Branded Mage

by D. W.

  Thad thought about what she had said as they continued down the road and talked. She asked about the princess, and tried to twist every other word he said into her own sordid meaning, but no matter what she said, his mind kept wondering back to what she had said about his naivety.

  He had been tutored and trained by high quality warriors and scholars, but had little real world experience. Most of his ideas were still of stories he had heard or read. They talked little of how much blood a human body would lose when cut, though he knew first hand it was much more than he could have believed. They always talked about the thrill of battle and the fire in their veins when they met sword to sword with their enemy. Was it really like that, or would it be like his first time wielding a sword against another human? Leaving him week in the knees and wanting to shake like a newborn babe, just happy to have survived.

  Why had he decided to come along? He had kept telling himself that it was because he wanted to protect those dear to him, but was that the truth? He wasn’t sure. He had always just followed along with what was around him. Seldom questioning why he was doing it. From his earliest memories, he had done what he was asked without complaint. The mothers at the academy were good about that, never ordering something to be done, just asking. Maybe he had fallen into such a routine that he just did what seemed easiest to keep everyone else happy.

  Looking into himself he didn’t like what he saw. He had never done anything bad, but he had seldom made any real choices. While Eloen continued her harassment of his friendship with the princess, he made a vow to start looking more carefully into his decisions and why he was making them. It was bad enough to lie to others, but he didn’t want to continue to lie to himself.

  His mind made up, and an invisible burden lifted from his shoulders, he stared to engage Eloen in her conversation more. He was even able to return a few of her barbs with some of his own, getting a wry smile from the woman. The group never stopped for a mid-day meal; instead, Thad was forced to eat dried meat and cheese from the saddle. Eloen had allowed him to drink from her canteen, at the cost of teasing him for being unprepared.

  They rode until the sun sat low on the horizon and Eloen called for them to make camp. Five of the soldiers quickly formed a perimeter while the other four prepared the camp. Eloen directed him to his assigned sleeping position, which was right next to hers in the center of the camp. Thad wanted to complain, but knew that it was done for his own safety. Also, if he voiced any concern, Eloen would use it as an opportunity to tease him about his innocence.

  He offered to take one of the watch shifts, but was laughed at by Eloen. “What would be the point of letting the person we had been assigned to protect do guard duty? Don’t worry; there are enough of us that everyone will have plenty of time to get a good sleep.”

  Sitting down in front of the fire, he watched as Eloen made supper for the group. He had never thought of Eloen as the womanly type. She was beautiful, but it was easy to see she was more into swinging a sword than dancing at a ball. As he watched her cook and whistle a bawdry tune, he couldn’t help but smile.

  Noticing him staring, Eloen turned to him and put her hand firmly on her hips and gave him a sultry smile. “What?”

  “I was just wondering if I should look for something eatable. Maybe some pinecones or tree bark.”

  Out of her normal character, she stuck her tongue out. “Believe it or not, but I can cook very well, and I promise you it’s better than the swill any of these bucket heads can whip up.”

  The stew was much better than he thought it would be. It was some sort of meat in a pepper stew, spicy but overall very tasty. While he ate, Eloen sat next to him teasing him about his lack of trust in her cooking.

  It was still early after the meal had finished, so the group settled around the fire and swapped stories. While most of them were in their early twenties, they had still led interesting lives. All of them were free men who grew up on Lady Alysia’s estate. They had joined her army while still in their early teens.

  Aldan, a tall muscular man with a white scar running down the right side of his face, told of his first fight with a group of jackals. Jackals were a humanoid race that looked like a mix between a man and a large hairless dog.

  “I and my four buddies were sent out to investigate the attacks on farms in the eastern duchy. When we got there, all the locals could tell us is that they heard strange howling in the night, and the next morning large amount of animals would be found torn apart, half-eaten. We set up an ambush near where the attacks had been.” Aldan leaned forward dropping his voice to a deep bass. “Then, they appeared. I tell you, the things were all seven feet tall with dark pink skin. Their jaws were short, more like snouts filled with sharp teeth. Their legs bent weirdly from their torso, and their arms were almost long enough to touch the ground. Their hands, if you could call them that, were absurdly large with thick distorted fingers that ended in long sharp claws.”

  Alden got up from his seat and began walking around the fire trying to imitate a jackal. “They went for the sheep that we had tied up for bait, tearing them apart in a matter of seconds. There were six of them all together, and soon we were fighting for our lives. We were young and unprepared for what happened. One of the creatures jumped on me, its claws digging deep gouges in my skin. I was lucky enough to be able to bring my sword to bear, after a few quick cuts the beast lay writhing on the ground dying. Before I could help them, two of my friends had already died and the other two were fighting hard.”

  Jumping back and forth, holding an imaginary sword, Alden acted out his story for their entertainment. “Three of the creatures were down, and we were on even ground, but they had speed and reach on their side. Their claws and teeth cut as easily as our swords. We had trained together for years, and were able to work as a group. After what felt like hours of fighting, we downed the remaining creatures. We survived, but none of us left that little knoll unscathed.”

