The Sorceress's Apprentice

by Joshua Jackson

  “I thought you could only travel from a known place,” he replied warily.

  “I can create new paths but it requires a great deal of power,” I corrected. “She can provide me that power.”

  Zimri looked over at the girl, who was studying her feet nervously, then shook his head. “No.”

  “Zimri, we will not get another chance like this,” I said urgently. “We could shave weeks off our trip, catch the Mistress by surprise, and she would provide me enough power to legitimately challenge the Mistress. This is not just our best chance; it might be our only chance.”

  “No.”

  “But—”

  “We are not murdering a little girl!” he hissed, hand moving towards his sword.

  “I have some power now; I can kill you too,” I warned, letting the magic fill me. I could hear it whispering to strike him down.

  “You’ll have to be faster than my sword,” he countered, starting to unsheathe it.

  I growled in frustration. The magic begged me to take his powerful life force. Combined with the girl’s, I knew could take the Mistress and then I would rule the Eisenberge. I wouldn’t need him anymore. Yet I resisted.

  I don’t really know why I didn’t. Looking into his intense, resolute face, I realized he didn’t fear me and I didn’t know how to handle that. Everyone feared me and those that didn’t never lived long enough to learn from that mistake. Yet with Zimri, it wasn’t foolishness. He knew that I could kill him with a word if I chose. It was something else that fueled his fierce determination, something he was okay dying for and killing for; something beyond than himself. Never had I met someone like that so I hesitated.

  “Zimri, I see that you do not wish to take part in taking an innocent life,” I tried a different attack, “in truth, I do not like it either.” That was partially true; I didn’t enjoy killing children for my power and did it as little as possible but neither did I feel any remorse over it. It was just how things worked, nothing more or less. “But you know I will need to have a great store of life force when we face the Mistress and it has to come from somewhere.”

  “But soldiers—”

  “It would take hundreds of soldiers to give the strength needed to face the Mistress,” I cut off. “This girl can provide the power we need. Is her life more important than the princess’s?”

  “It isn’t less important either,” he shook his head. “How we do this matters, Athala. It matters to me and it will matter to Ari. If she knew, she would hate me and herself forever. Even if she didn’t, I could never live with myself knowing what Ari’s life cost. No, Athala,” he stated resolutely, “you will have to go through me to get to her.”

  It was an enticing thought. The magic was practically screaming at me to kill him. I was going to turn him over to the Mistress anyway so what did it matter? If anything, it would be doing him a mercy compared to whatever the Mistress would do to him. And yet, looking into his dark, determined eyes, I found that I could not. With a sigh, I relinquished the magic.

  “We cannot let her get captured again,” I told him. “If Aidan or the Mistress decided to use her now, they must be planning a massive spell.”

  “How big?” Zimri asked, relaxing. “What spell?”

  “I do not know.” I started tapping my foot, pondering the options. None were good. “With that kind of power, perhaps launch a plague on Alkilion or perhaps wipe out the harvest.”

  “Magic can do that?” He sounded horrified.

  “That and much more, with enough power,” I replied. “Maybe create a stone army to guard the Finsternis. I do not know. Whatever it is, it cannot be good for your princess or Alkilion. Zimri, if it comes down to it, I will take her life force to prevent her being captured.” I glared at him, daring him to contradict me on this one.

  He looked grim but nodded. “As an absolute last resort, I understand.”

  “Is everything okay?” Helga’s voice spoke from behind. I turned to see her regarding us with worriedly. “Are you going to kill me?”

  “No, of course not,” Zimri attempted one of his disarming grins but this time it came across as forced. “We’re just trying to figure out what to do next. We need a place to hide.”

  “You can come to my house,” Helga offered. “It is not far from here.”

  Zimri shook his head. “That’s the first place they’ll look once they realize you’re gone,” he said.

  “But it might be our only option,” I countered. “I have to hide both of you. We cannot use inns or taverns because they will recognize you, Zimri. Also, I do not think they will look first at her house. It is too obvious.”

