“I assure you, we’ll pay you well. As you can see, coin is no problem.” I said to the man, looking me up and down as if I were either an idiot or delusionally insane. He barked out a laugh and replied. “Lass, best you find a husband and settle down like a proper woman. Don't know what nonsense you tryin’ to pull, but don't let me call the headman on ya.” The man sniffed, sneered, and walked away.

  I blinked twice, slightly stunned. It had been so long since I’d been looked down upon for being a woman that I had almost forgotten what it was like. It was the third failure today. Of course, I could parade around my power and have him kneeling at my feet begging for mercy. But I was a grown woman, and I had no interest in such petty pursuits.

  There was no anger in me, though; I thoroughly expected the response. The best approach to initial recruiting was a problem I had been debating for some time. I eventually settled on going for the most desperate. Few men, either from pride or arrogance, would agree to work under a woman, particularly one who didn't even look like they were 22 summers old, as I was. But this was the play I decided on: recruit the desperate, then dazzle them with magic, coin, and food, gaining their loyalty.

  The reaction to my attempts to recruit permanent guards and servants had been met with a combination of condemnation, laughter, threats, and only a single proposal for marriage. Few women would brave such an uncertain thing. The men bold enough to leave their homes permanently were already too headstrong to serve some random women.

  “Maybe you should just show your magic. We’re far from the empire.” Anicia suggested, and I shook my head, still not feeling that it was the best approach, not yet, at least.

  “Maybe the weapons, at least. In any case, it looks like this village will be a bust. Check the carriage; we’ll ride out before sunset. The further southeast we go, the greater the chance we’ll catch someone.” I ordered. Corina nodded, already looking over the horses.

  ~

  Just as we finished packing up the carriage, a voice called out to me. “You looking fer people.”

  I turned to see a young man, brown hair and gray eyes, taller than I was, but by his face no older than Anicia. He would be decent-looking if not for his gaunt frame and homespun clothing.

  ‘Excellent, plenty of potential on this one.’

  “Indeed, young man. Are you interested? You are aware that you’ll most likely not see this village again for years.”

  His eyes widened, and he took a deep breath. “Aye...Heard some men jokin’ bout it. Had to see fer myself.” He scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed. “I don't rightly know nothin’ ‘bout swingin’ a sword.”

  I shrugged, undeterred. “Anything can be taught; you're still growing. Once you put some weight on your bones, you'll be adequate.”

  “What are yous? A merchant or…” He trailed off, unsure.

  “Just a traveler and explorer.” I nodded towards some reproachful stares. “As you can see, some men don’t look kindly on women like me.”

  He nodded as if everything I said made sense.

  ‘Not the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?’

  “So, I just need to stand around and ward off fools.”

  I nodded in affirmation. “And of course you’ll earn a silver a week.” His eyes bulged; compared to the handful of bits most peasants earned, it would be a great fortune.

  Then he bit his lips, hesitant to accept. “Just come out with it.”

  “Does that come with a commission? I, uhhh, got family, ya see. We ain't got much room for a man in the house anymore.” He asked.

  “Do you intend to give it to them?”

  “Aye, they good people, but pa’ would never approve of the army. And ain't sitting around for conscription.”

  ‘How much silver do I have? I’ll need to get some more eventually. He has a sense of obligation to his family, so he has honor. I suppose the best play here is to offer a generous commission and use that sense of honor as another means of control.’

  “Yes, the commission is 15 silver eagles. I have no interest in heading to a magistrate for an official contract, so it will have to be on the honor of your own word.”

  He looked dumbstruck by the commission, but he still nodded absentmindedly.

  “I’ll have to speak to my pa’ bout it. Can you… Can you wait ‘ere?”

  With a small amount of amusement, which only I could understand, I said, “Well, you better run quickly. I might not be here when you return. The sun is setting, and I need to be on my way.”

  The boy nodded and ran off, and I realized I hadn’t asked his name.

  “What’s so amusing, Myr?” Anicia asked.

  “Life, at times, can be so amusing.” I waved her away, ignoring the memories of Emyr.

  ~

  I didn't expect the boy to return ten minutes later, followed by a man, a pregnant woman who seemed to be near bursting, two men who looked like guards, and a final red-haired old man.

  “Trouble?” Anicia wondered aloud.

  “Activate your weapons,” I said under my breath. After a few subtle clicks, they stood in front of me.

  The man seemed to be the boy's father, since he was just a taller and bulkier version of him, with a beard. He stared me down, trying to look intimidating, I assumed. “What’s this now ‘bout hiring my boy?”

  I wasn't impressed by his blustering. “I'm sure he told you.” Glancing to the left, I noted the deference shown to the red-haired man. “Headman, I suppose.”

  “Yes, and I don't take kindly to this...” He gestured to me vaguely. “...method of hiring.”

  “He’s a grown man; I believe he can make his own choices.” I nodded towards his village and continued. “I am a traveler, and I could use…protection.”

  The boy was arguing with his mother; though it was hushed, I could overhear the mention of silver.

  “He’s to risk his life for you. We don't know ya.” The father said.

