The Warrior (Kiss Me at Midnight) (2 page)

"Oh. Yes, of course." Edander blinked mutely, several long moments passing before he remembered himself. "Oh! I am Edander. I…" He trailed off, clearing his throat self-consciously. "I don’t know how to entertain guests," he admitted, rather at a loss.

The dimple deepened as Ignifer replied with a wink, "I’m not sure I know how to be one. I’m too much a warrior to find interest in anything but training courts and sparring matches." He stared at Edander, brows furrowed slightly in the middle, and continued, "I know it would be rude to ask, but… well, I’ve been from home so long, and it’s been such a time since I’ve seen a flame walker. I don’t suppose…?"

Edander laughed quietly as he let the question hang. "Even back home, I’ve never heard of anyone who still called us that; I don’t know that I’ve ever actually walked in flames. But I’d be glad to oblige. I’ve few enough people to show off for, usually."

So saying, he called up a single, long flame, quickly braiding it with other flames that he pulled to him. He kept going until he had a decent rope of fire, little licks flicking out here and there. Turning his back on the warrior, he tossed the flames to hang in front of him, quickly arranging it into the shape he’d chosen. With a final tweak, he stepped back, letting Ignifer see what he’d done.

Ignifer laughed in delight, beaming at Edander. "It’s my name. I mean, of course, it’s my name, but I can actually read it as my name. In flames."

Edander smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You must have been away from fire mages for a long time if you’re impressed by that." He wrinkled his nose, but his pleased smile wouldn’t go away. "It’s nothing but a party trick and I’m rusty, at best."

Ignifer shook his head, still grinning. "It’s not as unimpressive as that, but I will admit, it’s been some time since I was last home." A shadow passed across his face, but it was gone in the blink of an eye and he was smiling again. "So what else does a fire mage do with himself?"

Edander spent the rest of the afternoon showing Ignifer his own corners of the Conservatory – unglamorous places, perhaps, but they were dry ones, and the warrior seemed more than pleased with that. Throughout, he stuck close to Edander’s side, a warm and steady presence the mage stupidly found himself thinking he could get used to it.

Ignifer had a nice laugh too, but Edander didn’t let himself think about that one at all.

They separated at the dressing bells to go change for supper, and Edander reflected that this year might not be so bad.

*~*~*

He found himself rethinking that sentiment when, no sooner had he set foot in the Great Hall, he was being escorted to the high table.

Ignifer smiled as Edander was seated next to him. He raised his wine in salute. "They must have found out you were playing guide for me." Edander glared at him in accusation. All he got in response was a bland smile, but that quickly cracked and turned to a smirk when Edander leveled him with a flat look. "I might have mentioned something to someone," Ignifer admitted, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

Edander rolled his eyes as he lifted his own wine to his lips, just the twitch of a smile visible. "And why would you tell them something like that?"

"If I was going to be expected to attend these meals, I thought it might not be so bad if I had someone to talk to. Do you mind? After this afternoon, I had rather hoped you wouldn’t." He looked at Edander a touch worriedly.

"No, of course not. I just—"

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, distracted by the runner who burst through a side door, sprinting for all he was worth toward the high table. He was a fairly young boy and he came to a stop only when he stood right in front of the Chancellor, clutching his knees as he panted.

The Chancellor’s voice was sharp as she stood to look over the table at him. "What exactly is the meaning of this?

The boy was still panting, blinking rapidly as sweat dripped into his eyes. He had to take in a great gulping breath between each word, but they were still clear. "Brigands... attacking... caravan..."

The Chancellor’s sharp intake of breath was audible only to the head table, but the tables closest could hear as she questioned him. "The Tierag Caravan?" The boy could only nod. "Alright, I need volunteers to help—"

"They’ve... plant... mage..." The boy interrupted, before his knees gave way and he crumpled to the ground.

"I’ll go." The words were out before Edander realized he was saying them, but he remained sure even as his brain caught up.

A warm presence leaned close as Ignifer moved so he could see the Chancellor. "I volunteer as well. It’s the least I can do to repay your hospitality." From the lower tables came several other volunteers, until the Chancellor seemed satisfied with their number.

