Chapter 11

During the next week, we were all excused from most of our other duties, and spent our time studying for the exams. Annie and Sara were both nervous the entire week leading up to the 7th of June. Sean and I kept reassuring them that everything would go well. We didn't let them see that we had the jitters, too. Some quiet sex at night helped settle all of our nerves.

By the morning of the 7th, none of the four of us were even able to eat breakfast. Mother Margie noticed this.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "You've hardly touched your breakfast."

"We're all a little nervous," I told her.

"Being hungry won't help with that, or allow you to think any better. Eat your breakfast!" she told us very pointedly. We started and were surprised at just how hungry we were once we began eating.

"Is everyone ready?" Dad asked coming back into the kitchen from the den, just after we finished eating.

"Yes, I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be," I answered for the four of us.

"Certainly," said Mother Katie.

WHAT? Our Moms were going with us!? Talk about ratcheting up the pressure!

"Gus, you carry this," Mother Margie told me and handed me a small but heavy case.

"What's this?" I asked, feeling the weight.

"It's the gold to pay for everything," Mother Katie informed me.

"Gold!!" Annie asked in surprise.

"Yes, that's how you pay for things in the Otherworld," Mother Margie told her.

"OH!" Annie answered in surprise before we all headed to the den. Dad activated the portal and we stepped through it into the grove in the Otherworld. Brian and several other Senior Masters were there to greet us.

"Welcome, all of you," Brian said a few seconds after we appeared. "You'll have the same guest cottages that you used previously. After you get settled and change clothes, come to my cottage and we'll discuss the order in which the exams will be given. We've seldom had so many to take their exams at one time. There was only your four daughters a year or so ago," he told us.

We all knew where our cottages were and made our way there. I tried to hand the case with the gold back to my Mother, as they turned off to their cottage.

"No, you keep it, Gus. You're the one's taking the exams and will need to be the one's making the payment. Be careful with it. The Leprechauns will try to steal it if they realize that it's here, so guard it well," Mother Katie told me before following Dad and Mother Margie to their cottage.

I looked around fugitively to see if anyone was watching us, but saw no one. We hurried to our own cottage. Once inside, I addressed the others.

"We need to be sure that this gold doesn't disappear," I told them.

"Wards?" Sean asked and a list of spells for wards that we had learned from the 'Book of Dreams' came instantly to my mind.

"Yes, these will be just fine. Annie, you take the first one on the list. Sean, the second and Sara the third. I'll take the fourth and most difficult one on the list. The wards only need to pass the four of us," I told them. We all sat on the floor then with our backs touching as we wove the wands into the walls, roof, and floor of the cottage. It took some little time to complete them.

Dad was at the door before we finished, and was shocked at not being able to enter. He attempted a spell to break the wards, but they were solid already, and he was unable to affect them.

"What's going on here?" Dad demanded from outside, when his counter spell didn't work.

"Just a minute, Dad," I called and quickly finished the ward that I was working on. I got up, opened the bottom half of the door, and went outside to talk to Dad.

"Sorry, Dad. We didn't want anyone to steal the gold, and we used some of the wards from the 'Book of Dreams' to keep everyone out of the cottage but the four of us," I explained.

"Yes, my counter spell didn't work, and I doubt there is anyone else here with enough power to break those wards," Dad told me. He didn't sound too upset.

"We need to meet with Brian to work out the schedule for the exams," Dad told me and the others who had also emerged from the cottage.

"We need to change clothes," Sean told him. "Then we'll be ready to go." We were ready in a short time, and Brian's cottage wasn't far.

"Come in everyone," Brian said cheerfully when we appeared at his door.

"I've spoken with the other examiners," Brian started after we were all seated and had been served some ale. "The consensus was that we start with the Third Level exams, and only do one candidate at a time.

"I tried to convince them to do both candidates for Third Level at the same time by splitting the examiners into two groups, but I was voted down by the others on that idea. They insisted that the entire Panel needed to be present for each examination. I fear that each candidate will be subjected to an overly long examination, and we will only be able to do one per day.

"For the Master's Level exams, of course, the entire Panel would need to be present. I fear that they will be even more thorough than the Third Level exams - as much as a day and a-half to two days each," Brian finished.

