The Missing Mage (10 page)

“Of course,” Ava smiled, Sharon wasn’t the only one suffering poor sleep these days. Staying with her friend would be easy.

The next morning before breakfast Ava knocked on Nathan’s door. Still half-asleep Nathan answered the door. “Morning Ava, what’s up?”

“Can I come in? We need to talk.”

Nathan frowned, he didn’t like the sound of this. “Sure, come on in,” he replied before closing the door and taking a seat on his bed. When she sat beside him he repeated, “What’s up?”

“It’s Sharon, she’s having nightmares about being kidnapped. I didn’t tell you this before but she had it worse than Rose and I. The men took her away from us and used her badly during our captivity.”

Nathan did not know how to respond. Inside he was growing angry at the thought of those bastards mistreating the girls, but he had already killed most of them, he wasn’t sure how he could help now. “Okay, how can I help?”

“She feels defenseless, she dreams that men come and try kidnap her again and she is unable to stop them. I think if you trained her to defend herself, she would be able to sleep at night.”

Nathan relaxed a little, this was something he understood. “I can do that, I will go to the blacksmith shop after breakfast and make sure I can use the forge tonight. I’ll make her a couple special daggers and start training her how to use them.”

Ava knew Nathan would think the same way as her. He was a very protective friend and would teach Sharon well. She hugged him and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you downstairs for breakfast.”

 After eating breakfast, Nathan had a few hours before today’s lesson with Balthazar. He headed down to the blacksmith shop to make sure he could use the forge later. As he walked, he thought about Sharon and Ava. If something happened to them he would go crazy. He would gladly teach Sharon how to defend herself. Ava also should have a way to defend herself. Since she was progressing in her herbal studies, she would be going out into the alone woods often. He had thought up a plan for her to defend herself, he just hadn’t gotten around to starting that project. Today he would get organized  before their lessons.

Breon was at the shop when Nathan arrived. “Hello young Stoneblood, are you wanting to use the shop today?”

“Hello Breon. Yes, please. I would like it this evening, if I might.” Nathan smiled, Breon was a very friendly old man and easy to talk to.

“Actually we are a little light on work today, you’re welcome to use the forge right now. I wouldn’t mind letting Bradly, my apprentice, watch you work. He has never seen black steel.”

“I have lessons soon, but I could come back after lunch. If that works for you.”

“We shall see you after lunch then.”

Being able to use the forge after lunch was perfect, Nathan thought to himself as he walked back to Avera’s house. He just needed to pick up some supplies from his room and he would be able to finish both projects before Sharon got home from working at the dress shop. That would give him plenty of time to start her lessons tonight.

After quickly grabbing the things he needed from his room, he headed down to see Balthazar. He was early for the lessons but wanted to use Balthazar’s workshop. It was time to make his project for Ava. When he arrived, Balthazar was reading an old tome that looked like it was about to fall apart.

Balthazar looked up at Nathan, eyebrow raised. “You are early. That eager to learn, are we?”

Nathan smiled. “Actually I need to make some bloodstones, I was hoping to borrow a bowl and a knife.”

Balthazar frowned slightly, bloodstones were not to be taken lightly, he hoped the boy wasn’t careless with his magical gifts, but he had little say in how mages used their skills. He simply guided them in gaining knowledge in a safe manner. So far Nathan had proven to be a bright and thoughtful student with exceptionally an strong earth affinity, he saw no reason to doubt the boy. “Mind if I ask what you are planning on making?”

Nathan explained his plan to Balthazar, who thought about it and then smiled. “Impressive, I think we shall use this as part of today’s lessons. When you are done and Ava is here let me know and we shall see what you have created.”

 When Ava arrived Nathan and Balthazar were sitting at the table waiting for her.

Before she could sit down to join them, Balthazar put his book down and spoke “I think we will be going outside for today’s lessons.”

Ava was intrigued, they had never gone outside for a lesson before, she gave Nathan a glance but he was sitting there quietly, his facial expression revealed nothing.

