The Magician's Apprentice (45 page)

“He’s chosen . . .” Stara echoed. A chill ran across her skin.

Ikaro frowned. “You didn’t know?”

“I thought…I hoped he’d given up on the idea and…I hoped he would send me home.”

He shook his head and looked away again. “No, he’s accepted the man’s proposal.”

Standing up, she began to pace in a small circle. “Do I get any say in this?” She looked at him and saw the apology in his expression as he began to answer. “No. I know.” She cursed. “What can I do? Run away? Tell him that if he marries me off against my will I’ll make sure I never have a child?”

Ikaro winced, a reaction that made her stop pacing and consider him.
Father said his wife couldn’t bear children. He’s been married a few years now. From the sound of it, he likes and respects his wife. But if she’s infertile… and Father said he needed an heir. To prevent the emperor from gaining the family assets when Ikaro dies.

“Tell her,” Vora said, her voice low and urgent.

Ikaro put his head in his hands, then straightened again. “If you don’t bear a child, Father will make sure I do. By freeing me to try another wife.”

Stara stared at him as the meaning behind his words sank in.
He’ll murder Nachira. That’s why Ikaro winced. He loves Nachira. He needs me to have a child in order to give Father no reason to murder her.
A wave of horror swept over her.
Someone get me out of this country!

But if someone did, Nachira would still die. Though she had never met the woman, Stara knew she would always feel responsible if something she had done – or hadn’t done – had led to someone’s death.

Was she willing to marry a stranger and bear his children to avoid that?

Is there any chance I’d make it out of Sachaka, anyway? Father can still have me marry whoever he’s picked, whether I want it or not. I get no say in it.

“So Father is willing to have Nachira murdered just so the emperor won’t get the family assets?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “He must really dislike the emperor.”

“It’s more a matter of pride for him,” Ikaro told her. “It’s certainly not a concern for me, but for the fact that if I die first Nachira will have no money or home.”

He looked guilty but his eyes pleaded with her.

“I know I’m asking you to do something you don’t want to do and I wish there was another way. If there was something I could give you in return, I would, but I know the things you want most are the ones that would still lead to… still leave her…”

Taking in a deep breath, Stara let it out slowly. “Sounds as if I need to meet Nachira.”

Ikaro’s eyes brightened. “You’ll like her.”

“So you said before. I won’t agree to anything until I’ve had time to think about it.” She paused as an idea came to her. “When you said you would give me something in return . . .”

He hesitated, frowned, then smiled. “If I can give it, I will.”

“Teach me higher magic.”

Again she saw surprise, concern, then amusement. Then he began to nod. “I will have to think about it, too. And ask Nachira. She often sees consequences where I don’t.”

“Of course,” she said. Looking at Vora, she saw the woman was smiling broadly. “What are you looking so smug about, Vora?”

The woman’s eyes widened in an unconvincingly innocent look. “I am a mere slave, mistress, and have nothing to be smug about.”

To Stara’s amusement, Ikaro rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why Father doesn’t sell you, Vora.”

“Because I am so good at keeping his children in line.” She rose and took a step away from the fountain. “Come now, mistress. Too much exposure to the sun will age you before your time.”

As they began to walk away from the fountain, Ikaro called out quietly.

“We can’t take too long to decide, Stara. There are rumours about that Emperor Vochira may go to war with Kyralia. If Father sends me off to fight I won’t be able to protect or teach anybody.”

Stara looked back and met his gaze, nodding soberly. Then she followed Vora back into the mansion, her thoughts turning slowly but ceaselessly with the choices she now faced.

It came as a relief to Tessia, the next morning, to learn that the magicians had decided to move on to the next town. Vennea was a larger town on the border of two leys and, being on the main road to the pass, was a good place to base themselves for a few days. Sabin wanted to send out more scouts and locate the rest of the Sachakans before he and Werrin decided on their next move.

