likewise.
The only one who didn’t was Goolrick. He walked over to Gem with a confident smile.
“Could we talk privately?” the wizard asked. Gem nodded, moving back with him into the trees a little way.
“Is everything all right?” Gem asked.
“There it is again.” Goolrick seemed genuinely pleased about something. “You care about the people around you, as a true leader should. Your solution to the troll problem was perfect. Most people would have settled for getting past, but you removed the danger completely. Travelers won’t have to worry about it any longer.”
“It was more luck than anything,” Gem admitted.
“Fortuitous or not, you still did it, and you still came back for your friend. Just as you refused to let me leave the others.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“It was the thing a ruler would have done.” Goolrick seemed very pleased when he said that. “I want to give you two gifts, Gem. The first… you may recall that back at the castle I said there were only two ruler words I could give you with certainty?”
Gem nodded.
“That wasn’t true?” she asked. The wizard adjusted his golden robes nervously.
“You have to understand that I had to be cautious. I had to give the five of you some power so that you could help, but I couldn’t risk giving too much away until I was sure someone was worthy. I have five more words for you. Intrepid , meaning fearless. Fortitude , or strength. Compromise , or meeting in the middle to settle differences. Reclusive, meaning hermit like or withdrawn, and reverence , meaning-”
“Deep respect,” Gem finished for him. “But what will these do?”
“I suspect that is up to you,” Goolrick said. “After all, ruler words are so much more flexible than my formal magic.”
There was a trace of the bitterness she had heard in the castle there.
“Ruler words or not, you’ve helped us a great deal, Goolrick,” Gem said.
“Thank you. That was kind of you. My magic can still be of some use, anyway, which brings us to my second gift. Hold out your hand.”
Gem did so, offering him her right hand, and found herself shocked when the young wizard bent over to lay a courtly kiss on her open palm. She opened her mouth to say something, and Goolrick slipped a ring of plain gold onto her little finger.
“So it matches the other you wear. Though I doubt that can do what this one can.”
“What does this do?” Gem asked.
“It will let you see into people’s hearts, Gem. It will show you what they desire at any moment. For example…”
The wizard’s hand closed over Gem’s, and in that moment, she knew, just knew, that he wanted to kiss her. She could see the desire, feel it, nearly taste it.
Maybe it was the strength of that desire. Maybe it was just that the wizard was actually very good-looking. Whatever it was, Gem felt the sudden urge to do it, to kiss him. She leaned in and their lips met, delicately at first, but then with real passion. Gem found herself surprised by how well the young wizard kissed, and by how much she wanted him to.
“A-hem!”
It was to discrete coughs what a battering ram is to a polite knock on a door, but the sound from a few feet away was enough to make Gem pull back. Goolrick looked angrily over her shoulder, and Gem turned to see Kat standing there, an amused smirk not quite hidden.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Kat’s tone didn’t sound very sorry at all. “Only everyone’s ready to get going.”
“But we’ve barely stopped,” Gem said.
“Yeah, well frankly, no one wants to stay here any longer than they need to. It’s all getting a bit creepy. There are… like some really weird shadows in the trees. Some of the men say that they’re moving .”
Gem smiled at that.
“It’s probably nothing, right Goolrick? Goolrick?”
The wizard’s hand clamped around her wrist and he started back past Kat.
“What is it?” Gem demanded. Goolrick’s face looked ashen.
“Shadow creatures. We
The only one who didn’t was Goolrick. He walked over to Gem with a confident smile.
“Could we talk privately?” the wizard asked. Gem nodded, moving back with him into the trees a little way.
“Is everything all right?” Gem asked.
“There it is again.” Goolrick seemed genuinely pleased about something. “You care about the people around you, as a true leader should. Your solution to the troll problem was perfect. Most people would have settled for getting past, but you removed the danger completely. Travelers won’t have to worry about it any longer.”
“It was more luck than anything,” Gem admitted.
“Fortuitous or not, you still did it, and you still came back for your friend. Just as you refused to let me leave the others.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“It was the thing a ruler would have done.” Goolrick seemed very pleased when he said that. “I want to give you two gifts, Gem. The first… you may recall that back at the castle I said there were only two ruler words I could give you with certainty?”
Gem nodded.
“That wasn’t true?” she asked. The wizard adjusted his golden robes nervously.
“You have to understand that I had to be cautious. I had to give the five of you some power so that you could help, but I couldn’t risk giving too much away until I was sure someone was worthy. I have five more words for you. Intrepid , meaning fearless. Fortitude , or strength. Compromise , or meeting in the middle to settle differences. Reclusive, meaning hermit like or withdrawn, and reverence , meaning-”
“Deep respect,” Gem finished for him. “But what will these do?”
“I suspect that is up to you,” Goolrick said. “After all, ruler words are so much more flexible than my formal magic.”
There was a trace of the bitterness she had heard in the castle there.
“Ruler words or not, you’ve helped us a great deal, Goolrick,” Gem said.
“Thank you. That was kind of you. My magic can still be of some use, anyway, which brings us to my second gift. Hold out your hand.”
Gem did so, offering him her right hand, and found herself shocked when the young wizard bent over to lay a courtly kiss on her open palm. She opened her mouth to say something, and Goolrick slipped a ring of plain gold onto her little finger.
“So it matches the other you wear. Though I doubt that can do what this one can.”
“What does this do?” Gem asked.
“It will let you see into people’s hearts, Gem. It will show you what they desire at any moment. For example…”
The wizard’s hand closed over Gem’s, and in that moment, she knew, just knew, that he wanted to kiss her. She could see the desire, feel it, nearly taste it.
Maybe it was the strength of that desire. Maybe it was just that the wizard was actually very good-looking. Whatever it was, Gem felt the sudden urge to do it, to kiss him. She leaned in and their lips met, delicately at first, but then with real passion. Gem found herself surprised by how well the young wizard kissed, and by how much she wanted him to.
“A-hem!”
It was to discrete coughs what a battering ram is to a polite knock on a door, but the sound from a few feet away was enough to make Gem pull back. Goolrick looked angrily over her shoulder, and Gem turned to see Kat standing there, an amused smirk not quite hidden.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Kat’s tone didn’t sound very sorry at all. “Only everyone’s ready to get going.”
“But we’ve barely stopped,” Gem said.
“Yeah, well frankly, no one wants to stay here any longer than they need to. It’s all getting a bit creepy. There are… like some really weird shadows in the trees. Some of the men say that they’re moving .”
Gem smiled at that.
“It’s probably nothing, right Goolrick? Goolrick?”
The wizard’s hand clamped around her wrist and he started back past Kat.
“What is it?” Gem demanded. Goolrick’s face looked ashen.
“Shadow creatures. We
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