The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (60 page)

“All right darling, I am going to start my shift.”

Alice took the bottle and placed it carefully behind the bar. She then went over to the newly arrived customers.

Waldo didn’t hear what she asked them but he heard the response.

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!!”

For some reason he felt a sudden burst of embarrassment come through the bond. He couldn’t guess why.

XXX

“Have the midday meal brought out.” Carin said.

“Have you forgotten?” One of her servants reminded. “That White Mage asked you to have lunch with him.”

Carin frowned. “No I haven’t forgotten, I just have no intention of accepting such a presumptuous request. Even for a White Mage it’s just rude. He wants me to go to some dirty place in the middle of the poor quarter of town, and with no more than a couple hours’ notice. Am I a servant to come running at his call?”

She was painfully aware of her social status as a merchant. Even poor nobles talked down to her and made unreasonable demands. But they were at least respectful when they needed something.

“He should be inviting me to the baron’s palace, or at the very least to one of the finer establishments. I should be given a day’s notice, expecting me to just show up at the snap of his fingers is nothing but an affront.”

“Then are you going to just ignore his request?” Her assistant asked nervously. “Won’t he take that as an insult?”

Carin wanted to ignore him, she really did, but offending a White Mage was very dangerous.

“I never said I was going to ignore him, but I am not going to just run at his call either. I will go when I have time. Now bring me my lunch. I need to see Viol about a wool shipment afterwards.”

XXX

“You’re sure it was a White Mage with a woman with red hair walking with him?”

“Course I’m sure, they’d be hard to miss.” The soldier told her.

“What was he doing?” Melissa asked.

“Weren’t doing much of anything, just saw them go walking by. Not like I talked to him or anything.” He shifted his weight from one foot to another.

“I don’t suppose by any chance you would know where he was staying?”

“Don’t your sort stay with the baron?”

“Normally, but my associate appears to be a bit reluctant to accept the baron’s generous accommodations.”

“Is he a friend of yours?”

“I can truthfully say I have never met him, but I am most eager to make his acquaintance.” She bowed her head in a sign of appreciation. “I thank you for your help, and wish you the blessings of Unity, Justice, and Peace.”

“Happy to help.” He stepped back from her and walked away as quickly as he could without breaking into a run.

Melissa Cornwall continued down the street at a deliberate and casual pace. She forced herself to smile and maintain a pleasant air.

Inside she seethed!

That man was the twelfth person to report seeing Waldo Rabbit and his so called wife. None of them had known their names, but it was obvious who they were. When she had begun asking around this morning she honestly hadn’t expected to find his trail. Melissa had expected him to keep a low profile, or to be fleeing to the nearest border. The last thing she had anticipated was for him to flaunt himself in the middle of a city.

“Arrogant,” she muttered beneath her breath. To believe he could commit crimes in the order’s robes and not suffer the punishment for it. How could anyone be that foolish?

That so many folk had seen him also meant John Varlos had lied to her. There was no way he would be ignorant of something that appeared to be common knowledge in this city. She would never be able to call him on it. He would claim to be just a merchant and to have been too busy with his trade to have heard. It was another sign that he was no friend to her or the order.

He might need to be removed
, she thought.

That was a problem that could wait though. Her immediate concern was to track down where this deserter was hiding. While many had seen him out and about, no one appeared to know where he resided. She had already visited all the Inns near the palace. Every one of them claimed to be unaware. Melissa was slowly expanding her search in hopes of finding anyone who knew where he was staying. She was sure that if he heard a true White Mage was in the city he would try to escape. That could not be allowed; she had to find him before he decided to leave.

XXX

Five hours had passed since noon and Waldo was ready to admit defeat, at least for today. Outside the shadows would be growing long. Sunset would be in about an hour and a half. He’d spent the entire time sitting in a corner table expecting the merchant’s arrival at any time. Waldo had not eaten or moved from his seat. He had been determined to be ready the instant she arrived. Now he was finally ready to admit she was not coming. Even if she did show up they might not have enough time to run to Baden Hill, purchase the ogre, and make it out the West Gate before the sun set. Being so near Middleton as the night began would be an invitation for his grandfather to attack them. It had been such a simple plan Waldo honestly hadn’t expected anything to go wrong.

Did she not receive Alice’s message or did she just ignore it?
Waldo wondered.

The common room was about four fifths empty. It would not fill up until the sun went down and the work day ended. Alice came over to his table. “You haven’t eaten anything all day darling. Do you want a bowl of cabbage stew and some ale?”

“Yes, why not. I will eat and go back up to my room. I suppose we will just have to try and do this again tomorrow.”

Alice was slowly ringing her hands. “I’m sorry. I should have gone myself to make sure she knew you wanted to see her. I promise to find out where she lives and go see her in person. I will drag her here if I need to.”

