The Mage's Daughter 2: Book Two: Enlightenment

by LeRoy Clary

  Prin dropped her bag at Sara’s feet and walked directly to the wagon. She said as she pointed, “Driver. How much to take us to the top of the hill?”

  “Climb on in, there’s plenty of room for all of you. We can talk while you ride in comfort.”

  Prin said, “And when we get up there you will charge me ten times what the ride is worth, and if I don’t pay, you’ll call the local constable, and you’ll pay him for siding with you. No, I only ride when I know the exact cost and not one that you are going to rob me with. I’d rather walk that be robbed.”

  The young sailor shifted the bag back onto his shoulder. The driver snarled that she needed a spanking, and to stay out of his business or he’d give her one. He wrapped the reigns around a post on the carriage and started to climb down. Before his threat could go farther, the knife from between her shoulders was in Prin’s hand.

  She said quietly, “If your foot touches the ground, you’ll leak blood all over the pretty carriage.”

  “You don’t know how to throw that.” He acted like he was going to finish getting down, but Sara was suddenly standing beside Prin smiling her warning and shaking her head sadly to the driver.

  Sara said to him, without raising her voice, “You’re right, the silly girl carries that knife just for show. She does not know how to throw it, you know. But what if you’re wrong?”

  His eyes went back to Prin, and he climbed up into the carriage again, shouting threats she didn’t bother to answer as she replaced the knife in the scabbard and turned away.

  “Hey,” the young sailor called as Prin and Sara began walking away.

  “Now, you’ve done it,” Sara said with a wink and a smile. “Gone and collected another stray.”

  He ran to catch up with them. “I want to thank you.”

  “You just did,” Sara said, never slowing.

  “I’m new here.”

  “No kidding? So are we,” Sara continued in her sarcastic voice.

  However, Prin stepped up to the boy and said, “Where are you going?”

  He flashed a smile and said, “I don’t know, really. My ship is being worked on, but the owner decided the crew is too big, so he can’t make enough money by paying extra crewmen. I guess I’m out of a job until I find another ship.”

  Sara said, “Are you the only one he let go?”

  After a slight hesitation, he said, “Yes.”

  “So, I suspect there were other things involved with his decision or he would have let another go. Maybe he did so in reaction to things you did? Or things that happened around you?”

  He hung his head. “I guess so.”

  “What are you going to do now?” Prin asked.

  He shrugged. “There’s a seaman’s union where they post openings on ships. I was going up there and see if any, need a sailor with a year of experience on deck.”

  Sara turned to Prin with a heavy sigh. “Want me to wait here with our bags or come with you back to the ship?”

  “Wait here. You,” Prin said, pointing at the sailor, “leave your sea bag here and come with me.” She walked rapidly back to the Merry Princess and across the gangplank, to where the bos’n noticed her arrival and waited, hands on hips. She said, “I’ve found a sailor.”

  “That’s not the first time I’ve had one of the female crew say that, but never so quickly after going ashore.”

  Prin said, “You’re smiling, so I missed something.”

  “Never mind. What is your young sailor’s name?”

  Prin turned to him, trying to cover up the fact that she didn’t know. “Well, tell him your name and what happened to you.”

  “Brice,” he said quickly, then he explained quickly, and said he was a hard worker and pulled his share of night watches without falling asleep.

  Several questions were asked and answered, then the bos’n said, “Give me the name of your ship, and if your story holds true, you have a position here—if you don’t mind hard work.”

  Brice eagerly shook the bos’n’ hand. Prin left the ship with Brice beaming, and the bos’n happy at the prospect of finding a good replacement crewman.

  Sara sat on her bag and waited. She took one look at the smiles and knew the outcome. “He got hired.”

  Prin said, “Yes. You and I have things to talk about, but he comes with us.”

  Sara said, “Yes. Now, we need to figure out what to do with him. The ship will pay for a cot and eats, but from what I hear that’s not much.”

