Silver Mage (Book 2) (15 page)

“Then it shouldn’t be that hard,” Bren replied as he signaled for the small group to move forward. “Just try to keep everything in one piece until I get back,” Bren yelled over his shoulder.

CHAPTER XV

It took most of the first day to reach the borders of Torin and enter Rane. By nightfall though they had still only reached the edge of the rolling hills that opened up into the vast plains of Rane. As they made camp the first night Bren wanted to think that they had made good time but he had hoped to be much farther along by now but they had got a much later start than he had expected and the bulky wagon had to move slowly. Thankfully though the rods were well kept but that was to be expected from a country that prided itself on trade.

As Bren set up his bedroll he noticed that Avalanche was acting strangely. Most of the time she would be jumping around or running off to explore the area but for most the day she had stuck close to the wagon and even now she quietly lay beside it, making Bren a little worried. He had never know the creature to get sick but there was a first time for everything.

“What’s wrong girl?” Bren asked as he walked over to where Avalanche lay.

When Bren was only a few steps away from Avalanche it felt as if he stepped on something soft. “Ow!” A loud voice squeaked from the seemingly bare ground.

“Faye?” Bren asked as he probed the ground with his foot.

The air started to shimmer and once where there had been nothing slowly Faye’s thin body came into view. Unlike the last time he had seen her use her ability this time she was wearing clothes. “Why did you have to kick me?” She asked pushing herself from where she lay.

“Seems you have gotten better at using your magic,” Bren said with a disapproving look on his face. “I won’t ask how you learned about this little trip,” Bren said
, looking over to where Phena stood acting innocent with a thin smile on her face. “I will send one of the guards to take you back to the tower in the morning.”

“No,” Faye said ignoring him.

“I don’t know what you think this trip is about but,” Bren started to say.

“I don’t care,” Faye responded cutting him off. “You might fancy yourself a king but you won’t see me bowing to you. I will go where I want, when I want, and how I want.”

Looking at the stern look on her face, Bren knew that he had lost the argument. The only way he was going to get Faye to go back to the tower was if she was bound and gagged then watched afterward. “Why do you want to go that bad?” Bren asked as he rubbed the temple of his head with his thumb and index finger.

Faye’s eyes cut over to where Lillian stood hunched over a large black pot preparing the evening meal. “Idiot,” She said as she looked down at her hands.

“Fine, do whatever you wish,” Bren said admitting defeat.

You are not going to simply roll over and let her come with us? You are as much a pushover with women as your father.

“What would you have me do?” Bren asked frustrated.

Just what you suggested. Send her back by force if she won’t go quietly.

“If I did that she would simply use her magic to follow us,” Bren said sighing. “Even if they could escort her back to the tower she would most likely leave as soon as they averted their eyes. If she didn’t find us there is a chance that she would fall prey to beasts or bandits.”

Then let the fool girl fall prey to them. It would be her own fault.

“Like I could do that,” Bren said as he stomped back toward his own bedding.

Bren could almost feel Thuraman’s disapproval but he pushed it aside. He had far more important things to worry about. It would still be a few days but soon they would be arriving in the capital of Rane, and that was where his journey would truly begin. Without help he doubted that he could do everything he needed to do...At least not without sacrifices. He needed support but from people he trusted and there were few of those around.

As he sat down, Bren looked toward Phena who has placed her pallet on the outskirts of the small camp. He thought about going over to ask her why she had moved so far away from the others but before he could act Cass was already talking to her.

He had noticed his friend talking to her many times but he never thought much about it. Cass was infamous around the town for courting young women and Bren never felt the need to warn Phena of his behavior knowing that she was intelligent enough to know about it on her own. If by chance she did get involved with Cass he would simply start looking for another head guard as he was sure that Cass would simply disappear one night as Phena did not seem to be the forgiving type, then again the Vathari viewed relationships in a different light than humans so there might not be a problem in that area. The more Bren thought about it the more his head began to hurt.
Sighing, he turned his head toward the sky and watched as the few clouds in the sky drifted by lazily.

What are you planning?

“Since you’re in my mind, don’t you already know that?”

If you were your father I could sift through your thoughts but unlike him, your mind is still mostly closed to me. I can try but all I can get are small glimpses into what is at the front of your thoughts and that is not enough to understand.

“I guess it won’t hurt to let you know since you can’t really tell everyone else,” Bren said as a hefted the staff into the air the large diamond on its top catching some of the waning sunlight and sparkling lightly. “First I need to speak with Monique about getting a merchant permit. If she agrees then we can pass into northern Kurt and act as traders.”

And if she doesn’t?

“Then our journey will become much harder,” Bren answered honestly. “From there I plan to make our way toward the brotherhoods camp and try and get the map.”

That’s as far as you have thought ahead. That sounds like something your father would do. What route will we take? If we don’t do any trading or bring anything with us then we will draw attention. Not to mention any member of the brotherhood who gets within a league of you will be able to sense your presence.

“What do you mean?” Bren asked sitting up quickly. “How will the Brotherhood sense my presence?”

“I guess that you are even worse than your father. You have been studying for his location and
planned to go into a Brotherhood camp and didn’t even think to research anything about them.

“Would you drop the insults and just tell me?” Bren asked irritably.

If I didn’t let you know of your foolishness then how would you learn, though even though I pointed your father’s shortcomings out many times he still reaped many of the same mistakes.

“The Brotherhood,” Bren growled.

