by Jada Fisher
“Yes?”
“Let me stay here.”
Shandi frowned. “What?”
Tuni cleared her throat and tried to exude as much confidence as she could muster. “Let me stay here with you and learn from you.”
“And what, pray tell, leads you to believe that you would be remotely qualified to stay with the Sage of the Earth?”
“I— Plants are my great love. I know all about them. I— My journals!”
“Come again?”
Tuni looked around frantically. “My things, my bow, my pack. What I had on me when you found me. Did you take them with you?” Tuni didn’t know what she would do if she lost her journal. The bow could be replaced, but that journal had years’ worth of notes and drawings.
Gayla chuckled. “No need to worry, I grabbed them.” She walked over to an old, rusty-looking trunk and undid the latch. She threw the lid open and leaned inside. Tuni could only make out a bunch of old books and some clothes, but a second later, the sage pulled out her bow and pack. Tuni’s heart did a leap. Thank goodness!
She took the backpack from the sage and went through it just to be sure that everything was still there. When she found the leather-bound journals, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Here, look at them, see for yourself,” Tuni said, handing the books to the Girl O’ Green.
The sage leaned her staff against the bed and took the journal from Tuni. Her piercing blue eyes scanned the pages and the notes and smiled. She flipped from page to page, admiring Tuni’s drawings, muttering along to the notes.
“These are very good. You’re quite talented.”
Tuni blushed. “Thank you.”
She kept looking through Tuni’s journal. She nodded, seeming pleased with what she was seeing. When she finished with the first one, she leafed through the other two. Finally, the sage closed the journals for good and handed them back to Tuni. The wildling’s heart drummed inside her. She was full of nervous energy.
“Why do you want this?” Gayla asked suddenly, arms crossed, looming stern and sagely.
“I… What?”
“Why do you want to be apprenticed with me? What is the reason?”
Oh. Tuni gulped. “I—” she started but then closed her mouth. Why did she want this? It struck her, though, that the answer couldn’t be more obvious. “I’ve never had a purpose in my life, Madam Sage. I just live day to day, with no directions. There’s nothing I’ve ever wanted. The only thing that has driven me is my love of flowers, for animals and nature and spirits.”
Tuni smiled, arms out wide as she took in all the plants in the room. “I adore nature. Nothing would make me happier than to stay with you and learn all I can about the earth and everything on her.” She fixed the sage with a pleading gaze, her lips turning to a grim line. “Please.”
Gayla cocked her head and studied the wildling. She crossed her arms and smirked. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra pair of hands. And I do appreciate your love and passion.”
Tuni beamed, her body humming. “So…that’s a yes?”
“It’s a yes.”
Tuni squealed and jumped, which of course caused her more pain, but she was too happy to care. Shandi, as Tuni had come to expect, grunted in frustration. “I cannot believe this…”
“Oh stop, Shandi,” Gayla said. “You should be happy. Tuni here will help take the load off you.”
She threw her hands up but didn’t argue. “Fine, Madam Sage.”
Gayla flinched at that. “You know I hate it when you call me that, Shandi. Much too formal for my taste.”
“Yeah, that’s why I said it.” Shandi seemed like she was about to storm out of the hut, but then she whirled around and got up in Tuni’s face, eyes blazing. “You better work hard, because I will not abide by any slackers. If you don’t give this your all, I’m going to make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?”
Tuni gulped. “Y-yes, ma’am.”
Shandi gave her one last once-over. “Good. See to it that you do.” Then she pulled open the door and walked out, slamming the door shut.
The sage put her hands on her hips and sighed. “That one is so difficult sometimes. But I love her. I’m sure you two will get on eventually though.”
“Seems highly unlikely, Madam Sage.”
“Oh now, don’t you call me that either. I only ever accept that title in formal settings, of which my hut is not. When we’re out in the wilds, call me Gayla. Only Madam Sage if we’re visiting the cities, which is rare.”
