Witches, Wolves, & Warlords (Shifters of Bastion Keep #1)

Chapter Two

It was a short flight from Chicago to the Free Glades of Montana, the domestic nation that made up a large portion of the northwest United States.Governed by their own mythic council, the land was home to many of the rarer, less urban suited races—ones like centaurs and forest folk, as opposed to dwarves or orcs, like himself.

Bruin would have dearly loved to have taken a few hours and explored the tourist city of Tenabrut, especially since its sprawling greenery was well known, but he, Lux, and Rosemary were forced to rush to make their connecting flight to a smaller city nestled in a valley within the Rocky Mountains. Maybe he'd be able to return during his next vacation.

Come to think of it, did he even get vacation days while doing his public service?

Roland picked them up in a large, mud-caked truck, then watched as they each loaded up their respective luggage into the bed. Four jam-packed military surplus duffels for Bruin, three decorated pine chests for Rosemary, and then a half-dozen elegant rolling suitcases forLux.

While Bruin helped Roland strap down their luggage, Rosemary and Lux performed a two-witch repeat of The Wayfarer's Charm , ensuring that they would have safe travels before climbing in. Lux, ever the gentleman, allowed Rosemary the roomier front seat.

The fact that it's exactly what Bruin would have done didn't reduce the sour taste, especially since it meant that he and Lux would be sitting next to each other in the back. At least there was a middle seat for them to place their witch's bags, keeping them apart.

"How long's the trip?" Bruin asked, hoping to strike up a conversation.

"A few hours, give or take," Roland said sharply, gripping the wheel with white knuckles. "Now be quiet, I've got to focus on driving."

Bruin closed his mouth. So much for that.

What to do? He could nap, he supposed. He'd been up since four, and it was one o'clock now, and like any good Green witch, flying was a total pain when you couldn't feel the earth beneath you.

But then he saw Lux pull out a slim grimoire for study, and realized he'd have to do the same.

Well, studying was a good idea. There's no telling what kind of things Roland would be assigning to them, so he should make sure he brushed up on the basics. Grabbing his waterproof journal, he flipped it open to his notes on coven-based charms and rituals.

As they drove steadily north, the first two hours passed in relative silence, apart from the occasional swears from Roland and what music he could make out from Rosemary's decorative earbuds. After a pit stop at a gas station, and then turning off the highway and onto an isolated two-lane road, Roland's deathgrip on the wheel relaxed and he seemed much more at ease driving at the slower speed, or maybe without having other cars to contest with, which Bruin sympathized with.

"Just a little under an hour to go," Roland said. "We'll be there well before dinner, and then I'll show you to your rooms. You'll have tonight to settle in, and an easy day tomorrow while I outline your duties and get you shown around, but expect to hit things hard the day after."

"You are too kind, High Priest," Lux said.

"None of that," Roland said. "Everyone who lives or works in Bastion calls me Roland, which now includes you three. I don't expect you to use my title unless there's foreign mages around that we gotta put on a polite show for."

Roland paused. "Or unless one of you gets in trouble and I have to give you a punishment detail."

"What kind of duties can we expect?" Rosemary asked, turning in her seat. "So that we know what tools to empower and rituals to rehearse."

"A fair question, lass. Most of the time? Your duties are self-imposed. I leave it to you to find ways to make yourself useful, I'm not your babysitter. But once a week, we make a field trip to recharge a spirit anchor. They're scattered about the valley and mountainside. Some can be done in just a few hours, others are an overnight trip. I'll show you the invocation tomorrow."

Bruin perked up. Weekly trips outdoors? Setting his own schedule? Maybe these next few years would be tolerable after all.

"There's also one exceptional duty. About once a month, there's an incursion from one of the spirit realms, and Bastion's guardians muster up. We usually have a few hours' notice, so when they occur, you're to give it your all with wards and protection charms before the guardians head out. Rosemary, I expect you and Lux will be doing most of your work then. You'll also be needed when they return, usually after two to three days, healing whatever ails them. Bruin, that sounds like you, if your Healing charms are up to snuff. Can you stand the sight of blood?"

"I did a stint helping in an ER, so I can handle it. How many are injured on a typical mission?"

"Usually about thirty to forty guardians go out at once, and as many as half come back with some type of injury, maybe two or three seriously."

