Chapter 11
The Charter
Hainn returned with Will, who was covered with the signs of his gifting. Dirt clung to his trousers and tunic and the toes of his boots. He had attempted to clean his face with a damp rag that was still clutched in his hand, but he had mostly just spread the dirt around and left streaks across his cheeks and forehead.
His gaze met that of Hamal, who was sitting next to Rosy on the floor and, when necessary, helping her corral the kitten that remembered well its former throne of glory and kept trying to crawl over to Shel, also seated on the floor.
Will’s dark gaze went to Hamal’s grandfather, who was staring at Will like the charter was an interesting book he couldn’t wait to read. Will’s brows drew together, and his steps slowed as he entered the room.
As far as Hamal could tell, his friend Cale had not stopped using his gift since this entire episode began. He wondered what Cale was seeing. No doubt, there were many interesting things that could be seen about his grandfather, always and continually, and yet Hamal thought he himself was more curious about what could be seen concerning the child beside him. Just now, her eyes were brown. But somehow, for good or for bad, he doubted they would stay that color.
Will had not been present when they met Hamal’s grandfather out in the courtyard, so Hamal thought it might be a good idea if he made introductions now. From his position on the floor, he gestured and said, “Will, this is my grandfather, Shel Galen. He thought you might be good for Rosy because of how much you pray.”
Shel climbed to his feet. “So, you are Will Chiodo,” he said, folding his thick arms as he studied the charter.
Will leaned back slightly, as if pushed by his gaze. “Yes, sir.”
“And you are twenty-three years old?” Shel asked.
Even Hamal thought that was a strange question, and he was very used to his grandfather’s ways. He frowned up at Shel, trying to understand, and he never did.
But Cale did, or so it seemed. The seer took a slow, deep breath, and Hamal looked over at him in time to see the silver eyes grow wide in shock. Cale blinked, and then he blinked again, and his eyes did not get any smaller.
What in the world did Cale just see with a single question about Will’s age? Hamal couldn’t wait to ask him, but he knew he probably should wait, at least a little bit. There was the “more important thing” his grandfather kept mentioning.
“And you’re a charter,” Shel said, shaking his head slowly as he murmured, “What a marvel. I say now, what a strange thing.”
Everyone was staring at Shel, brows raised, the fingerprints of confusion all over their faces. Everyone, that is, except Cale. His look was not one of confusion. His eyes were too wide, his brows too close to his hairline. It was like he had found a dragon where he’d expected a nice, mild-mannered pony.
Shel grinned. “Oh well,” he said cheerfully. “That little mystery is not why we are here today. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Chiodo. As you know, members of your party recently discovered the presence of an oracle in King’s Barrow. Highly irregular. Unfortunately, the only god this little child has seen is one that delights in disease, particularly madness. It has become imperative for her to see a different god. She needs the opportunity to see something good, not something bad. And you, as a charter…”
Shel’s face twitched. And then he began laughing like a little boy watching a stumbling puppy learn how to walk. It was such a wonderful, joy-filled sound that Hamal laughed too, even though he had no idea what his grandfather thought was funny.
“A charter,” Shel repeated. “Who would have thought? Who could have predicted this? And how is it going to work? I have no idea. Absolutely none. What a delightful turn of events.” And then he said again, “Oh well. Look, Mr. Chiodo. I am not asking you to climb a mountain for this child. I am asking, simply, that you would use your gift around her. Strongly. Repeatedly. Until the Creator takes an opportunity to reveal himself. That is what this child needs—just the opportunity to see something different. You speak with the Creator on a regular basis. You are the logical choice.”
Then, like a cloud passing before the sun, signs of laughter fled Shel’s face. In a completely different tone, he said, “Your king cannot have an oracle who supports the will of madness in his nation. That would be quite unwise. But the will of a good god? The one who created the earth and knows how it is supposed to run? That, now, is a different matter. Are you willing to help in this endeavor?”
Will didn’t spend very long thinking about it. “Of course, sir.”
Shel clapped his hands together. “Excellent. Now, gentlemen, the hour grows late. I propose we find some supper, fill our bellies, and then send these three out to sleep beneath the stars while the rest of us exchange truly wild stories that sound quite unbelieve but are, in fact, true.”
“You propose for them to sleep out-of-doors?” Cale asked.
Shel looked surprised. “Of course I do. Isn’t that where Mr. Chiodo intends to sleep? Isn’t that…where the earth is? That is where they need to be.”
Cale’s eyes narrowed. “You are aware of the difficulty that presents itself at night with this child. As a precaution, we have been positioning her and Hamal at some distance from everyone else at night. However, you are asking Will to ignore this precaution.”
“Ah yes. The potential for dream entrapment,” Shel said, nodding. “Avoiding it has been wise until now. But I am not asking to put your entire team at risk, Commander. I am asking to put only two people at minimal risk—one who has already endured the entrapment and the other who very likely will not have to endure it at all. I say, Hamal.”
Hamal straightened up. “Grandfather?”
“Are you eighteen yet?”
Hamal set his hand on his chest and checked his bones. He quickly scanned their history and how they were aging, and he noted with a good deal of pleasure how happy his bones were with Cale as his friend. “Not yet, but I believe I am closer now than I was the last time you asked.”
And for some reason, this made Shel roar with laughter. The room rippled with the sound of it. Everyone stared at him in surprise. Cale, however, was looking at Will like he didn’t recognize him.
“I imagine so, my boy,” Shel said, wiping his eyes. “I imagine so.”
Hamal had no idea why this was funny either, but he was glad it somehow was.
– H –
Author’s note: True confession time! Last week I was trying to finish up a client’s book, and I didn’t remember to post here until Monday. Mom brain is a real thing, guys. 😱
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Comment below or find us on Facebook. Copyright notice: © 2026 by Lauren Stinton. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or sapient plants is purely coincidental.
