"Man, that is so cool. How does he do that?" Simon exclaimed.
"Never mind about that." Corwin pointed to me. "We need to get started right away. What can we do to help you get started?"
I nodded and directed my question at Simon. "Can you get me something of Tory's? A shirt, a shoe, anything."
At his quick nod, I looked at Connor. "Can you take me home? I need to pick up something there."
Connor nodded.
"No!" Corwin protested. "I will take Nana home, Connor, you take Simon and go pick up Max and something of Tory's." He turned to me.
"You did say you needed Max, right?"
I nodded, glancing at Connor, who shrugged and tapped Simon on the shoulder.
"Let's go." He turned back to Corwin. "Call me when you're done."
The ride home was unusually quiet.
Corwin seemed preoccupied about something, and my mind was also racing from one thought to the next, trying to make sense of all the things that had just happened within the span of three short days.
It had all just caught me up in a whirlwind, pushing and pulling me this way and that, and all I had been able to do up to this point was to react to whatever came my way.
This was the first time I had been able to take charge and act, instead of react. Even though it was a slight distinction, that very tiny divergence made all the difference in my frame of reference, and in my method of execution.
As soon as we slid to a stop in front of my apartment building, I scrambled off Corwin's board and ran in.
Corwin dashed in after me and barely made it through before the door slammed shut behind him.
"Wow, you live all by yourself?" He asked, looking around my tiny studio.
Normally, I would be embarrassed to have a guy enter my apartment and look around, but today, I was too busy to feel any such modest, humble feelings as shyness.
Or so I thought.
I glanced at the narrow single bed in the corner, covered by my soft but childish pink comforter, and the small desk next to the nightstand, holding my small laptop computer and my borrowed library books.
There was the single open window with its small pots of purple lavender. My little Raggedy Ann doll, dressed in her blue rag outfit with her red yarn hair, still sat on the bookshelf guarding my apartment and looking so—raggedy and childish.
Nothing in my apartment was elegant or sophisticated. It looked like the room of a twelve-year-old.
Ignoring all that was painfully embarrassing about my home, I pulled the closet door open and clicked my tongue a couple of times.
I heard a fluttering sound. The four bats that had been sleeping since I left the day before flew out and darted about, touching my face with their wings in greeting.
"Oh jeez!" Corwin cried and jumped back, preparing to attack the sudden onslaught of flying critters.
"Whoa, whoa!" I put up a hand to calm him down. "Sorry, I didn't warn you. It's just my bats. It's ok."
I reached out and the bats calmed their fluttering and lighted on my shoulders, clinging to me.
Then, I went to the cage and opened the cage door. The rats ran towards me and clambered on, tucking themselves into my pockets, looking for any morsel of food they could find.
I could feel Corwin's stare of amazement at all the little animals clinging onto my body. In that moment, my embarrassment almost swallowed me whole.
My face grew hot and I averted my face against his steady gaze as I went to the fridge to scrounge up some fruit and dried meats for the animals.
It was so painful to come to the realization that as much as I wanted to be accepted and be considered normal by those around me, the truth was, there would never be a time or place anywhere on this blue green sphere that it would ever be fashionable for a weird and homely girl like me to be normal.
I swallowed that beaten-down pride into the depths of my soul and faced up to what I had to do, knowing that it would make me look even worse in the eyes of a guy who was already of the opinion that I was an inadequate thaumaturge.
I turned to the open window and called out a single Command.
"Dajiadohguolai!"
Then I stood back and waited.
Within a few minutes, several large black crows flew to the open window.
Flapping their wings in rapid motion, they landed on the wrought iron railing outside the window, next to my lavender pots.
I whistled and clucked a greeting to them and filled the empty tray with sunflower seeds.
With a soundless Receive Command, I implanted an image of the Alder Alley classroom into their quick, curious minds.
The crows stood still, staring at me in that one-eyed way which indicated their understanding. Then, I waved a finger, dismissing them.
They cawed once, filled their beaks with seeds, and took off into the air.
Half way up into the sky, they were joined by a huge murder of crows, darkening the sky.
The lead birds flew up, cawing and clacking in a strange but intelligent cacophony. They led the group to the destination I had imparted to them.
I whistled once and then called out yet another Come Command, this time targeting a different group of animals.
"Dajiadohguolai!"
An onslaught of geckos crowded around the edges and ledges of my window.
There were so many that for a moment, all I could see were brownish green bodies and hundreds of eyes.
Just as before, I used my soundless Command to implanted an image of the Alder Alley classroom into their quick, curious minds. Then I flicked a hand to disperse them.
There was a loud clattering of paws on wood and in a second, they were gone.
It was as if nothing untoward had happened mere seconds ago.
Turning away from the window, I saw Corwin's shocked blue eyes behind a hand that covered his mouth. His face was flushed and he looked as if something had hit him in the guts.
For a long moment, I stared at him, speechless with the embarrassment that engulfed me. I wanted to tell him that I was not the crazy bird lady—or the crazy bat lady—or the crazy gecko lady!
I was a normal girl, really!
