SORCERER (The Elemental Magic Series Book 1) (13 page)

"That's OK. We'll toughen you up a bit. As you gain muscle in those forearms you'll be able to take more punishment. I think I'll see if I can arrange a match every sixth day and we'll work on forms and strength through the week amongst other things. For your first time you didn't do bad. I really didn't expect you to win," he said clapping Alec on the shoulder and sending him off for the day.

Alec walked back to the tower trying to work some of the soreness out of his arms. He was going to have to find out if he could afford some leather pants and at least a vest for the matches. These rough pants and shirt really chafed, he thought out loud to himself.

He got a couple waves and nods from people in the martial school that quickly changed upon entering the magic school. Not knowing any sorcerers other than Christi he’d been trying to at least be polite to the wizards. It didn’t seem to be working. Every time he’d greet one of them they’d turn their head away and act like he wasn’t there. It was really starting to irritate him.

Chapter 13

Alec had already missed breakfast, and lunch wasn't for another bell so he hurried and grabbed himself a clean robe and under shorts and went to the washroom. He looked at the tub sitting in the corner and decided why not? Everyone else has already taken showers, most likely, and a good soak would feel great. He had the tub filled with the hottest water he could stand and lowered himself in, laying back to let the heat ease his muscles.

The door knob jiggled and Alec called out that he was in there and asked if whoever had tried the knob needed him to hurry. He got no answer. A minute later there was another jiggle of the knob then the door flew open.

Christi stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Where have you been? You missed breakfast, and I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You didn't look everywhere or you'd have found me," Alec answered smugly. They’d become fairly close and Christi had even taken to holding his hand when they walked anywhere.

She stepped in and the door closed behind her as she walked over to him shaking her finger.

"Don't get all lippy with me. I was worried thinking you got jumped again."

"Sorry, I was in a match this morning and apparently will be every sixth day morning from here on out."

"Where and why?" she demanded sharply as she pulled up the small chair.

"Um, do you mind? I'm kind of taking a bath here."

"No, I don't mind. Go ahead and finish soaking. You can talk and soak at the same time."

Alec sighed and told her where the back courtyard was and of his match that he’d lost, then back tracked and told her of his extra lessons and the change in his class. The bathroom wasn't very big and Alec watched as her eyes periodically roamed to his bath water.

"Christi," Alec said drawing her attention from the water, though he was pretty sure she couldn't see anything.

"What?" her gaze falling back to the water.

"I'd like to get out."

She didn't move from her seat. Her eyes were watching the water again. Alec splashed her.

"Hey!" She screamed getting up and backing away.

"I said, I'd like to get out now."

"OK" she answered not getting the hint.

"That means you need to leave Christi."

"Oh yah, sorry. I'll wait for you in the parlor." She went to the door.

They went to supper, a few of the wizards waved or called out a greeting but Alec knew they were for Christi and not him. Christi called him on it when he didn’t wave or say anything back.

Finally irritated enough he began explaining to Christi that when he saw any of the wizards by himself they made it a point to turn away or ignored him completely. Alec gave repeated examples of when he went to Mr. Caller’s class or even during it.

Christi told him she had a hard time believing that the wizards would stoop so low and said she would ask a round to see what was going on.

There were several new faces at the hall. Travis and the ones around him gave Alec a look that spoke plainly to him that they didn't think he'd learned his lesson the last time.

Alec and Christi introduced themselves to a group of six, four girls and two boys who seemed closest to their age; one of the girls was eighteen and the others seventeen, just a year older than they were.

The group consists of second year wizards with the older girl being a sorceress. Alec and Christi were invited to sit with them. When the group found out Alec was not from one of the families, they wanted to hear all about where he had grown up and what he thought of the nobles, most of them being such. Alec confessed to only having met Christi and her brother Bill that he knew for sure were nobles. They laughed along with Christi saying he'd probably met several and just didn't know it. He
really wasn't comforted by this revelation. 

He'd always been told nobles were cruel to commoners like him and was starting to see it. He just figured Christi and her brother must be different from the others. Perhaps he had the nobles pegged all wrong, he thought to himself and hoped so.

Alec excused himself as Christi was catching up on the gossip of people she and the other girls knew in common.

Father Albert Tillman sat in a seedier tavern near the outer wall of Kingston. He wasn't dressed in his priest's robes but fine leather pants and a plain home spun cotton shirt.

The man he was going to meet was said to be willing to take on any job, for a price. After ordering his second ale a man sat down in the chair across from him. It wasn't the man he was expecting.

“That seat's reserved, mister,” Albert told him.

“I know, but he's not coming till he knows it's safe.”

“And you are?” Albert asked the man.

“Name's Timmy. We're business associates, for the most part,” he said as he signaled one of the serving girls.

“And how do we let him know it's safe?”

Timmy ignored him and ordered ale. Albert knew how this game worked. Send someone you trust and if that person came back at a prearranged time alone, then everything was fine. Then Merrill would come and they could discuss business. Albert really couldn't blame the outlaw. He was a wanted criminal after all.

“So is this a quick little job or something that's going to take some time?” Timmy asked him as he sat back to enjoy his drink.

“It could take a while, but hopefully sooner rather than later and with some discretion.”

Timmy just nodded as if he didn't really care, then downed his drink and stood to leave.

