”He shook his head. “Okay, let’s just say that we’ve been walking this earth for many, many centuries. To my knowledge, we were around long be...ore Christ.“Before He came along, we got along with everyone fairly well. We were the healers and Magicians everyone turned to for all kinds of stuff. However, even before the beginnings of the organization of the Christian religion, there were those who feared us and killed us on sight. Some of us would be helped out by those who knew us and trusted us,. "And you are naked..." He did not need to guess why, Laivien already told him in an amused tone."That is..." Zax was embarrassed. His Master's remark made him feel indecent by being exposed, even though his Master did not wear clothes either and almost none of the humanoid beasts his saw. On the other hand, they had no need for clothes in any other form than their human one and it only now dawned on Zax."Come inside, I have a few beast skins. Cover yourself and sit with me". Kartius pulled Zax. . While my students were working with Uberti half stock J&S Hawken kits, I was scratch building an early .53 caliber S. Hawken full stock flintlock. Most of mine was guess work.We’d been through drawfiling, fitting under barrel staples, casting pewter nose caps and cleaning up the Uberti castings, trigger guard, buttplate, and ramrod thimbles.At the same time as each individual project was being performed by the students I was building the same part from iron sheet. A .53 cal round ball ramrod. Looking twice as pretty as the day before and I did feel so happy to see her. We talked some more that afternoon but not for so long as she had to get back to her folks because her father was sick. She was going to plant some roses in their garden because her father liked them so and she hoped the scent and the sight of them would help him get better. That day was the last day of term and the summer break stretched long and glorious in front of me. I told Joan this and she looked pleased too..