"That seems rather extensive," Dad remarked.

"Yes, we could be looking at six days to finish," Brian said.

"Why so long?" Dad asked next.

"I believe some of the other examiners feel that the candidates are too young for the rank they are applying for. Some of them also had doubts about your daughters, who were a year older when they took their exams. They fear that the candidates aren't sufficiently knowledgeable or qualified," Brian finished. The four of us were smiling at this.

"I take it that you don't agree with that assessment," Brian said on seeing our smiles.

"No, sir. We were more worried about being over qualified," I told him. Brian appeared skeptical at this statement.

"Which of you young ladies will be the one to start tomorrow?" he asked next.

"I will," Annie answered without looking over at Sara who didn't object. Apparently, they had worked that out previously.

"All right. You will need to appear in the grove at 9:00 in the morning. The others may not accompany you, although Mark, you may attend all of the examinations, but only as an observer," Brian told us. We all left after that and returned to our parents' cottage.

Our Moms were ready to go shopping when we arrived, and took Annie and Sara with them. They still had some of the tokens used here for purchases from previous visits.

"I don't remember things being this complicated before," Sean remarked when the others had departed.

"No, they haven't been previously," Dad said, and then mused, "I wonder what put the bug in their butts?" None of us had any idea.

We departed for our own cottage when the women returned, and spent the rest of the day reviewing the material that we had studied for the exams. We called several books to us from the library here to check on certain procedures. Annie and Sara made an early dinner, and we all turned in early. Sean and I both made sure to use the more powerful privacy spell that we had learned from the 'Book of Dreams' to ensure that none of the Magic from our activities leaked out that night.

Annie was very nervous before we got in bed, but a lot of hugging, kissing, and gentle sex had her relaxed and ready for sleep after a time.

"Will you be all right alone tomorrow?" I asked when we were finished, but before we went to sleep.

"Yes, I think so. I had no trouble with the review today, but I am still worried about possibly using one of the advanced spells during the exam," she told me.

"Just do your best, and don't worry about what spell you need to use. I'm sure that it will be all right," I told her before she cuddled up to me, and we were soon asleep.

We were all up early in the morning and headed down to the pool to bathe. Later there was breakfast. Dad came by shortly before 9:00, and he and Annie left for the grove.

I left our cottage and my wives to pick up Annie at the children's cottage shortly before 9:00, and we walked up the hill to the grove, arriving there just before the appointed time. The examiners were seated in a single row on the far side of the grove with Brian in the middle. He rose, as we approached the grove, and came forward to talk to us.

"Mark, you may use the empty seat at a right angles to the examiners," he told me.

"Anna, once we are all seated, you may enter the grove and approach the examiners. Stop on the flat stone in front of them and bow from the waist to show them respect. You will remain standing for the entire examination unless an answer requires you to move or bend down for some reason. There will be several preliminary questions before the examination begins. Answer all of the questions respectfully and say yes or no Master for any answer. Is all of that clear?" Brian finished.

"Yes, Master. That is clear," Annie answered with a smile.

Brian and I then went to take our seats. Once we were ready, Brian signaled Annie, and she entered the grove and proceeded to the large flat stone in front of the Examination Panel before bowing to them.

"Please state your entire name, young lady," Brian told her.

"My name is Anna Catherine O'Neill, Master," she answered.

"And what is the reason for your appearance before this Panel?" Brian asked formally.

"I'm here to take the exam for Third Level accreditation, Master," Annie answered just as formally.

"And how old are you, young lady?" the Master just to Brian's left demanded.

"I'm fifteen years old, Master."

"And you think that this is old enough to be granted Third Level," the same Master demanded.

"Granted? No, Master. I have studied very hard to earn this status," Annie replied in a confrontational voice.

"And how long have you been Second Level, young lady?" the last Master in line asked.

"I took my Second Level exam just after New Year's this year, Master."

"What!! That was only six months ago!" said the Master sitting on Brian's left.

"Yes, that's correct, Master."

"And you think that you are ready for Third Level?" he demanded incredulously. "Others have studied for well over a year to take this exam.

"Yes, Master. I believe I am ready," was all that Annie replied.

"We'll begin the questioning with Master number One on the right end of the Panel," Brian said then.