SORCERER (The Elemental Magic Series Book 1) (17 page)

“Couldn’t let you puke by yourself, brothers in arms and all that.” Erik gave him a weak smile.

Alec had no idea what he meant but nodded back. As they made their way back to the fire Allen and Lena were finishing the wrap on Tom’s leg. Draping his bedroll over Tom Allen sat down facing the fire while Erik turned the deer, one side was partially burned and the vegetables weren’t editable anymore.

No one seemed concerned that Jaimie wasn’t around so Alec asked, “should we go out and look for Jaimie?”

“No, not unless you know where he is. You’re a good enough shot you might hit him from a distance so long as you aim for his head.” Erik laughed. “We’d want him alive after all.”

Alec understood the joke, just not why he would be aiming at Jaimie. “He could be hurt. Why would I shoot him?” Alec was confused.

“Those are his arrows. I hope he’s dead or that Tom at least winged him.” Allen held up one of the arrows. “We mark our arrows near the tip so we know if someone is shot with one of our arrows.”

Alec and Lena moved the deer off the fire and cut slices for everyone. It wasn’t the best he’d ever had but it sure tasted good on his empty stomach. When he was midway through his second piece Tom woke up.

“Someone going to cut me a piece or do I need to get up and get my own?” He asked.

Alec fought the urge to laugh but couldn’t stop a snort from coming out and covered his mouth with a hand.

“Well at least someone thought it was funny.” Tom chuckled.

The heads swiveled from Tom to Alec and back. Allen started it but soon everyone was laughing.

“That’s what you get for letting a newbie shoot you Tom.” Allen told him as he sliced off another piece of meat.

Erik and Lena slowly helped Tom to a sitting position. As Tom ate Alec looked around at the people with him. This was the group the Alec remembered from training. Normally loud but thoughtful Tom, calm collected Allen, loose and free Erik, and Lena being somewhat shy but noting everything.

“Jaimie was no newbie that’s for sure. We were to the west of here when three guys jumped us. I managed to take one out with my knife when the other two drew swords. When I looked for Jaimie he drew on me, thankfully he was never very good with the bow.” Tom started telling his story.

“He sided with the others? Why, did he say anything?” Allen asked.

“The other three looked like Sendarian elite guards. You remember how Jaimie’s background never seemed to really add up. Now we know why.” Tom told them.

Alec had only sparred with him once and hadn’t noticed anything odd about Jaimie but he wasn’t a full student of Tom’s. Alec kept quiet and just listened.

“So they’re sending assassins over or are they just feeling us out?” Erik asked.

“I don’t think he was an assassin. He wasn’t that good. The guy they caught going over the wall had duty rosters from the administration building. If I had to guess I’d say they were gathering intel about each section.” Tom explained.

Alec got up to cut another small piece and everyone seemed to notice him again and clammed up. Tom just looked him in the eye and gave a slight nod to which Alec smiled back.

Allen helped Tom into his tent announcing that he’d take first watch. Alec slid into his and promptly fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew a hand was reaching in and shaking his shoulder. He almost knocked the hand away but thought better of it and climbed out.

The fire was a pile of red hot coals and he could make out Allen’s face in the moonlight. He had his bow strung and an arrow notched. Allen motioned him away from the tents.

“You heard something’s you probably weren’t meant to tonight but we’ll let that go for now. Things aren’t always what they seem. I’m turning watch over to you. String your bow and keep an arrow at the ready.” Allen told him.

Alec nodded and grabbed his bow and slid his quiver over his shoulder.

“Don’t look at the fire and stay a few feet into the forest as you make your way around the clearing. If you see something shoot first then call out, got it?” Alec nodded again. “Good. Now when the moon touches the top of the trees wake Erik and take his tent. I don’t think anything will happen but be careful.” Allen told him and headed for Alec’s tent.

Alec set off for the edge of the forest walking in just a few feet. Looking out across the clearing he watched the edge of it for any movement. The soreness in his ankles had dissipated for the most part as he started walking as quietly as possible.

He figured he could make about ten or eleven circuits of the clearing during his shift. Alec looked to the other side and doubted he could make an accurate shot if it became necessary. If the Sendarians did come out of the woods they would head for the camp most likely and that would put them with in his range.

On his eighth circuit Alec froze. He didn’t know what it was but for a brief moment the moon light had reflected off of something a quarter of the way around at the edge of the trees.

Standing right next to a larger tree Alec brought his bow up and sighted down the arrow watching for another reflection. Minutes passed and he brought the bow back down and started his walking again. Taking several steps forward the reflection caught his eye again.

Alec drew his arrow back and caught sight of a figure as something glinted at their waist. Sighting along the arrow Alec aimed for the person’s chest and released. The arrow sailed above the camp and Alec saw the figure go down.

“Allen!” Alec yelled out as he drew another arrow and took aim. Out of the corner of his eye he could see everyone sliding out of the tents and grouching down.

The figure he’d shot was getting back to its feet so Alec loosed again. The arrow arced and struck true but instead of knocking the figure down there was a flash of silver light and Alec saw his arrow stop then fall to the ground. Another flash and the figure was gone. Alec pulled another arrow and set it, ready to pull back and shoot again if necessary. The others came running hunched over to Alec’s position one by one.

“Did I get him?” Alec asked as Allen came up to him. He was still staring at the spot.

“Sure looked like it from where I was. Are you adding magic to your arrows?” Allen asked him.

“No, I don’t know how to do that.” Alec answered.

Somewhere behind him he heard someone mutter the word crap.

A good thirty minutes later Eric silently made his way over to where Alec had been shooting at and then gave the all clear.

Tom took over Erik’s tent and sent Alec off to get some sleep with a clap to the shoulder. It took a while but he did eventually fall asleep.