The Brotherhood are famous for their white metal swords that can cut through magic but that is not all the white metal can do. The white metal has a way of telling where strong magical currents are moving towards. Mages always have a stronger current around them than a normal human and while this might not tell them where you are precisely with as strong of a current that you have around you it would be hard for them to miss your presence.

“I thought that only a small percentage of the Brotherhood soldiers carry the white swords?”

That is true but every member carries a small medallion made of the same metal. Your father got ahold of a few of these and had different servants try them out. It seems that when a mage is near they grow warm to the touch but when held by a mage it will feel as if all the warmth is being drained from your body. A mage who touches the metal for too long will start to feel increasing pain. That is how the Brotherhood always tested a person for magic.

“I wondered how they always seemed to know but I never gave it much thought.” Bren said dismissively.

Your father was always very curious, but you are far from it. In the past year you have not played with your magic nor tested your limits. You study only what you have to and leave everything else behind as if it’s unimportant. You need to learn that everything in this world is connected and take steps to learn what you can and that includes how to use your magic effectively. Right now your only use in a fight is your sword and against a large number of soldiers or even a few skilled ones, you will be easily overtaken.

Bren wanted to argue with Thuraman but he couldn’t think of anything that he could say to dispute the staff’s claims. Looking back to Phena he thought for a moment to ask her to help him with his magical training but he quickly dismissed that thought. He knew that she would try to help but he doubted that she could help until he first learn to control his intake of magical energy.

Bren started to move away from the rest of the group slowly hoping not to draw any attention. When he was nearing a small wooded line Cass called out to him. Sighing, Bren turned to his friend and waited for the large fighter to come to his side.

“Where are you sneaking off too?” Cass asked his voice calm but his posture showing his annoyance in Bren’s actions.

“I thought I would try using some magic and I didn’t want to…” Bren said as he tried to think of how to phrase his words.

“I understand,” Cass said as his face visibly blanched. Looking at his friend’s reaction Bren remembered the time he had first tried to use his magic in a large field near the tower. Remembering that event made Bren rethink using his magic again.

Once they were far enough away from the wagons that they could no longer see anyone in the distance Bren took a seat on the ground. Avalanche bounced up next to him pushing him with her muzzle. Bren pushed the rock hound away and closed his eyes and began to focus.

Unlike when he had first tried to use magic, now Bren could see the thin strands of magical energy that flowed around him. Bren found it interesting that the magical energy was much thinner than he had found around the tower.

There was a large amount of wind and earth elemental energy around him but very little of the others. After deciding on what spell he wanted to use Bren reached out and started to pull in the magical energies around him.

As the magic entered his body, Bren felt a slight tingling sensation in his covered hand. He fought the urge to look but his mind still
had a small fear that even more of his body would start to take on the faint silver color that had started to spread out from the scar on his hand.

Once Bren felt that he had enough energy, he started to form the energy. Once he was sure that he had the form down, Bren released the magical energies and small tunnel of wind no taller than he was appeared in front of him.

Though it had worked, Bren didn’t have time to celebrate as the left over energy was starting to burn inside him. As Master Carnear had taught him Bren tightened his grip on his staff and imagined the energy flowing from his hands and into Thuraman.

To his surprise
, the energy quickly dissipated from his body leaving him feeling empty and slightly tired. Turning his attention back to the small wind tunnel, he noticed that with his waning focus on it that it had reduced its size by half. Pushing a bit harder, Bren fought to hold what was left of the spell moving it around by his will alone.

Slowly Bren pulled in more magic directing it toward the spinning funnel of wind while allowing the excess to be directed into the staff and scattered back into the surrounding area. Once the funnel was twice the size as a man he made it wider.

Bren had expected that the use of magic would tire him out but the longer he held the spell the less of a strain he felt on his body until it felt no more arduous that swinging a blade.

Once the funnel was as thick as a carriage Bren focused on pulling in only enough magical energy to keep the spell going. The longer he held the spell the less excess energy he had to pass to Thuraman. Bren didn’t know how long he had sat on the ground before his eyes began to fog over and everything seemed to turn gray.

Blinking Bren found that his eyes felt dry and gritty and as he tried to stand the muscles in his legs and back felt stiff and sore. When he got fully to his feet his right leg began to cramp and he stumbled forward. Cass quickly caught his arm and kept him from falling to the ground. “You shouldn’t push yourself so far that you can’t even stand,” Cass said with a slight hint of laughter in his voice.

“I am not really tired,” Bren answered back with a grin as he rubbed his tingling leg. “I must have shifted while I was on the ground and sat on my leg wrong.”

“Really,” Cass said in an unconvinced voice. “Look around, we have been here for more than two hours and not once in that time has your magic faltered.”

Bren was confused. It felt like it had been no more than a half hour at most but looking around he noticed that it was now completely dark. The moon shone brightly in the sky like a huge chunk of silver
hung in the sky by an unknown god. As he looked at the large moon, Bren unconsciously placed his left hand over his right, his thumb rubbing on the back of his hand.

“Something wrong?” Cass asked his face pinched lightly in concern.

“No,” Bren answered quickly letting go of his hand. “I was just thinking about how easy it was to use magic compared to my last try.”

“True,” Cass replied laughing. “I was afraid that it was going to end worse than last time. I do enjoy your company but I am glad that I didn’t have to be blown into bits to feed the fields for the next season.”

“I don’t think it was that bad last time,” Bren said defensively.

“If that is what you want to believe then I won’t argue with you My Lord,” Cass said sarcastically. “It was not as if I nearly soiled my trousers last time.”