Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9) (12 page)

Ashleen giggled and replied, “Sorry, I guess being a wizard it actually is. I was born into a wealthy, prominent family and guarded like an expensive painting on the wall before I came into my powers. By the time the wizards found me I was already a wilder wizard and then I was under the strict rules of the wizard’s guild.”

Sebastian thought how odd it was that they fought for nations struggling to remain free of the emperor, yet certain basic freedoms were taken from those fighting to keep them that way. He had wondered how much of the changes to his relationship with Yara stemmed from their fear that they would be split up again anyway in their service to Southwall.

Music played in the background from behind the closed doors and the mage looked in at the men and women with their cascade of many colorful clothes as they danced. Under the warm colors of the hall’s decorations, it looked like some fantasy that he couldn’t be a part of and yet they were. He looked down at the girl in her beautiful blue dress and asked, “Do you want to go in and dance?”

“We can dance right here, if you want; but maybe you’ll kiss me again first?”

Like payment for a dance, the mage dutifully kissed Ashleen and didn’t mind the price.

“Where did you two wander off to?” Gerid asked after they had returned from the balcony. They had remained outside dancing for several songs before they decided to head into the ballroom to look for some refreshments. Night had taken over the view with just Epsilon’s silver light to illuminate the tops of the walls and the distant sea.

“We were just out for a breath of fresh air on the balcony,” Sebastian told the truth more or less.

Ashleen nodded and added, “Even with whatever wizard spells they use to keep this room cool, the air is getting rather stale.”

Giving a rueful laugh, the giant replied, “Try standing near to a noble using up all the air trying to convince you that his business would be a perfect fit and I would only have to serve as the promotional face while he does all the work. I certainly have to say that the politics of trying to earn favors hasn’t changed much since my time.”

Sebastian shrugged and asked, “Are you missing your island already and thinking it was a mistake to come back?”

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Gerid countered, “Are you? I came back because I have something to settle with the emperor, if I can. My descendants still rule here and they are my family as well. If I can help them, it is my duty to, is it not?”

“Duty can be a pain, but some people let responsibility govern too much of their lives probably,” the mage replied thinking of what he and Ashleen had discussed as much as wondering if he had truly done the immortal a favor by releasing him from his island prison.

“I had nearly two hundred years to relax and avoid what was happening beyond that island. I just figured that it was about time I got back to my world. Besides, I was curious what this country of yours was like that had made men and women like you and your team of wizards.

“Darius remained active the whole time in the outside world, even if he is a few centuries younger than I am. If he can keep on going here, then I guess that I can too.”

Ashleen giggled and said, “I guess that your vacation is over, though those aren’t exactly the most enthusiastic reasons for returning to Southwall.”

Shrugging the big man took a sip from a fluted glass holding a sparkling white wine before he answered, “Well, it wasn’t exactly that painful of a life living on that island. If the emperor thought he was punishing me by putting me there, seeing that I have been able to live in relative peace for so long creating a family of dozens while finding multiple loves there, then he really did fail.

“I may have not been able to be here to help people return to prosperity, but from what I have seen you all have done well enough without me. I am just one old man. No one person could have brought the nations back by himself anyway.”

King Alain slipped into the conversation from behind the giant and said, “Maybe not just one man, but if you had been here it would have brought more hope. You were said to be a warrior without equal and could have helped protect the people.”

Gerid gestured to those dancing before them to music that had been created after he had disappeared from the world. “These people and their ancestors protected themselves and pushed the Dark One back. They didn’t need me, Alain. They became stronger because they didn’t rely on a legend to get them through the tough times.

“I don’t mind being here to help give them hope, but I think they’ve always had hope. It was the soldiers, wizards and battle mages who threw his armies back, not one man or woman. Their power was in coming together for a single purpose.”

King Alain frowned a little; but not because the Grimnal dropped his title of king while speaking to him as his bodyguards had noticed as they surrounded him. “Now it sounds like those to the south have forgotten why we came together and for what purpose.”

Sebastian looked at him as he questioned, “Your highness, has something happened?”

“The reports of the insurrection speaking instigators of the emperor; have become mixed with mail from New Harbor, Siltrene and Mariport beginning to question the taxes and rules my predecessors and I created for the benefit of all Southwall. There are lords and ladies as well as merchants beginning to fall for the insidious words of the emperor’s spies.

“Some of the cities have even suggested breaking off from Hala’s rule since they feel they have nothing to do with us. We take their men and women for our army as well as taxes to fund it. They are questioning why they should be forced to suffer those taxes because they don’t believe the threat of the emperor remains.”

Sebastian frowned and replied, “That is just about exactly what we heard preached in the streets. If their words are making the citizens question their loyalty...”

Alain nodded finishing the thought, “If they don’t come to their senses, we might have cities revolting or even a civil war.”

The music played on trying to encourage those in attendance, but for those the king confided in, it was becoming more of a somber night.

Chapter 7- Honing Skill

Despite the worrying words of the king, the night of the celebration continued with few being any wiser of the troubles beginning to appear far to the south thanks to the emperor’s attempt to destabilize the status quo in Southwall. Sebastian and Ashleen rejoined the dancers and soon put the dark words behind them.

When they returned to the Two Circles Inn Sebastian could tell that they had both probably had too much wine instead of finding something weaker like water or juice. The king threw a lavish party and the lords and ladies in Hala expected the wine casks to flow. It made it harder for those used to keeping their heads for work in the morning to keep them intact.