"Twenty injured!"

"That's a bit much to handle for one witch," Lux said to him. "Perhaps Rosemary and I should practice coven healing with you."

"It ain't as bad as all that, mind," Roland said, shaking his head. "Nearly all the guardians are shifters, and so's a lot of the staff, myself included. We heal fast, just sometimes we need a little help to make sure it heals up right."

Bruin gasped, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching forward and poking Roland's shoulder.

"Yes, I'm real," he said dryly. "And to answer your next question, a wolf shifter. Now let's talk rules."

Roland went on to explain some of the policies they had at the castle, blithely bypassing the fact that he'd just admitted to being a shapeshifting werewolf, a rarity in big cities. Bruin supposed that when it was your own life, things just didn't seem that remarkable.

Bringing his focus back to the conversation, Bruin learned numerous rules, ranging from self-evident ones like not practicing magic on someone without their explicit permission, to less obvious ones like not conjuring spirits or speaking to the beyond without Roland being present.Apparently the veil was much thinner here, and it could readily tear, resulting in something malevolent showing up.

When they were between five and ten miles out, Roland indicated out the window.

"If you look over into the valley, you'll see Township, which everyone just calls Town. It's got your shopping, entertainment, and fast food, if you're into that fatty crap. Bastion's got a shuttle we run a few times a day, which is mostly used by staff. Us shifters usually just run down, unless we're buying groceries."

Bruin peered out the window, looking at what was presumably the shopping district, but also with a number of houses dotting the area. He was still looking even after it faded from view, because they were nearing the castle and he wanted a last chance to see the valley as they climbed the slope.

The Kiyaya Valley was gorgeous, and he was fortunate to be able to see it in clear weather. It was green, green, and more green, as befitting the month of May, and though the weather was a comfortable sixty degrees right now, even at 3,000 feet, snow could be seen on the nearby mountain peaks.

"There she is," Roland said, and his pride was clear. "Bastion Keep, your new home for the next three years, assuming you don't turn tail."

Bruin's initial dart forward was arrested by his seat-belt, so he settled back, then leaned forward more slowly, until he could see past the wide open gate that permitted their vehicle in through the outer walls.

Holy shit, it was an actual castle.Bruin excitedly drummed his hands on his legs.

Sitting comfortably in the middle of a plain of well-tended grass like a reclining lion was the keep, easily five stories tall or more, its wall made up of multi-hued stone. Red and gold pennants with the shielded crest of Bastion hung from battlements, flapping gaily in the breeze.

There was a large central castle area, a more slender eastern wing, and then what looked like a sprawling west side. In addition, there was a manor house just a short walk away, several fountains, and then cultivated greenery that Bruin itched to investigate, but they were already pulling up to the eastern side of the castle, leaving them behind.

Roland parked next to several military transport vehicles, shut the truck off, and then the four of them exited, stretching arms and legs.

"I'll give you the grand tour in a bit," Roland said. "But first, let's—oh, hang on. Russ, lad! What is it?"

A veritable giant of a man was jogging towards them, quickly but not with seeming urgency. He stopped next to Roland.

"The candle room's flickering again, Da."

"Hell's bells," Roland grumbled. "Every coupleof months, lately.Alright, I'll fix it straightaway. My incense chest?"

"In the room."

"Good lad, I'll get right on it. Can you spare a moment to show our new guests to their rooms?"

"Yes, Da."

Roland nodded, then turned towards the three of them. "This is my son, Russell. He'll take over for now. Russ, this is Lux, Rosemary, and Bruin, witches all."

"Mm."

Pocketing the truck keys, Roland stalked towards the castle proper without even a look back. Then the large man shifted on his feet, drawing Bruin's attention.

Russell was solidly built, and looked like the kind of friend you'd want to have if you enjoyed pick-up games of rugby, or else needed to carry a refridgerator up three flights of stairs. His unkempt hair and beard were the color of burnished sunstone, and being shirtless and coated in body hair, the afternoon sun made it seem like his whole body was alight. Despite his remarkable impression of a grizzly bear, however, Bruin had the feeling that Russell would melt away into the scenery if he so much as glanced away for longer than a second.

The man stared at them for a long moment as Lux, Rosemary, and Bruin gathered together expectantly, then made a single grunt before stepping past them to start undoing the ratchet straps that held their belongings down.