  “Do I get any say in this?” Brice asked.

  “No,” Prin said.

  “No,” Sara said at the same time, grinning.

  Prin said, “We have at least a month to figure him out.”

  Sara said, her tone questioning, “What are the chances?”

  “Maybe there are hundreds of them in Gallium,” Prin answered.

  Brice said, “Hundreds of what?”

  “Sailors,” Prin lied. “Come on, let’s find us a ride.”

  Two carriages stopped near them, but neither gave them prices. They kept walking, but the bags were growing weighty and the air so warm and dry, they wanted to stop for a drink, but there was no place, just people rushing in one direction or another.

  Prin said, “I’m about ready to let one of them cheat me.”

  Sara flagged down a man walking in their direction. “Excuse me, sir, how can we find an honest carriage?”

  He pointed up the hill to a place where she saw carriages were lined up. “The flagman will make the driver give you a fair price before he leaves. Don’t pay for extras.”

  They changed direction and headed for the front of the line where a big man directed traffic with a flag on a stick, and a loud voice. Others were waiting in a ragged line, so they stood until the others were gone and he asked as the next carriage pulled up, “Where to?”

  Prin pointed. “We need to find a place to rent up there on that hill.”

  “Three coppers. I’ll tell the driver to take you to see Mrs. Lamont.” He waved for the next carriage to approach without a second glance.

  “Does she pay you also?” Prin asked.

  The flagman said smoothly, “I work for the port. Anything else, and I work somewhere else. Been here three years, so far.”

  “Sorry,” Sara said. “She is impetuous with her questions.”

  The flagman started placing their bags in the back of the carriage while they climbed into the seats, one facing front and one the rear. Prin remembered the Old Mage telling her that he preferred to sit facing the front so he could see where he was going, not where he came from. She fought the tears and managed to wipe her eyes without drawing comment as she sat—facing forward.

  The driver talked to the flagman for a few sentences, and the drive released the handbrake, and the carriage headed out being pulled behind a large black horse with a splash of white on its nose. The animal was a high-stepper, walking tall and proud.

  The driver was a man of forty, maybe more, clean shaven in a land of beards, and brown hair to his shoulders. He’d looked twice at the bald heads of Prin and Sara, but didn’t mention it as he called over his shoulder, “There’s a place up ahead where we can stop for a moment to quench our thirst if you’re interested. That means you might as well, because there’s no charge and I intend to, and my horse is thirsty.”

  His words were said in an oddly stilted manner, a strange accent and cadence combined. Prin watched the horse and compared it to the ones in the books she had read. It was better than any book.

  Brice said, “Listen, my ship paid me, but I don’t have much. I hear this ride is three coppers and it’s only right I pay my share.”

  Prin noticed the driver listening. She called, “Driver, if there were two of us, what would the cost of the ride be?”

  He half-turned and winked so only she and Sara could see, as he said, “Same distance. Same price. Three coppers.”

  Prin said, “There you go. You’re riding for free.”

  “I can’t afford a ro
om for a month, let alone food. I’ll make my way back to the port in a day or two, and maybe I can sleep on the ship.”

  Sara and Prin exchanged a look. Sara said, “Okay, that sounds fair, for now.”

  As the carriage reached the edge of the city, where one building touched another, and the walls were white tinged with a hint of blue, the carriage pulled to one side where a spring-fed rock-lined pool waited. The horse slurped while a small woman appeared and asked the driver a question. He answered, and they both laughed, but Prin didn’t understand a word.

  The woman slipped inside and reappeared with four large mugs. She passed them out and spoke again to the driver as Prin sniffed the water, expecting it to be warm and green-tasting, but welcome. Instead, the water was cool, and the pulp of a citrus fruit floated inside. She drained half the mug in the next drink, convinced it was the best beverage she’d ever tasted.

  “What is this?” Sara asked.

