Branded Mage

by D. W.

  Closing his eyes he focused his attention much the same way he did when he was examining the magical properties of an item he created. He didn’t really see, but could feel the things around him in a much more profound manner. His eyes were limited to what he could see on the outside, but his magical senses could detect things down to their smallest parts. The only downside was, it took tremendous focus and mental fatigue always followed quickly if overused.

  He could see Darryl’s blood in his body as a bright glowing golden color. He could see that some type of tube carried the golden fluid through the body. He wasn’t sure how the tubes worked, but he figured if he could fix the big tube that had been cut Darryl might live.

  Thad placed his hands on Darryl’s leg and poured magic into his body as he envisioned the wound knitting itself back together. Remembering back to the time he had accelerated the growth of a small apple tree back at Joan’s farm, he altered his influence on the magic.

  Speeding up Darryl’s own healing abilities was a delicate thing. He had to form the magic into extremely small sections, allowing the skin and muscles to grow around it. To Thad, the whole process took forever and was a massive strain, even though to someone watching from the outside would simply see the wound disappearing in mere moments.

  Opening his eyes, Thad wavered for a moment before falling on his side blood running slowly from his nose, eyes, and ears. His head hurt as if someone had went at it with a mallet. He could feel as someone cradling his head. He forced his eyes to focus, and Eloen’s worried face came into view.

  Her eyes were brimmed with tears, and her lips were moving franticly though he couldn’t hear her voice. He felt the wetness on his cheek as one of her tears dropped down and hit lightly on his face.

  Turning his head slightly, he could see a small amount of color had returned to Darryl’s skin. He wasn’t moving, but Thad didn’t have the energy left to check to see if he had lived. All he could do was pray to the gods that his friend still drew breath.

  He turned his attention back to Eloen. He could see her face had grown even more frantic. He tried to speak, but if any words escaped his mouth, they were lost to his ears. He lifted his arm slowly and placed his hand gently on Eloen’s face. He gently stoked her cheek with his thumb and tried to smile.

  Eloen grabbed his hand, taking it in her own and squeezed it tightly, giving him a somewhat apprehensive smile. He wanted to reassure her that he would be fine, but another spike of pain shot through his head making him wince. He knew he had pushed himself way past his own limits. He slightly feared he might have brought around his own death.

  The last thought in his mind as he slipped into unconsciousness was that he owed Eloen an apology for not keeping his promise not to overwork himself. He was sure she would be furious with him when he next opened his eyes.

  CHAPTER XI

  Thad’s head hurt as he opened his eyes. He found himself laying down on something soft. He knew from past experiences that it was probably not a good idea to try and sit up, so he turned his head slightly, trying to take in his surroundings. It looked like a tent, but it was hard to tell if the walls were moving from the wind or if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

  He tried to call out to see if anyone was around, but his voice came out more as a harsh whisper that hurt as it past his lips. He tried to call again, but all his effort accomplished was sending him in to a coughing fit.

  Luckily someone heard his movements and two young soldiers rushed into the tent to his side. They both looked haggard, as if they had been working on very little sleep. He tried to talk to them, but his voice was wheezy and undecipherable.

  “Master Torin you’re awake. Greg, go fetch Captain Eloen. She wanted to be notified as soon as he woke.”

  One of the soldiers ran for the door, while the other nervously paced the room. Thad pantomimed drinking from a glass and was happy when the soldier quickly handed him a canteen from his waist pouch.

  Thad drank heavily from the offered canteen. The water was a balm to his dry throat. Every swallow hurt slightly and more than once he coughed as the water stuck in his throat. The soldier looked at him worriedly as Thad wiped off the water that had spilled from the corners of his mouth.

  “Do you need anything else Master Torin?” The soldier asked, taking his canteen back.

  “Something to eat would be welcomed.” Thad said hoarsely.

  “As soon as George returns I will see to that straight away sir.”