  “Hiding in plain sight again?” Zimri asked. “Like at Black Falls?”

  “Ya.”

  “Since that worked so well,” he snorted.

  “It did,” I retorted. “As I recall, we made it all the way to the gate before being spotted. It is a safe spot that will buy us enough time to find a new hiding place and will have what I need.”

  “You have a plan?” Zimri asked.

  “The beginnings of one, ya,” I nodded. “Lead on, Helga.”

  The girl beamed and grabbed my hand again, pulling me down the alley. “My parents will be so happy to meet you!” she declared. I was less certain of that.

  Staying off the main streets, she led us through a series of back streets and alleys until we reached a group of multi-story wooden and stone apartments smashed together. Helga raced up the steps with us in tow and knocked on a door at the second story.

  A woman in her early thirties answered the door. She wore a thin wool dress with an equally thin frock over the top. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and dirt, but her blues flashed with an angry defiance.

  “What do you want now, you—”

  She stopped short when she saw Helga beaming at her,

  “Helga? Could it really be you?” she gasped.

  Chapter 20-Athala

  “MOMMY!” Helga squealed and jumped into her mother’s stunned arms.

  “But the soldiers…they took you,” she stammered, holding her daughter. “I thought we would never see you again!”

  “They rescued me from the soldiers,” Helga indicated Zimri and I.

  “Lothar! Come here!” Helga’s mother called over her shoulder.

  An older man came to the door, wearing a defeated expression that turned into astonishment.

  “Olympia’s grace, I do not believe it,” the man exclaimed in a raspy voice.

  “These two brought our girl back to us,” the woman was crying now as the little family gathered around Helga, hugging her.

  “No, not for long,” I broke into the family reunion. “It will not be long before it is discovered she is missing. Sooner or later, they will come here.”

  “Why do they want her?” the man demanded, his grief and joy turning to anger. “She is just a little girl.”

  “It is because she is a little girl,” Athala answered. “She is an extremely powerful source of magic.”

  “How do you know that?” the man narrowed his eyes.

  “She is Athala,” declared Helga before either Zimri or I could stop her.

  “ATHALA? The apprentice?” the man stepped protectively between us and his family, and then broke down into a coughing fit.

  “She saved me!” protested Helga.

  “And we are the only ones who can save your daughter now,” I told them. “Do not be foolish enough to believe that she is safe yet. Aidan will tear the city apart if he must to find her.”

  “Lothar, they did save her,” the woman said quietly.

  “Alina, she is the Mistress’s Apprentice and he is a gebraten!” Lothar exploded. “You want to trust the life of our daughter to them?”

  “You do not have a choice,” I crossed her arms and glared at Lothar. “Ya, I was the Mistress’s Apprentice, which means I am uniquely suited to protect your daughter from Aidan and the Mistress.”

  “How can we trust you?” Lothar demanded.
>
  I snorted at the idea. “I am not asking you to trust me. I am not ‘asking’ anything. I am telling you I am getting your daughter to safety. I am not doing this out of charity; I have my own reasons to ensure neither Aidan nor the Mistress get their hands on her.” I leaned forward, locking a cold glare on Lothar. “I assure you they will not.”

  “You would kidnap our daughter?” Lothar was becoming irate.

  “We shouldn’t have to,” Zimri quickly interjected, attempting to calm things down. “Athala is right; Helga can’t stay here. You know it as well as I. We can protect her and get her out. We are probably the only ones who can. If you want your daughter to survive, you will have to trust us.”

  Lothar looked defeated, looking at his wife. She nodded silently.

  “Where will she go?” he finally asked.

  “I cannot tell you so you cannot betray her,” I shook her head. Also, I wasn’t really sure yet.

  “We would never—”

  “You would break. They always break,” I savagely cut off. “Even if you were strong enough, Aidan would simply rip the knowledge from your mind. Now if you wish her to survive, you will do exactly what I say.”

