The Sorcerer's Scourge (25 page)

“She has been through and seen many things in her short life. Her family sold her, she is learning magic, and she has had to kill men that were trying to kill her. Have you ever asked her how she feels about that day when the soldiers broke through the doors of the tower? Not everyone adapts as well as you, and yet few would call you well adjusted. Some claim you are completely mad.”

Azerick nodded and thought about the siege of the school. Ellyssa had used magic defend herself and others with lethal power. He forgot how incredibly young she was to have had to face such a terrible thing. She was even younger than he was when he was forced to take his first life. He had not really put much thought into how those events had shaped and changed him.

“I have neglected many things. I plan to do something about that when I return. Hopefully I can still reach her.”

Miranda smiled at him. “She loves you. I am sure she will appreciate some special attention and come around.”

“I certainly hope so. If I cannot even prove to be an acceptable guardian, how can I possibly be a decent father?”

“You will be a wonderful father, Azerick. You just need not be afraid to show how much you care. That is your greatest problem. You think too much before you let yourself feel or show those feelings. Showing you love someone is not a weakness.

“She said she hated me,” Azerick said sullenly.

“I have told my mother, my father, my maids, and anyone else tasked with keeping me out of trouble that I hated them at one point or another. She does not mean it. She is fighting for her own independence and sense of identity and woe be it to anyone that gets in her way.”

“You are right, of course. I just wish you could convince my brain of that,” Azerick said dejectedly.

“I can always go get that hammer and beat it into you.”

“Are you going to get more violent as this pregnancy progresses? If so, I may need to vacation in End’s Run for my own safety,” Azerick replied.

“You better be back here as swiftly as you can unless you want to see real violence!” Miranda asserted playfully.

“Who is this Bard named Alonzo Janovin? Have you heard of him?”

“Of course I have. Everyone has. You would have to live under a rock not to have heard of him. Of course, I guess living under a tower works just as well. He is reputed to be the greatest singer and musician to emerge in the last two hundred years. Why do you ask?”

Azerick sighed. “I guess he is coming to North Haven and Ellyssa wanted to go see him. I told her I did not want any of the students to travel outside of the school and that was when she blew up at me.”

“I see. He is putting on a special show for mother and the city’s elite. Perhaps she could go with me. Unless I am grounded too,” she teased.

“I would rather you not travel.”

“It is five miles away, Azerick. Besides, mother actually agrees with you about the possible danger and is sending an escort of palace guardsmen for me.

Azerick thought a moment and shook his head. “No. Ellyssa needs to learn boundaries and to follow the rules. If I let her go with you, it will simply be an example of how to get past those. She is eleven. She will get another chance to hear him sing.”

“I suppose you are right. She does lack a certain ability for understanding consequences,” Miranda agreed.

Ellyssa listened from the hall just outside the door.
I knew it! Azerick could let me go with Miranda but he wants to punish me! Well I’m still going to go, and when Alonzo sees me he will remember me and come back when I am old enough and we’ll get married and travel the kingdom. He will sing and play and I will use my magic to create illusions and we’ll live happily ever after away from this stupid school and all its rules!

Ellyssa snuck quietly away before storming to her own room in the old tower to fume over the unfairness of her life. He treats her like a child! OK, maybe she was technically still a child, but she was the best student in the entire school. OK, technically Roger was a better student, but only because he was a teacher’s pet and did everything exactly the way they told him to. She was still stronger and she could take care of herself. How much trouble could she get into going to see a bard sing at the palace?

Azerick and Miranda spent the rest of the day together. It was then that he realized how much time he spent alone, preoccupied with his magic and projects. He needed to change that. They spent more hours together that day than they had in the past week. He wished he had seen how neglectful and miserly he had been with his time before having to leave on what would be a weeks or months long expedition and participating in yet another life-threatening battle.

The morning of their departure came far too quickly. Azerick sat astride Horse dressed in warm clothes and a thick wool cloak. Miranda had packed an ice bear cloak replete with hood in his bags, but he would not need that kind of protection from the elements until they reached the western pass.

There was a large crowd gathered to see them all off. Nearby, Simon stood fidgeting next to Teresa. Ewen stood with a bulk of his martial students waiting for the group to depart before herding the young men and women off for their morning drills. Peck fussed with the saddle straps and bridles despite having checked them several times already.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along to keep the horses, milord?” the small young man asked anxiously. “My men are fine looking after the stables, and you could use a good man to keep your horses and tack in top shape.”

“As much of an asset as you would be, Peck, I think I can find someone in Brague’s legion to take care of that,” Azerick told him. “Have you seen Ellyssa?”

   “Not since yesterday,” Peck responded. “She was really mad about something and did not talk to me.”