Waldo could pick up the guilt she was feeling though their bond.

“It’s just fine. After all the time we have spent here one more day won’t make a difference. You’ve been wonderful Alice, without you I wouldn’t even be here.”

He saw her cheeks tinge and felt a surge of happiness from her.

“I am sure we will be able to leave tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Yes, I am sure as well.”

“I’ll get you that stew.”

He watched her hurry off to the kitchen.

It was one more failure in a long string of them. He had set out determined to prove himself a great Dark Mage. Waldo had wanted to prove the council wrong and earn his mother’s respect. Instead he had almost been drowned by a pack of commoners, had a disobedient familiar, was dressed in white, had just barely escaped having his heart eaten, had wasted an entire week searching for his second monster, and had now wasted an entire day waiting on an old merchant woman. And if all that were not enough he had fallen in love with his familiar.

“What a pathetic master I am.”

Yet I am supposed to get a third monster, defeat a knight, and somehow acquire a dragon’s egg. How do I do all that when I can’t even get Alice to obey me or force a merchant to sell me her ogre?

Sitting there at the table he felt defeated. Everything he had tried to do since starting on this quest had either ended in disaster or been far harder than he’d ever expected. Maybe… maybe they had all been right. Maybe he really was just an incompetent. Maybe he was as weak as they all said. What sort of fool messes up the binding spell after studying it for weeks? Would any competent mage get himself thrown off a bridge by a bunch of peasants? If he had any real strength at all would he be sitting here, alone and hungry, after wasting hours waiting on a mere merchant?

Waldo tried to imagine any of his brothers or sisters being in a similar situation.

It would never have happened. Every one of them had possessed real power. They would have slaughtered that crowd of commoners at the bridge. They wouldn’t have screwed up the contract. None of them would have condescended to actually negotiate with a lowly merchant. Carin would have been compelled to hand over what they wanted or died.

Each of them had been a true Dark Mage.

So what am I
?

For a moment, he imagined just giving up on this insane quest. Even if he muddled through somehow, finally got the ogre, acquired the third Great Monster, and used them to defeat a knight. What were the odds of someone like him obtaining a dragon’s egg? He was more likely to suddenly sprout wings and hooves.

Waldo could just give up and go into exile. That was what everyone on the council, except his mother, expected him to do. He could go with Alice to some country very far away and start a new life. Magic was rare and much prized nearly everywhere. Even an inept mage like him would be able to make a good living. He could buy some property, have a nice house with servants, and settle down to a pleasant life with Alice.

It was very easy to imagine. A life of luxury with a beautiful succubus. Surely that was something most men dreamed of. He could have it if he wanted. All it really required was for him to give up on this hopeless quest.

To accept never going home again.

To accept being the disgrace and failure people had always considered him.

To accept knowing he brought his mother shame.

His fingernails dug into the wooden table as he imagined the disappointment in his mother’s eyes. “I would rather die.”

I’ll continue this for as long as I am alive, no matter how hard it is. Even if it is impossible, the very least I owe her is to die trying. I would sooner die as Waldo Corpselover, than to truly become Waldo Rabbit
.

XXX

Alice came out of the kitchen with a big bowl of cabbage stew and a large chunk of brown bread. She ducked behind the bar just long enough to draw a tankard of ale.

“Here you go darling,” she set everything down in front of him. “I know you’re hungry so I had the cook load you up.”

The stew did look thicker than usual. “I will go back upstairs as soon as I eat.”

Waldo picked up his wooden spoon and was about to dig in, when the door to the Inn opened. A grandmother in a simple, but well-tailored, burgundy and white dress entered. Waldo’s hand stopped half way to his mouth.

“Now? She comes now?”

Alice glanced at him. “But isn’t this good darling?”

“It is about an hour and a half until the gates shut.”

“That’s enough time isn’t it?”

“Yes, if the potion works the way it’s supposed to, and if she agrees right away. We have just enough time.”

The few other patrons paid Carin no special mind. As soon as she spotted Waldo she began walking stiffly to his table.

Even a normal love potion did not last for more than a night, and very often the victim would realize what had been done to her. He had no idea if his pseudo mix would even work or how well. Waldo wanted to be far away when it wore off. If she drank it and it was slow acting, or she insisted on delaying things, he could find himself trapped in the city until the gates opened again come sunrise. That would be bad.

On the other hand, if he chose not to give it to her now this meeting would surely end in failure. Would she agree to meet him here again? What if she refused to see him, or insisted they meet somewhere else? How much longer might he be trapped in this city? Long enough for his grandfather to lose patience and come try to find him?

Either choice had its risks.

“Go and bring her a cup of that special wine.”