  The driver said, “Water with orange. Sort of the favorite drink of Gallium, you can get it anywhere, but maybe not as cold and good as here.”

  Prin looked at her empty mug, at Sara, Brice, the city above, and the back end of the horse. She said, “This is going to be interesting.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Mrs. Lamont, the lady the flagman had directed them to see for a room to rent, was located in a small storefront at street level of a two-story building like most of the city were. She sat in an oversized chair at a desk she dwarfed. Looking up, she flashed a whole-mouth smile and said, “What can I do for you?”

  The driver had unloaded their bags and brought them inside, where Prin tried to offer a tip but was refused. He departed with a jaunty wave, and Prin turned back to Sara and listened.

  “We’re sailors, and our ship is being refitted. We need a place for at least a month,” Sara was telling the woman at the desk.

  The large woman’s eyes flicked to Brice. “Two rooms would be proper. I run a decent business.”

  Sara reacted as if slapped across her face. She reddened and then leaned closer. “You know nothing of our relationship yet you judge us. Suppose I explain that we are sisters and brother, or that in our land we marry early—and often. You might at least wait to hear what accommodations we request until you pass judgment on good people or we may do the same to you.”

  Mrs. Lamont placed her hands together on her little desk and intertwined her fingers as she set her jaw. Her voice became silky smooth, “What sort of room were you looking for, if I may ask?”

  Sara matched her tone, “We were looking for more than a single room. There are three of us and we all value privacy. However, we did not wish three separate small rooms, but perhaps an apartment? Nothing fancy, but we prefer to cook in and eat our own foods. We are not concerned with location if there is convenient shopping for food nearby.”

  “Ah, that is a little more expensive, but not unreasonable. The money you save by making your meals at home will more than pay the difference, I’m sure. I have a few properties as you describe, one that I think will be perfect for a brother and his sisters.”

  Sara sat. “Tell me about it.”

  “It is near here, with a view above the rooftops of the harbor where you can see the ships. A small terrace, two sleeping rooms and a small storage room that has been used for sleeping in the past. Fully furnished, nothing fancy, as you say, but clean.”

  “A common room and kitchen?”

  “Yes. And the price is reasonable, hardly more than three separate rooms.” She quoted the price, which was less than Prin and Sara had discussed on the ship.

  “When can we see it?”

  Mrs. Lamont called in a foghorn voice, “William!”

  A young man rushed into the room and pulled to a halt as he caught sight of Sara, his eyes going wide, and he tugged at his tunic hem and stood straighter. “Ma’am?”

  “Escort these three to the Turner house.” She turned back to Sara, “Leave your things here. While he regains his wits about him, go see if it is suitable and if so, you may stop by later and pay me. I’m sure William will be more than happy to make a return trip if you decide to rent. And, of course, I have other rentals if this one does not fit your needs.” The tone still held a chill at being scolded.

  William stood taller than any of them, his pale skin dotted with freckles, and his hair had a slight reddish tint in the bright sunlight. He tried to speak to Sara twice and failed each time. Finally, he locked his eyes on Brice’s and said, “It is not far. Follow me.”

  The woman at the desk laughed crudely at his discomfort, but Sara took pity on him and stepped to William’s side, her elbow held out to him. “Thank you. Would you please take my arm and escort me?”

  William eagerly accepted her arm. He encircled her elbow with his hand and motioned with his other arm in the way they should take. As they left the office, Prin noticed the glare Mrs. Lamont threw Sara’s way. She suspected they would never become best friends.

  He took them out onto the street, turned right along the cobblestones, traveled two blocks with Williams' head held high, then turned right again. He pulled to a stop beside a building with an exterior stairway. “This is it,” he mumbled.

  The building was bland in appearance, bluish white stucco in a middle-class neighborhood, the roof of curved tiles made of the same local clay. A large clay pot of the same color held a stunted evergreen shrub at the bottom of the stairs, and at the top, a narrow tray grew a sort of ivy that dropped down the wall. With a good watering now and then, it would probably grow lush.