The cities… Tuni had never dreamed of seeing the three great human cities, but now that it was a possibility, she was certainly curious. She nodded.
“Yes, ma— I mean, yes, Gayla.”
“Good.” The sage adjusted her pointy hat, grabbed her staff, and made for the door. “Now get some rest. Your body needs time to let my medicine and magic heal you.”
Tuni nodded. She strained as she returned to the bed and pulled the covers back over her. Just as Gayla was about to leave, Tuni was struck by a thought, one that immediately made her feel guilty for not thinking of sooner.
“Wait!” she yelled, sitting up in a rush. Gayla paused at the door, an eyebrow arched. “My family… I— I got into a fight with my mom before I left. She’s probably worried about me. Is there any way to contact her?”
That seemed to warm Gayla. She grinned, her eyes glazing over with affection. “How sweet. Don’t worry, I’ll let her know that you’re okay. And that you plan on being away for a while.”
She started to leave again. “How will you know how to find her?” Tuni asked.
The sage glanced back and chuckled. “Magic.”
Then she left.
Tuni groaned and laid back against the pillows. She ran a hand through her hair. It was knotty. Needed a good washing and brushing. And she needed to re-bead them, as all her ornaments had been mussed about in the fall down that hill.
Magic, huh? Her life was about to get a whole lot more interesting.
11
Dorrick
The morning after their knighting, Dorrick awoke with a sleeping, naked Marcella in his arms, smiling in her sleep. The sight of her made his heart flutter as always, and now she was finally his and he was hers. And it was good.
But all good things had to come to an end. They couldn’t stay cuddled in bed together all day.
They were summoned by Sir Nogrund and Sir Terlen. Neither wanted to get out of bed and leave the other, but they had their new duties. Once they were dressed, they made their way to the council chambers on the other side of the keep. Past the main foyer and the Great Hall, the keep split into two large wings—one that housed the library and the council chambers, and the other held all the captains’ chambers and offices. At the top of the tower of that wing was where Dorrick’s father presided over the order. Dorrick didn’t like to make that climb if he could help it.
Thankfully, that wasn’t he and Marcella’s destination today.
The hall ahead of them forked, the left going to the library and council and the right to the admin quarters. They hung a left. Down a long hall they went, lined by brightly-lit alcoves and benches on one side, thick stone walls covered in tapestries of bright red and purple. They passed a set of huge iron doors that stood wide open. On the other side was the library, one of the largest in the city, holding hundreds of thousands of books and scrolls filled with knowledge that Dorrick couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
Right down the next hall was the council chambers. It sat at the end of a long, long hall lit by more than elaborate crystal chandeliers and gilded sconces around canvas oil paintings of past heroes and commanders and the like. The doors ahead came open as a few knights strode out.
Dorrick recognized Sir Padrick, his red hair tied back in a long tail, lips set in a frown. Behind him was the ever-moody and eternally-beautiful Dame Baara. Her dark skin glowed in the flickering sconce light. Neither knights looked pleased, and their squires behind the
m—whose names Dorrick couldn’t recall—appeared to have seen apparitions. Not a good assignment, he’d have to guess.
He didn’t think that boded well for him and Marcella.
They entered the council chambers, where all the captains and the commander convened to talk about problems facing the order. It was also where a lot of captains gave out mission assignments to squads, though others did it from their offices.
Dorrick and Marcella paused at the threshold to make sure there wasn’t another meeting already starting. Inside, sitting next to each other, were Sirs Nogrund and Terlen. They both turned when they noticed the two new knights.
“Ah, glad you made it promptly,” said Nogrund with a grin. “Come in.”
They stepped in. Dorrick had never been to the council chambers before, despite the fact that he’d grown up inside the order. It was a circular room, tall and regal, with windows on all sides so sunlight was always streaming in. The center of the room was dominated by a circular table with space in the middle for someone, like Dorrick and Marcella, to stand in—so the entire council could watch every inch of them.
Thankfully, there were only two this time.