  “He’s old enough to fight and die for a liege lord, a man or woman he has never met. You see the woman before you; I offer a high commission for his work. Legally speaking, he can choose to be employed by me.” The father gritted his teeth, knowing I was right.

  “I am but a lone woman; all he needs to do is be my escort of sorts. Protecting me is secondary. My guard…” I gestured to Corina. “... is responsible for my protection.”

  The father laughed. “This woman,” he said, stepping forward, clearly unimpressed. Corina didn't actually look imposing until she drew the sword.

  ‘Interesting, I was going to tell her to draw the blade, but she predicted my word, or was she just that devoted to my protection? Either way, I approve.’

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  An enchanted blade glowing white-hot was something most people would never see in their lives. So when random peasants saw it, they looked beyond petrified. I turned to her and nodded in approval, then she sheathed the sword.

  “As you can see, my defense is assured.” It took them a full minute to calm down, and the guards looked ready to bolt.

  “What are you, some kind of noblewoman gallivanting around? I know enchanted weapons aren't cheap.” The headman asked. I shrugged, allowing him to make his own assumptions. “May I have your name?”

  “Myr.”

  There was the barest shadow of recognition in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.

  “I’ll make a note of his employment with this woman if he agrees. Lennoc, he is a man now; it is his choice.” The headman said to the father. Lennoc sighed, knowing he had little say in the matter.

  “The commission’s 15 eagles?” Lennoc asked.

  I nodded in affirmation. “He is free to do as he wishes with it. And a silver a week.”

  Lennoc threw a wary glance at Corina, sighed, and looked towards his son. “Make your choice, boy.”

  He stomped off angrily; in truth, I didn't care about their family drama.

  The young man was talking and consoling his mother. After a minute, they finally calmed down, and he approached me. “I accept.”

  “Good.” I said, looking at Anicia, I ordered, “Take his information, and sort out the commission.”

  “Name?” I asked him. “Ben… Milady.”

  I shrugged and asked. “Can you drive a carriage?”

  He nodded. “I can keep it on the road and tend to the horse. I ain't no professional but…”

  “Good enough.”

  The headman gave me a respectful nod, turned, and left. “A word, headman,” I said, stopping him.

  I took a golden royal out of my coin purse. “Can you exchange this for silver? I’ll offer a 10% commission.”

  I could see the temptation in his eyes. “I don’t have 108 eagles on hand.”

  “I’m sure someone in this village has a carriage or wagon. I’ll purchase it and the horse for double the going rate, along with any horse feed and all corresponding tools. Since I’m hiring your boy here, I’ll purchase clothes and boots. I don’t know if anyone has a sword or other weapons, but if you find a crossbow, swords, shields, and the like, I'll take them. A man should be armed and armored, no? I’ll also need a large chest and, say, 50 pounds of meat; wrap them individually in cheap parchment and toss 'em in the chest. Can you make it work?”

  I watched as his mind whirled and then finally settled. “I can scrounge up around 75.” I nodded, not caring that I was losing out on 45 silver. I handed him the royal. After a quick examination, which was just biting it, he turned and left, already barking orders to his men.

  I turned to see Anicia handing Ben’s mother the 15 eagles as agreed, and then the mother probed Anicia, asking question after question for several minutes. Why were we here? Where would we go? How do we travel? I was pleased that she was able to answer them all. There was a teary-eyed farewell that I wasn't interested in, and he finally walked over to me, bewildered.

  “Can’t believe I just did that.”

  “It was a risk, but I reward my people well. You’ll not regret your decision.” There was already a scramble of people; apparently, word was spreading that there was easy coin to be made.

  “Tell me about yourself.”

  He sighed and said, “Well, I was born here in Leeds…”

  ~

  To say he was uninteresting would be an understatement. He was born in this village. His father was a smith, though he mostly made simple tools, horseshoes, nails, and the like. His mother was a washerwoman who seemed to be either blessed or cursed to pop out children like a rabbit. He had seven siblings: two older and four younger. A few of them came to say goodbye to him, and the older ones were gone. One was married and moved away, and another died fighting in the army.

  The desperation to see his family taken care of and the guilt of being a burden were enough for him to take up employment with me, even though to most it would seem insane. Hopefully, this spreads rather quickly.

  Just before sunset, Ben, now dressed in decent clothes with a sword belted at his waist, drove a simple, though large, wagon being pulled by a nag out of town. I sat in the back, carving arcane circles into the large chest.

  “What ya doin to that chest?” He asked. “That meat’s going to go bad, you know?” That was obvious to anyone. The headman was more than happy to take my coin, so he didn't care.

  “Oh, you’ll understand soon enough, so why spoil the surprise?”

  ~

  Setting up camp was a simple process: unload all the magical items, set the meat to thaw, and ignite the energy furnace. Ben was nervous, either from being so far from his home or the fact that he was traveling with unknown women. The boy must be either impressively desperate or stupid to take such a leap, but he was a man and could make his own decisions.