Bruin rushed to help—like his dads always said, 'A good orc does the work !'Lux and Rosemary, meanwhile, went to the back of the truck to begin staging bags for carrying.

"Should only take a few trips," Bruin said a few moments later, preparing to help Rosemary carry her first chest. He had one of his duffels slung over his shoulder, as well as his witch's bag.Hopefully it wouldn't be too far of a trip.

As he waited for their guide, he saw Russell use the bed of the truck to assist himself in putting Rosemary's other two chests over his shoulders, carrying the eighty-pound trunks without apparent effort. Wordlessly, their guide then headed to a large door in what was presumably the east wing of the castle, and Bruin found himself staring at a well-defined back and a pair of thick calves that flexed beneath a kilt with each taken step.

"Bruin," Rosemary said in a singsong tone, rattling the handle on her chest, and he nearly gave a start.

"Whoops, sorry," he said, picking up his own side by its handle. Together, they made swift strides to catch up, Lux beside them with two of his suitcases.

Lux set his two rolling cases aside in order to open the door for everyone, and Bruin heard Russell make a simple murmur of acknowledgment as he passed. There was a brief pause while each of the three witches spoke their thanks out loud to the home for accepting them, then followed after.

They passed through an elaborate foyer with smoothed stone flooring and vaulted ceilings, then carried their belongings up a tall flight of stairs.Here, colored glass let light in at even intervals, casting prisms across the hardwood floors.

Halls and doorways were wide in the castle, which Bruin supposed fit a place habited by shifters. Russell didn't have to either duck or turn his body to fit through thresholds as he led the way, stopping at the entryway of a long hall. There were three doors on one side, four on another, and with a window at the far wall beneath which stood a short table with a vase of chrysanthemums.

"These are the rooms for our magic guests," Russell said. "Mine is this first one, but the other six are empty. Da has his own room downstairs."

He paused again, then did a squat with the two chests. Bruin was about to set his own chest down so he could help their guide unload, but Russell didn't need his help; he simply leaned forward and used his hands to slide the chests off of his shoulders like he were serving dinner trays, setting them on the ground with nary a jostle. As soon as he was done, he turned around and walked back the way they had come.

"Let's set things down and help," Lux said. "It is our own belongings, after all."

Bruin was thinking the same. He tossed off his duffel and put down his witch's bag, then jogged to catch up.

Two trips was all it took. Rosemary helped Lux with his final rolling cases, and Russell had grabbed two of Bruin's duffels, giving them the same over-the-shoulder treatment he had given Rosemary's chests. It just left one duffel for Bruin, making him feel like he wasn't contributing as much.

Back in the hallway, Rosemary gave their guide a deep curtsey, then began opening doors one at a time, making her selection.

"Thank you for your help," Lux said. "Do you know when Roland will return for us?"

Russell stared at him, then shook his head.

"Hours." He paused, then continued, "Dinner is in two hours, I will show you to it."

Lux nodded, then selected a room and began rolling his luggage inside.

Bruin watched his fellow witches disappear into rooms, then looked back up at Russell.

"Yeah, thank you for helping carry things. You're a real nice guy, you know that?"

Russell looked at him with a flat expression, but Bruin could see his cheeks coloring. The big man at last nodded, then departed. Bruin watched him head back downstairs, then turned about and checked the rooms.

They were each about the size of a spacious hotel room with an attached bath, and all had unique variations in decor. One room had oaken furnishings, while a second room was decked out in lace. The only furniture they all had in common was having enormously large beds, suitable for a variety of mythic body types, and Bruin had to resist the immediate urge to throw himself upon its plush surface.

What a treat!Even for an orc like himself that took up more after his human mother—a mere six-feet tall and with underdeveloped tusks—he'd never owned a bed that had felt like he could comfortably stretch out.

Bruin had just finished dropping off his bags into the corner room with its dark green walls and lovely forest paintings, and was checking his compass so he could do a proper Light's Cleansing charm when a thought occurred to him. Being in the corner, this room had two windows, and his compass confirmed his guess.He deliberated longer than a good coven witch probably should, then heaved a sigh and stomped a few doors down.