Once outside they walked away from the other houses towards a small grove of trees right before the city wall, which marked the edge of the city. Balthazar looked at Nathan.

Nathan nodded and handed Ava a small, plain-looking rock the size of a small egg. “Throw this rock at that big willow tree.”

Ava smiled, she’d always been able to out-throw anyone in their old village. She threw hard and accurate. Ava stretched her shoulders and focused on the big willow Nathan had pointed out, it was a large older tree that had a big knot just below eye level. She used this knot as her target. She flung the rock at the tree, hitting the knot right in the middle. Bull’s eye she thought as the rock bounced off of the tree. She smiled, proud of her accuracy.

Nathan smiled back, handed her another rock of a similar size, and said, “Do it again.”

Ava looked at Balthazar who was quietly watching, he simply nodded his head and flicked his hand at her, indicating she should continue. Ava wound up and hurled the second rock at the tree. Like the first one, the second rock found its mark, hitting the knot. Unlike the first rock, which had harmlessly bounced off, this one caused a huge crash. Ava watched in awe as the sturdy old willow was crushed by the rock. Where the knot had once been was a mess of torn wood. The small rock had caused enormous damage.

As the tree started to crack and sway, Nathan spoke. “Perhaps we should move back just a bit.”

“Yes. That would be prudent,” Balthazar agreed.

They quickly backed up, moving a a safe distance away as the tree fell over with a loud crash. Ava could not believe it, a rock the size of an egg had brought down a tree bigger around than a full-grown man. She turned to Nathan. “How did you do that?”

“It was one of the first things I learned how to do when Adamen Bleh, the northern mage, taught me about magic. He had me make a small rock heavy. I don’t think this was what he had in mind, but it sure is effective.”

Ava thought about the damage done to the tree. She shuddered when she imagined what it might do to a man. “Why make me throw the rock?”

“Because you throw more accurately than anyone I know. These rocks are light for you or me, but anyone else who tried to lift them would fail. Now you have a weapon to protect yourself with.”

Ava frowned, she hated violence.

Balthazar interjected at this point. “Nathan is correct, you need to be able to protect yourself. You live with one of the most important people in the kingdom, you are a possible target for attacks, and you want to be an herbalist, which often means going out into the forest alone. Nathan will not always be there to accompany you. He, along with the rest of your family, will much more comfortable with your chosen profession knowing you are capable of defending yourself against any foe.”

Ava thought about it for a minute, what they were saying was all true and if she had to be armed, carrying around rocks was better than using a dagger or a sword. Grudgingly she acknowledged that the rocks were a good idea. She looked at Nathan, “Got any more?”

Nathan lifted a leather satchel off his shoulder, and gave it to her. The satchel was incredibly light. She put it over her shoulder then looked inside. She was surprised to see a dozen rocks in the bag. She looked at Nathan.

The satchel was another bloodstone-imbued project, she could add as many rocks as she wanted and it wouldn’t grow any heavier. “Better find that first rock out of the tree, making more stones is not easy.”

“You should have told me that before I threw it,” Ava groaned.

When they finally found the rock it was ten feet past the stump of the now-destroyed willow. It had gone right through the tree.As Ava placed the bloodstone rock into her satchel, Balthazar sat down on the fallen willow. “Now that you are done demonstrating how the rocks work, would you please put the tree back the way you found it.”

Ava looked at Nathan. Put the tree back? How on Earth could they do that?

Nathan shrugged. “Don’t look at me, I don’t know how we can make the tree go back.”

“I don’t think we can,” Ava said, frowning and looking at Balthazar.

“Precisely the point I wanted to make. Nathan has given you a very powerful weapon. Those rocks may very well save your life, or the life of someone important to you some day, but you have to be very careful. You cannot bring that tree back to life. Any time you throw one of your magic rocks, Ava, there will be damage done. Make sure you are extremely careful with that ability.” 

