Battle Mage, The Caves of Time

by Donald Wigboldy

  He and Ashleen knew where Katya's room was. Not separated by the sexes so much as the magic the wizards used, her room was in a smaller group set aside for diplomacy apprentices and novices. The hall ran along the outer wall and placed all of their rooms inside. Windowless, each room needed the wizards' magic to light them. In theory it was like this for protection in case war should come to White Hall, but it had yet to be tested thankfully.

  Knocking on the appropriate door, he was a little surprised by how swiftly his sister opened the portal and stepped into the hall. She looked a little tired.

  "Sebastian? You're back," she said appearing a little surprised to see him again so soon. They had ended their trip to their parents the evening before and Katya had assumed that she wouldn't have time to return to the farm too soon.

  Another thing he noted was that the girl definitely seemed unusually tired. Unlike Ashleen, his sister was more of a morning person. Perhaps it was their farming background that made them different from Ashleen, the daughter of a lord, in this regard.

  Nodding, the mage replied, "Yes, I had something come up that made me return. I thought maybe I could borrow you and Ylena for a trip north of the wall to a group of nomads that we are working on building into strong allies."

  The girl looked back over her shoulder towards the open door behind her. A spell blocked the view of what lay beyond the frame from those in the hallway. It was also a barrier to keep those not bonded to the room from entering. This was one precaution used to keep teenage boys and girls from slipping into the opposite sexes' rooms. In a school where there was little to keep them from shenanigans physically, magic was put in place to keep them from doing something wrong in that regard. It also gave the owners of the rooms a place to feel safe and a place where they could study without being disturbed by others. Only the assigned apprentices and novices could enter, except for the mentors who set the barrier up in the first place.

  "Ylena's already here. The high wizard called her to his office this morning right away apparently."

  The way she spoke made him think that there was bad news associated with this proclamation.

  Pausing for just a moment, Katya let them know, "They've officially relieved her of her position as mentor until they feel certain that she can still fulfill her duties, or something like that."

  "And she returned to your room already?" Ashleen questioned curiously.

  "We were close friends before she was changed and, of course, we're tied together even more now with the necklace so she's been staying here most nights," Katya said with a shrug. "She's also kind of become my responsibility oddly enough, but I don't mind. Ylena can also come and go through the barrier since she assigned me to this room with her magic, so it's about as peaceful as her own room is."

  The idea of a mentor becoming the responsibility of the one they once mentored was certainly strange, he thought. It might be something expected when a wizard became elderly. Without a family, they might even need someone to care for them in their old age, and the connection between wizards could become like family in their absence.

  "If she can't be a mentor, what are they having her do for now?" he asked.

  "Mostly they have just been testing her magic, body and mind. No one's ever seen something like this before, so Ylena can't make any assurances that she is fine and make them believe it," his sister stated looking sad for her friend.

  "Then they probably wouldn't miss her if we took her along," the owl mused. Unlike the healers and her superiors, Sebastian believed that the woman would be fine for this kind of mission. Katya also controlled her magic through the training necklace, which probably didn't help her convince the other wizards that she was fine to mentor any novices or apprentices.

  Katya frowned at him. She could control her face if the girl wanted, but she definitely wanted to let him know her mind with just that look. "Why would you want us along if the wizards don't have confidence in her?"

  He shrugged. "I don't need her magic. You two would just be good at making friends, I think. If things are the way they are right now for Ylena, it could both be a good excuse to get out of the school and perhaps a way to prove that she is better besides."

  The proposed benefits made his younger sister pause in consideration. "I'll let her know and meet you in the dining hall in a little while," Katya offered and started to turn away.

  Nodding, the mage replied, "It would be nice to have the two of you along."

  Without answering more, his sister disappeared through the masking light of the doorway barrier.

  "Do you think they'll come?" he asked starting to move away from the door.

  Ashleen's eyes flicked towards the room a moment before following him towards the stairs. "I guess we'll see."

  Chapter 20- The Right Runes

  The dining hall had an unusual amount of activity for this time of morning, if Sebastian's estimate of the time was correct. Midmorning was typically a time when classrooms were full, while novices and apprentices alike were busy learning new spells or practicing older ones. Several falcons were joined by as many cadets lining up to fill out packs with food that would travel well.

  Elzen and Serrena spotted him as well and moved to join them even as Sebastian spotted two of those that he had hoped to recruit for the trip to visit the nomads. The former looked like he had bad news to give and quickly enough, the younger mage said to his friends, "Kharrik and Xander can't come. They've received orders to join a new group being sent to keep a closer eye on the time caves as apparently they're being called now."

  "They've also chosen Haylee and Shaylene for the initial wizard contingent," Serrena added to the bad news for the owl's plans. "Apparently it's been noted that they work well together."

  Considering this news, Sebastian added with a nod, "If there should be trouble, I assume High Wizard Herrol and Falconi Garrett probably figure that they can create an escape route back to the school or to one of the guardian cities."

  He sighed at the news and added, "Well, that can't be helped, I guess."

