The Black Mage: Apprentice

by Rachel E. Carter

  Merrick immediately took off before Ian could stop him, and I swiftly made my approach.

  Summoning a broadsword I leapt out from the rocky shadows to surprise the fourth-year. Something about my approach must have warned him, however, because Ian spun around with a heavy blade in hand, ready for battle. As soon as he saw me his green eyes widened but it did not cause him to falter.

  The two of us immediately engaged – the loud clang of swords colliding as my casting met his. The rest of the Restoration and Alchemy mentees nearby rushed to help their leader, but Ian waved them off with his free hand. "This is between me and Ryiah," he told them.

  "How kind of you," I gasped. I blocked the mentee's swing and cringed under the weight of his blow. There was a reason Darren had struggled so much in non-magic combat against his old mentor: Ian was the son of two blacksmiths. His experience was on full display in our duel.

  "Where's your fearless leader?" Ian asked. He swung hard to my right.

  I fell back just in time, panting. "What?"

  "Where's Darren?"

  I didn't want to reveal it was just Ella and I. "No one fell for your empty warship," I lied, "they are all waiting inside the cave."

  "Interesting." Ian's eyes danced as we continued to trade blows. "Darren was never one to shirk from battle before." There was suspicion in his gaze.

  "He thought I'd be the best one to catch you off guard."

  "I see." Ian grinned and came at me with a low crescent sweep. I blocked with a wince as part of his blade grazed my thigh. "Still relying on my weakness for the girl with red hair." He gave me a disarming smile, one that made me falter just the barest second.

  It was a second too late. I heard the whistle of metal and then something heavy and sharp crashed into the back of my shoulder - biting deep, deep into the flesh within. I screamed, falling against the limestone ground.

  Merrick's head bobbed up above me.

  "Byron should have given me a better mentor," the second-year drawled. "That was hardly a challenge."

  I cursed as the boy dislodged the throwing axe and held it to my neck.

  "You surrender?"

  "Yes." I spat at his feet, glaring up at the bragging second-year with his white blonde locks and his cruel violet eyes that were so much like Priscilla's it was startling. I could not fight back: in a real battle I would have already been slain.

  I had lost.

  I huddled on the ground. My whole back felt like fire – excruciating, searing hot fire. Blood was seeping into my tunic and my body was alternating between tremors and shakes.

  "If Ryiah made it down here the cave must be somewhere nearby," my mentee continued. He glanced at his leader. "The rules let us torture her for information, Ian. The regiment and our masters can't interfere while we do it."

  Ian knelt down to where I was, shivering and cursing with pain. "Ryiah," he said quietly, "please don't make me let him. Just tell us where the cave is."

  I stayed silent. Giving up the location would cost my team a victory. If the mentees found the caves they would no longer be trapped at the cliff's base. They'd be able to sneak up on Darren and the rest of the mentors while they were still trying to sink the barge.

  "Ryiah, please."

  I did not look at Ian. Be brave, I told myself, whatever Merrick does – the healers will step in as soon as I am unconscious. A real Combat mage would never succumb to torture.

  And I really thought I would stay strong. But then Merrick swung his axe back into my shoulder – Ian turned his head away - again and again and I screamed until my voice was lost. The second-year raised it a fourth time. "E-east…"

  Why couldn't I just lose consciousness?

  Merrick pressed down with his blade.

  I cried as he dug the axe deeper. "R-right at t-the b-base, in a p-pool." I crumbled into a sob, cradling my side back and forth and fighting back tears.

  Ian knelt to touch my face, gently, and then the darkness took hold.

  ****

  "Two years. That's two years in a row our mentees have beaten incredible odds." Master Byron's voice was full of unabashed shock as he addressed the crowd of apprentices and Port Langli's regiment. He stood clutching a goblet of wine in his place at the center table of the port's ceremonial hall. "Who would have expected this?"

  "A toast to the victorious mentees and their leader Ian. And a special mention to Apprentice Merrick for helping come up with the strategy that contributed to their victory." Commander Chen had taken over for the Master of Combat and continued to cite the merits of yesterday's mock battle.

