fic: Codex Terra Book 1: Chapter 1
Title: Codex Terra Book 1: Of Men And Fools
Author: bandearg_rois
Rating: PG (because Bones is Bones)
Summary: On another world, another plane of existence, dark deeds are unfolding, leaving a simple herder to save everyone.
A/N: Based on the Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher. Hopefully this stuff makes sense.
“Please, Jim? It's just this once, and no one will ever know,” Carol said, following him along the wall of the completely deserted courtyard. Jim closed his eyes and prayed for patience; at the rate this was going, he'd never get his chores done, especially not with the admittedly beautiful Carol dogging his steps the whole way.
“Carol, you know I'm not allowed out of the hold alone! What am I supposed to do? Ask Uncle Frank to take me looking for bella flowers? I can't do it for you, and if you're thinking about wearing them for Gary, that's a definite no, whether I could or not.”
“But Jim...” She caught up with him, pressing her breasts to his back, and for a moment, he was almost tempted. But then the fact that they were breasts filtered through and he pulled away gently.
“No buts, Carol, I can't do it for you. Now would you leave me to my work before Aunt 'Nona comes down on both of us? She'll be out here any minute to check where you've gotten to.”
“You'll regret this, Jim, see if you won't!” Carol shrilled quietly, before turning and storming off to a side door that lead to the kitchen, leaving him blissfully alone. Or so he thought.
“You'll want to be careful, Jim.” His uncle's voice floated to him from not ten feet away as the woodcrafting dropped to reveal the big man.
“I can handle Carol. She's all talk, anyway,” Jim said, straightening his spine almost immediately.
“You can say that about most girls, but it's hardly ever true. I'll protect you from 'Nona if you get to the field now, Jim.”
“Thanks, Uncle. I'll be in by dinner, hopefully.”
“You'd better be, that's as long as I'll be able to hold her off,” Frank said with a chuckle, moving to round the corner to the main doors. “Be careful of Rocky, he's getting restless now.”
“It's the cold coming on. He hates being in the Valley when it's cold.”
“I know. Just be careful. And make sure Johnny knows those gargants need to be turned out to the south slopes, yeah?”
“Tell me yourself, Steadholder!” a deceptively young voice said, and as Frank was drawn into conversation with a man even bigger than him, Jim slipped off to the fields, intent on getting his work done. He was on track for a herd of his own, at the rate he was going.
He returned just before dinner was served, earning a wink from Frank and a scowl from Carol, both of which he'd expected. When he went to sleep that night, it was with the knowledge that he'd done the right thing.
~*~
Len ran through the trees, heedless of the branches trying to grab him, absently calling up Persica to keep them out of his face, Lupus keeping him apprised of his pursuers, whose hobnailed boots rang in his ears like a death knell. He knew there was a clearing nearby; all he had to do was get to it and then outfly the Knights Aeris circling the skies, and he was home free. He almost sobbed inside his head; he was never going to get out of here.
“Nimbus!” he screamed, jumping off the ground as soon as he hit the clearing, Lupus and Persica falling away as his wind fury caught him up and carried him away from the shouted calls of those chasing him. He had to get to a safe place and tell Tiberius what he'd found, or his entire life was ruined, and he might as well let them catch him. Damn he hated being a Cursor sometimes.
~*~
“Jim!” He jerked awake to see his uncle standing in his doorway, furylamp glowing dimly.
“Uncle? What time is it?”
“Time for you to tell me the truth. Did you go and look for those bella flowers for Carol?”
“What? No! I was with the herds all afternoon, you can ask Freddy, he was out with the sheep.”
“Rocky and his dams and kids are missing, and you reported full pens last night.” Frank looked a little agitated, which was something he didn't see often.
“I brought them in, I promise!”
“We need to find them, Jim. The kids aren't old enough to be out without us, and you know how crazy Rocky is. Come on, get up.” Jim rolled out of bed and slipped his shirt and shoes on.
“I didn't leave him out, Uncle, I'm telling you that.”
“Let's just go to the kitchen and get some breakfast before we head out.” They went down to the kitchen and Carol was already working, a chain of bella flowers around her neck. She smiled sweetly at them when they came in, and Jim was instantly on alert; even last night at dinner she'd been glaring daggers at him. He wondered who'd gotten her the flowers as he packed up a light midday meal, Frank getting them a cold breakfast.
“Good morning, Jim, you're up early,” she said as she kneaded the dough for the day's bread.
“No fault of my own, Carol,” he said, trying to keep the acid from his voice. They'd been friends, once, and then they'd both started noticing boys. Jim had hid his noticing, naturally, while Carol had reveled in it, and as pretty as she was, he didn't blame her one bit. But this was ridiculous.
“No? But Rocky didn't come in last night, or so I heard,” she said, studiously not looking toward the side of the kitchen Frank was working in.
“How did you know? Uncle Frank just came and got me,” he said, suspicions rising like the tide.
“Your uncle's not the only one who's out early, Jim,” Carol said defensively, and almost instantly, Jim knew what had happened. He didn't think she'd done it herself, but Carol knew who had let the goat herd out of their pen.
“Who did you ask to do it, Carol? Gary?” He kept his voice low, because as stupid as Gary was, Jim counted him among his friends, and didn't want him to get in trouble.
“If he did it, he did it on his own,” Carol said, turning her nose up.
“Wrong,” a soft voice said from the door, and Jim's Aunt 'Nona, Frank's sister, stepped into the kitchen.
“'Nona, you know something about all this?” Frank asked, and Jim realized that he had been listening carefully.
“I know Carol's lying,” Winona said easily, stepping over to the fire and picking up a poker to stir the furies in the hearth. “I'm not sure what she's lying about yet, but she's lying all the same. What are you two doing up so early, anyway?”
“Rocky's herd is gone,” Frank said shortly, kissing her cheek as she handed him a small bag of apples.
“Jim, did you put them away?” Winona asked, and Jim imagined he could feel Kel, her waterfury, tasting the air around him.
“I did. Just before I came in to dinner, Aunt 'Nona,” he said, not looking away from her. She nodded, and he let out a sigh of relief; while he looked to Frank, whose body language had both relaxed and tightened.
“Carol, what do you know about Rocky's 'escape'?” Winona asked her, and the girl shivered, since she would actually be able to feel Kel.
“I only know he got out.”
“Lies again. Tell me the truth girl, and tell me where you got the bellas. You're too young for them.”
“I... Gary did it. He went and knocked the lock just enough that Rocky could get out. And Jim gave me the bellas.” Jim felt a hot flare of anger at her blatant lie, only quieting at Frank's hand on his shoulder.
“The truth now, please. You two can go; sooner you get Rocky, the sooner you can get back. The rest of the Holders are coming in this afternoon.”
“We'll be back before they all get in, 'Nona,” Frank promised, taking the lunch sack from Jim and putting it in his pack. “Come on Jim, soonest started is soonest done.” Jim glared at the blushing Carol as he walked out, hearing Winona step closer to her.
“Now, dear, where did you get the flowers?” He didn't hear Carol's answer, but he found he really didn't want to, or care. He had goats to find.