Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (25 page)

             
“You’ve spent time with the Kardorian wizards recently,” Falconi Ralto spoke up. The man had remained quiet the whole meeting. Even while he had just been listening; Sebastian had still noted the man’s reactions to what had been said so far. There had been nearly no facial expression to betray the man’s thoughts. Ralto didn’t make him feel comfortable and as he continued, Sebastian began to understand why his instincts had said to worry. “Word from the others was that you threw lightning at the end of the fight. If so, I believe that is new. Had you forgotten?”

             
“I had noted it to Falconi Saren and Falcondi Warner before I left Falcon’s Keep. With the winter being the way it is, maybe they didn’t get the message out to you. I hadn’t had time to teach it to anyone before I was called away for this mission. I did learn of the magic from their wilder while at the keep and discussing Kardorian spells. I’ve also noted that such magic may be drawn from the ground. It is also possible that with some exploration of that fact, battle mages may be able to tap into some of the ground’s energy to wield more than just their own strength of magic, though such thoughts are mostly conjecture so far.

             
“You may want to have someone check into developing such theories some time,” he added trying to get the idea passed to someone else to discover its validity. While he knew that he had proven it truth, maybe someone else could show some ability to discover this one on their own. The truth of his sornfitreel Bairh’loore, on the other hand, he hoped to hide even from the ravens for a time. For some reason, he had a feeling that battle mages were not quite ready to learn of such a thing. If wizards had learned to tap even more energy from the earth why was there no record of it? Perhaps it was because there would be negative consequences to such a draw upon the earth?

             
It was a vein of learning that he felt was best carefully researched further before giving the keys of such power away to potentially uncaring and destructive minds. If someone else figured out how to use the magic on their own, then maybe Sebastian would need to work with them closely to watch out for damage that could be done from using such powerful energy in that way. While he wasn’t some official guardian of Alus’s magic, the mizard still owed that much care to the world in which he lived.

             
The three men stared at him silently a moment after his suggestion as they contemplated this new gem he had presented them. Ralto took up the reins again as he continued his inquiry, “I am surprised that you wouldn’t wish to check into such things yourself, mizard.” There it was again the nickname that had been thrown about at Windmeer since his first teachings of new magic. It had become both honorific and a bane to him as well these past several months.

             
“It’s still just a general theory. Not even our wizards make mention of it in any resources that I’ve read so far. It might be something a research wizard would find interesting. At this point, I have too many other things to research already and am not interested in following it up at this time. There are so many other more immediate spells that I am closer to discovering that I feel I must work on first.

             
“Besides, I believe there will also be more traveling in my immediate future now that I am healed back to full. I was given the task of delivering the ambassador to Hala. It’s rather difficult to sit around doing research while spending most of my time riding, though I have developed some of my magic while on the road before, so I never know where new ideas may develop.”

             
“We could change your task, if you want, Falcon Trillon. We do have other falcons that can protect the ambassador and other wizards available for such a trip,” Raven Liom stated as he rose to walk behind his desk.

             
There was that feeling of being judged again. Sebastian wondered if, in his attempt to hide some of his findings, he had maybe walked into a different sort of trap.

             
“I am quite all right with doing the duty I was assigned, but I serve Southwall where I am wished,” he virtually repeated the oath of all the servants of Southwall. They fought to protect their own and their way of life. Peace required great cost of some, he knew. He’d given quite a bit of himself already in just the short time he had been a falcon, but there weren’t always limits to what would be asked of a man. Sometimes the price was one’s life.

             
“When was the last time you visited your family, Falcon Trillon?” the question came from Liom and it was a major departure from the previous questioning in Sebastian’s thinking.

             
He had to think hard about that one. “Close to three years ago, though I try to write my family every so often. My mother has even sent a letter to me while I’ve been at Falcon’s Keep.”

             
Stallis smiled as if revealing a basic insight to a child as he said, “Letters can be a comfort, but they’re no replacement for one’s family. You need to go home every once in awhile, if only to remember what you’re fighting for, my boy.

             
“In fact, you may even be getting close to that age where young men begin thinking of having their own families. Its not always easy being a battle mage, especially when you want a family.”

             
Liom shook his head slightly at his peer and added, “What I believe Raven Stallis is getting at is perhaps it is time to take a few days to visit home. I believe your family’s farm isn’t too far out of the way from White Hall, if you wanted to take a few days to see them.”

             
Forehead wrinkling in confusion, Sebastian asked, “Am I being asked to take a leave or am I still supposed to guard the ambassador’s detail, sir?”

             
“You could do both,” the raven acknowledged. “If you left a couple days before the ambassador, you could visit your family and catch up to them at White Hall for their next break; or perhaps you could escort them to the school and return home while they continue to Hala.”

             
Quickly trying to follow the new situation, Sebastian tried to unbury the catch, “I don’t know if the healers feel I am ready to travel again so soon. Waiting a few days for the ambassador to be through with his commitments here might still be more of a rest than heading to my family.”