  I felt sick to my stomach. Every single one of the mentors was glaring at me with the exception of Ella, since they were mad at her too, and Alex, because he was my brother. I hadn't spoken with anyone since I had been released from the infirmary an hour before the feast. I knew all of them were waiting to tell me what they thought of my folly.

  After I'd fainted Ian and Merrick had led their team to the cavern in the bluffs. From what I had heard the mentees cast a climbing rope to reach the top of the cavern's opening and then surprised the rest of my team while the mentors were busy casting at an empty barge.

  It hadn't even been a fair fight. Most of the mentors had used up all of their magic by the time the mentees arrived. Darren had been forced to surrender within minutes of their approach.

  As soon as the commander's speech ended I made a beeline for the door. I didn't want to run into anyone on my way to the barracks.

  "Oh no you don't!" Priscilla grabbed my bad shoulder – the one that had only just finished healing but still felt incredibly sensitive. I cried out as she whirled me around to face the angry mob.

  Ella was cornered as well.

  I looked to the head table. The regiment was too busy in conversation to notice. Master Byron could see… but it didn't take much to understand he would never intercede on my behalf.

  "How could you let that band of weaklings beat us?" Tyra demanded.

  Eve studied my face. "Merrick told me it was you who told him where that cave was."

  "I-"

  "Why didn't you try to get help?"

  "What happened?"

  "We – we didn't want to confuse everyone with another fire-"

  "So you decided to play hero." Darren had shoved his way to the front of the crowd. "You decided to ignore everything I said and go off on your own!"

  I folded my arms, trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder where Priscilla's hard nails had been. "I may have made a mistake but it wasn't my strategy that cost the team our victory. You shouldn't have ordered everyone to leave their posts – you left us all open to attack!"

  "You were the one who gave up the cave!" Darren yelled. "You told them exactly where it was – without it the mentees never would have made it up those bluffs. Priscilla assured me the west cliffs were impossible to scale and that her fool cousin wouldn't remember the cavern's location!"

  "You really expected me to ignore enemy ships?" I cried. "Ella saw their longboat! I wasn't just going to run off and ignore them. Maybe if you had bothered to tell the rest of us what Priscilla had said…"

  Darren's jaw set. "You don't question your leader's judgment! If you had just listened to me like you were supposed to…" His eyes burned black. "But even if you hadn't – what kind of Combat mage are you to give up the rest of your team like that?"

  Tears filled my eyes. "I tried, Darren, I-"

  "You obviously didn't try hard enough!"

  "What kind of friend are you?" Ian had been busy with Commander Chen but now he'd returned. He pushed past me to glare at the prince.

  "This is none of your concern, Ian," Darren snarled.

  "It is when you are making the girl I love cry." Ian lowered his voice. "I thought I respected you, Darren, for what you did back at the palace… Do you even know what Ryiah went through out there? Did you even stop to ask? Or did you just assume she traded the information for an easy surrender?"

  He took another step so
that he was in Darren's face, forcing the prince to take an uncomfortable step back. "She was tortured, Darren. I let…" He swallowed. "I let Merrick strike her with an axe four times before she finally gave up the information! The healers spent three days attending to her – or did you fail to notice she was in the infirmary? She's not a coward – and you are certainly not the friend you claim to be if you punish her for what any Combat apprentice would have succumbed to." His voice thundered across the hall as he asked his next question: "Or do we need to see how long you would last under an axe?"

  ****

  I didn't wait to hear what Darren had to say. I didn't wait for Ian to come find me. I left the room not caring that the others could see me crying. I heard Ella call after me, and Alex shortly after. But I kept running. Past the barracks, past the village and its busy merchant-laden streets, I kept running until I was sure they had given up following me.

  I continued on four miles up the winding hillside trail until I was back at the lookout Alex and I had been stationed during the mock battle. There was two guards actively serving as sentries inside but I chose to ignore them as I sat down a couple feet away, dangling my feet over the edge of the high cliff.

