LONDON CALLING

Jessie nodd to sergio "yes she is and my older sister too" he said with a smile as he listened he nodded he agreed with Sergio about the stones." one to use and one as backup"he said then smiled at Ana thanked him. " it is a good thing the sound of children laughing." he told her watching the children playing. He listened to Sergio and nodded he agreed. When asked if he wanted to meet th old man Jesie glanced at Robert and Michael for confermation " it couldn't hurt." he told them then looked at ana " alright I acept your invitation to meet the old man"

"While you're gone, I'll show Michael and Brian to their rooms," Sergio said. Ana nodded,

"Let's go so we can get back and plan the climb," Ana told Jessie. She got up and when Jessie was ready, she walked down the well worn path, down the hill and back into town. The old man was, to muggles, a clockmaker. The front of his little shop had all sizes and types of clocks and watches. An old man with white hair, a mustache, and a beard sat at a jeweler's desk with all manner of tools and parts all around him. He wore a pair of jeweler's magnifying glasses to see the fine detail of a pocketwatch he was repairing. The tiny brass bell rang when Ana and Jessie went in.

"Nicu," Ana called.

"Salut," he called back.

"I've brought a friend," she said, switching to English. "Can we come through to the back?"

"Of course," he said, getting up and walking through a set of beaded curtains to the back room. This was the half of the shop that was for magical folks, clearly. It had all manner of crystals and stones and jewelry and wands, potions, ingredients, and all sorts of things, all crammed together tightly in a bit of organized chaos that he understood and most other people would not.

"Nicu, this is a friend of Angus and Edward's. His name is Jessie. Angus has come back and he has brought three of his friends with him."

"And what is his mission this time?" Nicu laughed. "Did Edward come?"

"Not this time," Ana replied. Nicu seemed a bit disappointed. "They are looking to defeat a sorceress who carries a staff with an enchanted stone."

"Oh. Her,' Nicu acted as if this woman was a mere annoyance.

"And they are being pursued by a pair of shapeshifters."

"The Donohues have a way of making enemies wherever they go," Nicu was amused.

"They do," she laughed. "Do you have any shapeshifter amulets?"

"I have two. It will take me some time if you need more," he replied.

"I'll take what you have. But I have a second question. The story about the stone that captured the sorceress. Is it possible to put that same enchantment on a particular stone?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Sergio believes that if we can make a copy of the sorceress's original stone, we might be able to enchant this duplicate so that if she tries to use the staff with the enchanted stone, it would capture her."

"Sergio's brain sometimes goes a little sideways, doesn't it?" Nicu laughed. "Well, I suppose it would be possible. It would take me a few days. I would have to have a raw stone big enough to cut to the right size and shape and then I would need time to cut the stone, and then to enchant it. And I don't have any of those stones right now."

"You will. We will go to the mines and get a few," Ana said.

"Bring me the raw stone, and I'll see what I can do."

"And we will protect you so that the shapeshifters and the sorceress cannot find you."

"That would be a waste of your efforts," he laughed. He got up and went to a cabinet full of little tiny drawers and opened one of the drawers and drew out two of the shapeshifter amulets and handed them to her. He told her the price, and she paid it at once.

"I am going to make some apples in pajamas, so I'll bring you some when I get them baked."

"You spoil me," he smiled. "Thank you. Take care if you go up into the mountains. We're expecting storms late tonight. That will make it impossible for you to get up or down for a couple of days."

"Thank you for the warning," she said. "I will tell Sergio." He nodded.

Jessie followed Ana to a clockmakers shop he knew not to take things at face value and followed her inside he let her do the taking while he looked around the room it facinated him all the things around him even the ones that gave off a bad vibe to him which he stayed away from. Hearing them talk of amulets he turned back to stand with Ana. "multumesc pentru tot ajutorul tau(thank you for all your help)" he said and smiled to the man.

"we'll make sure Edward knows you helped us thought my gues is he'll already know as he's smart that way." he told him then heard of what was to be done to the stone when they found one " we'll bring you the biggest one we can find" Hearing Ana talk about apples in PJ's he loked confuse but said nothing as she took the medalions and together they walked back to the house with Angus , brian and Michael in it.

"You're welcome, "Nicu told Jessie. "Edward and I have been good friends for many, many years, and he came often enough that I watched Angus grow up. Now Edward doesn't go on so many missions, and I don't see him as much anymore. But, yes, he will know you have been to see me. Take care on the mountain."

