Mage (The Elemental Magic Series Book 2)

by Michael Nowotny

  Without thinking he pushed his thoughts of it healing into it anyway and it closed a little bit. Alec started. Did he imagine it or did it really start to close, he wondered. Pushing his thoughts into the cut he pictured it closing, and it did! Alec was excited now! What else could he do without his power?

  Remembering the test, he wondered if there was power involved in having the elements move or not.

  Alec wasn't sure how long he lay in the tub but the water was nice and warm. Focusing on the water he asked it to swirl. Nothing happened. Trying to push his thoughts into the water about him, he asked the water to move.

  A small ripple moved across the top of the water. Alec pushed harder at the water and commanded it to move. Half the water in the tub surged up the side and out of the tub effectively ending his bath. He was so elated that he wasn't even fazed when he found his towel soaked.

  Pushing his thoughts into the water in his towel he commanded it to leave the towel. The water splashed down on the floor at his feet.

  Lord Aaron stood outside the little bathhouse. He could feel the young man pushing at the elements without using even a trickle of power. Even with having a major affinity for water he knew he would have a hard time getting it to move for him without the use of his power.

  Drying off and getting dressed Alec made his way back inside passing a man several years older than himself. Alec took a seat at a table and the innkeeper’s wife came over, introducing herself as Sue.

  Alec ordered some oats and cream with fruit as George came down the steps.

  "Well you seem to be in a good mood for being up so early!" George flashed a smile back at him.

  "Yes, I am. Just been exploring what’s left of my abilities as a sorcerer," Alec explained.

  "You got your power back then? That's great!"

  "No, no I didn't but that apparently doesn't mean I can't do anything!" Alec told him.

  "What can you do then?" He sounded puzzled.

  "Well, I can heal minor wounds on myself and make water move. It’s a lot harder, but I can do it!" Alec had a large grin on his face.

  "Does that mean you'll be staying in the sorcery tower then?"

  "No, I don't think that would be right. I'm less than even a wizard now." Alec blew on his oats and cream that were set in front of him and thanked Sue.

  Going up to the room to gather his things he saw Marty come half stumbling down the steps. He almost collided with a man in the hall as he came back out loaded down with his saddlebags and weapons. Alec gave Marty a hand as the rest of the group got ready to depart. Alec made his way over to the black smith’s shop with a couple local boys to get the other horses.

  The group was off in fairly good time as far as Alec was concerned. They rode at a fairly good pace and Alec kept the scarf over his face so he wouldn't eat the dust from everyone else all day. They stopped early for lunch on the side of the road and Marty seemed like his old self again.

  When they mounted again Alec drew within himself again and eased his soreness from being in the saddle. Having seen a small cut on the rump of his horse the other day he figured the basic healing of a horse couldn't be much different compared to that of a person. At least in how their body would actually heal, he decided to try.

  Alec stretched out his thoughts to the horse and felt them sink in to it. He felt the horse almost do a double step then take up its rhythm again.

  Alec could feel the pounding of the horse’s heart and the easy gait of its legs as it galloped along the road. Then unexpectedly he realized the horse was at least somewhat aware of what he was doing, almost as if he was curious. He seemed slightly cautious too as if the horse was watching him.

  He silently asked the horse to catch up seeing as they were lagging behind some and felt him respond. The thought of being able to actually communicate with the horse was thrilling. He pushed his mind to the cut and asked the horses body to heal it.

  He could feel the tissues knitting together and blood flowing to it as they did. The muscles under it were slightly sore so Alec eased them, and felt what he took to be gratitude from the horse.

  What he didn't realize immediately was that he was riding a lot better having become more aware of the horse.

  Chapter 4

  They stopped outside of a city at least half the size of Kingston. It looked more like a military fort Alec thought to himself.

  George stood in his stirrups and told them it was Landstone and as soon as the merchants were in the gates their responsibility to them ended and that they would stay the night at an inn before heading back in the morning.

  Marty pulled his horse up next to Alec and said, “Looks like you've really gotten use to riding.”

  “It's not as bone jarring as it was but my rear still feels it.” Alec made a face that Marty laughed at.

  “Couldn't tell with how well you seem to just flow along with him.” Marty complimented him.

  “Thanks, maybe I am getting better,” Alec said and kicked his heels to follow everyone else.

  They parted ways with the merchants and headed toward an inn called The Ladies Rose. George secured rooms with the innkeeper and Alec found himself bunking with Marty again. He just hoped the man didn't snore again even if it didn't wake him the other night.

  Alec made his way from the third floor with Marty to the common room where they found the others already gathered around a table.

  Alec ordered a glass of raspberry tea after talking with the barmaid and Marty had ale. She was probably close to his age and fairly attractive. Alec watched as she walked away, the swing of her hips and more than ample chest bringing blood to his face. He ducked his head as he realized George had caught him looking. His face burned even brighter.

  “Look but don't even think of touching. A wife will know, even if she isn't here with you.” George told him and slapped him on the back with a short laugh.