  Then I cried. I let the angry tears waste away until there was nothing let but a crippled set of lungs – too hoarse and too dry to do anything but breathe in and out the night sea air.

  CHAPTER NINE

  It was our third night camped out on the King's Road on our way back to the Academy. I was supposed to be sleeping but instead I was wide-awake listening to two hushed voices outside of Ella's and my tent. At first I hadn't minded. Ella and Alex deserved their privacy… But then the conversation had turned to me.

  "She has barely talked to anyone in days."

  "Didn't the prince apologize? I thought Ian said that he was right there when Darren found Ryiah and apologized in front of your entire faction the next morning?"

  "He did. But she's still upset."

  "What does she still have to be upset about?" was my brother's incredulous response. "Darren made a mistake. Honestly, most princes never even admit that much."

  Ella was quiet. Then, "I think Darren hurt her more than she is letting on to the rest of us."

  "But why?"

  "Do you remember our first year during the hazing? How upset she was?"

  "So?"

  "Well, I've never told you this but Darren kissed her shortly before-"

  "He did WHAT?"

  "Sshhhhhh. You don't want to wake her!"

  "But she – he - I'll kill him!"

  "Alex," my friend said sternly. "You will do no such thing."

  "Does Ian know?"

  "He does. It's why he took so long to court your sister – but I'm afraid he might not have waited long enough."

  "Why?"

  "I think she might be in love with Darren."

  There was a strangled yelp on my brother's part, and then Ella continued quietly. "It would explain why she hasn't been acting like herself. If she didn't care for him I believe she would have already forgave him for what happened at the feast…"

  I couldn't take it anymore. I hauled the tent flap open and glowered at the two who had nothing better to do than gossip. "I am not in love with Darren!" I told them angrily. "And I will prove it!"

  Before they could stop me I had crossed the divide to the boy's camp and started ripping open tent flaps. "Where's Darren?" I whisper-shouted.

  "Ryiah?" Ray croaked. He was in the third tent I had awoken in my rampage. "What is happening…?"

  "Where's Darren?" I repeated. My voice was deceptively calm.

  "H-he's two tents down." The third-year yawned.

  I released Ray's flap and marched right over to the prince's, not caring that I had woken up half the camp in the process. When I finally reached it I yanked the fold across and snapped, "Darren, wake up!"

  I had the pleasure of seeing the dark-haired prince jump out of his roll, clutching a dagger against his chest. He was half-dressed – in loose-fitted breeches and no shirt, so that my eyes were unable to escape the rapid heaving of his well-toned chest. A strange chill ran through me and I squelched it immediately, reaching in to grab the prince's arm and drag him out of his bed.

  Half the camp was standing or peering out of their tents by the time I had pulled him into the center of the meadow to face them.

  "What are you doing?" Darren hissed.

  "Is everyone awake?" I shouted to my audience, ignoring him.

  A series of curses answered me. The non-heir looked down at me in shock. His eyes said it all: What is this crazy girl doing?

  "Good, I-"

  "Apprentice Ryiah!" Master Byron roared, emerging from his tent, furious. "Go to bed at once!"

  "I just need to say one thing first, everyone needs to hear this."

  "NOW! Or I will have you dismissed from this apprenticeship for disobeying the Code of Conduct!"

  I looked to Darren. "Tell him to let me talk, if you really meant that you were sorry before."

  The non-heir's eyes flared in surprise – well, more so than before. The corner of his lip twitched while he kept his eyes locked on me. "Let her talk, Byron. This should only take a minute. I think."

  The master grumbled angrily in reply. His bias could always be counted on.

  "I forgive you." I cleared my throat so the whole camp could hear. "Darren, did you hear me? I. Forgive. You."

  "I heard you the first time, Ryiah." The prince was watching me with a strange expression. His eyes were locked on mine and I forced myself to look away.