Lux's door was open, and Bruin could see that this room had a sitting table and Greek-esque pottery. His fellow witch looked up from where he was setting out candles for… hmm. Probably a Sanctuary ritual, to make the room more his.

"Yes?"

Bruin crossed his arms, stared at the floor, then met the man's gaze and said begrudgingly, "I think the corner room I picked would suit you better. It's got the same south window as this one, but it also has an extra one that faces east. For the sunrise."

Lux set his candles down, and then followed Bruin as he led the way to the green room.

"So it does," Lux said. He held a hand up at the light coming in from the south window, then the east one, and nodded. "Yes, this would make a much better spot for my sun altar. Thank you, Bruin, that was thoughtful of you. Did you want to swap rooms?"

"You can have this one, but let me at least take a look at the other empty ones in case they suit me better. I'll drag my bags out so you can start moving in."

In the end, after peeking at the remaining rooms, Bruin selected the one between Russell's and Rosemary's. It didn't have the nice paintings or green accents, but the earth-toned rug and the extra-wide redwood shelf suited him fine.

He spent the first ten minutes throwing clothes into dressers and setting his shoes in a lopsided row, another few minutes to put his cheap laptop on the bedside table and set his phone to charging—there apparently was wireless internet service despite the rumors, it was just slow—and then half an hour doing a basic Light's Cleansing charm to purge any negative energy before putting his witch tools away on his shelf.

Drum, pipes, and flute on the top shelf. Then two shelves dedicated to his amassed collection of different gemstones, many of them fully charged with different energies and ready for use, with a porcelain bowl filled with fine sand to hold spent gems until he could purify and charge them again. And then the bottom shelves for a dozen jars of various herbs, along with a mortar and pestle. The rest of his tools he put into the room's footlocker, which he dragged over beside the shelf.

Bouncing on his toes, he looked the room over. He really should start doing some purification rituals of the room, or at least scribe a circle beneath the shelf and footlocker to make sure outside energies couldn't contaminate his witch's tools, but… nah.He deserved a break.

A good witch was always prepared, though, so after kicking off his boots and socks, he grabbed a small drawstring charm bag. He selected a few choice crystals from his shelf, a sprig of bottled mistletoe, and a bracelet of warding beads to fill it with, then hooked the bag to his long shorts.After, he snuck back outdoors, padding barefoot over the rugs and stone.

As soon as he left the castle, Bruin leapt off of the paved walkway and onto the fresh-cut grass. He wiggled his toes pleasantly, taking deep breaths in and out as he centered himself, then started walking around the eastern part of the keep.

There were carefully cultivated bushes, short evergreens, and various flowers around the castle, and he reached out to trace a hand through some of the leaves. He could tell that a lot of care went into them, and wondered if he'd get to meet the gardener.

With a skip and a laugh, he tossed off his shirt before flopping down prone onto the ground, spreadeagled. The grass was short but plush, tickling his witch senses, and the earth was pleasantly supportive. He rolled onto his back, the ground cool where it touched his bare skin, but with the sun beaming down on him warmly, it was as comfortable as he'd been in months.

Digging his fingers into the dirt, he closed his eyes .

After a while, he felt someone poke him on the chest, and he opened his eyes drowsily, squinting. Squatting above him was Russell, looking at him with the barest softness to his blank expression, Bruin's shirt held in his hands. Normally Bruin might have been embarrassed, but he was still feeling too good.

"Guess I dozed off, sorry," he said.

Bruin turned his head to get the sun out of his face, then froze as he came face to face with the realization that shifters—or at least Russell—didn't wear anything under their kilts. It felt impolite to stare, but before he shifted his eyes back up and raised a hand to blot out the light, he'd determined that Russell had a mouth-watering tool that well-matched his large size.

"Dinner's ready," Russell said, and either didn't notice or didn't care about the peep show he was giving. He must have taken Bruin's raised hand for a request, because he took hold of it, stood up, then lifted Bruin easily to his feet. He gave Bruin a moment to brush some dirt off, handed him his shirt for him to don, then led the way back inside.

Russell paused before entering the castle, then turned to look down at him. He cleared his throat, and the bashful expression made Bruin want to give him the tightest, fiercest hug.

"It's okay," he muttered. "Sometimes I like to lay on the ground, too. Now let me show you to the Great Hall. Dinner today is fish."