He and Chella stood in the center and faced the two captains. They both bowed their heads. “Good morning,” they said simultaneously, quite unintentionally. Dorrick’s face went red. Marcella stifled a giggle. Now wasn’t the time to goof around.
“Good morning to the both of you,” the captain said. “Congratulations are in order.”
Marcella smiled and bowed her head even more. “Thank you, sir. Dorrick told me it was your recommendation that ultimately gave us our promotions.”
“Indeed, it was. And I stand by it. You two have earned it.”
Sir Terlen cleared his throat. “Well then, let’s have them prove it.”
Sir Nogrund’s smile faded into a line. “Yes. Of course.”
“Apologies, but we have no time to let you celebrate your new titles. Duty calls, after all.” Sir Terlen adjusted his glasses and gave them a hard stare. “You two have a mission.”
Dorrick held his breath. “The two of us, sir?”
Sir Nogrund didn’t look up from the scroll he read. “Yes, the two of you. We got a rash of urgent requests this morning and many of our captains and knights are preoccupied. This mission isn’t anything too serious. We’d usually send a captain and a small squad, but since you two work well together, we’re sending you two and your new squires.”
He heard Marcella take in a sharp breath beside him. “Squires, sir? Already?”
“All knights get a pair of squires. You know this, Bather.”
“I know, I know, I just— I assumed we had more time to learn our roles and duties before being thrown into the thick of it.”
“Normally you would,” Sir Terlen agreed as he sipped his tea. His cheeks dimpled with each sip. “But as Nogrund said, we’re in a bit of a situation here, so it’s all hands on deck.”
“It won’t be a problem, sir,” Dorrick said.
Sir Nogrund smirked. “Good, I didn’t think that it would.”
Marcella sighed. She’d wanted a few more days off. Dorrick understood the feeling, but this was part of the job. “What’s the mission, Captains?”
Sir Nogrund finished reading whatever it was he was reading—probably another request for help, if Dorrick had to guess—and looked up at the two young knights. “There’s a mining town on the other side of Helwind Pass, the only route safely through the Lazendires. It’s on the Mushroom Wilds side. Most of our settlements don’t go out that far, but our mining operations are the exceptions. We get all our coal from these towns and one of them is being terrorized by an enraged rock spirit.”
The Mushroom Wilds. Dorrick couldn’t believe it. Those wilds were part of the greater Spirit Wilds that dominated the rest of the continent, but they were far wilder due to their great distance from Al-Sevara and Masrataa alike. It would take them probably two weeks to get there, and that would be two weeks traveling in the Spirit Wilds.
That wasn’t something Dorrick thought he’d have to contend with so quickly.
He cleared his throat. “That’s quite a journey, sir.”
“Indeed, it is, which is why you’re being authorized to take as many provisions as you wish. You’ll be allowed to use the main road all the way to Helwind Pass, so it shouldn’t take you more than a week to reach the town. Most travelers aren’t authorized to use those waystations.”
“Ah, that’s a relief then,” Marcella said with a sigh.
Dorrick agreed. He could survive a week staying in waystations. That wouldn’t be so terrible, though he was sure the day or two it would take to cross the Lazendires wouldn’t be too pleasant. Still, he’d always wanted to see the giant mushrooms that those wilds derived their namesake from, no matter how dangerous the place was.
As for the rock spirit, they had plenty of appropriate potions and enchantments they could use to take it down. It was a common thing, rock spirits. They had them in the Yellowridge Mountains along the western coast. They sometimes caused a problem, but they weren’t too big and usually stayed in their caves.
So if this was the mission they were given, this was the mission Dorrick would fulfill. He was a Knight of the Red Flame now, and spirits would fall before him.
Sir Terlen stood and clapped his hands. “Well, now that that is settled, you two should go meet your new squires. Afterward, you should head out as soon as you get supplied.”
“Yes, sir,” they said.