  After Alden finished his story they went around the fire, each telling a story. None of them were quite as entertaining as Alden had been, but each of them were interesting to Thad. When it got around to him, everyone leaned in close as if waiting for some miraculous story.

  Thad, blushing a little, bowed his head low so no one could see his face. “I don’t have any stories like that.”

  Eloen let out a loud laugh, slapping him so hard in the back that he lost his breath for a moment. “I don’t believe that. Why don’t you tell the full story of how you ended up in that bandit camp earlier in the year? I never was able to get the full truth of that event.”

  Seeing that he wasn’t going to get out of his turn, he decided that Eloen’s suggestion was as good as any. “I was secretly living in the sewers below the capital when I heard of a band of marauding x-slaves who were terrorizing the countryside. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to join them or fight them, but I was determined to find out what they were truly like. When I got to Shiel, I met many different people who had been vandalized by the group, and I heard horrific stories of their slaughter of helpless farmers and travelers. I learned that they had been attacking along the road to Avael, so I headed to the small logging town. Shortly after arriving, I learned that the bandits had been seen recently in the area, so I set out that night to find them. I set up a small camp and went in search of any tracks leading into the forest.”

  Thad got up and tried to get into his own story the way Alden had done. “When I returned to my camp, I found three men sitting at my fire. The men gave me a choice to either join them and go back to their camp or die. Before I could even agree to their demands, one of the men, a rat faced fellow, attacked me. He was quick and moved like an assassin, but his knives had too short of a reach and his attacks were easy to read. He fell quickly to my blade.”

  Moving along, he pantomimed the action. “The other two men stayed calm during the short battle and allowed me to follow them to the main camp. When we got there, I settled down for the night. The next day wa
s pretty boring, but that night their leader gave a speech indicating a planned attack on Avael. There were also two Ablaian spies with the man pledging to support their rebellion. After he was done speaking, he and the spies headed back to his tent. I followed and moved around to the back of the tent. I cut a slit in the tent and snuck through. I listed for a bit, learning that all the Ablaian’s really wanted was to weaken the army defending Southpass so they could attack. At that moment, I stunned all three and cut their throats. After that, I made my way back to my horse. I knew if I just left, they would still attack the town in the morning. So, I decided to do what I could while they were all bunched together. I called down fireballs on top of their tents, setting them ablaze. I jumped on the back of my horse and made for the forest. Before I made it out of the clearing, I took an arrow in the back. I was lucky enough to make it back to the town to warn them of the armies impending attack.”

  As he finished his story, the soldiers each hollered then began barraging him with questions. At first he was a little worried about all the questions, but the men’s jovial attitude soon had him enjoying the breakdown of the details of his engagement.

  Eloen gave him another hard slap on the back. “Not only did our little mage save the town, but the warning he brought about the spies had the queen put watchers on the Ablaian’s. Thanks to that we learned of the attack.”

  Eloen’s statement got him another round of slaps on the back from the other soldiers. After that, a few more stories were told as well as few more risqué jokes. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings he could recall spending, and was sad when it ended and everyone headed to their bedrolls for the night.

  The next day, he was woken early by Eloen who kicked him softly in his side until he grudgingly opened his eyes. “Time to get a move on magic boy, I want to reach Shiel by midday.”

  After a quick meal of hard biscuits and some gray tasteless mush, they got back on the road. Thad’s backside ached slight as his horse moved at a quick rate. He had taken horse riding lessons back at the academy, but in the past year he had only ridden a horse once and that was at a much slower pace. He knew after a few days his muscles would get used to the riding, but until then he would have to suffer through it.

  Thad was grateful his horse had an easy gate that allowed for a gentle ride. Eloen also slowed down the pace slightly, most likely because she saw his pained expressions. He thought it was funny, she acted like a ruff tomboy with a bawdy attitude, but was more caring then she let on. Even with the slowed pace, they still reached Shiel shortly after the sun peeked in the sky.

  The town was much like he remembered it, though since it had been less than a year since his last visited, he didn’t really expect much to change. He looked down the street where he had met Shariel’s mother, and purchased the girl from her. His mind drifting to the woman, he spurned his horse to move up next to Eloen.

  “Would it be possible for me to look up someone?” Thad asked quietly.

  “We’re not in a huge hurry, so it should be possible. Who do you want to see?”

  “You remember Shariel? Her mother lives around here, and I just wanted to get her news that her daughter is doing well.”

  Eloen gave him a forlorn smile. “Yes, she was a charming little girl. I didn’t see her around the palace. I’m glad she is doing well.” Before he moved off she grabbed his arm. “If you have to leave town, take at least two of us with you.”

  Thad nodded his head and dismounted his horse. He still needed to give it a name, but he was sure something would come to him. Thad headed straight inside the Weeping Serpent Inn that he had stayed at, his last time through Shiel. It didn’t take him to find the nice innkeeper who had been such a help last time.

  “Hello, I’m looking for a woman by the name of Anna. She sold a young girl by the name of Shariel to a young woman some time back, and I come with news of how her daughter is faring.”