Ana led Jessie out of the shop, and they walked back to the house. Sergio had showed them upstairs to the bedrooms. It didn't take more than a moment to see that the house was enchanted to look deceptively small from the outside and on the inside, it yielded many more rooms than it could have otherwise. The bedrooms were meticulously clean, with whitewashed walls and traditional rustic furniture with bed linens and rugs in drapes in bright colors. At first glance, Michael thought the beds looked like they were going to be about as soft as concrete, but he sat down on one and it was deceptively luxurious. There were several bathrooms throughout the house, and they were well stocked with soap and clean towels. Ana and Sergio indeed had kept up the waystation tradition, and the house looked like it could be pressed into service with no notice to any traveller's needs.

As he and Brian came back downstairs, Angus woke. Angus had no memory at first of being brought to Sergios and Ana's, let alone being brought inside.

"Ah," Sergio smiled. "The dead resurrects." He flicked his fingers at the coffee pot to rewarm the remaining coffee and poured a cup for Angus and took it to him. "This will start your brain again, my brother."

"What happened?" Angus asked, taking the mug.

"You tried to pass out in the street outside the restaurant," Sergio said. "So I brought you home, of course. It was better than letting you lay out in the street." Angus gave him an amused smile. He remembered now. "I think you were far more asleep than awake even then. You were exhausted. Your friends told me of your late night swim. So now I know it was sheer Donohue determination and your friends that brought you safely home to us. How do you feel?"

"Better than I did at breakfast," Angus said. "Thank you."

"Get a bit of coffee, and then, when Ana and Jessie return, we will talk about our next steps." Angus nodded. Brian went over and touched Angus's forehead for a very quick check on him and his vital signs.

"Much better than when we got here," Brian told him.

Jessie walked down now cleaner and feeling like himself as he smiled seeing Angus awake and drinking coffee " how you feeling now?" he asked taking some coffee for himself. "because you look way better than you did several hours ago." he chuckled at him as he sat and drank his hot coffee. He waitied for Brian and Michael to apear and thought about teh climb they had infront of them.

"tell me about this climb we have?" he asked leaning forward on his knees to listen to his words " I hear its dangerous?" he added hoping it was not as bad as he had over heard prople saying about it.

"Much better," Angus replied to Jessie. "Must have been more tired than I thought."

"How about a few notches past knackered?" Brian said. "It seems Robert was right. You don't have much energy to expend today."

"The climbs up the mountain faces are not long distances, but it does take a long time to accomplish safely," Sergio said. "It can be very dangerous. The rock is very smooth and slippery. It is hard to get a handhold into. It requires slow, well planned movements, strong handholds, as much safety gear and precautions as you can possibly do."

"Then I suggest you let me go first," Michael said. "I'll put in as many pitons as I can on the way up.

"There are some in there but most climbers get frustrated by not knowing where and how to get them into such smooth hard rock," Ana said.

"Which is why you have me," Michael said. I'll go ahead of you and find you the best path up." Angus hadn't said a word, dreading the climb he had ahead of him.

"Angus," Ana said quietly, "answer me honestly for I will know if you lie. If our positions were reversed, and if I were in your shoes, would you still be in favor of my trying to climb?"

"No," he replied. Michael and Brian were surprised by his candidness. They had expected him to try to brush it off, but he hadn't.

"Exactly," she replied.

"Here is our thought," Sergio told him. "For you to go, it puts you and all your friends in extreme danger. You simply aren't able to do this climb. Ana and I are good, experienced climbers, guides and fighters. You know that. One of us will go and take your place. The other will stay here with you and keep a watch for those annoying shapeshifters. If they come, the two of you will make sure they do not get past you to come after us. They cannot get to the mountain without going through town. You will be able to see them clearly from here since our house looks over the whole town. Ana got two amulets from Nicu to repel shapeshifters. It's all he had. I suggest we send one with your team, and we keep one here, just in case."

"And when would you want to do this?" Angus asked.

"The sooner the better. The skies are not going to hold. We are going to be into storms before daylight tomorrow. As it is, we have most of the rest the morning, all afternoon, and all night at our disposal to make the climb, get the stones, and get back down. I say we should gear up to leave within the next hour."

"I'll pack some rations for us," Ana said, getting up and going to the kitchen.

"Can I help you, Ana?" Angus asked.

"Unless your skills are improved, I thank you, but no. I can manage," she smiled.

"I might have picked up a thing or two in the last ten years," Angus said, not intending to tell her yet that his skills in the kitchen were massively improved since them.

"Sit and rest," she said. "It won't take me long."

"I'll go get a climbing pack assembled," Sergio said. "Do any of you need any gear?"

"No, I think we packed well for it," Michael said, "but we should check just in case." He looked at Brian and Jessie. "I did bring some smaller, climbing packs so you didn't have to unpack all your things to use your packs for climbing. I'll get them, and you can load those for climbing instead."

"If I'm not going, you can use my things if you need them," Angus said.

"Thank you," Michael said. "I'll pack them to take just in case."