After their lessons with Balthazar, Nathan left Ava and headed to the blacksmith shop. He was going to teach Sharon how to defend herself, but first he would make her a suitable weapon. He would make something small and discreet, yet deadly. While he walked, he pondered what would be best. Unfortunately, there was an idea bouncing around the back of his head but for the life of him, Nathan could not get it into focus. Nathan decided he would worry about discreet weapons later. For now, he would make to good daggers for Sharon to learn with.

When Nathan got to the blacksmith shop, he was pleased to see that Breon and his apprentice, Bradley, were waiting for him with the forges nice and hot. After a quick greeting to the men, Nathan got to work. First, he added a couple chunks of witchwood to the forge fire to increase the heat, and then he began heating and hammering the iron, after he had it hot and malleable he added the phosphorus flakes, which reacted with the metal to give it its dark color and the exceptional strength that northern steel was famous for.

Nathan became absorbed into the familiar pattern of work and all his thoughts of the outside world seemed to disappear. His affinity for earth allowed him to work metals in ways a normal blacksmith could not. For Nathan it was almost more important to have a clear picture of the project in his mind than it was to focus on the method he used to strike the hot metal. Once Nathan had the blades completed, he conversed with Breon and Bradley who had many questions about the science of northern steel. Nathan explained as best he could how the inclusion of different metals changed the structure of steel and the temperature and force needed to make the mythical metal.

“Very interesting stuff Nathan. I been a blacksmith for over thirty years and I learned more about black steel today than I have before. You certainly know your craft,” said Breon.

Nathan had seen the quality of work Breon and his apprentices produced, he was a quality smith, and his praise held high value to Nathan. “Thank you Breon, I really just had a good teacher. My father was an excellent smith and my father’s family has been working metal for generations.”

Chapter fourteen

THE INN, CLEAN AND warm, was distinctly different from the bar where Everet had first met Bryant Bingham. Instead of thieves, thugs, and assassins, this establishment’s clientele revolved around nobles, merchants, and other respectable individuals. Everet found it amusing how easily he could blend into both environments by simply changing his clothes and being more outgoing. Everet noted how much more comfortable Bryant was sitting at this table than the previous bar. The man could hardly be blamed, here customers did not have to worry about his wallet or his life.

A pleasantly plump server smiled as she brought a basket of warm bread and a pitcher of wine to their table. As Everet refilled his mug, Bryant spoke. “As we spoke about previously, I am interested in your business proposition, but I simply cannot do business at those rates. If we could discuss an increase in my rate of return, then I would certainly reconsider my position on the matter.”

Everet paid little attention to the words Bryant spoke. They meant little. This whole business meeting was a sham. Today Shelley, the serving girl hired to help frame Bryant, was going to ‘accidently’ bump into Bryant while in her role as Lady Severa. This would serve two purposes. First it would help set up their cover story for how he and the lady met. While this inn was clean and friendly, it still contained more than enough prying eyes and rumormongers who would take note of the meeting. The location had been chosen not for the delicious fresh bread, but for the desired audience. A tasty lunch was a side benefit to the meeting. The second purpose of this lunch was to see how Lady Severa interacted in a setting filled with prying eyes and attentive ears. It was one thing to play the temptress with an intoxicated gentleman, quite another to masquerade as a highborn lady in mid-day. Everet was sure Lady Severa was up to the task, but in a high-risk game of intrigue, he simply could not afford to take a chance. He had to know if she could play her role.

“Surely you can understand with the volatile nature of the shipping industry that I have to factor risk into my prices, if I were to lower your rates I would leave myself open to the dangers of being underfunded.” Everet actually knew enough about the shipping business that he could fool anyone into believing his story; in his former life as a duke he had a rather extensive background in the matter.

Bryant nodded and pretended to ponder his reply. As he sat there, a voice called out, “Bryant, I did not expect to see you here today.” Lady Severa walked up to the table and placed a hand on Bryant’s shoulder. “So this is what you meant by an important business meeting. Warm bread and wine would be important business to me as well.”

Bryant laughed and stood. “Now Severa this is an important meeting, the good food and drink is just a way of making the meeting more casual. Actually, we were just coming to a conclusion of our discussions, so if you would like to join us your company would be a fine addition.”