It was a mere matter of minutes before they were riding from the Conservatory on hastily-saddled horses, heading down the route the caravan would have taken.

Ignifer kept pace with Edander's horse, checking over a rather dizzying array of knives which, from what Edander could see, included two swords that had appeared strapped to Ignifer’s back.

By horse, the journey to the besieged caravan took little time, and they could see it before they reached it. Great vines had sprouted from the sides of the road, tying down wagons and hobbling the horses. It looked as though the plant mage was still busy, more vines adorned with vicious looking spikes reaching for anyone who came too close to them.

Edander was pulling up flames before they were quite in reach, long ropes trailing from his fingers, glad that the hostler had had enough sense to saddle Edander’s horse so his flames wouldn’t spook it. He heard the snick of blades being released from their scabbards behind him and a glance over his shoulder showed Ignifer lit only by the flames and the reflection off his swords.

He looked back and the battle was now upon them, ragged brigands coming out of the shadows with weapons raised. Ignifer was there to meet them, wheeling his horse to put himself between the thieves and Edander, and deflecting the first attacks with ease. Edander turned away, oddly warmed even in the middle of battle by how natural it seemed for Ignifer to do so. He shifted his attention to the plant mage, just visible behind a wall of saplings, and readied his whip of flames.

He dismounted, shooting small spurts of flame to lick at the vines that kept the wagons immobile and using his fire ropes to snag any vine that moved to attack any of the humans. He was focused on the mage, though; her gaze locked with his through the young trees, fury in her movements as she called up more plants around her.

Edander let his ropes dissolve, calling most of his power to the surface, and feeling the familiar tightness that came from thoroughly exercising it. The wall of greenery in front of him was impressive, but his shoulders ached with the tension of keeping his magic in check, and as he released his hold, the wall blazed.

It took only moments to reduce the plants to little more than cinders, the mage standing terrified in the middle of the falling ashes. She offered her hands in surrender, pupils blown wide in fear as she stared at him.

There was a scuff behind him, and he turned to find Ignifer picking his way over hacked up plants and a couple of vines that looked like they’d been frozen to the ground. He was holding a hand to his side but seemed otherwise unscathed, eyes bright in the darkness. "Alright there?"

Edander brought up a palm-sized fireball, shedding a bit of light on the scene and taking in the devastation of the caravan, goods and plants and canvas from the wagons all trampled in the mud. "Fine. Did we lose anyone?"

Ignifer came closer, looking him over in the flickering light. "Two of the bandits. A couple from the caravan are wounded, but they’ll recover. No serious injuries for the Conservatory party. The caravan’s leader says they can manage if we ride ahead and let them know we’re coming. We’ve got some prisoners to take back with us too; the others are securing the bandits. If you’ll bring their mage, we can see about getting some supper finally." His stomach rumbled, mud splatters cracking as he grinned. "Come on, then."

The ride back to the castle was uneventful, the robbers oddly subdued, though the mages sitting with them on the horses certainly helped. It wasn’t until they dismounted that Edander noticed anything was amiss.

It was only a small stumble as Ignifer gained his feet, but Edander didn’t miss that or the warrior’s slight wince. "Ignifer…?"

"I’m fine, really. It’s not too deep, and I’ll heal soon enough." Ignifer moved gingerly even as he headed toward the Conservatory.

"Not at all an acceptable answer," the mage informed him, clasping his elbow gently and steering him toward the infirmary. He nodded cordially to the nurses as they walked in, leading Ignifer to an empty bed and pointing at it imperiously. He’d spent some time in here, learning what he could to augment his natural healing abilities, and finding his way around was easy.

What was not easy was getting Ignifer to cooperate. "I really don’t need to be healed you know. I’ll be perfectly fine if you’ll just—"

"Take your shirt off and lie down," Edander demanded, exasperated, as he tried to coax Ignifer back into the bed for the third time. He leveled a leering Ignifer with an unimpressed look and pinched him lightly. "I can purify the wound and then start the sealing process, at least."

With a beleaguered groan not out of place in a theatre drama, Ignifer flopped back, allowing Edander access to the cut low on his abdomen that only sluggishly bled now. With steady fingers on either side of the wound, Edander pulled up his power, burning away any chances of infection and slowly binding the flesh together.