  Thad pushed himself up slightly, but as he expected, his head started to spin. Thankfully the soldier in the room grabbed his arm and helped steady him. He helped him rearranged his pillows so he could sit up fully without fear of falling. His head hurt slightly more sitting up, but lying on your back gets old really quick, and it makes conversing with someone somewhat awkward.

  Eloen burst into the tent a short time later. She rushed over to his makeshift bed. Her face was laced with worry and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. He gave her his best attempt at a charming smile, hoping to extinguish a small portion of her anger.

  “You may return to your assigned post.” She said dismissing the remaining soldier offhandedly.

  Thad watched as the soldier ducked through the tent flap, disappearing and leaving him alone with the infuriating woman. Looking back to Eloen he expected the berating and insults to roll from her lips like water from a broken basin, but instead she dropped to her knees sobbing loudly. She tried to speak, but it came out garbled and undecipherable. After a short time she composed herself and the torrent of tears quelled into a thin trickle.

  “I’m so sorry. I was just afraid to lose another friend. I……. didn’t know it would take so much out of you.” She choked out, staring down at the floor.

  At first her words left Thad feeling confused. Slowly it donned on him that she was blaming herself for his current condition. While she had been the one to take him to Darryl, she hadn’t forced his hand. Darryl was one of the few people he counted among his friends, and he was more than willing to do anything in his power to keep him alive.

  He was at a loss of what to say. He knew that she wasn’t in the mindset to listen to reason. He might not be the smoothest person when it came to dealing with the fairer sex, but he wasn’t that far gone.

  “How is Darryl?” He asked, sincerely worried about his friend.

  Eloen lifted her head from the matt dabbing at her eyes with the corners of her tunic sleeve. “He came around last night. He’s still weak and running a bit of a fever. We’re afraid he might have caught a chill, but with any luck he will pull through.”

  “That’s a relief to hear. It was the first time I ever tried anything like that, and to be honest I hope I don’t have to do it again anytime soon.” Thad said joyfully.

  Eloen refused to smile, but at least she had stopped crying. Thad wasn’t sure why, but whenever he heard a female cry his stomach knotted up and it made him feel as if he were evil, even if he wasn’t directly involved.

  “How long have I been asleep?” Thad asked, trying to change the subject.

  “A little under a day, it’s not quite midday yet. It’s been a busy night as well. Many of the renegades that escaped have been popping up and taking shots at us from the tree line. So we have had to send some of our better protected soldiers into the woods to keep an eye out for them. So far, that seems to be working. We also sent one of the scouts back to the estate to alert the duchess of what has occurred. I’m hoping auntie will send some replacements. Luckily we only lost about a third of our number. It could have been much worse.”

  “So what has everyone been up to since I’ve been lying comfortably in this bed?” Thad said, finally drawing a sad smile from Eloen.

  “We have been trying to dig graves for our fallen in the cold ground. It hasn’t been easy since we only have a few spades and the ground is still partially frozen. We also have to build a pyre for the dead enemies. Right now, we have men searching for any dead wood that can
be used. Ballard and the rest have been taking shifts trying to give Callen a decent burial.” She said, her voice breaking slightly at the mention of Callen.

  Callen was one of her men, though Thad had not talked to him much. He kept mostly to himself, but always had an interesting tale for the fireside at night. He knew that Eloen had handpicked all of her soldiers and that any death among them must hit her hard. She always seemed so strong and hard, but she treated everyone like she was their big sister even though she was the same age or sometimes younger than the others.

  “I didn’t know about Callen. What happened?” Thad asked, placing a reassuring hand on Eloen’s shoulder.