  I put on my most authoritarian glare, willing them to do as told. Quickly they cowed, despite me being half their age. It was satisfying to know that I still could intimidate someone when needed.

  “As you wish, mistress,” Lothar gave her a slight bow. “What do you need from us?”

  “Zimri will stay to guard Helga,” I ordered. “Alina, prepare a wash basin for clothes, like you are going to dye something.”

  “Ya, mistress,” Alina nodded, ushering Helga inside their home.

  “Where are you going?” Zimri asked, hesitating at the door.

  “I need supplies,” I replied. “I will be back soon; do not do anything stupid while I am away.”

  “Same to you,” he snorted.

  I shrugged. “Just keep her safe until I get back. Do whatever it takes to keep her out of Aidan’s hands.”

  “I’ll keep the family safe.”

  “Not the family, just Helga,” I emphasized.

  “I’m not—”

  “Zimri, if Aidan or the Mistress got Helga…I do not even know what they could do with her power. Whatever it is, it would be the end of Alkilion—and us!” I whispered. “If you worry about the family too, you put the whole world at risk. What do you think the Mistress would do with Alkilion’s resources? No place would be safe. They are expendable; she is not.”

  “I hate this,” he grumbled.

  “Get over it,” I retorted. “I will not take long. Hold against soldiers if they show up.”

  “If Aidan shows up, any tips?”

  “Run.”

  “I can—,”

  “You. Run,” I ground out. “Do not be a hero; you will lose.”

  Zimri looked like he wanted to protest but simply let his shoulders slump and nodded. “Good. Give me your pack,” I said with relief. “I will be back soon.”

  I slipped out of the tenement building into the street. No soldiers were in sight but that meant little. It was unlikely they knew she was gone yet. Still, time was not our friend.

  The forum was not nearly as busy as I expected the central city of Wiese to be. By now it was early afternoon so maybe all the good stuff was gone but it seemed there were as many soldiers as people.

  Worry flashed through me. Did they know we’d snuck in? Were we trapped here? It didn’t matter, I told myself, schooling my emotions back to neutral. We had to come here and so we had to figure a way out. Of course, it would be a lot easier without the kid to worry about. Once again, I considered why I hadn’t simply taken her power as I approached a clothing vendor.

  “What do you need, miss?” he asked with the typical sleazy politeness of a merchant.

  “Your biggest cloak, two regular cloaks, two sets of clothing for me, two sets of men’s outerwear, and four sets of undergarments,” I rattled off.

  “Two sets of men’s?” the vendor asked. “How big?”

  “Roughly the same height as me and a little on the large side,” I answered. Zimri wasn’t fat; far from it. But compared to most Eisenbergians, he was, uh, well-fed.

  “Here you are,” he laid out the clothing, placing a protective hand over it. “How are you going to pay for all of this?”

  “How much?” I asked.

  “For all this? Three emmies,” he answered.

  “Three emmies? For this?” I grumbled, testing the cloth. The rough wool was hardly the high-quality I was accustomed to.

  “It is not about the quality, ma’am, but the quantity,” he explained, allowing just a touch of irritation to shine through. “This is almost my entire store, ma’am. I must be able to feed my family.”

  Three emmies would feed five families for a several weeks but I doubted I would get a much better price. The magic called to me, begging me to let it in and kill him or at least frighten him into giving me the clothes. Having to pay these miserable peasants was humiliating. But, taking stock of the soldiers around, I decided against it. I didn’t have the strength to fight the entire garrison, much of which was here.

  “Fine,” I growled, pulling my money pouch out and producing the three emerald coins. The vendor’s eyes widened as he noted the colorful collection of coins. “Do you know anyone who sells vinegar?”

  “Ya,” he nodded, “over there. Who are you?”

  “Someone you do not want to cross,” I warned. Swallowing, the vendor nodded and I moved off.

