The Black Mage: Apprentice (32 page)

I know it is not good thinking but I really
hope I get to serve during the next one. Some of the other boys are
already bragging that they've made their first kill. I don't want
to kill anyone – I know I will have to, it's only a matter of time
- but I would like to serve Jerar and keep those nasty Caltothians
out.

I hope your apprenticeship is going well. You
and Alex are fourth-years now – just one more year after this and
you'll be mages! MAGES! Just in time for the Candidacy, too!

Write back and say hello to your pretty
friend Ella – tell her if Alex messes this one up I'd be happy to
prove not all men in our family are halfwits!

- Derrick

I set my brother's letter down with a
chuckle. It might be my most challenging year yet, but at least
Derrick was having a good time. Someone should be.

Alex snorted loudly, having finishing the
letter over my shoulder just moments after. "That little pest is
full of himself now that he's got himself a soldier's blade."

Ella smiled widely. "I don't know, Alex,
Derrick
is
pretty handsome."

My twin choked. "He's three years
younger!"

I let them continue their banter. I couldn't
wait to be stationed up north with Derrick next summer. Everyone
knew Ferren's Keep was one of the four cities the apprentices
trained in and it was only a half a day's ride to the border from
there. I had missed many things since Alex and I had first set out
for the Academy three years ago, and my family – especially Derrick
- I missed the most. Already my younger brother had matured from a
feisty twelve-year-old into a young man. Cavalry didn't have a
four-year apprenticeship period like the other war schools but I
still couldn't believe Derrick was a soldier. I had missed that
period of growth from child to adult and it was alarming how
quickly it had happened.

Next year couldn't come soon enough.

"Do you think we will lose again this
time?"

I glanced up over my plate of roast boar to
frown at Ella. She was talking about the mock battle. "You think we
will?"

"We are mentees. The odds aren't exactly in
our favor."

Alex put his arm around the girl's waist. "We
won our first year – and we were the underdogs then too."

"Yes, but we won because Ry was able to bat
her eyelashes at Ian instead of fighting him. Somehow I don't think
that tactic would work quite as well this year."

"Hey!" I huffed indignantly. "I can fight
him."

"Sorry, hun, but he
is
your mentor.
I've seen the two of you in practice." My friend looked
sympathetic.

I cringed. She was right, of course. Ian
did
beat me most of the time. The last two months Byron had
let the fourth - and fifth-years cast on their own. Without the
master's split-second commands to prepare me for my defense I had
struggled to keep up with the random assault of attacks. Still, I
liked to think I had done better than most of the other
fourth-years.

That, and I was still better than Ian at pain
casting. Darren and I were better than
all
of the
fifth-years who could pain cast… but that didn't really matter when
the third-years were still much better than our second-year
mentees.

Overall the mentors still outperformed us in
casting
and
physical prowess.

"If you think about it, since we started the
apprenticeship the mentees have won every year." Ray joined us at
our table, eager to be included in the night's debate.

"That's true." Ella stirred her cider with
her finger. "And it's uncommon enough as is. Perhaps the streak
will continue."

The tavern was noisy – but not so much so
that I couldn't hear the door swing open for its newest customers.
Especially when the whole room went silent. I turned just in time
to see Priscilla, Darren, and Blayne appear in its entry all
laughing loudly at something their unknown companion had said.

My blood turned to ice. I was all too
conscious of
his
presence. I fought myself to keep from
staring.

To redirect my thoughts I studied the
stranger instead.

The girl was of islander descent like Lynn,
with the same straight black hair and almond eyes. Unlike the
apprentice, however, she dressed much more elaborately. The
material that made up the stranger's gown and cloak was something I
had only seen once before, in one of the merchant stalls in Langli.
Borean silk.

What really caught my interest was how the
girl held herself. When she spoke to the crown prince and his
brother there was no hint of awe, no fear, none of the usual
trademarks of someone addressing their better. Either the stranger
knew Blayne and Darren very well, or she was royalty.

"Is that…?"

"
Princess Shinako!
" Lynn squealed. I
watched as the fifth-year ran up to greet the girl in fine
dress.

Shinako instantly broke off her conversation
to embrace her old friend. The two started to exchange excited
greetings, but Blayne interrupted with a curt, "Shina!" The
princess rolled her eyes and then Blayne grabbed her arm,
whispering something that made her redden instantly.

The princess murmured an apology to her
friend and then shoved her way past Blayne to strike up a
conversation with his brother instead.

"What do you think he said to her?" Ray
wondered.

"It's Blayne," Ella's gaze followed the
princess, sympathetically, "so probably something horrible."

Alex darkened. "If I ever catch him
or
his brother in an alley alone…"

"You won't do anything." Ella gave my brother
a sharp look, but her voice softened as she added, "Because if you
do, you'll be thrown in prison and what life would that leave
us
?"

Alex gripped my friend's fingers tightly.

Neither of them said anything more. They
didn't need to.

I turned to Ray, feeling uncomfortable with
the exchange. I was happy for Alex and Ella, I was, but every time
I saw how easy it was for them a dark, gnawing jealousy began to
eat away at my stomach.

"Romance only slows you down."

I tried a smile and found it came a bit
easier than it would have three months back. "Thanks."

"What are you thinking for tomorrow's
strategy?"

The tavern door swung open again and I found
my eyes unwillingly tearing toward it. A second later I regretted
the action when I realized who it was.

It took Ian even less time to spot me. The
moment he did irritation crossed his features.

A second later the fifth-year turned heel and
strode back through the exit.

Ian would be not partaking in the festivities
tonight, not as long as I was part of them. The door slammed shut
and I heard Ray's low whistle.

"Guess it slows others down too."

"Why should
he
lead?"