  William pulled a ring of keys and unlocked the massive padlock. Inside, the apartment was dark and cool. As described, a central room, a small kitchen to one side, White clay floor tiles, a stack of firewood ready for cooking, and a terrace barely large enough for three to sit at the small table.

  But the view was magnificent. The white rooftops of the buildings sloping down the hillside, the sun reflecting off the sparkling harbor, and a few hundred ships anchored in the blue waters. On the piers, she saw the loading and unloading of cargo, the shipyards, and more of the city across the crescent of water.

  Inside were two minuscule rooms for sleeping, and a third even smaller. All had sleeping pallets neatly rolled and stored, the central room held four chairs, all with padded seats, and two small tables. Nothing else. No pictures, paintings, plants, or anything else. It was perfect.

  Sara said to William, “Will you take me back so I can pay? And I need to have our things brought here.”

  “I can do that. Both. I can do both,” he stuttered, then reached for her elbow as if that was the proper way for them to walk together. Sara ceremoniously accepted his arm again, and as they departed, Prin thought she walked just a bit closer than necessary.

  After they had departed, Prin went back to stand on the terrace. The morning sun struck it full on, which meant that it would be in the shade for the afternoon. She fell into a chair, satisfied and anxious at the same time. Brice had been unusually quiet, but she had taken the time to observe him and liked what she saw, but another subject had to be broached.

  “Brice, sit and talk to me.”

  He sat uncomfortably as if expecting his good luck to come to an end. “I need to thank you again.”

  Prin stood again, leaning on the rail and looking over the little terrace to the street below. Nobody was within hearing distance. She settled back and said, “You are different than other people, but I expect you know that on some level.”

  “Excuse me?” He rose.

  “Brice, sit back down and listen.”

  He sat on the edge of his chair again, wary and ready to bolt.

  Prin spoke in a gentler tone. “I will be blunt. You’re different. You know it. But you are not alone. Sara and I are much like you. Different, but sort of the same.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice almost broke.

  “Things around you sometimes happen. Things others cannot do, cannot explain.”
/>   “Like what?”

  She decided to be even more direct. “Magic.”

  He was on his feet again, fear flooding his normally pleasant face. He looked ready to leap over the railing and run off. She saw his shallow breathing coming fast. Escape had probably been his only way of coping and staying alive. His eyes darted to the doorway.

  Prin understood she had underestimated his fear and reaction. She should have waited for Sara and consulted her, and she didn’t know what to do except let him bolt. Without thinking, Prin held up her index finger as if pointing, and grew a tiny flame at the tip, then increases it, before shutting it down.

  He sat again, mouth hanging open.

  She said, “We’re trying to help you. What I just revealed could cost me my life, so you are now indebted to me. And you need to listen to me like your life is in my hands.”

  “What?”

  “You have magic powers. Somewhere inside of your mind, you know that. But I don’t think you understand it, or how to use any magic, and when you tried some magic in the past, bad things happened uncontrollably, probably to many people around you. People became angry. You had to run to survive and ended up working on a ship. That’s all guesses, but true?”

  He nodded, his mouth still open, but he appeared to be less likely to panic and run. He said, “How do you know all this? This magic? And me?”

  She decided to answer truthfully. “There’s a shimmer around your head, and fuzziness that only a sorceress can see.”

  His hands went to his head.

  Prin said, “I think it has something to do with magic being in you. I heard that’s how they know which boys have the powers to become mages, so they take them from their families for training when they are younger than you.”

  “My parents have been dead for a long time. I barely remember them.”

  Prin smiled, and tried to stifle it, but not before Brice saw.

  “That’s funny to you?”

  Prin sobered. “Not the reality of their deaths, just our similar circumstances, so I understand your problem. I lost three fathers a short while ago, but you said they are dead for a long time. Is there a way to be dead for less time?”