“So we are doing this or what?” he asked Timmy.

“Well, that's up to him. If he likes what I tell him then he'll be over in about five. If he doesn't then he won't come. Simple.”

Timmy left the tavern and crossed the road out of Albert's sight.

Albert enjoyed his work for the temples. It allowed him to get out and mix with the people without them falling over themselves seeing him as a priest. He would never make it past high priest and didn't think he would ever want to be a bishop let alone archbishop. The thought of a god actually appearing before him scared the crap out of him. He would follow the orders of the gods delivered to the archbishop to the letter, even if it meant sending a young man to an early grave. After all what was the life of one man to that of a god?

As he took another drink of his ale, the man known as Merrill, the criminal, stepped into the tavern.

Merrill detested establishments like this. The fact that the people who typically hired him thought this was the type of place he frequented made him laugh. If only they knew that he was from their same upper class. He knew who wanted to meet with him and it put him on edge to be dealing with the temples.

Merrill strolled across the tavern looking at the faces around him. He didn't see anyone who hadn't been there before, having used this tavern before. He trusted Timmy but still had the habit of looking a place over for himself. It was one habit that had saved him from a prison cell and the executioner’s ax.

Merrill took the seat across from Albert.

“Father,” he said in greeting.

“Let’s just call me Al. I've a job for you if we can come to an agreement.”

“Alright, Al. What's the job?” Merrill asked.

“I need a boy taken care of. Sixteen, real light brown hair, he's a sorcerer. Name's Alexander Carter but goes by Alec. He's a student at the academy right now but I've some contacts working on getting him out of there for a bit.”

“Any martial training? And how far along is he to becoming a full sorcerer?” Merrill asked.

“He's had little training in either studies and should be an easy mark. I'll need it done before winter sets in or he'll have become too accustomed to his powers.”

“I see. Normally I'd charge a hundred gold but we don't know how dangerous this kid is. So I'm thinking I could use some back up and such. Let's call it an even two with no promises if I can't get it done by the fall festival.”

They shook hands and Albert walked with him out of tavern and to the carriage parked off to one side down the road. His driver opened the door and Albert reached in and unlocked a chest. He pulled out two bags heavy with gold, a hundred pieces in each one. Albert handed over the bags and shook Merrill's hand again sealing the deal.

Merrill walked over to the alley way as Timmy came out of it with a loaded crossbow and two horses. They mounted, after putting the gold in the saddlebags, and rode off down the dark street.

Now all I need to do is get the boy out of the academy, Albert thought to himself as he climbed in to the carriage. He reclined back in his seat thinking of the meeting he would have to schedule in the morning with the archbishop.  

Chapter 14

Alec made his way back to the tower after his class with Allen late in the week. He’d been trying to practice moving his power from his well to the various parts of his body while going through the routine Allen had setup for him.
Although Peter had said it wasn’t necessary to forge a path
for his power to follow to every body part he had gotten bored.

He could now push his power out to each individual finger and even all the way down to the bottoms of his feet. He’d finally
memorized the full stave routine to the point that he didn’t have to think about it to actually do it and it gave his mind something else to do while his body practiced.

Alec had a lot on his mind with the coming weekend’s survival training.
            

Alec showered and saw Peter sitting in the parlor.

"Hi, Alec. Mind if we talk a bit? I know I'm not your father or anything so if I'm over stepping just say so, alright?"

"Sure," Alec said slightly worried as took a seat across from him.

"I don't know how far you've made it in that etiquette book, but I do know what is in it and what isn't. Christi is a daughter of the royal family."

"She a princess?" Alec started.

"Yes and no, settle down. Her mother is the cousin of the current king. His two sons and daughter, followed by his brother and his son, would all have to die before the rules of succession even come close to her family along with some other cousins. So calm down and listen. As a daughter of a noble family and a family that has magic running through it, she is expected to marry someone who can bring something to the family. Now don't go counting yourself out yet. I know two things you don't.”

Alec continued to shake his head. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“One, her family has wanted to add magic back into their family for some time and you have plenty. Two, I don't think it's a fluke that you have magic. I've been doing some research, and though the records are incomplete, I've found out that your father may have had magic, not enough to make wizard, but he had it and so does your Aunt Karen. She was never able to awaken it. There's record of her trying for two full weeks."

Alec sat with his mouth open.

"Just listen. I don't need explanations. Christi knows how to take care of herself, as does any woman of her station. If you can make yourself valuable to the nobles, and as a sorcerer doing the wards and shielding that we can, you would make yourself very valuable to the nobility. But as every relationship does, it advances, and two people will grow to rely on one another or it will fall apart. What I'm trying to say is if you and Christi decide to take your relationship further, make sure you know what type of relationship she wants. And if she wants what I suspect, get her father’s approval, though he'll let her make her own mind if I know the man."

"Peter, do nobles marry same as commoners?"

"Most of their weddings are larger and more expensive with bride’s dowry and then price of the wedding and reception falling on the groom's shoulders. Are you thinking?" Peter looked at him sideways.

"Just asking, no time soon, I don't think."

"Good, it is a bit soon, just be discreet and use your head and you might make a trip to Kingston one weekend. Just ask for a pass to get an extra day or two."

Alec got up to go.

"Oh, you've mail on your bed and if you need to send anything, leave it on the short table by the door."