The entire grouping of second - and
fourth-year mentees swerved their heads to look at me. Even Ella
and Alex looked surprised.

I held my ground and repeated myself. "We
didn't even vote. Darren shouldn't get the role of command just
because he is a prince. There are other fourth-years who would like
the opportunity to try."

"Like you?"

I swallowed as Darren's garnet fell to me.
For a moment he almost looked hurt, but any residual surprise
quickly morphed into indignation.

"I have led us for two years."

"And only once to victory - which you
wouldn't even have been able to do without me." It felt good, I
realized, to speak out.

"Last year we failed because of your and
Ella's flagrant disregard for orders!"

"Your orders were wrong!"

"I was the leader, even if my orders were
wrong you should have listened to me!"

"So I should just blindly follow an
idiot?"

"
Enough
!"

Both us stopped arguing as Eve stepped in
between us. The girl, usually soft spoken, was unusually loud.

"I don't want to hear about any more of our
past battles. We won one, we lost one. For everyone's sake I am
going to offer myself as commander. I don't agree with Ryiah's
assertion that Darren was chosen for his bloodline – I happen to
think he is very good at leading - but I do think it would be a
nice change to let someone else take the reins for a day. And, no,
Ryiah, I don't think it should be you. You and Darren are too much
alike. Both of you are risk takers. It's time we had someone who
approached things more cautiously."

I bristled at that last insinuation. That
Darren and I were the same in anything irked me to no avail. I was
not
reckless. Darren didn't look too happy either.

"I second Eve." Ray stepped forward shooting
me an apologetic smile. I remembered our first-year trials and the
stunt I had pulled during our duel.
Maybe I was a little
reckless
.

"I, as well."

"Me too."

Within seconds the mentees had all agreed to
a change of leadership. Even Ella and Alex. The only person who did
not was Priscilla but she was outvoted.

"Sorry, Ry," Ella murmured as Eve launched
into strategy talk. "I'm sure you would have done well but I think
everyone knows Darren would not be very cooperative if it was you,
and we need all of us working together to win this."

I sighed. Once again the non-heir had found a
way to make my life difficult. No one wanted me as a leader if it
meant our most powerful fourth-year was against it.

How could I have ever fallen for someone like
him?

We spent the next hour following Eve's
directives. I had to admit she knew what she was doing. Having a
father in charge of the Crown's Army had made her the ideal
commander for a mock battle in Devon. She had the Alchemy
apprentices busy mixing magicked oils to strengthen the weak armor
our team was supplied. Restoration was already scouting the
southern district, looking for possible safe houses to mark with
our agreed upon sign.

Combat, of course, was busy planning the
attack. Eve led the discussion, citing the best and worst locations
for an ambush.

The entire township of Devon had been
evacuated for our mock battle. All around the edges of its agreed
upon border were families of merchants, farmers, nobility, and any
of the King's Regiment and Crown's Army who had received the day
off. They were all watching alongside our factions' masters and
Commander Audric.

It was intimidating.

For the day's event each team had been
allotted five horses, six breast plates, five chain mail shirts, a
handful of wooden shields, six poleaxes, five halberds, a rucksack
of woolen bandages and salve, and a small barrel filled with the
ingredients Alchemy needed to cast their potions.

We quickly divvied up the components and gave
the second-year mentees the spelled plate armor, halberds, and
horses. They would need the most advantage and plate armor was too
heavy for quick movement on foot.

Eventually, it was time to begin.

****

I fell hard, my palms slapping the ground and
the rustle of small metal ringlets ringing in my ears. Moments
later a spiraling torrent of ice slammed into the wall behind me,
just inches from where my head had been. I barely had time to choke
out a small gasp of relief and then I was on my feet, sprinting as
fast as my legs could carry me.

I threw up a barrier behind me and prayed it
would hold. It was a costly casting – something I usually didn't
like to invoke since the sphere tended to drain my magic's stamina
much faster than a shield. It was a combination of phantom
currents: steel, wind, and crackling power all thrust into a giant
purple globe. But I didn't have time to predict my pursuers' next
casting – not while I was out in the open.

My feet pounded along cobblestone as I
searched for a safe house, wishing desperately I had remembered
Eve's instruction from earlier that morning. The mock battle had
been going on for three hours and I already seemed to have
forgotten most of our strategy.

"
You can't run forever, Ryiah!
"
Laughter echoed down the street. I kept running.

Alex and the rest of his Restoration mates
had spent twenty minutes going over the safe houses. Our signal was
supposed to be a small splatter of mud at the bottom right corner
of the doorway, inconspicuous to all except one who knew exactly
what to seek… but try as I might I could not spot any in the
buildings I passed.

I must have heard wrong.

I knew a safe house had to be somewhere close
– just two shops further and I would be crossing into the northern
half of the city where the mentors patrolled. At the start of our
pre-battle planning the masters had assigned us the southern
section. Which meant if I didn't pass a safe house soon I would be
forced to turn back and face my two attackers alone. It was
reckless to go into mentor territory, and there would be no help
there.

If I found a safe house nearby I could get
another Combat apprentice to help me take on my two followers. The
houses here weren't just a haven for Restoration and mentees in
need of healing, they were also where Alchemy and Combat mages
could confer until they were ready to come back out of hiding. If I
fought the mentors pursuing me now I would win - but it would cost
almost all of my magic to do so. And who knew how much attention
the attacks would draw. If more mentors spotted me I'd be forced to
surrender in a second.

I needed help.

This was exactly what Eve had warned against.
It was the reason she had asked us to patrol and scout in pairs.
Our team was counting on the fourth-years mentees to secure victory
– all but one of our Combat second-years had already surrendered
during the first two hours of battle. More than ever we needed my
magic.