  Alec was thankful when another girl brought their drinks and took orders for the meal. As they waited, an older man dressed in a multicolored cloak pulled a chair over to the hearth and sat. Opening a larger box he pulled out an instrument. It had several strings running from one end to the other and he could see where the wood was polished from the old man's hands. He struck the strings and a sound rang out across the common room.

  “Lasses and lads, my name is Jimmy Hawkswing. I am here to tell you the stories of the gods themselves and of the deeds of noble men,” He said in a voice that carried through the room.

  Alec turned to watch Jimmy more easily as his food was set beside him. He’d heard of him just like everyone else, the man was famous.

  “The world was young and words of making had been sung,” Jimmy sang.

  Alec listened carefully as he ate paying attention to the words as music filled the air around him.

  Jimmy sang of the gods and the creation of the things around them, the trees and birds and the animals. He then sang of the gods having been made beside man and they set themselves above man.

  Alec had heard of the story from Father Marcus at his temple, just not exactly the same way.

  The song ended and people clapped politely as most of them knew the story of creation. Alec clapped too and tried to show that he appreciated how well it had been sung.

  “Now that is how our temples would like us to stop and think of the gods,” He told them. “However that is not the end.”

  Jimmy strummed the cords and fiddled with one end of the instrument.

  “Man grew strong and bright, but the gods fought in his sight,” Jimmy sang in a clear rich voice with feeling.

  He sang of how one god would feel slighted when man worshipped one more than the other and jealousy reigned in the sky. The gods grew weaker not realizing that as they slew each other they burned their power away releasing it to those beneath them. The song drew to its end with the gods looking down on man and saw that some were their equal.

  Alec stood and clapped with many others as Jimmy sat back to let his song seep in to
the crowd. The attractive barmaid brought him a drink that he downed quickly before starting his next song.

  He told them the next song was a secret from within the temples.

  Jimmy sang of the gods ordering their priests to stop man from holding power of their own. Then of the few men who rose up to stand before the gods and of slaying those gods that were interfering with man.

  The story went on with the defeat of those men and the gods ruling over man with a heavy hand. He sang the song to a close saying that the will of man lived on and that while the gods were strong, the will of man was stronger.

  The innkeeper himself brought out a plateful of food for Jimmy. They spoke together for a while as he ate.

  Alec sat slowly drinking his tea listening to the others talk. He'd seen a bard come for the summer solstice once several years ago but he didn't have a colorful cloak like the one Jimmy wore. George clarified it for him when he asked about it.

  “A traveling musician like Jimmy here is a bard. The cloak means that he is a member of their guild. Anyone can go around and sing or play for people but they’re called minstrels and typically are nowhere near as good as a bard, full bards are true masters of their craft and hold no allegiance to any country,” George told him. “They are the historians of our time and can't be denied safe passage in any country. Other countries have been known to band together and war with one that chose to expel the bards. That is what the cloak means.”

  People began moving tables and chairs from the center of the room as the bard picked up his instrument and began to play.

  It sounded like Little Lamb Down By The River, a children’s lullaby. Alec remembered the song from when Karen would sing it to him when he was young and started to hum along with it. Seeing their table would be in the way Alec got up and helped move the table next to the bard's as he softly sang the words to the song till it ended.

  “Are they going to dance now?” Alec asked George.

  “And so are you,” He told him. “Jill said she'd teach you some of the dances and now is as good a time as any.” He laughed at the horror stricken look on Alec's face.

  George went over and spoke to the bard for a minute then came back with Jill. The bard struck up a lively tune as Jill grabbed his hand telling him to just relax and watch how her feet moved.

  Alec danced with Jill and Janet through the evening. He didn't have a hard time following along, seeing as most of the dances were somewhat similar to the spring planting dances he enjoyed at the farm.

  Alec looked up and noticed the inn was packed, every once in a while he caught a glimpse of George swinging someone around or Marty doing the same. Billy never seemed to leave his seat even when Janet offered to dance with him. Alec noticed that one man in particular repeatedly danced with Jill and Janet, he was fairly certain it was the same man from the inn yesterday. The dark near black hair and golden brown tan skin with bright blue eyes made him stand out. Alec decided to keep an eye out in case he followed them again.

  Alec was having a great time as the night wore on but missed the dark looks he got from Billy.

  The evening turned to night and the night became late when the bard called it at an end. With the children’s song still stuck in his head he started to sing it under his breath as went to the table for one last drink of his tea.

  Billy was gone and Marty came over to finish his ale so Alec waited thinking he might need help getting up the steps.

  “You have a fairly decent voice, son,” Jimmy told him as he put a hand on his shoulder. “I thought I heard someone singing along with the nursery rhyme.”

  “Thank you, sir. I remembered it from my Aunt. She used to sing it when I was a child,” Alec explained.

  “Have you ever tried singing in front of a group before?” He asked.

  “No, I tend to not care for even talking in front of them let alone sing!”

  “That can be cured with practice. Are you going to be around a couple days?”

  “We're leaving first thing in the morning for Kingston, sir. We’ve got to make it back for the Fall Festival,” Alec told him.

  “Ah, headed there myself. Maybe we'll meet again and we can see about breaking you of your stage fright,” Jimmy told him with a smile.