  The innkeeper eyed him for a moment before deciding he wasn’t trouble and gave him a warm smile. “Yes, she lives in a small house down by the tanners. It’s the one with the light green trim around the windows.” Thad thanked her for the information and slipped her a couple of coppers.

  It didn’t take long after asking around to find the Anna’s house. The house wasn’t very big, but was in nice shape with a small garden adding to its simple charm. He hesitantly walked up to the front door and knocked on it lightly.

  A woman opened the door. He wasn’t sure if it was Anna, as the last time he had saw her she was covered in filth. The woman did bear a resemblance to Shariel with the same light blonde hair and freckles. Her face seemed a little ragged and tired, but her clothes were whole and she was clean, so she seemed to be doing much better than their last meeting.

  “Hello I’m looking for a Miss Anna.”

  The lady gave him a slight smile causing the freckles on her nose to wrinkle up slightly, the same way her daughters did when she was slightly amused. “That would be me. Can I help you?”

  Thad took a deep calming breath. “I come from the capital with news of your daughter Shariel.”

  Anna’s face lit up brightly. “Please come in.” She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside the house. She led him to a small living room with a few small lightly cushioned chairs.

  “So how is my little girl?” Anna asked as he sat down.

  Thad folded his hands in his lap. “Shariel is currently attending the Royal School, and is doing quite well. The queen herself has taken an interest in her and is making sure she is well taken care of. I was just sent to make sure any worries you might have had would be laid to rest.”

  “The Royal School, how nice. She was always a bright child. I’m sure she will do well. I must thank you for delivering this news to me. I have told myself almost every night that I was sure she was safe, but knowing for sure will make my nights much more restful.”

  After being forced to drink some water downed tea, Thad excused himself from the house. He left Anna with a small sum of gold as a present from “Clair,” the woman who had Purchased Shariel from her.

  Back at the inn, he found Eloen and the soldiers sitting around a large table eating and drinking. “Pull up a chair and join us Thad.” Eloen said as he approached.

  As soon as he sat down, the waiter was over at the table to take his order. Following the lead of his companions he ordered the house special as well as a cup of wine. He thought that they would move on trying to make as much ground as they could, but Eloen had different plans and didn’t want to pass up a chance to sleep in a real bed.

  After eating and a second glass of wine, Thad went to the room he would be sharing with Alden and another of the soldiers. Taking Eloen’s advice, he went straight to bed and enjoyed what comfort he could while he could.

  CHAPTER VI

  They followed the southwest road, the fastest route to Southpass. After a quick detour to the duchess’s estate, they would make the rest of the trip without a stop until they reached Tremon. Tremon was the closest town to Southpass and was a major trading center.

  They were already five days outside of Shiel, and as long as they continued to make good time, they should make the Calisaren estates sometime the day after next. Eloen had went on and on about the beauty of the estate until he was eager himself to see it. He was looking forward to seeing the ocean view that Eloen talked about. He had seen large ponds, but the idea of seeing an endless body of water seemed exciting to him.

  Over the past few days of travel, he had grown more comfortable around his companions. He had learned that they had been under Eloen’s command for over two years. She had handpicked them when she had attained the rank of captain from a group of promising young soldiers. While each man was talented, they also shared Eloen’s unique sense of bawdry humor.

  As they set up camp, Darryl a thin skeleton of a man with thick bushy eyebrows helped him unsaddle his horse. He was a nice chap, and as Thad learned from the few evening sparing matches they had, was ungod
ly fast with his dual blades.

  “Want to try your luck again tonight? I think we got enough time before the sun sets to get in a round or two.” Darryl said with a light chuckle. Darryl had beaten Thad mercilessly on their last fight. For such a sickly looking person to beat him so soundly hurt Thad’s pride more than a little.

  “Sure this time I got a trick or two that might land you on your back this time.” Thad said, placing his saddle on the ground to use as a pillow during the night, a trick Alden had taught him.

  “Remember, no magic. I know you use it in a real fight, but I don’t want to get roasted because you got a little overzealous.” Darryl said mockingly.

  Thad gritted his teeth and tossed his horse blanket over a tree limb to dry and grabbed a large stiff brush that Eloen had gotten for him when they were in Shiel. “As soon as I finish giving Apple a good brush down, I’ll knock you down a peg or two.”

  Apple was very content with munching on her namesake. She loved apples, and a few days before had raided his sack throwing, all his gear all over the camp to get to the apples he had picked off a tree earlier in the day. He was so frustrated with the horse he had called her an apple headed fool the rest of the day, and the name had been adopted by the rest of the group.

  It didn’t take long for him to finish caring for Apple and have her contently nuzzling him, searching his pockets for more treats. Laughing, he patted her on the neck then grabbed his practice blade and made his way toward the area where the rest were gathering.

  The first bout was Alden with his sword and shield against Ballard and his broadsword. While Alden was sleek with a well-defined body he wasn’t massive like Ballard who was as tall as Alden, but nearly twice as wide with massive arms that looked like mini trees.