“There is one more thing that the guild leadership would like to offer to you.” He said as he walked me out. “It is less in gratitude for your help today, although that is part of it, but based on your stories, you plan to use purified copper to make Single Use Spell rings, many of them for healing. Is this not so?”

  “Yes, it is,” I said.

  “You will find that Elven Silver, when used with healing, often has an augmented effect. It is the nature of our magic. Our weapons are to be feared, but our healing is to be praised.”

  “Thank you, grandmaster, I sincerely appreciate that advice.”

  “The advice comes with a price.” He said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

  “And what price is that?” I asked.

  “Come with me to the Bank of the Realm. It is quite near.” He said as he led me out of the forges and onto one of the main paths. My guards followed me, looking everywhere for trouble.

  I had intended to visit the bank right after my session today anyway, so I went willingly, wondering what the price would be that I would have to pay. It was only a two-minute walk.

  When we arrived, the bank director herself met us partway across the floor. “Seneschal, Guildmaster, what a pleasure to have such esteemed guests with us today. How may the Bank of the Realm serve you?”

  Guildmaster Caibalar said, “The guild would like to transfer 1,000 Elven purified silver bars from the guild account to the Seneschal for his magical protection work in Keelwell.”

  At 100 silver pieces each, that transfer amounted to 100,000 silver pieces value or 10,000 gold pieces value.

  He looked at me and grinned. “Seneschal, use it to make healing devices more than war tools if you can, but we trust your judgment and needs.”

  The bank director called over to a senior clerk and sent him running off to get the transfer started.

  “How would you like to transfer the silver, Seneschal?” The director asked.

  “I have a magical vault account with you. Would it be possible to acquire a key so that I can come and go from my vault in Keelwell and the Copper Mountains to here?”

  “Oh, you have a key to the Copper Mountains? How wonderful. Yes, of course, I will handle that and the transfer outside your vault personally.”

  “Thank you, Director.”

  “It is my pleasure. The King ordered 10,000 platinum to be moved to your personal account this morning for incidental needs not directly linked with your Lodge duties, which, of course, you can call upon as required. Would you like that transferred into your vault as well?” She asked.

  I hid my surprise at the hundred thousand gold value I had just received for “incidental” expenses.

  “I think that it would be more convenient to leave that in my regular account, so I do not need to go into my vault each time. Is my Keelwell account the same here?”

  She nodded. “It is. Each account is linked to you, whether here, there, or in the Mountain Hold.” She assured me.

  Seeing no other questions from me, she bowed to me and then the guildmaster and moved off to retrieve a key from wherever they were stored.

  “Grandmaster, I don’t know how to thank you. Your generosity today has quite simply overwhelmed me.”

  “Please, when we are alone, Seneschal, call me Rennyn.” He insisted.

  “Only if you will call me Gwydion,” I replied.

  He beamed. “That I will. In private, of course. And blessings be on you and your designs. Such heavy burdens on young shoulders.” He said.

  “Ah,” I said, raising a finger and then pointing it at him, “but look at the wisdom and friendship that has joined to make the burden lighter.”

  “If you ever have a need, you know how to reach me.” He said as he bowed and departed, allowing me to join the silver transfer to my vault.

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  Laying it on a little thick, weren’t you? Bella said.

  I meant every word of it. I said.

  I know you did, you big dope.

  Dope? I said. Have you been getting lost in those irregulars' heads again?

  I got a feeling of her being miffed with me, and she went silent again.

  I laughed. She was something special.

  I walked down to the private vault area where two dollies loaded with crates waited for me. The director was there as well. “We cannot move the boxes into your vault, Seneschal, but you can wheel these in pretty easily.”

  “Thank you, I should have no problems managing this,” I said.

  “Do you have any other requests?”

  “No, this should be all I need. Oh, please let the captain of my guard know that I may be a while, but I will be up when I have completed a few tasks.”

  “Of course, take your time, Seneschal.” She walked forward, handed me the key, bowed her head, and she and the guard departed. The guard moved to sit at a desk partway down the hallway, and the director turned and walked up the long staircase back to the surface, where she would let Leomys know I might be some time.

  I walked to the door and, gripping the key in my left hand, placed my right hand on the door and thought for it to open.

  The door opened silently. I wheeled the dollies inside and then closed the door behind me.

  When I went inside the vault, I had a feeling of security. No goblins or elf assassins were going to leap out at me. According to Isaac, nobody short of the archmage himself who created the spell network could enter, and even he not without considerable noise and effort.

  I walked over to a standing jewelry case and placed the chest on the floor. I put my hand on its surface and said, “I am Master Gwydion Istari Arbrestrom, stay.”

  There was a lot of stuff in here. I could spend hours just going through it all.

  “Hey, Bella?” I asked.

