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woman’s and Sir Braden’s mouths hung open and the girl’s eyes opened wide as well. But no one said a word.
    “That’ll be all for now,” he said in satisfaction. Then with a slight nod to them and also to his people, he continued. “You can all get back to work now, and you, my servant sprite, are dismissed.”

Chapter 3
     
     
    Rae stood behind the wooden plow in the field, with several peasants by her side. Lord Wolfe’s demesne was quite large, and his fields too big to expect anyone to plow by hand. Juturna had decided to stay at the castle for a while to tend to Rae’s health, even though her strength was mostly regained. The seer insisted on coming with Rae to the fields, telling the duke she had to monitor her actions. Since Rae felt uncomfortable in the dukedom, and especially in Lord Wolfe’s presence, she was secretly glad for the company of the kind, old seer.
    “He can’t expect you to pull a plow,” Juturna said disgustingly , a scowl on her face and her hands on her ample hips. “What kind of a man is he, anyway?”
    Rae had been wondering that herself, but she knew warriors never backed down from their words. She was sure he did it, if only to prove a point. A man like him was powerful in his own right, and also very proud. She’d heard the inhabitants of his dukedom laughing and talking behind his back. That had to bother him immensely. And losing a prized bull to a bunch of druids, she was sure, did nothing for his morale either. She also entertained the idea that he possibly felt threatened by her and her powers. Good, she thought. He should. She could call nature to her aid whenever she needed, and there was naught he could do to stop it.
    “’Twas a deal we made,” Rae explained, “and tho I was more or less tricked into it, I intend to follow through with the promise. I was the one who stole his bull, and the druids were the ones who killed it. I don’t feel right about that, so now I will give him what he wants just to suffice him.”
    “We will help you plow the field,” said one of the peasant men. “’Twill be nearly impossible without the aid of the bull. If we all help you, it could possibly be completed today.”
    “No need,” she said with a smile. “But thank you all the same.” She dismissed the men, though grateful for their gracious offer. They walked away shrugging and shaking their heads.
    “You should have taken them up on the offer,” said Juturna. “I don’t know what you were thinking, child.”
    “Nay,” she answered, scanning the work to be done as she spoke. “They would only be punished for helping me in the end. I can’t have that on my conscience too.”
    “But you can’t pull a plow, sweetie. And this field is so large, ’twould take most the day with a beast of burden to do the work for you.”
    “I’m not going to plow it,” she said with a laugh. “I agree that notion would be insane.”
    “But won’t Lord Wolf e be angry when he finds you’ve disobeyed him?”
    “Nay, because I won’t be disobeying Lord Wolfe. The work will be done – and by me, but not by the sweat of my brow.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “Just watch.” She took a few deep breaths and then raised her hands to the sky. She threw back her head, letting the sun shine on her face and the wind blow through her hair. And when she felt the vibrations of the earth running through her, she asked for the help she needed.
    “Earth beneath me, come to my aid. Plow the field under until ’tis made . . . with furrows of soil rich and overturned . . . earth beneath my feet begin now to churn.”
    Juturna looked at her and shook her head. The wind picked up and she secured her wimple with both hands. She glanced out to the field and then back to Rae. “Was something supposed to happen?” she asked.
    “Just wait,” she said, looking around the empty field. Then she felt the earth come to life beneath her feet. The low rumbling of the soil became louder and