I could feel my jaw drop slightly. I had no idea that Stain would talk to me like this, about girls. Suddenly I realized what Stain was saying and grinned. "Suzie likes me?" I had to ask.
Stain chuckled and nodded. "It seems so. She seems to have developed some feelings about you. Again, what do you think about that?"
What did I think? Well... what did I think? I liked Suzie. I am not sure it was a romantic type of like though. There were a lot of things I liked about Suzie: she was pretty and nice to look at, she was nice, her sense of humor was good, her being a mage was a good thing. But like her romantically? I just was not sure.
"Ott?" Stain poked me. "You have to talk for me to understand."
I chuckled. "Sorry, I was just thinking about it." I took a deep breath. "I do like Suzie. She is a great girl and fun to be around. But Stain I am not sure I like her like that. She would be a great friend but as a wife? I am just not sure."
Stain nodded. "I had a feeling that is how things went for you. Suzie will most likely find herself a riverman, someone who compliments her in a more complete way that you could." He looked out on the water. "Well, I will say something to the Captain as he was the one that was concerned. He will decide how to deal with Suzie." Looking back at me he said, "Meanwhile you be a gentleman with Suzie, be her friend. No point in hurting her feelings because you do not feel the same as she does."
"Of course Stain!" I would never want to cause Suzie any grief. "I would love to keep her as a friend." And I really would. She is the kind of person I could always get along with even when she upset me.
"Good. I never doubted that you would handle this well." Stain took a deep breath. "Now about the other one." He stopped and looked at me. "Do you even know?" I could see the concern in his eyes.
Other one? What other one? "Stain. Who do you mean?" There were not a lot of women on board the boat but there were enough that I could not just guess who Stain meant.
Stain smiled sadly, "I had hoped you had already noticed on your own. What I am about to tell you is not to be acted upon or to change how you handle yourself. Am I understood?" Stain's expression made it obvious that what he was about to tell me was serious.
"Sure Stain. I promise to obey you." Of course I did. How could anything he told me change my actions? Who could he be talking about?
Stain took a deep breath. "I have known Brooke a long time, most of her life in fact. So what I am about to tell you is trustworthy." Brooke? He was talking about Brooke? She was attractive but my dad's age. How could he be talking about Brooke? "Ott!" He poked me. "Listen to me boy."
I shook my head, "Sorry Stain. What were you saying about Brooke?"
"I was saying what she told me was trustworthy." He was a tad irritated now. "She told me that she has noticed it also and has taken Raven aside and talked with her. Raven does not know that Brooke talked to me and she better not find out" Wait... Raven? "Evidently Raven has developed a certain level of attraction for you. We are not sure just how involved or what exactly she feels, but there is an attraction at the least. We, as both of you kids masters, feel that at this time neither of you are ready for a relationship. Be friends, if you can. But nothing more."
My head was spinning. Raven was attracted to me? "Stain, how long has she been attracted to me?" Was this recent because of my magic?
Stain grinned a little, "Evidently you struck a chord in her when you chastised her about what she thought about you and Mophar. She gained a little respect for you then and evidently it has blossomed into genuine affection."
Wow. That long ago? Wait! "If she has liked me this long why has she been so mean to me? Like when we first got on the boat?" She had been furious then.
Stain's grin grew. "Not many women take a pretty girl talking to the guy they like well. She overreacted and Brooke has talked about that with her."
"She was jealous?" No way. Not Raven.
Stain shook his head, "That is the way it seems."
I sat back and thought of all the different times I had been around Raven since boarding the boat. Yesterday popped into my head. "Oh no." I muttered.
Stain looked concerned. "What? What 'oh no'?" So I explained what happened in the hold and how Raven had behaved.
"She felt your magic?" Stain was surprised. "My understanding was that she was a null. No magic ability." His expression changed to contemplative. "I will have to think about this. Perhaps I should give her a test." He turned back towards me. "I expect you to be a gentleman with Raven also. Be gentle. She is tough but has been hurt in the past. If she chooses to share that with you of her own decision that is fine. If not do not pry into it." He stood up and dismissed the shield. "Remember Ott, Brooke and Raven will likely be our companions for quite some time. Let things develop slowly, that is the best way of it." He smiled and walked off to the Captain's cabin, most likely to discuss Suzie.
I just sat there and thought for a while. Man I was in a spot. One girl who liked me yet I felt no real affection for her. Another girl whom had developed feelings for me. The question was, did I have feelings for her? This question occupied my mind for quite some time until I heard my name called.
"Ott! Ott!" Raven and Suzie both called out. "Time to practice!"
I looked over my shoulder and realized that both ladies were standing at the hold lid armed and waiting. A stray thought went through my head. The real danger was not the weapons in their hands but the feelings that bubbled inside their hearts.
"Be right there ladies, let me go get my weapon." I hurried below to grab my sword.
By the time I had returned to the deck a small audience had gathered. Suzie and Raven were at the hold lid but Suzie did not have any weapons while Raven was fully armed with all her knives. James stood off to the side.
"What is going on?" I asked all of them.