             
Stallis shrugged and put in, “We were debating on sending a healer wizard or two with you anyway, since we have one more thing we were considering for your trip. You know of the spring tournament in Hala, correct? Well, we have been thinking of sending a few falcons to represent us and show the world what we can do. With your unique expertise, perhaps you would consider representing your brothers and sisters there?” Though put as a question, Sebastian had a feeling that this was virtually an order.

             
The mage wanted to sigh, but tried to hide his true feelings. He really did not want to go to the tournament and participate as a contestant. Training was one thing, but fighting for sport wasn’t exactly what he hoped to be doing. “If that is your wish, then I guess I should go to the tournament.” It was the lack of commitment that brought slight frowns to the ravens’ eyes. Falconi Ralto managed to show nothing. The man was as cool as Sebastian wished he could be in this moment.

             
With a slow nod of acknowledgement, Raven Liom said, “We will get back to you on this later today or tomorrow morning. Think on it. This could be a great chance for the battle mages to prove ourselves to any that still doubt our use.

             
“Maybe you should even consider who you would want backing you in the tournament. You could pick from your fellow mages and maybe you should have a personal healing wizard that could help you through such a competition and training. The tournament lasts for a week and if you do well it can be quite a bit of wear and tear. Having your own healer available could help you go further.

             
“Meanwhile, if there is nothing else you can think of to say on the matter of the enemy fortress, then I guess that you are free to go, Falcon Trillon.”

             
Stallis stood to clap him on the shoulder and added as he turned to go, “You may even want to check out the practice grounds to keep yourself in shape while you wait.”

             
“I found orcs, werelions and wraiths amongst other things to fight this week. Trust me when I say that I have had my share of opponents to test myself against lately, but thank you, sir,” the falcon said trying to muster a smile for the man. The raven had been friendly to him last summer so he hated to ruin such a relationship with harsh words.

             
“True enough,” the big man chuckled and escorted him through the door with a gentle shove.

             
Once past the guards and into the stairwell, Sebastian permitted himself to sigh.

              Inside the raven’s office, the three men all looked at each other taking stock of their thoughts.

             
“He didn’t sound very fond of the tournament idea,” Stallis said bluntly. “He wasn’t much on visiting his family either, which is a little odd.”

             
Liom shrugged, “He’s been in the corps for a long time as a cadet and now a falcon. Many mages get to the point where they feel their true family is the people they work with here and there. We don’t see our families much even when we’re married sometimes.”

             
The big raven put his hand under his chin pondering even as he aired his thoughts, “True, Liom, but I think that maybe he’s just more worried about this mission.”

             
Falconi Ralto stated quietly, “He’s hiding something.”

             
Stallis snorted, “Like what? The boy’s been a solid falcon and saved a lot of people this past year. He just saved his team from the belly of an enemy fort. What would you have of him? Maybe he’s just tired?”

             
Ralto shook his head, “I don’t think it was in relation to his family or his reluctance to go to the tournament. I understand that many soldiers don’t like fighting just for sport. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to fight in the tournament either if I were him.

             
“No, I think there’s something to the magic he’s learned that he’s not telling us.”

             
Again Stallis snorted, “Do you blame him? Every time he enters a room our mages ask him to find something new or teach them something they can’t figure out from what he’s already discovered. He shows a lot of patience actually.”

             
“You’ve trained with him, Stallis,” Ralto stated an unasked question.

             
“Yes, and he was a good teacher, very patient. The lad has a good head on his shoulders. In fact, I wish he would accept the idea of taking a break to see his family, if only to get away from this life for a little bit to recharge himself.”

             
“He’s had a busy year indeed,” Liom added.

             
“Perhaps a little too busy,” Ralto replied still looking thoughtful.

             
Stallis looked ready to throttle the man, but for Liom’s head shake. The two had worked together as ravens for more than four years and had worked throughout their careers off and on. They knew each other well and seemed to compliment each other in general practice.

             
Ralto, on the other hand, was a nearly unknown quantity to them. He was younger and had followed a different course through his career than they had. Almost career northerners, Ralto had been trained in Red Hall and worked in the east. They saw the world differently, even if they had still served the same country.

             
“If I might be allowed to return to my duties?” the man asked of his superiors who merely waved him off.

             
Once gone, Stallis turned to Liom and grumbled, “I don’t like that guy.”

             
A small laugh preceded the reply, “I couldn’t tell.”

Chapter 14- Colors of an Apprentice

             
The afternoon was waning as the blond haired wizard’s apprentice made the walk towards her room. Like most winter days, she was dressed in her white dress with yellow bands at her throat and on the hem; her yellow hooded cloak was set solidly across her shoulders and down her back to ward off the chill. Her hair flowed over the unused hood where it lay across her shoulders.

             
Yara was tired after a full day of her apprentice duties. There had been only a few accidents involving minor injuries to deal with today. No one had been wounded to the extent of Sebastian for her to use her magic on and the more mundane practicing of spells on plants and animals had filled the bulk of her day. An apprentice healer needed to work on her talent as often as she could, or so Fala continually told her. It was also harder for a woman to gain the respect in their field that most male wizards seemed to garner with little to no effort.