  No response. It was just like when I was in the Copper Mountains bank vault. Well, technically, it was the same vault, just different entrance doors. Hundreds of miles apart. When I was in here the last time, I could not communicate with her or her with me.

  “Okay, Gwydion.” I said out loud. “It’s just you and you. What’s your next step?”

  “Maybe I should seek a therapist for talking to yourself,” I suggested.

  “Too late,” I answered.

  And then I smiled. So much for talking to myself. But I did need to decide whether I would head back to Keelwell to update the Duke and pick up the spare magical staff, head off to the Copper Mountains and update Flavnar, or go back out into Elvendell, the capital city of the elves, and catch up on the projects I had yet to visit because of the delays in Silversmithing work this morning.

  I also needed some time to apply spells and skill points before the invasion.

  I sighed deeply. “One thing at a time,” I said.

  Ok, I would head back to Keelwell and pick up the magical staff, and if Simon is around, have him bring me some more rings in case I need them again. It might be a good idea to have backups of the skills that I used, as well.

  I held the Elven key in my hand and closed it, willing it to be replaced with the Keelwell key. When I opened my hand, the new key was there.

  “Cool,” I said.

  I went to the door and pressed my hand against it, willing it to open.

  It did, and I walked out into the hallway of the Bank of the Realm in Keelwell.

  The guard sitting at the desk stood up quickly and reached for a crossbow. I was guessing he had been on duty for quite a while, and nobody had gone down this way.

  He relaxed when he saw me walking toward him. “Oh, sorry, Patron. I did not know you were down here.”

  “Hi, Roger,” I said. “I wasn’t.” And I winked and walked up the stairs.

  I heard “Mages” quietly behind me and him settling back down into his chair and whatever writing project he had been working on at the desk.

  Hi Bella, could you send the guard to the bank? I asked.

  Biff is on his way. Is all well? Her voice was back to its normal strength.

  Yes, I am just on my way to the Tower. Is Isaac available?

  He is in the Tower. I’ll have Shala knock and tell him you are on your way for the staff.

  Sometimes it was nice having her read my thoughts, so I didn’t need to have long conversations. At other times, I missed just talking with her in person.

  Feeling nostalgic, are we? She asked.

  Not anymore. I sent back to her, mildly irritated with her reaction.

  Biff and team were already waiting for me at the ropes leading down to the magical vaults by the time I climbed the long staircase. If they had tried to come any further, magical wards would have turned them into shark food.

  In Biff’s case, that would have been for the second time.

  He greeted me, and we took off for The Tower. We drew attention as we moved, but then how it could be anything other than that with so many bodyguards, I’ll never know. And I am about to add more.

  “How did it go with them?” Hufnar, my dwarven captain, asked. He kept a neutral expression, but dwarves and elves were not overly fond of each other.

  “Very well. They agreed to send troops, weapons, magic, the lot.”

  “They did?” He said, his dwarven eyebrows doing acrobatics across his forehead. Then he asked, “What did it cost us?”

  “Nothing, I am the heir to the Elven kingdom, so they were being very generous.”

  He laughed and said, “I bet.”

  I let it go, but told Bella to explain what happened to Biff and Adriana. They can share with the others.

  Biff’s stride faltered, and he looked at me with wide-eyed concern.

  “For real?” He asked.

  “Yep,” I replied.

  “Man, Gwyd. You don’t do things-”

  “By half. Yeah, I get that a lot.” I finished.

  Because The Tower blocked all communication in a similar way that the vaults did, but most likely more thoroughly, we had stationed an irregular outside The Tower to knock if we needed to get to Isaac in a hurry. He could also use the Irregular for errands from time to time if needed. There was always a contingent of seven to ten City Watch guards at The Tower at all times, providing security so the irregular had some protection.

  The Tower was not far, but by the time I got there, Isaac was waiting at the door with the staff. “I got the impression you were in a hurry.” He said.

  “I am. Can we step inside for a minute?”

  “Of course. Biff, join us, please.” I said, “Hufnar, please keep an especially keen eye out.”

  “Are we expecting trouble?” He asked as he drew his blade.

  “Maybe,” I said.

  Isaac showed us in and closed the door.

  “What’s wrong?” Isaac asked the moment we were behind closed doors.

  And so I told him.

  “You are what?!” He blurted out after a few minutes of silence as I outlined what had happened since I departed and all the support the elves promised.

  “Don’t make me repeat any of this, please,” I asked.

  “So the commander of the Duke’s Special Services is now the heir apparent to the Elven throne.”

  “And brother to the dwarven king,” Biff added helpfully.

  Isaac waved his hands around, “Yes, let’s not forget that. What else could happen with you, boy?”

  There was persistent knocking at the door. It was a booming sound.

  “It’s shala, I taught her how to knock so I could hear it anywhere in the Tower. It is deafening near the door.” Isaac said in exasperation.

  “We have been inside for less than five minutes,” Biff said. “This can’t be good.”