communicate with them if I don’t come back. Better practice now to get the hang of it. Do Ferris first. He’s used to talking. «
She gingerly picked up the iron marble between thumb and forefinger, holding it as if it were a repulsive insect.
» Close it in your fist, shut your eyes, and say hello in your mind, « I said.
She did as I instructed, and after a couple of seconds she jerked and gave a startled little » Oh! « Wonder chased surprise, which nipped at the heels of shock traveling across her face. Then a smile took over and made itself comfortable.
Oberon asked.
Don’t know , I told him. It’s not a conversation I can listen in on .
Sonora knows you. He calls you Druidfriend, which is the same as giving you a name. He’d just refer to you as a dog otherwise .
You’re not part of his ecosystem and you never feed him faeries. Ferris thinks about faeries the way you think about pork products .
No, there’s only one thing that tastes like bacon—
<—and that’s bacon!>
Right. I’m merely drawing a comparison. Iron eats magic, and faeries are magical creatures born on a magical plane. So when I serve up some faeries to Ferris, it’s the same thing as giving you one of those Bacon Explosion things and chasing it with a nice bacon latte .
Because I can’t. Bacon lattes don’t exist .
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