"What am I supposed to do when they insist I have to lie in this bed all day? If they make me stay in here my entire two weeks, it will be entirely your fault and I’ll be very put out," Ignifer said, in something that was certainly not a whine.

Edander smiled, still more focused on Ignifer’s wound than his words. "I will come and keep you company during the day. Will that suit you? I can at least share your misery that way."

Ignifer grinned at him. "Would you really do that? I’m sure I could manage to be a good patient if I weren’t bored."

Edander didn’t say anything, but he raised a skeptical eyebrow at the warrior. In his experience, no grown man made a good patient, regardless of circumstances.

*~*~*

The next morning proved that to be true, but Ignifer had a way of making the whole thing almost charming. For the next seven days, Edander would show up in the morning to find him already expectantly sitting up in bed, trying to wave away the nurses who attempted to fuss over him and convince them that he was well enough to be let out of bed. They clucked a bit before strutting off, giving Edander frighteningly appraising looks every time he showed up.

"I think they might be plotting something," he told Ignifer on the eighth morning, taking a seat on the edge of the bed so the warrior’s body heat surrounded him. "Are you milking this whole thing? Because they give me the most suspicious looks, I swear, and I’m just sure it’s somehow your fault."

Ignifer grinned at him. "I don’t know what you mean. Mostly. I think they might kick me out soon. I’m well enough now."

Edander rolled his eyes, nonchalantly looking up at the ceiling. "You know, no one knows why you’ve stopped here. Obviously to rest, but it seems you’ve got a rather serious destination in mind, based on those maps and journals you had me bring you." He didn’t look at Ignifer, just kept his eyes trained upwards, but Edander felt him stiffen minutely.

He nearly jumped when Ignifer started speaking, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "There’s a war. It’s been building for some time, on the southern border of the kingdom which borders this one. The people there are restless and seek more land, and I’m on way to my homeland, to help defend it. It’s been hard travel, and I’ve been playing messenger along the way for the furthest reaches of our allies, but it won’t take much longer until I join our forces properly. But let’s talk about something else; I’ve only a week left before I head out, and I don’t want to spend it brooding."

His shoulder bumped Edander’s, and Edander turned to look at him, brows furrowed. "The ice mages have started attacking? My family hasn’t said anything. How far north has it spread?"

Ignifer looked surprised. "It’s still mostly on the southern border. Are you not from this kingdom?"

"No. This was just the nearest school to home. I… can you tell me more?
Please
. The Conservatory doesn’t care much for news of the outside world, and I must know." Ignifer’s brows crinkled in concern, but he nodded slowly.

For the rest of the morning, the warrior explained the war in full, and more besides, the politics and trivialities that the Conservatory never dealt with. Neither noticed as the nurses quietly slipped away, leaving them alone in the infirmary, heads bent together in discussion.

*~*~*

On his last morning, Ignifer found him in the training courts, going through a staff drill to keep himself limber. They hadn’t talked much in the past two days, the Chancellor anxious to give Ignifer a proper send-off, and the professors desperate for him to choose one of their pupils as bondmate before he left. Their talk in the infirmary had stayed fresh in Edander’s mind, though, and he’d been waiting for the opportunity to talk to Ignifer alone.

"I want to fight in the war."

He didn’t stop his routine, just called it over his shoulder as he twisted. He missed the look of mild panic on Ignifer’s face. "What do you mean, you want to fight in the war?"

Edander stopped, staff held loosely in his hand. "What do you think I mean? It’s my country, too, and I intend to defend her against all and sundry. And why shouldn’t I?"

"Why should you? You’re safe here, and your family isn’t in harm’s way. There are men aplenty to fight, and you could stay here, continuing your studies." There was no sign of Ignifer’s customary grin and without it, his scars looked like they weighed his face down.

Edander’s grip tightened. "So it’s alright for you to go off and fight, but I should be a good boy and stay at school?" he demanded angrily. "Why won’t you ask me to go with you? I thought we fought well together. Certainly we’d make good traveling companions. And I’m a grown man on top of that, not a boy who needs to be sheltered from war, and I think you know that too. So what’s really staying your hand?"