  “When the battle first engaged, everyone formed up as trained. Anyone with a bow fired arrows toward the areas where the enemy was shooting from. Our group and any others on horses, with the exception of the other captains, were to ride through any oncoming attackers to help disperse them. When they rushed us, we began our assault. On the third pass, one of them latched onto Callen’s leg and pulled him from his horse. He lost his weapon in the fall and when we found him, they had cut his throat. We figure they gave up trying to get through the armor you gave him. Honestly the armor you gave us has saved our lives more than once.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about Callen, but I’m glad to hear that I helped keep some people safe. I just wish I could have helped more. If I had only done a few more a day, more people would be alive.” Thad said sullenly.

  Eloen’s face contorted with anger. “Don’t you dare do that!”

  “Do what?” Thad asked confused.

  “Don’t you dare blame yourself for every death. You’re not a god. If you put all that weight on your own shoulders, sooner or later you’re going to break. What you should be focusing on is the lives you helped save, like mine. Did you know, one of the arrows was aimed at me, but because of your armor it stopped a few inches from my chest and flew off harmlessly? I love the innocent part of you, but you can’t blame yourself like this. All it will do is pull you down.”

  Thad was shocked at how she responded to his words. She had a point, it wasn’t entirely his fault. A large portion of it belonged to the people who had attacked them. As well as to the current governmental situation, but hopefully the queen’s new laws would help in that regard.

  As he thought about what Eloen had said, it hit him. She had said she loved him. Well the innocent part of him, but what did that really mean. Looking at her face, still contorted with anger and a touch of sadness, he wasn’t sure she even realized what she had said herself.

  “What did you say about the innocent part of me?” He said, knowing full well what she had said, if not what she had truly meant. He hoped the change in subject might sway her anger, even if just a little.

  For the first time he could recall, Eloen blushed. The normal brusque demeanor of a soldier was replaced by that of a shy twenty year old girl. The look was somewhat fetching on her. What Thad first thought would be a good laugh had turned out completely different than he expected. Eloen was acting coyly and every second she didn’t answer, his heart beat a bit faster.

  “I………. well I………..” Eloen mumbled. Her face was turning from a light red to so bright, Thad was sure she could glow in the dark.

  Instead of saying anything, she leaned down and gave him a kiss. Not the rough quick kiss that she had the past two times, but a lingering kiss that made his breath stick in his chest. He tried his best to return the kiss, but he feared he had done very poorly.

  Eloen pulled back, giving him a chance to breath. Smiling at him she ran her fingers through his shoulder length blond hair. “Now, I just have to find a way to get you away from that little princess.” She said sighing wistfully.

  Placing her hand on his neck she pulled him into another long kiss. Her lips were like fine velvet as they caressed his. His body tingled and his heart jumped around in his chest far faster than it had during the battle, leaving him slightly light headed. When she pulled back he fell forward slightly. He only stayed upright thanks to her hand that quickly caught him across the chest.

  Thad was at a loss of what to say. What had first been a ruse to still her anger had turned into something completely different. Was he supposed to respond to her? He wasn’t sure what his feelings were, but he knew he enjoyed her company more than he did many others.

  Before he could decide on a course of action, the soldier who he had asked for food returned with a bowl of some type of soup. At his entrance Eloen jumped away from him, her face back to its normal ruff exterior.

  “I’ll take care of that.” Eloen said, gently taking the soup from the soldier who gave him a sly wink. Eloen noticing the gesture raised her eyebrow. The soldier quickly vacated the tent with a smirk still decorating his face.

  “Schooch,” Eloen said, flicking her hand at him.

  Trying his best to obey her command her slid his body slightly, giving her enough room on the bed to sit down. There were chairs in the room, and he wasn’t sure why she didn’t sit in one of those. Surely, it had to be more comfortable than trying to squeeze awkwardly onto his bed.

  When she started trying to feed him, he tried to protest but soon gave up as it didn’t look like she would back down from the task. It was both weird and oddly nice to have someone feed him in such a manner, but it was also highly embarrassing. Thad was just glad none of the others were there to see it.