He and Marcella were dismissed. They first stopped by the quartermaster so they could get their requisitions for the journey. It was a lot, but they needed a lot for they had a long way to go. Once they had that all squared away and the quartermaster and his assistants were outfitting their horses, they made their way back to the dorms where their new squires were waiting in one of the recreation rooms.
The four of them straightened as the two new knights entered the room. All four were younger than Dorrick and Marcella, which wasn’t surprising, though there were plenty of squires far older than them too. One could join the order at almost any age, though growing up within the ranks was probably the best way to go in his opinion. But I’m a bit biased, he thought with an inward smirk.
There were three men. One was short and wide as a boulder with a long black beard, but he smiled wide when he saw Dorrick and Marcella. The other two were both taller than Dorrick, though both seemed rather lanky. Then there was a woman with a dismissive scowl that sent a shiver down his back. She did not look like she approved of either him or Marcella. Not that her opinion mattered in the situation.
Dorrick crossed his arms and inclined his head. “Greetings to all of you. For those of you who don’t know who we are, I am Sir Dorrick, and this is Dame Bather.”
“Hi,” said Marcella with a chipper smile.
The stubby-bearded squire raised his hand. “Shouldn’t we call you Sir Vane?”
Dorrick cleared his throat. “N-no. Please for the love of Flames, don’t call me that. My father, your lord commander, is Sir Vane. I don’t need that. Sir Dorrick is fine. And you are?”
He straightened. “I’m Payne, sir. Payne Nebits. Used to be a blacksmith, but joined up when the spirits destroyed the little hamlet where I grew up.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Payne.”
“Don’t worry yourself, sir. It was a long time ago.”
Marcella’s eyes were wide at this wild conversation. She tried to wrangle control of it. “How about you?” she asked, indicating to the girl.
The girl’s dismissive demeanor improved a bit now that she was being addressed by a superior officer. “Nessa, sir. And I’d rather not give my life story, if that’s okay with you.”
Marcella smiled. “That’s perfectly fine.”
“I’m Tomys Carrell,” said the third boy, with golden skin and an intensely-freckled complexion.
“And I’m Borner, Borner deDevaran.” That was all the last
one offered up.
Dorrick clapped his hands together and gave them all an encouraging smile. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you all. Ideally, I’d have liked to assess your strengths and get to know you first, but unfortunately, we’re on a tight schedule, as it seems everyone is, so we’ll have to get more acquainted with one another on the road. We have a long journey ahead.”
“We look forward to learning from you, sir,” said Tomys.
“Glad to hear it.” Dorrick nodded to the door. “Now, let’s get on down to the stables and saddle up. The quartermaster is outfitting our mounts as we speak.”
“Yeah, no time for a delay,” Marcella agreed.
And with that, the two young knights and their four new squires set off on their first journey together. Dorrick could only hope that this would be the first of many.
12
Tuni
For about a week, Tuni took to her new life with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, which was to say, a lot. She was giddy to learn about magic and spirits and nature and every little thing that the sage could teach her.
Of course, that wasn’t exactly what she got. This was less school and more her doing lots and lots of chores.
Gayla the Green was a busy sage, always flitting in and out of the hut, magically disappearing to go deal with some sort of spirit incident or another. That left Tuni under Shandi’s charge, and the beautiful assistant didn’t put up with Tuni’s nonsense. She put her to work straight away.
Most of it was busywork—harvesting herbs, flowers, and vegetables from around the multitude of gardens and the surrounding forest. Tuni was on her hands and knees all day, pulling up plant after plant, all while Shandi preached about what they were, their properties, what they could be brewed into and used for. It was info that Tuni loved to know; she just hadn’t expected to learn quite like this.
But it was worth it.
Shandi drilled her relentlessly on the plants they grew. Eye of newt, wolfsbane, firethorn, elder root, and so many more. Some Tuni knew all about and others she’d never seen in her wildest dreams. There was a field of tall, purple flowers like sunflowers a league away from the house that Shandi took her to. They were as tall as Tuni and had thick stalks, so she and Shandi had to use sickles to hack away and cut them down.
