When life-long friends Hanson and Graber learn there may be a great wizard on the far side of the woods behind their village, they decide to seek him out. The source of the information may be suspect, but the lure proves too strong. In hopes of learning magic to rise above their current status as Hanson the Pigs and Graber the Firewood, they set out on this quest.<br><br>When they meet wizard Holzy, they’re both intrigued and intimidated. He makes them labor and suffer, but eventually begins to teach them the practice he calls “the feat of the wand,” which turns out to impart much energy and knowledge as well as unsuspected pleasures to both men.<br><br>A submerged attraction between them comes to the fore as Holzy awakens urges and desires they hardly even dreamed existed. But he keeps them entranced and bound to him. When Holzy makes a mistake, can Hanson and Graber apply their new powers to gain freedom from his spell and be acknowledged as his equals? Will they go home in triumph or be consigned to the salt mines?

Hansen and Graber

Whatever Hanson might have expected after the encounter in the bathing room, it certainly was not anything that came next. When the three of them left the bath, Holzy snapped his fingers in the air to bring a heap of garments tumbling at his feet. Hanson found a tunic-type shirt that fit his wide shoulders and dragged it on. The fabric was coarse and scratchy, but it was no worse than many things he’d worn. After digging around, Graber found a similar shirt and donned it. They looked some more, but no trews emerged from the pile. They each did find a pair of simple brogans and stepped into them, since neither was fond of going barefoot. Holzy stood by and watched, not speaking, until they were both dressed.


“No pants?” Hanson asked the question, a smidgeon of belligerence coloring his tone. His shock overcame any hesitance to challenge the mage. “Not used to going bare-assed. Haven’t done that since my mam taught me to piss and shit properly so I didn’t mess them.”


Chapter 9