  "You might use your status as the king's agent to have them sent with us," Ashleen suggested though the young woman didn't sound like she truly meant for him to do so.

  Shaking his head, Sebastian voiced his opinion without sounding harsh, "No, the work with the nomads might be important, but these intruders and their time caves take priority. It's the second time we know of that they've come to the Dimple Mountains. If the wizards can't figure out a way to keep them from returning, Southwall will be forced to guard the country from the inside. That would be wishful thinking though if the news of another portal north of the wall is correct."

  Ashleen looked uncomfortable with the idea as they all were and she answered, "That's all this world needs... another threat coming through a portal."

  Before much more had been said, Elzen's eyes looked past Sebastian towards the classroom area and he nodded with his chin. "Your sister and Ylena..."

  Turning to look over his shoulder as the four sat at one of the tables waiting, the mage noted that both young women carried packs with them. A slight frown of confusion on his brow, Sebastian stood up followed by the others and walked towards the two wizards.

  Katya's eyes looked ready to roll at her current charge as she said, "Ylena finished beating up a pillow and decided that she would like to take you up on your offer."

  The raven haired beauty nodded and said, "If the high wizard doesn't think I am ready to return to my work; then let's prove otherwise."

  Trying not to wince, Sebastian replied, "But we should get his approval first, I think. There is enough worrisome activity happening with the need to watch over the time cave area. We don't want to cause him or anyone else here more trouble."

  Hands on hips, Ylena assured him, "We've already gathered his approval. I reminded him that I don't even need my magic to help you with diplomacy, but it still works even if it needs to be restrained slightly by a training necklace."

  "And
he agreed with that?" Elzen remarked in disbelief and received an elbow in the side from Serrena for it.

  Katya shrugged and said, "She must have said it better to High Wizard Herrol. He gave us permission."

  Holding out an envelope, Ylena nodded. "So let's go then."

  He still wondered if the wizard hadn't lost a lot of her patience with her transformation, but he had suggested this after all. Believing that he could keep an eye on them even working with the druids, Sebastian took the envelope and nodded again. "I had hoped to bring a few others trained in healing from the battle mages, but this trouble in the mountains seems likely to ruin that idea."

  "You could talk with Falconi Garrett about it," Elzen suggested. "He likes you enough and gave you Kharrik and Xander. Maybe he has another falcon that he could spare."

  Noting the bags as he considered Elzen's idea, Sebastian said, "We don't have to leave until tomorrow morning. You didn't need to pack so soon."

  Ylena frowned and stated succinctly, "I would think it more efficient for us all to be in Hala then so we can leave on time."

  "I'm not disputing that, but..."

  Katya spoke up with a thought, "Leaving today might be a good idea actually. Perhaps Ashleen and Serrena could take us shopping in Hala. I mean, they might not accept a pair of girls dressed like apprentices or wizards. You could give us suggestions that might make it easier for us to blend in and cause less stress while conducting the negotiations."

  "I don't think there will be negotiations exactly. This trip is more to try and expand on the good will shown last summer."

  "Whatever," the other girl replied with a flick of her hand. Her eyes locked onto his and a slight smile tugged at the side of her lips as she added, "You wouldn't happen to have a little of that money father gave you when he sent me off with you last year, would you?"

  Again her brother sighed even as he caught the chuckles of his friends. "Fine, we can get you some clothes."

  "I might even have something back at the inn that she could borrow otherwise," Ashleen offered.

  Elzen was looking over Ylena curiously. The wizard's choice of skirts was a bit short for typical teacher's robes. Black with a silver belt and a line of silver running down the left side, the skirt followed the diplomacy wizards' chosen colors. Her black blouse was contained by a lightweight coat. It might be spring, but the air was cool enough for the girl to dress for warmth though not like she would for winter. Katya was in her apprentice dress of white and he agreed that she might stick out too much especially in Hala. No matter what they chose to wear, the owl doubted that any newcomer to the tribes wouldn't be noticed.

  With little more that could be accomplished in White Hall, Sebastian decided to cut his losses, or count his gains, and led the others to the gate courtyard area. Opening another portal, the six of them shifted back to Hala where he left the girls mostly in Ashleen's care. Serrena joined them as well taking over his inn room while Ashleen opened her wardrobe to their visitors. Just shopping in Hala might be awkward with his sister dressed in her apprentice dress, though Ylena's outfit was different enough from most wizards that she would have fit in easily if not for being remarkably pretty and wearing a markedly short skirt.

  Sebastian sat at one of the tables with Elzen ordering a pair of ales. It was early for drinking, but the alcohol content of the local ale wasn't particularly high.

  Chuckling at her patrons, Hilda asked, "Has it been that kind of morning already?"

  He nodded while Elzen laughed at him as well. Hoping that he wasn't going to regret taking the two diplomacy wizards along, the mage waited for the women to come back downstairs before following them towards one of Ashleen's favorite clothing shops.