Jessie sat and listened to them talk he knew angus was capable but right now he needed to recover. When sergio sugested one of them go and the other stay with Angus he breathed a sigh of relife then he heard Michael say he would go first. " okay then I'll take up the rear" he said " since Im the more junior climber here." he said looking at Michael as he told them of the smaller packs " thats great, but shouldn.t we still take the provishions?" he asked.

HearingAngus say he would not need his climbing gear he nodded
extra ropes and crabines would be usefull. "alright I'll gather the equipment." he said and moved to Aguses back pack and took out the rope to add to each back pack and the carabines.

"Relax. Ana has the provisions in hand," Sergio said to Jessie in a calm way. Sergio was not nervous about the climb but he could well understand Jessie's anxiety. "She has packed for many, many climbs."

When Brian got his pack together, he changed into climbing clothes, and Michael did the same. Sergio changed into his climbing gear as well. Ana brought in four well packed packages of rations and handed one each to Sergio, Michael, Jessie and Brian.

"They are shrunken to reduce size and weight in your packs," she told them. "Sergio, are you going? Should I go instead?"

"I will go," Sergio smiled, kissing her forehead. "If the shapeshifters come, keep our children and Angus safe. Sound the alarm for the others if you need to. You know they will help. The shapeshifters may not come tonight. If they came by muggle cars, they haven't had nearly enough time to get here."

"Watch for the light before you come home tonight," she told him.

"I will," he said. He looked to Brian and Michael and Jessie. "If the light in the upstairs window is not on, it is not safe to come home. If the light is on, that means all is well here and it is safe to come home. Just so you know. We also have signals here we can send to request help from our neighbors and from the townsfolk. Everyone has an alarm. When you're living in such a remote area, with all sorts of dark and light magic all around, you take no chances. Angus, it has been so many years. If anything happens, she will not hold you to our pact."

"I still abide by it, regardless," Angus says.

"Thank you," Sergio said. "Let us go check to make sure its safe to leave." Ana and Sergio went upstairs to look out the windows."

"So you know," Angus told Michael and Jessie and Brian, "the three of us made a pact years ago, before Sergio married Ana. If anything happened to them. I promised them I would see that Ana and the children were provided for and taken care of. He might want to release me from it, but if he were to get hurt helping us? I couldn't turn my back on Ana and the kids. Not saying I'd marry her. That isn't part of it. It just means providing for their needs, that's all."

"Understood," Michael said. "I don't see that happening but I'll help you honor it, if need be."

"So will I," Brian said. "Not to worry. An ally is an ally."

Jessie looked at sergio and nodded understanding. He changed his clothes to climbing gear and waited he heard every one talking and the explination of the light. As Angus explained the pact he smiled understanding where he was coming from. "Me too, its loyalty, not love right." he said letting Angus know he knew his motives "same for the family of a fallen marine, all the men in the platoon would make sure that mans family were taken care of." he said walking over and placing his hand on Angus's good shoulder.

Moving back he pcked up his pack and put it over his shoulder. " light on its safe, light off not safe." he said simply as he watched them walk up stairs.

"Right," Angus told Jessie. "I appreciate that you all understand. They're family to me, the same way you are. Be careful up there. If it falls apart, don't be afraid to bag it. Remember who we work for. If this plan falls apart, there will be another. It isn't all or nothing."

"Understood," Michael said quietly. He went over to Angus and sat down on the arm of the recliner. "Angus," he said even quieter now and very calmly. "Look at me for just a moment, would you?" Angus looked at him. Michael was exceptionally confident. "This is my wheelhouse, you know? You have a lot of skills. I have a couple, but this? This I can do in my sleep. I have never, never failed a climb, nor have I ever lost a man on a mission. I will bring them home. Rock or no rock, I will bring them home. Trust me. Trust me, Mate."

He didn't doubt any of the rest of them, if he really thought about it. So if he didn't doubt them, what was this big case of nerves about?

"Sorry, Michael. I don't know what I'm on about."

"I do," Michael smiled. "You've had a rough 24 hours. You're entitled." He leaned down closer to Angus. "I heard her say you were no good in the kitchen. She's got no bloody clue. When you're feeling stronger, think of some little five minute thing you could do in the kitchen to shock the hell out of her. And then laugh like hell at her surprise." He cast Angus a mischievous grin. Angus flashed a smile back at him. "We've got this, you know?"

"Yeah. Do I?"

"Pop the floo open and have a moment with Robert once we go. That'll help. It always helps me when I'm out in the field and I doubt myself. Give it a try."

"Maybe I will. Thanks."

"Are we ready?" Sergio asked.

"Yes," Michael said, standing up. Sergio gave Ana a kiss and said a few soft words to her, then he motioned the others and headed out the door.

"We've got about a ten minute walk if we keep up a good pace before we get to the first surface. It's that way," Sergio pointed northeast, through the woods.