  "Darren acknowledges that I forgive him!" I cried. Spotting Ella and Alex – who both looked mortified - in the back of the crowd I pointed to them. "I. Forgave. Him."

  At just that moment Ian grabbed me from behind, covering my mouth with his hand to keep me from embarrassing myself any further. I let go of Darren's arm. "What is this about, Ry?" the fourth-year whispered in my ear. "Byron is not going to let you continue shouting at the camp all night."

  I relaxed in his grip, satisfied from the look on my best friend and brother's horrified faces that I had done my duty. They would never, ever say that I was holding a grudge. Then, when Ian's hand relaxed I spun around so that I was in his arms, surrounded by the whole camp audience.

  "And I love you, Ian of Ferren's Keep!" I threw my arms around his neck, not caring who watched as I kissed him soundly on the lips.

  A low moan came from Ian's throat and he pulled back to look at me, wonderingly. "You can't do this here, Ryiah," he murmured, warm breathe on my cheek. "I know I like to cause trouble with Byron but this might be too…"

  I continued to kiss him, ignoring his protest as I melted into his arms. This was right. This was where I belonged. I did love the blacksmith's son. I didn't love the prince. "I don't care."

  Ian fell backward in shock – and he would have hit the ground had Darren – who had been standing awkwardly by during the whole event - not caught the fourth-year's arm just in time. I was not so lucky. I landed on the ground.

  "APPRENTICE RYIAH. IF YOU DO NOT RETURN TO YOUR QUARTERS THIS INSTANT I WILL HAVE YOU REMOVED – MY RESPECT FOR THE PRINCE'S WISHES ASIDE!"

  I scrambled up from the grass and gave a mock bow to my audience. "Thank you all for your time!" Then I raced out of the camp before anyone could notice how flushed my face was. Especially the prince.

  ****

  "What was that?" Ella cornered me as soon as I had entered the tent.

  "Oh, that?" I feigned innocence. "Well, I wanted to let you know that I've 'moved on.'"

  "Ryiah, I didn't mean to upset you. Alex and I were only talking."

  I held up my hand to quiet her. "I don't want to discuss it. I forgave Darren. I told Ian my feelings. I feel better now that I have released everything I've been keeping to myself."

  "Is that really what you've been keeping to yourself?" Her tone held suspicion.

  It wasn't. "It is." I held my friend's amber eyes until she finally si
ghed.

  "If you ever change your mind about your 'feelings,'" she said softly, "you know you can always talk to me."

  I did not miss her implication. But instead of answering I burrowed under my covers, determined to block out the evening's events from my mind.

  ****

  Dear Ryiah (and Alex too, sorry brother, you always knew I liked her best!),

  I hope you are both enjoying the second year of your apprenticeship – I have heard Port Langli has the best mead – if you get time to drink that is, ha! My trial year in the Cavalry is going well. Sir Piers gave my recommendation to the head soldiers who lead it so I think I am one of the favorites… a nice change of pace from my time at the Academy.

  Ryiah, you were right to encourage me. There is no shame here, the other applicants may not have magic or the skill of a full-fledged knight but they are still honorable and hard working. There's another boy here named Jacob – he comes from Ferren's Keep, where I think you two will train, eventually, and he has been a great friend to confide in. He knows all about life as a soldier – his dad is serving in his local regiment and he says it's always full of action since they are so far north! I know I shouldn't hope for battle – but I do think it would be exciting to fight rogue Caltothians one day.

  Jacob told me the first station we are placed at after our trial year is a city on the northern border so I think I might actually get my wish! There's no apprenticeship after we graduate – they just place us and have the local soldiers train us as we serve… which means I might actually be stationed where you will be training in a year or two!

  …I need to get back to study now but please write back. I miss you, Ryiah (and you, too, Alex) so it would be nice to hear from you.

  Warmly,

  Your favorite brother, Derrick

  Alex chuckled as he finished reading the letter and offered it back to me. I shook my head. I had already read it three times. "I wonder what he would think of that stunt you pulled during our trip back to the Academy!"