James grinned. "Well we decided to let the ladies each fight you with their strongest abilities and see if you can survive." He motioned to Suzie. "Suzie will be using water magic, nothing deadly but she will try to disarm, entrap, and disable." Pointing to Raven, "Raven will be wielding her many knives and daggers. She will be using the practice ones which are dull, yet they are still metal so be aware that you most likely will get bruised." He stepped back. "If you would please apply a damping spell to your blade so that neither lady will face the raw edge?"
I nodded and worked a water spell to blunt the edge of the weapon. It would still impact but not cut. I looked around and realized that this would be much different than any previous practice. They would be trying to really take me down perhaps not kill me but defeat me that is for sure.
"Are you ready?" Evidently James would be the judge of the bout.
Now or never I guess. "Sure, shall we?" I braced myself and spun out a water shield to block both magic and metal blades. Do your worst ladies.
Raven grinned and became a blur of blades. They sparked off of the shield for a moment until she realized that nothing was even getting close. Suzie grinned and by her eyes I could tell she was using mage sight. Which meant she could see my shield. Suddenly her hands shot forwards and connected with my shield. I felt energy draining from me. She was siphoning my water magic. I had no clue that was possible! I quickly realized that if I kept my shield up the way it was she would simply make me pass out. Scrambling mentally I tossed out a multilayered shield that was five shields deep. Then I disconnected from the shields. They would not hold her off long but would provide me a buffer to work for a few moments. I heard the first shield pop as it winked out of existence. Suzie was already at the fourth shield. Raven walked around the perimeter of my shields poking with one of her knives. Waiting for me to be open. Like that would happen.
I thought for a moment longer and heard another shield drop. Three shields left. Suzie started working on the third. She was basically sucking in all that energy. Where was it going? I switched to mage sight and chuckled. She was grounding it out to the river. Very smart, she was basically just a conduit for the magi
c of my shield. Letting it drain off into the river. No wonder the shields were falling so fast. I looked around and grinned. I formed one more shield just outside my reach. But as I made this shield I pulled energy from the river. Basically reversing the same process that Suzie was using to drain off my shields. While I set this up I heard another shield pop. One more freestanding shield and then my new one. I would have to see if it worked. Raven continued to poke and prod my shields, getting closer as each shield dropped.
The fifth shield dropped with a pop and Suzie started working on the special shield. As she pulled energy out I let energy flow right back in. After a few minutes with no change in the shield Suzie's expression changed. She looked at me and grinned. She realized what I had done. Instantly she quit trying to siphon energy. The shield started to hum. She had not just stopped siphoning energy, she reversed the flow and was now pouring energy into the shield. It was going to explode if I was not careful. Looking at Suzie I knew she would best me with experience if I did not end this soon. The hum grew louder and louder. Raven had backed up a bit and was rubbing her arms again with a weird expression on her face. I looked around and realized that the crew had backed up, they knew something might just happen in a moment. I looked at Suzie and had a thought. Tapping into the shield I reached out with a thread of water magic and touched it to Suzie. She had not raised any shields! I quickly sent a burst of water magic, just a small one, down the thread. The surge hit Suzie and she slumped over, passed out. My shield crackled with energy. The hum was vibrating the boat.
Stain stepped out and pulled Suzie aside. "She is fine, just overloaded a little." He grinned and told her unconscious form, "I always told you to practice shielding my dear."
Ok. Suzie down. Now Raven. I looked at Raven. She had backed up even more and was obviously feeling the effects of my shield. Her focus was gone. I smiled a crooked smile and shrunk my shield down to its original size. Raven's head snapped up. "What trick are you doing?" She demanded.
"Just wait." I grinned bigger and focused. Suddenly a shield just like mine blossomed around Raven. It was about twice her size and I poured enough energy into it to turn it blue. I focused more and poured even more energy into the shield. Raven started rubbing her arms and her hair actually started to stand away from her head as I poured more and more energy into the shield. Suddenly Raven grinned, pulled a small dagger from behind her head, and stabbed it straight into the shield. A loud rumble and a loud pop and the shield was just gone. No evidence that it had ever existed.
Raven stepped forward. "Magic dagger." She smirked and waved her dagger.
Well now. Shields were no longer an option. I raised my sword as she advanced. Suddenly her hands whipped around and small throwing daggers were flying at my head. Using my sword I deflected most but missed two. One struck my ear causing it to throb. The other caught my chin. I could feel the bruise developing. She continued to advance and pulled out a short sword.
"This is going to be fun!" She exclaimed as she closed in tight. I spent the next couple of minutes in close combat trying to keep her from beating me. I was slowly going through my head for a spell that would help me. I stumbled over one of the discarded blades and fell to the deck. Raven was standing over me, her hair blowing in the breeze, a triumphant smile bursting upon her face. She was so achingly beautiful at that moment. And I realized I could stop her. I pulled as much water magic as I could. She must have felt something because she flinched and her smile faded. Suddenly water started to pour out of the air and formed a sphere around her. I squeezed the sphere in tight to her and then released all the water. Raven was swept off her feet and her weapons washed away from her. She laid on the deck and laughed.