Azerick looked grim. He had hoped she had mollified herself at least enough to see him and the others off, but apparently, she was still sulking. He would be gone at least a month, probably two assuming the battle did not drag out. It probably would not since it was unlikely to break down into a siege conflict. Open battles like these were usually resolved in weeks if not days.

The small party headed out towards the northern road where Brague and his army should already be forming up and waiting on them. Allister and Rusty rode to Azerick’s side while Jansen followed on his own mount a short ways behind them. Behind the quiet warrior followed three young men on horseback and another driving an open wagon carrying their clothing, food, and necessities.

Azerick looked back then addressed Alex. “Are those four going with us?”

Alex nodded an affirmative. “They are the oldest and most capable of my students. I felt they were ready to see an actual battle. There is only so much one can learn in a classroom or in training. There was not a great deal of organized open fighting when the school came under attack so this would be a great opportunity to show them large scale tactics.”

“I see. Wasn’t the battle of North haven your first real battle as well?”

“It was, but I also had over ten years of experience training at The Martial Academy where we had far greater numbers and resources in which to practice these kinds of maneuvers as well as command and control. This will definitely be a learning experience for me too, and one in which all five of us can then bring back to the school and better train the others.”

Azerick spotted a familiar bulk in the wagon and turned to Allister. “Is that the tent Magus Bauer and the other two wizards used when they attacked the school?”

The old mage smiled. “Yup. I thought it would be a might more comfortable than some old field tent.”

“Hm. I will have to show it to Brague so he will have something to think about while he is freezing his self-righteous backside off near a camp fire at night,” Azerick said with a malicious grin.

Rusty laughed. “I think his anger at the thought of you being comfortable in that portable palace should keep him quite warm!”

The group from the school spotted the army train as they struggled to get organized just outside North Haven’s eastern wall. Mounted cavalry headed the long procession while wagons filled with men and pulled by large teams of horses followed. It appeared that there were enough wagons carrying troops that no one would be walking, which should speed their travel considerably. There was still a great deal of shouting and shuffling around as officers and logisticians organized the chaos.

One rider broke free from the convoy and approached at a canter. Azerick identified the man as General Brague, first from the large blue plume adorning the top of his helmet, then from the jingling of tiny bells that rang out thanks to a spell Azerick had cursed him with, and lastly from the undisguised look of hatred plastered on his face as he glared at the young sorcerer.

“Lord Giles, I am rather surprised to see you,” the general said, obviously feeling ill over having to use Azerick’s title.

Azerick gave the general a confused look. “Were you not informed of my coming?”

“I was. I simply assumed you would not make an appearance until the battle was nearly finished and the field properly littered with corpses,” Brague answered with a smirk.

“I do like to stay unpredictable.”

The general’s smirk twisted to disdain. “You and your party will ride at the rear of the convoy. We are nearly ready to depart so I suggest you make haste.”

“Why the rear?” Azerick asked, ignoring Brague’s acerbic tone.

“Because I will be riding at the head!” he snapped back.

Azerick could not help but smile at the man’s open hostility. He found it comical that anyone could hold such hatred over a grudge for so long. Particularly one that when boiled down was about how Azerick had first saved the man’s life along with Miranda’s and later the entire city of North Haven. Not to mention his actions largely resulted in saving the King as well. At least it had until all this happened.

“How many men are you bringing, Captain Brague?” Azerick asked, intentionally demoting the recently promoted general.

“Nearly three thousand and it is General Brague, if you please!”

“I really do not please, but since you brought it up, congratulations on your promotion. I guess my invitation was lost in transit or something,” Azerick responded.

Brague smiled. “Oh it was not lost. I personally delivered it to Lady Miranda’s hand. She may have interpreted that I would prefer you not attend.”

“I cannot imagine why she would do that.”

“It probably had something to do with the fact that I specifically asked in the invitation that you do not attend.”

Azerick smiled back at the general. “Such lack of hospitality, and to think I was going to invite you to my tent for tea later, perhaps with a shot of good whiskey to really ward off the cold.”

“A good officer does not drink in the field,” Brague snarled.

Azerick arched his eyebrows. “So when should I expect you? How about around the nineteenth hour?”

Brague ground his teeth in indignation. “Get in line! We are about to move out.”

“I think you mean ‘get in line, My Lord’,” Azerick informed him haughtily.

Brague whipped his mount around with a loud snarl and galloped back to the head of the column.

“This little journey is going to be just a joy,” Azerick laughed as he led his group to the rear of the procession.

CHAPTER
10

A gnawing in his belly awoke Miles Jervais, or Miles Ollander, Crown Prince of Valaria to those that knew him personally. He tried to ignore the angry rumblings, but training had been especially brutal today and it was very insistent. There was no food in his dormitory either. Such was against the rules and severely punishable for anyone violating it. So was sneaking to the kitchens in the middle of the night, but since that activity was far less likely to get him caught, it was what he decided to do.