But the words stuck in my throat. How could I possibly defend myself against what he had confirmed with his own eyes?
We stood there, frozen in an eternity that spanned several painful heartbeats.
Then, Corwin broke the thick silence with a choking gasp, as if he had forgotten to breathe during that long pregnant pause.
I turned away, my heart squeezed and bruised, but feeling relief of having been released of that intensity.
Moving quickly to break from the savage ferocity of the moment, I grabbed my backpack from the corner, dumped out all the books that it held, and then filled it with a few old towels.
Since I had no idea how long it would take me to take on the Dean's request, I could not leave my animals alone for the duration.
The backpack was the best way for the bats and the rats to travel with me, especially since my main method of traveling as of late was on Corwin's hoverboard.
I held out the backpack and made a motion for them to get in.
The bats clicked and chirped, excited to be out doing something different. They scampered into the bag and nested themselves within the folds of the towel while the rats climbed into the side pockets, looking for the small carrot pieces I hid there for them.
"I'm done here. Please take me back to the classroom." I called over my shoulder as I left the room, not waiting for him to follow me out.
As we swooped down on the hoverboard in front of classroom, I could see a bored Connor yawning into his elbow crook, seemingly disconnected from a vivacious Simon, waving at us with enthusiasm.
From behind the mages, a black-and-white malamute came running, his tail wagging in furious spurts.
You! I smell you. Smell Corwin too! Sniff, sniff, sniff!
"Hello Max!" I called out as I squatted down and reached out for the dog.
He bounced up, paws on my shoulders, nearly knocking me to the ground.
Hello, hello, hello! Play with Max. Play! Play! Play!
He began barking the word Play, over and over, the loud woofs reverberating through my skull.
Play! Play! Play!
I laughed and pushed him back with a gentle hand so I could get up.
I will, in a moment. I have to do something first. Sit! I pointed at him.
He sat.
Stay! I pointed again, wordlessly.
Max sat back on his haunches, panting and grinning at me, his tongue hanging out and lolling about.
I smiled and rubbed his furry head.
Good boy, Max!
Pant, pant, pant
Max was an amazing malamute. He would be quite useful for this mission.
I looked up at Simon. "Were you able to get me something of Tory's?"
Simon nodded and shoved a clear plastic bag at me with the contents of what looked like a very soiled Academy of Magiks hooded sweatshirt.
"I found an old sweatshirt of Tory's that he left behind at my place the other day," he grimaced. "Would this work?"
I opened up the bag and nearly lost my breakfast as I gagged on a whiff of the odor that emanated from within.
Max stuck his nose into the bag and inhaled with gusto.
Smell, smell, smell! Big smell! Strong smell! He yowled and yipped in his unique malamute voice.
Simon cackled. "Stinky, huh? Tory really starts to get a nice funk going when he gets to the fifth day of no-showering.
He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "It's so nasty that none of us will hang out with him until we dunk him under running water. This thing was left behind after the last time we made Tory take a bath."
"This is perfect. Thanks Simon." I said. "Connor, I'm going to try something that's probably going to make Max go crazy. Can you please hold him back for a while?"
Connor nodded and pulled back on Max's collar, his large arm muscles flexing with the effort to restrain the large, brawny canine.
With Max contained, I opened the ziplock bag and dumped the sweatshirt onto the ground. Then, I slid the backpack from my shoulder and deposited it onto the ground near the bag.
I clicked my tongue a few times, calling to my little critters. The bats flew out, then fluttered around me before landing on the sweatshirt.
The rats joined in the fun, and within seconds, they had torn the sweatshirt to shreds.
"Shunzaotahnren!"
I called out the Seek Command and indicated with my hands for them to take the scrap they had and internalize the scent.
Once I could see that they were thoroughly familiar with Tory's scent, I stood up.
"Dajiadohlikai!"
I called out with a quick spring of my fingers, dispersing the bats and the rats.
They scattered and began their quest of finding Tory. I grabbed a piece of shredded sweatshirt and tucked it back into the bag for Max, leaving behind the remaining rags.
Then I turned to the guys.
"Stand back. Whatever happens, don't move a muscle."
The mages nodded and, along with the malamute, made their way to the sides of the buildings.
I stood alone in the clearing next to the alleyway, trying hard to focus on what I had to do. There was nothing to be nervous about.
This was not the real kind of magik that the guys performed, using the energy from the cosmos. This was just plain old me, talking to the animals like I always did.
Of course, this was ME we were talking about. If I ran true to form, I would inevitably screw up at the most inopportune time.
Nevertheless, I had to do this.
No choice.
I took a deep breath and braced myself. It had worked with Magus Asada's koi. There was no way it would not work with the crows.
As smart as the carp were, they could never hold up against the sharp-witted crows.
I scanned the horizon for signs of the feathered creatures, but the air was empty of wildlife. I had sent them here earlier, so I knew they would be around here hiding somewhere.
I would just have to call them out.
With my hands up in the air, I made a quick swooping motion with my fingers.
"Taozodirenhueilai!"
I shouted out the Recall Command!