Marriage is Murder

"'Sun won't be up for about seven hours," Brian said. "Not this time of year. We're supposed to make camp in the dark--before daylight. I don't know about you, but I packed a wizarding tent, so its not that hard. I say we go make camp and then pop into the main house for something hot to drink."

"That's cheating," Angus said.

"Of course it is," Brian said. "But since I'm running the training, its my decision. Its not like you'll be in trouble for it."

"Will you?" Angus asked.

"Nah. Who's with me?" he asked.

Jack, jess and cassidy looked at each other while Steven chuckled a little but all agreed to set up the tent and head up for a hot drink . each moved to the campsite and helped set up the tent which working together didn't take all that long. Once down they headed up to the main house. " ok don't know about you but I'm ready for a hot coffee" Jack said as they walked up to the house.

Steven checked everything was in place and secure then followed them up to the house.

With everyone working together, it had only taken them a short time to make a sufficient camp. Brian went with them to the main house. Owens was up late doing budget paperwork.

"This is surely not part of your training," he looked at Brian.

"Of course it is," Brian said. "Are you saying I"m cheating?"

"Yes," Owens said. "What are you looking for?"

"Something hot to drink," Brian said.

"Dining room. Tea, coffee, and, this time of year, hot spiced cider, on at all hours. Help yourselves," he motioned. "Shall I have rooms prepared for all of you? Or will you at least be making an attempt at it?"

"We'll decide that after we warm up," Brian teased, motioning them to the dining room. He chose the hot spiced cider for himself, as did Angus.

Jack and steven chose spiced cider the girls tea Jim just shook his head taking some coffee and moved to Brian handing him a cup of spiced cider " here warm you up" he told him and looked as the others drank he could feel his fingers again and chuckled " survival hum" he said softly as he watched Cassidy place down her cup and moved over to them.

"So when do we start, at sun up?" she asked looking out a window at the horizon and the faint yellow orange glow creeping ever more over the sky signaling day was beginning.

"As soon as we finish our drinks," Brian said. "Can't put it off forever. We'd better go get a boatload of firewood and start gathering whatever herbs and roots and such that we can find. Should be easier going right now because they haven't had a frost yet. But I don't know if that will hold for the two nights we're here. Once we get the firewood, we'd better put a fire on because even though the sun will be out today, it will still feel cold after a point."

"We'll manage," Angus said, not wanting to reveal he brought a small woodburning stove for in the tent so they'd be comfortably warm. This was not going to be the ordeal they'd had in the winter so long as Robert had allowed them packs of whatever they'd wanted to take. It might have been different had they been muggles, but since that was not the case, Angus was figuring there were a great many luxuries shrunken into the packs that a muggle would not be able to do.

Jack looked at them " I'll get the wood " he said as Jim and Steven looked at Jess and cassidy "we'll get the herbs and roots "They said together. both chuckled and looked at Angus each nodded they agreed they would. Jim looked at the sky and smiled.

" looks a clear sky, that means cold weather." He said and Jack ported out to the camp site soon he had a pile of wood balancing in the center of a ring of stones as he sat and warmed himself in front of it smiling as Jess aperated to beside him the others followed. Jess and Cassidy headed out to look for herbs and roots Cassidy seeming to know what ones were safe and ones that weren't.

Angus worked on putting finishing touches in the tent. Woodburning fireplace, furniture, a bedroom for the women off to the left and one for the men off to the right, separated by a great common room with deep comfortable furniture, rugs, lamps, and a sort of a rough kitchen and a dining table. He made sure there was a proper bed for everyone and that they were all made up.

Brian had gone off by himself, and Angus didn't know what he was looking for, but Brian always came back with something. He was gone a couple of hours, but when he came back, he went into the tent with a loaded backpack.

"What did you find?" Angus asked.

"Apples, celeriac, arugula, wild beets, chard, grapes, parsnips, potatoes, squash, and some tomatoes," he said.

"What'd you do? Raid your own fields?"

"No," he said. "But I do know my own land. I know where the wild things grow. Can you do anything with it?"

"Between that and what I brought and what the others are trying to find, yeah. I can do something with it. Any word from Robert yet?"

"Nothing worth reporting yet," Brian said. "Hannah said the surgery is underway but they may well not be finished for several hours."

"So, at least its not bad. An there aren't better hands than his," Angus said.

"Yeah, I know," Brian said, getting a large pot of coffee ready and floating it out to Jack at the firering so he could put it on over the fire to heat and brew.

Jack took the pot that floated towards him and filled it with water and coffee granules placing it on a hot stone he kept an eye on that . Jess washed the herbs and roots taking them inside " ok why did we need these when your obviously better at this than we are" she said and chuckled placing her own beside Brians collection " clearly we have loads to learn." Cassidy chuckled and nodded.

" thats what this weekends for Jess" she said and smiled at her then looked at Angus " can't wait to see what you do with that lot angus" she said

"I didn't look for the same things," Brian said. "You found herbs and nuts and things I didn't find. I thought this was about us all working together."

"I know exactly what I'm going to do with them," Angus said looking over it all. "Good haul. Should keep us all weekend in these chilly temperatures." Brian opened his pack to reveal a number of sealed envelopes. He drew out the first one.

"Tasks?" Angus asked.

"Yes," Brian said. He opened the first envelope. "Robert's first assignment. There are a number of magical items well hidden on the grounds. We are to work in pairs. There is an item for each one of us. You may only return with the item tagged with your name. I know Robert. These will not be easy. This may well take you hours and hours to find. He will have charms on them to keep them hidden so that you can't find them easily or quickly either one. You can assist your partner but you cannot take their item to them. You must leave it where it lays. If you disturb it when it is not assigned to you, the item is enchanted to hide itself all over again, and you'll start all over. And you cannot complete the second task until you do this first one. Does that make sense?"

everyone looked at each other and each took an envelope and looked at Brian hoping he could tell them what it was each had to look for , not where but just the what part . Jack and Jess teamed up as did cassidy with steven.

"Well that just leaves me without a partner " he said and chuckled looking at Brian hopeful he would partner him even for a little time.