Tecurren was a town in mourning, which was too sharp a reminder of the fate of Mandryn and her parents. The survivors had begun to behave strangely towards the magicians. Their fascination and gratitude had only increased after the magicians took the strength they’d offered (though not from the girls, as Tessia advised). Some began following them around. All agreed it was time to leave and let them begin rebuilding their lives.

The road to Vennea descended in graceful curves along the sides of a widening valley. The forests around Tecurren had been patchy, held back by the spread of fields and relegated to a narrow band of trees hugging rivers and creeks. Now the group descended into a near-treeless landscape, giving them a clear view of fields, clusters of tiny houses, a river and the shiny surfaces of lakes and reservoirs.

As a horse drew alongside Tessia, she glanced up and saw that Lady Avaria was riding beside her. The woman smiled.

“How are you getting along, Tessia?”

“Well enough.”

“I was saddened to hear about your parents, and the people of Mandryn.”

Tessia felt something inside spasm as grief suddenly sprang to life again. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and resolutely pushed the feeling away.

“The girls all send their greetings – especially Kendaria. She wanted to come with me and try out her healing skills, but doubted the guild or the magicians would let her.”

Tessia grimaced. “I’m not sure it would be what she expected. I’ve been failing to heal more often than succeeding. We don’t have the time to treat serious injuries. I don’t know if she’s experienced being unable to save a patient. It’s shocking the first time.”

Avaria frowned. “Sounds as if the king ought to be sending a few healers to join this group. Lessen the burden on you.”

“We haven’t needed them so far. The Sachakans don’t tend to leave their victims alive. But if there are more attempts to take over villages there will be more people with injuries from houses falling down and fires.”

“Let’s hope the war never escalates to the point where Kendaria has a chance to try out her skills. Though I imagine you’d have liked her company. Any womanly company. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you travelling with all these men.”

Tessia smiled. “It has been interesting.” She looked at Dakon and Jayan, and the other magicians and apprentices ahead of them. “You know, I’m glad there’s another woman now, but when I think about it I wonder why. I’ve spent all this time acting as if it doesn’t matter that I’m female. I’m living as roughly as the boys – though I do get a tent all to myself – eating the same food and even dressing the same. Oh, I do have some physical requirements different from theirs, but it’s not as if I haven’t been dealing with that by myself for years already. A bit of extra privacy is all that I’ve needed.”

Avaria glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. “You must tell me the arrangements you’ve made. I’ve been wondering what I’ll do when… when that time of womanly inconvenience comes.”

“Magic makes it easier, of course. Think how badly we’d all smell by now if we weren’t able to wash our clothes because we didn’t have time for them to dry.”

Avaria chuckled. “I’m surprised your clothes haven’t turned to rags in the process.”

“We’ve bought or been given new clothes and shoes in the villages. Not always to the taste of some, but I think even the fussiest of us has had to acknowledge that fine cloth doesn’t last long when you’re riding every day.”

“It would be a waste of fine cloth, too.”

“Yes.” Tessia chuckled. “We can’t have that.”

“What’s this cloud ahead…?” Avaria began, her voice tailing off. Tessia looked at the woman and saw she was staring into the distance. Following her gaze, she saw smoke billowing up from a cluster of tiny shapes in the valley below. At once she felt a sinking in her stomach.

A murmur of voices flowed through the magicians and apprentices as they saw the smoke. Though their words were too quiet to catch, Tessia heard the grimness in their voices and felt her stomach sink even further.

“Is that Vennea?” someone asked.

“I think so.”

The rest of the morning passed slowly and painfully. Sometimes the road led them out of sight of the smoke below. Every time the valley came into view again, the smoke always appeared worse. Nobody spoke, but the pace had quickened and the silence was only punctuated by the huffing breath of the horses.

At last they reached level ground at the valley bottom and the road straightened. Though they no longer had a view of the town, the smoke cloud was now a stark shadow against the clear sky. At the same time, what had been a near-empty road ahead of them was suddenly full of people – both walking and riding – carts, and small groups of domestic animals.

Her stomach sank as she saw the numbers coming towards them. As she began to make out detail, she saw heads turning to glance behind and recognised the haste in their movements. When one of a group of reber skittered away from the rest, the herder made no attempt to stop and chase it.