Laughed? I had never heard her laugh. It was like wind chimes ringing in the distance.
I walked over to stand above her. "What is so funny?" I just had to know.
She smiled. "I almost had you. If I could have pounced just a moment sooner you would have lost." I gave her a hand up. "I am not magical at all and I almost beat you. That was fun." She started picking up her weapons. "We are going to do that more until you are the one flat on your back and I have beat you soundly." With that she walked off the deck, leaving me with that image.
***
Raven was true to her word. Over the next couple of days she fought me tooth and nail. Sometimes I would win with no problem, others I had to struggle. Each time I won but the margin was getting smaller. A few interesting things occurred during these days. One, Suzie stopped attacking me. She instead started working as a support mage to Raven. I had to get used to Raven using magical weapons and being shielded. The second thing was that Ravens desire to beat me made some things very clear. She would seem to flirt with me at times, even when losing. The comments seemed to be done unconsciously and Suzie seemed to not notice. While we were fighting I started to see a side of Raven that I would never have guessed existed. She was womanly and confident without being defensive. Her aggression came out in her fighting and her words became less defensive and angry. This was an interesting development. A final development was that the crew seemed to get more anxious as we came closer to Trojna's Rest. They focused on their chores to an extent that showed they wanted everything perfect before making port.
The day before we arrived at Trojna's Rest Raven seemed especially focused on beating me. Her attacks were more aggressive, her tactics more and more unusual, when I detected that she was herding me in one direction. In a brief moment I looked around and realized that she had slowly worked me towards one of the rails. If I did not scramble she would soon have me pinned against that rail and might beat me. While deflecting a extra strong swing I ducked under her arm and around her side. That is when it happened. Her foot lashed out and crashed into the back of my knee. Her dagger pommel smashed into my hand causing my sword to slam into the deck. I pulled on water magic to defend myself. Suddenly I felt a blow to the side of my head and everything went dark.
I woke up laying on the deck with Stain, Suzie, and Raven standing above me. All three wore smirks.
"I guess this counts as a defeat Ott." Stain chuckled as he pulled me to my feet.
My head was throbbing. I looked at Raven. She held up one hand and I saw that she wore a armored glove. That must be what she struck my head with.
"Just had to find a good opening. Once your head drew even with me all I needed was a moment to knock the sense out of you." She was grinning from ear to ear.
Even with my head aching I had to admit her strategy had paid off. She had beaten me fair and square. I took a step towards her. She stiffened up and her eyes darkened. Like an animal about to either flee or attack.
"Good fight. I will be feeling that in the morning." I put out my hand for her to shake. She startled and smirked.
Taking my hand, "I think you will be feeling it for a couple of days. I was in a hurry and perhaps smacked you harder than I planned."
It was my turn to grin. "Mage remember? I have learned a few healing spells."
Stain cleared his throat. "Perhaps I could be of assistance? Both of you apprentices have been beating on one another for the past couple of days." He placed his hands on our shoulders and I felt a surge of mixed magic flow through my body. Raven did not even blink. Evidently she could not feel Stain's magic. I could tell when she could feel the effects kick in. Suddenly I felt refreshed and all the soreness was gone. Raven stood a little taller and squared her shoulders.
"Thank you for that Stain." She bowed her head. Turning to me, "Ott, thank you for being a great opponent. I have never fought someone who was this hard to beat. MaPaine did his work well." She turned and walked away to the hold.
Suzie stepped up beside me to watch Raven walk away. "High praise from someone who hates to lose." She turned towards me. "Perhaps it has been worth all the fighting after all." With those cryptic words she followed Raven.
Stain laughed. "I think Suzie has decided to wait for her sailor after all." He poked me. "Keep aware of y
ourself and Raven. Remember what we talked about." With that he also headed towards the hold.
I stood there and thought about all of it. The fighting with the girls and Raven suddenly taking the lead aggressor position. Raven bound and determined to defeat me in combat. Stain's concern about what was occurring between Raven and myself. The impending arrival at our destination and all that involved. The amount of things I had to focus on simply seemed immense. I sat in the front of the boat and decided to do some basic magic exercises.
Stain had taught me how to form multiple spheres of water and change their colors. I decided to try to form as many spheres as I could and each sphere would be a different color. After about an hour I had a massive amount of spheres, over 200 floating just above the water in all shades of color. I started moving them around in various forms. Slowly the spheres seemed to fall into a rhythm that was just beyond my understanding. I shook my head and moved all the spheres into one large sphere of mixed colors.
"Ott!" I heard the Captain call out. "Hard to see where we are going when you do that!"
I looked up and realized that the large sphere blocked the view downstream. I chuckled and slowly released the water like Stain had taught me. The sphere sank into the river sending out little wavelets.
"Thanks!" The Captain was at the wheel, seeming to enjoy the afternoon breeze. "Could you come up here a moment?" He called out.
Well my practice was done. I had easily handled more spheres than normal and could use a break. "Sure Captain, be right there." I stood up and stretched. My muscles had grown stronger during the training in Haver's Town and along the ride down the river. I could feel the strength the constant sword practices had forced into my body.
The Wandering Apprentice Page 26