Chapter 17

Silvia had been careless. As she reappeared in her home Marcus let out a loud snort. Dusting off the back of her dress she flopped down in a chair.

“Not the greeting you were intending?” He asked.

“He shot me! After searching for months I finally get close to him and he shoots me with an arrow.” Silvia took a long shaky breath. Being shot in the chest had scared her. Obviously the boy hadn’t known it was her standing there and she hadn’t been using an external shield but being shot had still hurt.

Alec woke slightly later than normal the next morning. Coming out of his tent he saw that everyone else was already up. Tom gave him a nod and pointed at the ground. Two arrows lay there. One looked just fine the other had the tip broken off of it and the tip was crushed.

“Looks like you hit something last night.” Tom told him.

Alec bent down and picked up the broken tip. “Did I hit a rock with this one?” He asked.

“I don’t think so. The other one has just a tiny amount of blood on it.”

“What does that mean? Was there a body? I saw him go down and then stand back up.”

“I think who ever tried to pay us a visit was a magic user. That was close to a two hundred yard shot, in the dark. I’d say you scared the crap out of him and he took off.” Tom smiled, not a normal friendly smile either this was the smile of a hunter. “We’ll be heading back today. I won’t be able to make the normal pace so we start now. Hopefully we can make it by dark.”

Alec ran over and started packing his tent and pack. When he was done he joined everyone else at the fire. Tom had Allen take point and Erik pulled up the rear. Alec and Lena were to stay with Tom.

The first hour they went pretty slow, Tom had a noticeable limp and used a long thick stick as a crutch. At the rate they were going it would be well past night fall before they got back. A short time later Alec saw Tom bend over and slice something from the ground, bitter-root, then stick it in his mouth. Alec didn’t know you could eat bitter-root raw like that and in fact he thought that it was poisonous.

Tom apparently saw his concern and answered the unspoken question. “It is poisonous which is why I’m only sucking on the stem. It’s not as effective but still works.”

Their pace began picking up after that with Allen clearing them a path. They ate lunch on the run consisting of the dried food in their packs, everyone pitched it and gave some to Tom seeing as he didn’t have his pack any more. Three small breaks and one changing of the bandage on Tom’s leg saw them exiting the forest as the sun set.

As they drew closer to the academy something was obviously different. They were challenged twice by different patrols of enlisted before they even made it to the back entry. Whereas Alec had seen just one guard when they left there were now three and one had a crossbow leveled at them.

One of the guards stopped them and asked their names and rank. Tom was a General apparently and both Allen and Erik were Captains. Lena told the guard she was a Sargent. When the guard asked Alec he hadn’t been told if he had a rank so just told the man that he was a sorcerer.

Alec followed Allen and Lena back to Tom’s barracks while Erik went with Tom to the infirmary.

Allen told him he could gather the rest of his things then head back to the tower and that he’d see him tomorrow. Alec received several raised eyebrow as he made his way to the sorcery tower, especially from the wizards that he passed.

Opening the door he was greeted by the familiar sight of Christi and Peter sitting in the parlor. He almost got a hug from Christi but she wrinkled her nose at the smell coming from him.

“You stink!” She said backing away from him.

“Well, I love you too.” Alec joked.

Peter raised an eyebrow and then held out a hand to shake. “You made it back in one piece I see. That’s not your blood I take it?” He asked.

Alec took the offered hand before answering. “It’s Tom’s. We ran into some trouble or he did I guess. We’re all fine.”

Christi followed him up to his room where he dumped his pack and grabbed a clean robe noting that someone had changed out the ripped ones for new. He thanked Christi for doing it guessing correctly that it had been her.

Alec headed back down stairs to the shower and stopped at the door promising that he would tell her all about the trip as soon as he was cleaned up.

The shower felt great after spending the entire weekend in the forest. He had to wash twice till the water ran clear. It felt weird yet familiar wearing a robe again and oddly comforting. Alec walked out of bathroom and took a seat next to Christi on one of the sofas giving her a hug.

“So how was it? I heard Master Stalle got shot and one of the guys didn’t come back.” She asked.

Peter came in and took a seat across from them as Alec started telling them of the trip into the forest. He refused to tell them of the things that he and Allen had talked about and left it by saying it was personal stuff. When Alec got to the part where he’d shot the guy coming into the clearing Peter agreed that it sounded like a magic user and told them that most had a hard time working spells under pressure unless trained to do so.

Alec told them he needed to find a bite to eat and to check the duty roster for when he had guard duty. He knew the martial school cafeteria kept a few things out for those who couldn’t make the normal time and decided to head there first.

With Christi holding his hand they made their way over passing a few wizards. She gave him a disapproving frown when he didn’t return their greetings though they only greeted Christi by name. Alec made himself a simple ham sandwich and took it with them on the way to the front gate. Christi continued asking about what he and Allen had talked about.

“Stop, I’m not going to tell you. If you really want to know then ask Allen, if he says it’s alright then I’ll think about it.” Alec knew Allen would say no and was happy to be under orders to say nothing.

Christi fairly pouted the rest of the way to the gate and let him hold the door for her at the guardhouse. Alec checked the list of duties and didn’t see his name anywhere for the entire week. Alec found Sargent Cartman in his office going through some papers.

“Come on in Alec.” He held out a hand to shake. “What can I do for you?”

Alec introduced Christi as his girlfriend and the Sargent kissed the back of her hand. The man was charming and Alec almost hated him for it.

“I noticed my name wasn’t on the duty roster and thought I’d let you know I was back, sir.” Alec told him.

“You’re right. I was told to take it off a little over an hour ago son. You shouldn’t have still been on it anyway.”

“Who had me removed? I don’t mind doing my share.” Alec had a suspicion.