  It was mildly amusing watching him stare at the odd magical items as they were unloaded. He watched in silence while Corina activated the grill and threw down some strips of beef. The scent was already making my stomach churn from my hunger.

  It wasn't until the sun set and the magical lanterns were set up that he finally broke. “Who in the hell are you people? These are magic, right? You could buy my village with just this lantern,” He asked, staring at the lantern, dazzled by the steady light shining through the glass.

  “You don't recognize the name Myr?” I asked, standing next to him as he examined the lantern attached to a tall metal pole.

  He shook his head.

  “What about the maiden of fire?” There was the barest spark of recognition.

  “There was a story we heard some time back, ‘bout a woman killing a dragon. That's you?” Then suddenly connections were made, and I could see the story surfacing in his mind.

  “Skin as white as snow, eyes as black as the darkest night.” He muttered.

  I raised my hand, and a foot-tall flame erupted. He turned as pale as a ghost, stunned, near silent, and incapable of moving. “Maiden o' fire.” He mumbled, then laughed. “I agreed to work fer the maiden.”

  He finally managed to meet my eyes again. “Ya don’t need my protection at all, do ya?”

  I chuckled and extinguished the flame. “No, but I can use someone to watch my back. Drive the carriage, and so on; I didn't hire you out of vanity or sympathy.” I pointed to a spot near one of the air warmers. “For now, sit down and enjoy your meal. We’ll speak in detail about your duties later.”

  He nodded numbly and walked off.

  ~

  “He looks like an idiot,” Anicia said as we ate. Ben was scarfing down meat like a man possessed. For someone like him, it was true luxury.

  “He’ll have his uses; just keep an eye on him, and if he causes trouble, don’t hesitate,” Anicia smirked and gave me a firm nod.

  “Why spend so much coin on him? Ben can't even read.”

  Swallowing my bite, I took a sip of the wine from a metal tankard and answered with a question. “What happens when travelers go to Leeds?”

  “They’ll talk about you.” Anicia’s brow furrowed as she realized this was a lesson.

  “And? Think further, what will those people do?”

  She placed her plate on the ground and kept thinking. “They’ll tell others.” Since she was in the middle of contemplation, I didn't interrupt her. “The commission…that’s what's gonna spread. People might try to find you. For work, for greed.”

  She kept mumbling just loud enough for me to hear. “Once it spreads far enough, you won’t even have to do recruitment on your own. They’ll come runnin’.”

  “Keep going, and then what do I do once numbers start to swell?” She bit her nails, thinking deeply.

  “Weed out the stupid, lazy, and disloyal?” She asked.

  I nodded as she found the answer herself. “You are growing more clever, Anicia. Keep it up.” Anicia beamed at the praise.

  “Now look at him. Unsure of himself, sitting awkwardly, scared, clearly not used to the sword at his belt. How do we mold this thing into something useful?”

  She sat silent for a minute before she sighed and admitted, “I’m not sure.”

  “Good, it’s important to simply recognize that you don't know something. In this case, it’s rather simple. People, and men particularly, are desperate for responsibility. The easiest way to mold someone is to find a space for them to fill, like clay. How many men would jump in front of a blade to protect women because they believe it is their duty? How many men have died for such vanity? Just drop the idea in his head and watch as he molds himself into the perfect meat shield.”

  Doubt crept across her face, and she asked hesitantly, “It—is that what you did to me?”

  I shook my head. “Not quite. I told you directly what I wanted from you. A trusted confidant, a true ally. Only you understand me. You see the real me; that is a privilege I give to no one else. Ben, however, will never see such things. He’ll live in delusion, believing that he chose the role he was assigned. He is a tool, nothing more, easily discarded.”

  Turning to Anicia, I met her green eyes and said, “I want you to choose me, Anicia. Ben doesn't have that privilege.”

  Then, calling on my acting ability, I allowed just the barest worry in my voice, a soft thing that only someone as focused as Anicia could notice at this very moment. “This is a partnership that will last our entire lives. To everyone else, I will be the maiden of fire, the magus from the stories. Only you will know, Myr.”

  Her breath caught for a moment before she calmed down, nodded, and smiled back. All traces of worry were gone.

  ‘Good, it wouldn't do for any doubts to form in her mind about her place with me.’

  “I suppose I should speak to him. I should show him the magical tools as well.” I nodded in agreement. Then a vicious smile came across her face. “Especially the weapons.”

  She stood and walked over to him, her back straight, striding with confidence.

  I would have to repeat this for every town, village, and hamlet all the way to the capital of the closest desert king, who was named Baron Uwell. Though we were still at least a month away from seeing actual desert.

  I took out my book and stared at the runes from the scroll, still not finding meaning. Opening my mind to the infinite chaos, I observed, not reading or deciphering, just trying to absorb understanding.

  Still nothing. I forced the veil open wider; just at the edge of my consciousness, there was something, a feeling, a thought. But it was gone in the next instant. I stopped as I felt blood running down my nose.

  I sighed, returned the book to my pack, and poured myself another tankard of wine. For now, I would have to wait; I had to focus on one thing at a time. Building my army was the goal, and the new binding I was working on, called sphere projection.