  The skies were partly cloudy when Kharrik stepped through the portal onto the stone ground looking down into the valley between a pair of mountains. Xander glanced to him nervously before looking at the wizards and battle mages spreading out from the glowing doorway. The slope ahead of him was dotted with them as the newest arrivals joined those that had remained behind after first finding the dangerous caves.

  Research wizards still dared penetrate the stone sealing the caves pulling out more samples of the strange dust that seemed made of pure time. Their numbers here were few compared to the contingent added for security, however, and Kharrik noticed none of the brown robed wizards in sight at all right now.

  "It's a down grade from the wall towers," Xander grunted to his current mentor. "At least on the wall there were beds hidden inside for sleeping."

  Thinking of his time on the wall, which had been quite awhile ago now, the falcon added, "No dining room here yet either."

  "Keep moving please," one of the wizards encouraged the mages and others coming through the glowing doorway.

  They hadn't slowed too much, but Kharrik led Xander down the slope towards a makeshift campsite below them.

  One of the falcons standing nearby must have heard their words and pointed silently behind them. Kharrik turned to look over his shoulder and noticed a stone wall appearing to grow from the side of the mountain on the right. He moved towards the man prompting the other mage to say, "They're planning on building some form of towers and wall there, just in case. You'll have to settle for living out of a tent for a little while though and I'm not sure if they'll build it into an actual keep large enough for the forces they're sending here."

  "You were picked for guard duty also, Darben?" he asked of the battle mage whose name he still remembered from his time spent at Windmeer a number of years ago. "Are you still stationed in Windmeer?"

  "Nah, I haven't been there for almost two years now. I'm at Blackwall for the moment... or I was anyway. Who knows how long this detail is going to be this time though?" the dark haired man said with a shake of his head and a derisive smile. Darben was a couple inches taller than Kharrik's six feet and a little heavier looking than the last time he had seen the man, he thought. His elder by a couple years, Kharrik had only been a falcon for a couple years when they had served in the guardian city.

  "It looks like Blackwall sits well on you," he replied to his old friend. Like so many other mages he had known and served with, it had been awhile since he had seen him.

  Patting a bit of a paunch hanging over his belt, Darben chuckled as he answered, "I don't know if I ever told you, but Blackwall is home. My parents still live there. I visit home a little too much for dinner, I guess." The falcon sighed and looked a little wistful, "She keeps trying to find women for me to meet. Half of the time I come over and mom pretends that she forgot I was coming over so there will be one single woman or another there."

  "Has she found the right one for you yet? I mean, if she's trying you might as well see what they are like right?"

  A wistful look crossed the man's face for a moment before he darkened a little and replied, "You know how our lives are. We don't know the next assignment or when it will be. Besides how many women would pick a battle mage for a husband? If you have to have magic, better to be a wizard."

  "I doubt that your mother is calling in women that don't know what you are," Kharrik reminded him and his eyes strayed towards the portal as Haylee and Shaylene exited the gateway blinking at the change of scenery. The two women still adjusted to the lag in their senses slower than the mages who could cast their own gateways now. In only a little time training under the owl, Sebastian had changed the two greatly, the falcon thought as he started to smile at the wizard. "Besides you could always request a permanent position in Blackwall. You've been a mage long enough for that, I'm sure."

  Catching the obvious look towards Haylee, Darben commented, "I hope that you aren't falling for one of them. Being a battle mage is likely to be a harder sell to her than to a woman without magic. She is pretty though."

  "It happens more often than you think," Xander commented having listened to the two falcons discussing this the whole time.

  "So who are you, kid?"

  "This is Xander. He's my current trainee, thou
gh he's pretty close to graduating to falcon," Kharrik said briefly introducing the cadet beside him.

  "Nearly a falcon, hmm," the falcon nodded looking down on the shorter boy in front of him, though Darben didn't look old enough to be calling him a kid, Xander thought looking at the man. "Well, I've never chased after a wizard. They do make them pretty quite often, but it always seemed too unlikely to bother trying. That and, like I said, being a battle mage means you get transferred too much to build anything that will last."

  "Which is why your mother is now trying to find a way to marry you off with every bit of her energy," Kharrik joked and laughed trying to lighten the mood again.

  Laughing good naturedly, Darben spread his hands and shrugged without arguing the point.

  They were still laughing when Haylee led Shaylene over to the mages. "Kharrik, we should check in with Falconi Martina and Wizard Tinan. They may want us to camp close to each other in case we need a portal."

  Darben looked surprised by the wizards, women in particular besides, coming up to the battle mages in such a familiar way. She hadn't even used his title to address him, a slip she wouldn't have let happen only a few weeks ago, Kharrik thought absently.

  "You work with portal wizards?" the falcon asked in confusion.

  Chuckling at the question, Kharrik shook his head and replied, "No, we open the portals. They work with us."

  Left with his jaw open in shock, the two mages walked side by side with the two women towards the camp.

  "We should probably stay with you tonight," Ylena remarked as the group walked the streets back towards the Black Smith Inn. "I had thought maybe to try checking in with the local guilds, but my appearance might garner too much attention. Well, more attention and questions than I would want at this time anyway."