The magicians fell silent. Expressions were grim. Slowly the gap between the two groups shrank. Several strides before the crowd reached the magicians people began to call out, some pointing back the way they’d come.

“Sachakans!”

“They’ve attacked Vennea! They’ve wrecked Vennea!”

“They’re killing people!”

Tessia watched as the refugees stopped and formed a crowd before Werrin. The magician’s questions were followed by a dozen answers, and she was unable to make out much. After several minutes she heard Werrin call over the voices.

“You must travel south. This way will take you towards the mountains and more Sachakans.”

“But we can’t go back!”

“You must go around,” Werrin replied, pointing to the west. After more discussion, the refugees moved to the side of the road so the magicians could ride on. Narvelan, who had managed to keep a position close to the leaders of the group since the reinforcements had arrived, turned his horse and rode back to join Dakon, Everran and Avaria.

“The townspeople say about twenty Sachakan magicians attacked Vennea less than an hour ago,” he told them. “They’re destroying the place, so it’s doubtful they’ll try to occupy it as they did Tecurren.”

“I imagine scouts will confirm the number before we form a plan of attack,” Everran said.

“Yes. It’s likely they—”

-
Lord Werrin? Magician Sabin?

Tessia jumped at the voice in her mind. She looked around to see her own surprise reflected in the faces around her. The voice had been familiar…

-
Who are you?
Werrin replied.

-
Mikken of family Loren. Ardalen’s apprentice. He told me to report when I reached a safe place.

-
Then report.

-
They’re dead. All of our group. Ardalen. Everyone.
He paused.
We were so careful. Silent. Travelled at night. But the pass…it was full of Sachakans. By the time we came close enough to see it was too late. Ardalen told me to run and hide, so I could tell you. I climbed the cliff… There are about ten of them. They have tents and carts of food and other things that indicate they are planning to stay there and hold the pass for themselves.

Tessia realised her heart was racing. The Sachakans would be hearing this and would know he was still in the area. He was taking a great risk.
Be careful, Mikken!
she thought.
Don’t give yourself away!

-
Is there anything else you must tell us?
Sabin asked.
Anything vital?

-
No.
–

Then stay silent. Travel quick and quiet. May luck be yours.

-
Yes. I’ll do that. Goodbye.

In the silence that followed, furtive, grim looks were exchanged. A few shook their heads.
They don’t think he’ll survive
, Tessia thought. Her heart twisted.
Poor Mikken.
She thought back to the apprentice’s first and only attempt to charm her. Despite – or perhaps because of – her rebuff, he’d remained charming, but only in a friendly, light-hearted way. She felt an unexpected wave of affection for him.
It was like a joke between us. I knew he wasn’t serious. After all, he wouldn’t have looked at me twice if there had been prettier women around. But it was nice to have someone flirting with me, especially when Jayan is so serious all the time.
She sighed.
I hope he finds his way back to us.

Then she remembered Lord Ardalen teaching them the method of giving magic to another that they had used to defeat the Sachakans at Tecurren. Such a valuable piece of knowledge. What other knowledge had been lost when the magician died? How much more would be lost in this war? And would any of them survive to form this guild of magicians that Jayan had thought so much about?

The grey-haired woman sagged in Takado’s grip. He let her drop to the ground then extended a hand in Hanara’s direction. Hanara handed his master a clean, damp cloth, watched Takado wipe the blood off his hand, then took it and stowed it in his pack for cleaning later. “A surprisingly strong one,” Takado said. Looking up at Dachido, he smiled. “You can never tell with these Kyralians.”

Dachido shook his head and looked round at the corpses littering the street.
The ones who didn’t run fast enough
, Hanara thought.
The ones who dared to confront us.

“If they were slaves, the strong ones would have been found and made useful. I can’t believe the wastage here.”

A crash drew their attention. The front wall of a house nearby collapsed and the heat of the fire within beat at Hanara, searing his skin. To his relief, Takado moved away.