  “I'd love to hear you play again. My fiancé would absolutely love it too. Do you know where you'll be playing?” Alec asked thinking Christi really would enjoy hearing him.

  “Oh, I'll be around. No place in particular. Where are you staying, maybe I can stop by and fetch you?”

  “I'm staying with the Duchess Morton. I’ve started courting her daughter, Christi Morton. I'd be pleased to have you come get me. I'm Alec Carter by the way.” He held out a hand to the bard.

  Jimmy reintroduced himself to Alec then bid him a good night.

  Marty did need help up the steps as Alec found him slumped over at the bottom having only made it to them.

  The next morning Alec woke with the sun and gathered his things. He shook Marty as he left the room telling him it was time to go. Outside the room, he found the handsome stranger leaning against the wall.

  “Excuse me you’re Alec, right. Can I have a moment of your time?” Aaron asked hoping he wouldn’t scare the young man too much.

  “I am and you are?”

  “My name is Aaron. I don’t want to scare you or anything but felt that it was time we met.”

  “Why would I be scared?” Alec took a step back from him, shifting his larp to his right hand.

  “I am the God of Rivers. Most people call me Lord Aaron.” He allowed his power to shine out knowing Alec should be able to sense it.

  Alec dropped his pack and took a defensive stance with the larp. He was at a disadvantage using it in the close quarters of the hallway.

  “What do you want with me? I haven’t done anything wrong, Lord Aaron.” Alec bowed his head.

  Aaron quickly put his fears to rest saying he’d only wanted to talk and that he need not bow every time they spoke. Alec didn’t really know what to think. He strongly suspected that the gods wanted him dead or at least to strip him of his power.

  “I’ll catch up with you another time. I can tell I caught you off guard there. Just remember gods, like normal people, vary, not all are good and not all are bad. Try not to become upset when we meet again and I would appreciate it if you kept our meeting to yourself.” Aaron told him.

  Making his way to the common room Alec found the innkeeper rousing several people somewhat roughly with his boot. Alec took a seat at the bar and a woman came out from the back for his order.

  “You look a lot better than most this morning. I’ve got some eggs all mixed up, toast, and some sausage at three coppers. For four coppers I'll throw you together an omelet,” She said.

  “I'll try the omelet, toast, and a glass of juice, any kind will do, please.”

  Alec noticed the innkeeper struggling with getting the tables back in place and went over to lend a hand. He was trying to crab walk one of the tables as Alec grabbed the other end and gave a nod to him. With all eight tables in place the innkeeper and Alec both grabbed chairs and spread them out. The innkeeper told him thanks and shook his hand as Alec went back to the bar to think as he waited on his food.

  If Lord Aaron was to be believed there were gods that wanted to harm him and those that didn’t. Alec had gotten the impression that Aaron didn’t mean him any harm and had just wanted to meet him.

  He put the meeting out of his head as a woman brought out his omelet, four slices of buttered toast, and two big patties of browned sausage then came back with a large glass of apple juice.

  Alec pulled out four coppers and put them in the woman's hand. He was about half done by the time George led everyone else down the steps to take seats on either side of him.

  George and Billy ordered the same thing as he'd had, and everyone else just asked for eggs.

  When their food came out Alec saw a marked difference in the proportions they got compared to his. The omel
ets were about three quarters of the size. They each got two slices of toast and one sausage patty, all for four coppers.

  He noticed the dirty look Billy gave him but thought nothing of it, writing it off to him probably having a hangover.

  They headed out after the meal and George told them they would be taking a quicker way back seeing as they didn't have carriages with them. Alec mentally checked his horse and realized it already had a name it recognized as its own, Fleetfoot.

  Alec quickly became attuned to the gallop of Fleetfoot’s gait as they took narrower roads through the countryside. They watered the horses at a stream and ate lunch in their saddles while the horses walked. Alec’s meeting with the God of Rivers forgotten.

  That evening George set the second saddlebag he'd been carrying by the fire Janet had started and asked Alec to cook them something to eat.

  He opened the bags to find one pot, one pan, one long fork and equally long spoon. In the other side of the bags was a cured ham, some potatoes, onions, carrots and one small clove of garlic. Under it all was a flat pouch that was divided into sections; each section had a different type of spice in it. Jill sat and watched him as he sliced potatoes, onions and carrots, tossing the ends of all the carrots but one to the horses.

  Spreading the fire out so one side wasn't as hot he put the pan on the coals and filled the bottom with water then added the vegetables saving the garlic for last. Crushing some of the garlic with the back of his knife he put only a quarter of it in the pan.

  “Just put it all in,” Jill told him. “It will taste fine.”

  “No, it won't. If I put all of it in you wouldn't taste the food only the garlic,” Alec corrected her.

  “I'd let him cook, he knows what he's doing,” George told her as he took a seat next to her. “Just watch. He made a bean soup that's to die for.”

  Alec added a pinch of salt and some oregano to the pan as the water started to boil. Putting the pot over the fire he cut the ham to strips removing the larger portions of fat as he went. He put the fat in with the vegetables.