  “Do you know of any abandoned buildings or warehouses?” I inquired as innocently as I could.

  “Abandoned, ma’am? No, not that I know of,” the woman answered. “I imagine there are a few empty warehouses inside the dock plaza. I do not know of any abandoned buildings. Most likely there is an abandoned apartment on the west side of town.”

  I nodded and paid for the vinegar and food supplies purchased. Moving to the center of the forum, I studied the north gate and wall dividing the city from the docks. The gate was closed and a full cohort of soldiers stood guarding it. That wasn’t an option, not until we had a way of making ourselves invisible.

  I glanced up in the sky as I stuffed everything I could into the two packs. It was midafternoon already, which made me wince. Time was becoming less and less our friend. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I slipped out of the forum.

  Chapter 21-Athala

  “Finally,” Zimri exclaimed as I squeezed into the apartment, looking visibly relieved. It was late afternoon by the time I got back.

  “I had a lot to carry,” I grouched, dropping the packs just inside the door.

  “You okay?” he asked, dark eyes full of concern. “You look tired.”

  I nodded, letting my shoulders droop slightly. “I had to dodge soldiers all the way back. They seemed to be watching me.”

  Zimri’s face tightened. “They know where we are?”

  “Probably,” I nodded.

  “Athala, you are back!” Helga came bounding up, grabbing my hand.

  I looked down at the hand and once again wondered why I didn’t simply just take her life force. In the back of my mind, I sensed the magic whispering to me, tempting me, enticing me to just do it. It would be so easy, just a word and I would have nearly immeasurable power. No chance Zimri could stop me and a simple schlafe-spell would take care of him.

  Glancing up, I saw Zimri studying me intently, as if he could read my thoughts. There was a warning in that forceful glare. If I dare try anything, he would stop me or die trying. I returned a defiant glare and watched his eyes narrow. But then I looked down to see Helga smiling up at me.

  “Do you want some water?” she asked.

  “Ya,” I nodded, suddenly feeling thirsty. Helga beamed and bounded off to find me something to drink.

  “How’s it looking out there?” Zimri asked, stepping closer.

  “Not good,” I admitted, pitching my voice low, tearing myself away
from the girl. “The garrison commander, General Philipp I think, knows what he is doing. He has soldiers everywhere, especially at the exits like the docks and the gate. He also has soldiers watching any abandoned buildings we might use.”

  “If they know where we are, why not attack?” Zimri wondered, matching my low voice.

  “A couple of reasons,” I answered. “First, they are waiting for Aidan to arrive. They dare not take on a sorceress without one of their own to counter. Until then, they simply need to keep tabs on us and keep us from escaping.”

  “How long until then?”

  I tapped my foot, considering. “I am not sure. If he were here, we would be fighting for our lives already. My guess is he is at the Drachen Festung, about a day’s ride from here. Assuming he teleports from there and depending on when a messenger was sent, we have until tomorrow morning. Early afternoon at best.”

  Zimri grimaced. “The other reason?”

  “They get to choose the battlefield,” I supplied. “There are only so many ways out, which means they can stack the potential battles entirely in their favor.”

  “But you do have a plan to get her out?” Alina materialized near us.

  “I do,” I nodded. “Do you have the basin ready?”

  Alina nodded, gesturing to a large metal basin in the middle of the single room of the apartment. Fishing around, I pulled out the massive black cloak. “Soak this,” I ordered her and then pulled out one of Zimri’s new sets of clothes. “You, put these on.”

  Zimri took the clothes and awkwardly looked around. “Uh, where?”

  “Anywhere, just stay out of my way,” I brushed off.

  “So just change anywhere?” he asked uncomfortably.

  “Ya.”

  “Is this a normal-sized apartment?”

  “Ya.”

  “So people change in here all the time, in front of each other?”

  “Ya. Why?”

  Zimri gave me a curious look and then glanced around. “Nothing. Just a whole lot about you suddenly makes sense.”