  His belly full, he grew tired and had to fight to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle. In his dreams he found himself in a large open, richly decorated room. The princess was there, but she looked much older and had filled out well. Next to the princess was Monique who looked as radiant and happy as she had been when he had last seen her. Eloen was there as well, but she stood apart from the other two. Instead of her normal battle leathers, she wore a gown that shimmered like an emerald.

  “Dear, would you like to take a walk with me?” Maria said her, voice much more mature sounding then he remembered.

  “Thaddeus won’t you come to dinner with me?” Monique said, her voice sultry and inviting.

  “Wouldn’t you rather spend some time with me, lover boy?” Eloen said, as she walked over and ran her fingers around his ear.

  Thad was at a loss of what to do. They were all three his friends and he enjoyed each of their company, but he couldn’t decide one over the others. Monique was one of his first real friends and had even given him his name. The princess had kept his secret and given him much needed companionship when he was alone in the capital. Eloen, well it was hard to define what made her special to him, but something about her set his heart racing.

  “Well?” All three ladies said in unison.

  “I don’t know.” Thad said, his voice meek and unassuming.

  “Of course you do. You are my property and you will go with me.” Maria said as the softness in her voice replaced with the queens normal stony demeanor.

  “No, he will come with me. We are already family. Come on Thaddeus, let’s go back to Rane where we can live like merchant kings.” Monique said as she pushed the princess back.

  “No the little mage is mine. Isn’t that right Thad?” Eloen said grabbing his face hard in both hands and kissing him.

  “Let him go.” Monique said fiercely and was quickly echoed by Maria, “You harlot.”

  “This isn’t our first kiss, and my little lover here quite enjoys entertaining me. Don’t you sweetling?” Eloen said, laughing at the other two ladies.

  “Um…….. Well I…….. It wasn’t……” Thad tried to think of anything to say, but it was as if someone had sewn his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Great, even in his dreams he was an idiot when dealing with women.

  Maria and Monique both rushed Eloen. Thad was thrown to the ground as the three women rolled on the ground fighting. At first it was Maria and Monique against Eloen but it soon turned into a three way fight. It was a tangled mess with biting, hair pulling, and punches. It looked as if Eloen was fairing the b
est, but that didn’t surprise Thad. She had the most training in hand to hand combat.

  Thad tried to break them up and soon got caught up in the melee. At first he continued to try and break them apart as they hit at him and each other, but soon it changed. All three began biting and kicking only him. Thad tried to use magic to put up a shield, but his magic would not heed his command and without it he was soon beat bloody.

  As he lay on the ground in immense pain, the three ladies stood over him with looks of contempt and hate in their eyes. Thad tried to stand, but every time he made an attempt one of the girls would kick him again, sending him crashing back to the ground.

  “What, you think you’re too good for any of us?” Maria said, her voice dripping venom.

  “You are supposed to be my family. I gave you my name. How could you do this to me?” Monique asked with a tear streaked face.

  “I told you I loved you, I kissed you and you kissed me back. Now you think you can toss me aside for someone else? Were you just playing with me?” Eloen said, now holding a sword that’s tip was uncomfortably close to his throat.

  “Chose now or so help me I’ll end you.” Eloen demanded as she pushed on the tip of the sword into his throat, making a shallow cut.

  “I can’t! Thad yelled tears flowing from his eyes freely.

  “The lets end this charade.” Eloen said, drawing her arm back and swinging the blade strait down at his head.

  CHAPTER XII

  Thad woke in a cold sweat, his heart racing. His head felt much better, but his body was still quite weak. As his eyes focused, he saw that Eloen had sat in a chair next to his bed. Her head was resting gently on his mattress and her hand was only a few inches from his own.

  His dream still unnerved him. Right now he knew that both the princess and Eloen had feelings for him, but he wasn’t sure what his own feelings were. Thad wasn’t sure why Monique was in the dream; she had never done anything that would lead him to believe she had any romantic notions about him. Then again it was just a dream, even if a realistic one.