Ashleen had become flirtier and Sebastian had kissed her a few more times even on the walk back to their inn. He had no regrets. After all, this was the time to discover whether his relationship to Yara was the right one or so the researcher inside of him justified giving in to the girl.

The wilder was drunk enough to have trouble walking straight by the time they returned to their room. She kicked off her slippers in his room and unclasped the outer layer of blue gauze before trying to pull at the strap looped over her neck holding up the remainder of her dress. Tilting her head forward nearly landed the girl on her face, but Sebastian caught her as she stumbled forward.

While he could feel the alcohol in his system, Sebastian had less difficulty with his balance. In his hold, Ashleen managed to pull the strap over her head messing her hair in the process before he even realized that her determination to be free of her dress continued. As she stepped back the front of the dress dropped revealing her breasts even as she squirmed free of the rest in front of him leaving only her matching blue panties to cover her.

Ashleen turned towards him throwing her arms around his neck pulling him close for a kiss.

“Goodnight, Bas,” she said with a slight slur to her words before turning to try walking through the bathroom doorway. The girl bumped into the doorframe as she passed bouncing back a step before finding her way through the bathroom.

Double checking to make sure Ashleen managed to find her bed through the dark and drunkenness, Sebastian returned to his room picking up the parts of her dress to place them in his wardrobe. He didn’t want to disturb her as he had already heard her settling into sleep on her bed.

Kicking off his boots and removing his shirt, the battle mage slept on his covers thanks to the warmth in the air from the heart of summer. He lay on his back considering what had happened at the banquet. While he knew that he cared for Yara and knew that it was love, to say that it was with all his heart made him wonder.

Ashleen was as wild as the term used for a wizard like her and everyday he got to know more about her, he found that he enjoyed being with her too. It was a little disconcerting and the young man wondered which relationship would wind up being the bigger mistake. He didn’t regret falling in love with Yara, but something had changed so soon that he wondered if staying together would be possible even without their leaders’ interference.

Looking at his relationship with Ashleen had no less worries. She was Kardorian making a question of whether she would stay with him a big concern. He had told her and she understood that he was loyal to Southwall with no plans to leave his country. Ashleen had never stated her intentions, but until recently he hadn’t let her close enough to consider worrying about where her loyalties would lead her.

Of course, she had followed him first to the Sea Dragon using Helena as an excuse. Ashleen had told them she wanted to leave the Carnivore because Helena was hard to get along with; but he wondered in retrospect, as had Yara, if the wilder had simply wished to be near him. She had chosen to go with him as the Kardorians separated to return home saying that she wished to learn more from him and that she could return home later.

That was before the fight with the Betrayer which had stranded the two of them in the silver light of the emperor’s former prison. It held hundreds of floating islands now, one of which they managed to survive on for weeks before finding their way back to Hala where his staff, Bairh’loore, had been placed.

Ashleen still remained near him even after and had pushed for them to at least try to let love take over and see where it led.

Closing his eyes with a sigh, the mage let his worrying thoughts rest and his body slept.

Morning came and the man was up early as he had been the day before. He would return to the Black Smith Inn and work on the iron blended with charcoal and other alloying components to try and find the ideal mixture to create a Hollow Sword. Since he didn’t know how soon the remaining team members would return from New Harbor, Sebastian assumed that he would only have a few weeks remaining in Hala.

Raven Leros wanted him to begin training the mages of Hala on the new techniques he had learned along the way, including reviewing the light and darkness spells gathered during the tournament. Mecklin and Frell were to be pressed into teaching as well, but he had two days before his time would be dedicated to that endeavor leaving him less time to work at the forge.

He cleaned up and dressed without hearing Ashleen stir in her room. Looking in on the girl, he discovered her lying on her back on top of the covers. She had never woken to change and lay nearly naked on the bed. Her beautiful body revealed; the young man had to wrest his eyes from the sight.

The wine had obviously taken its toll and as he had guessed, the girl wouldn’t be ready to go to the smithy anytime soon.

After a quick breakfast, the novice sword smith returned to the forge heating the vaguely sword shaped piece of meta once morel. Working the bellows himself, Sebastian brought the hearth from a low heat gradually building it up naturally. His magic could have increased the heat supernaturally, but the mage had no idea if that would harm the metal or even damage the furnace of the forge.

Ivol and his son came in to the forge after an hour and Sebastian was already working on the metal. He extended his senses into the future blade feeling the changes in it since he had begun. The blend of iron, charcoal and three other elements chosen for strength, hardness and durability according to the knowledge they had been given over the last few days was proceeding nicely even if Sebastian remained unsure of whether it would work.

“You are early,” Ivol commented pulling on his leather apron. He had come shirtless since even the night had never truly cooled thanks to a summer heat wave beginning to take the city. The heat of the furnace didn’t help matters and had driven Sebastian to work without his shirt as well again. “No apprentice today?” he asked with a chuckle since the three men knew that the mage was no less a novice than the girl.

“She drank too much last night at the celebration to be ready,” Sebastian agreed taking a break from hitting the metal with the hammer. He was nearly to the point of testing it with his magic again anyway.

“Ah, that big celebration for finding the Grimnal? So he really is the high king? I mean it’s been over two hundred years and it’s a little hard to believe anyone could live that long let alone supposedly live about a thousand years.”