“This is my friend, Thane,” Rue answered. “He's helping Abigast and me run some errands and do some chores. We're very busy right now.”
“Oh, that's a shame. I wanted to invite Abigast to dinner tonight,” the woman said, frowning. “That's very kind of you, I'll be sure to tell him. You two will have to reschedule.”
The woman beamed. “Certainly. Thank you, Rue. Take the necklace – for free.”
Rue bowed. “Thank you so much.”
“Do you often receive free items?” Thane asked as they weaved through the marketplace. Rue laughed. “Abigast and I are very well liked.”
“When I first arrived, it seemed like no one knew him,” Thane said. “No one had ever heard of him.”
“The people of Maplefrost do their best to protect Abigast. He's a good man, a good wizard, and no one wants to cause trouble. There are so few wizards in this world that the ones that exist must be protected.”
Thane felt a twinge of guilt, thinking of Sluforn. He certainly didn't protect that wizard.
“You were just doing your job,” Rue said, perhaps sensing Thane's thoughts. “You aren't still feeling guilty, are you?”
“I'm trying not to,” Thane replied.
“It'll take time to heal, I suppose.” Rue touched his hand. “It's going to be okay, Thane,” she said, repeating Thane's words from the previous night. “Now, let's deliver this necklace to a woman in need.”
“I thought the necklace had magical properties,” Thane said.
“It doesn't. All of that woman's stuff is useless. At least it's nice to look at. Anyway, Abigast and I heard about a young widow. She lost her husband just a week ago. I'm sure she would appreciate having this necklace. I don't think it's worth much, but it's beautiful, don't you think?” Rue held it up, the jewels sparkling.
Thane couldn't help but think that Rue was the one who looked beautiful, but he didn't say so. He wasn't here for romance. He'd had enough failed romances and trysts in his life. There came a point when he couldn't remember women's names or faces. He didn't want to forget Rue, and he didn't want to remember her as little more than an object. She was so much more than that. And feeling guilty again, Thane realized that all of the other women had been more than objects too. If he could go back, and right every wrong, he would. The world would have been a better place without the mercenary.
“Yes, it's beautiful,” Thane finally answered.
Rue nodded and led him towards the widow's home. When they arrived, after knocking on the door for a few seconds, the widow opened it. She was draped in black, her face pale, face puffy from crying.
“Hello,” Rue said. “Would you like this necklace?”
The widow gave Rue a tiny smile. “What for?”
“For being strong.”
The widow's smile grew wider. “It's a very lovely necklace.” She reached out and touched it. “But I am not strong.”
“Oh yes you are,” Rue said. “You're still here aren't you? Your husband's gone, but you're going to carry on. You're going to live a wonderful life.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so.”
The widow began to cry, and Thane watched as Rue hugged her, gently putting the necklace into the widow's hands.
So this is what Rue and Abigast did. They went around, making sad people happy. Doing the opposite of what Thane did. They were amazing people. If only more people were like them. If only Thane had been like them.
“It's going to be okay,” he told himself. The guilt would go away eventually. It had to.
Chapter 6
Thane and Rue walked home, Rue happily waving to people and practically skipping. Thane had never met someone who loved helping people as much as Rue did. She acted as if helping people was the drug that kept her going, the reason she got up in the morning. Thane had once felt that way about killing, about obtaining the gold that came with the killing. Things had changed so greatly, and he was finding that he enjoyed helping the townspeople as well. Seeing their smiles, the way they lit up when Rue did something kind, it was almost addicting. A few hours had gone by, and Thane for once wasn't thinking about his guilt. He was focused on kindness, on being a good person.
“You're quiet,” Rue remarked, as they approached the house. “Today has been quite the eye-opening experience,” Thane said. Rue smiled. “How does it feel to be the good guy?”
“I feel like I'm an entirely new person.”
Rue's smile grew. “When this plague is over, you should stick around and help Abigast and I. You could help clear up all of the awful clutter that we've been too busy to clean up.”
The old Thane would have scoffed at the idea of cleaning someone else's home without payment, but the new Thane simply nodded. “I'd love to.” He meant it.
“I'm not as suspicious of you as I was before,” Rue said. “Maybe you're a good actor, but I think you've really changed a lot. It hasn't even been two days, but you're not the same person I met.”
“Believe me, it feels like my entire existence has completely shifted. Like everything has been turned upside down.”
Rue shook her head. “It must be so difficult, but you've done well, Thane.” She opened the door and led him inside the house. The next few days passed quickly. Thane got up on time, helped Rue prepare breakfast, and then they went outside to help more townspeople. Thane could never tire of the brilliant, beautiful smiles of people. He wasn't used to smiles; he was used to seeing looks of anguish, of sorrow that he could not begin to comprehend. Thane had spent so much time in darkness, that this new light, was the greatest thing he had ever experienced.
As the days went on, and Abigast remained stoic, analyzing seemingly every text in the house, Thane grew closer to Rue. The more he learned about her, the more he admired her. He considered her a true friend, something he'd never had before. It was wonderful having a friend, being able to talk to someone without that person hating him or trying to kill him. In the past, Thane only made enemies; this new experience of making friends was certainly a welcome change.
Finally, one afternoon, as the friends made their way home from hours of helping the citizens of Maplefrost, Abigast had moved from his studying spot.
Rue opened the door to the house, and she and Thane expected Abigast to still be deep in his studies, ignoring them or perhaps yelling at them to bring him some food, but instead, Abigast nearly pounced on them in the doorway, an insane look in his eyes. “I've done it,” Abigast stated triumphantly.
“Done what?” Rue raised an eyebrow.
“I've figured out what to do! How to stop the plague!”
Rue clapped her hands together excitedly. Thane's heart nearly stopped; this was the most positive news he had heard in ages. It was almost too good to be true. He eyed Abigast, waiting for the man to elaborate.
“Come, sit down with me, let's discuss this,” Abigast said. He gestured at the pair to follow him. They sat down in the room where Abigast had been conducting his studies. Books were strewn about all over the floor, random pages were torn out, and dried feather pens lay about, with ink blots staining the floor. Thane could see that Rue was visibly irritated, as it was she who would have to clean this mess up. He would help her. He would always help her. Rue wouldn't have to be the maid anymore, she would be the apprentice she was meant to be with Thane around to take care of more chores. He could see a future living with Rue and Abigast, and it was bright future.
“All right,” Abigast said, picking up a particular book. He read over a page a few times, scanning it thoroughly. Apparently satisfied, he looked at Rue and Thane. “There's a potion, and an incantation to be read aloud.”
Thane and Rue waited for him to say more, but Abigast was silent. “Abigast? Tell us more. Explain.”
Abigast frowned. “I can't.”
“What do you mean you can't? Tell us what kind of potion, what does it do? What does the incantation say?”
“I can't tell you those things,” Abigast repli
ed, looking back down at his book. Rue attempted to peer at it, but Abigast quickly turned his back to her. She then looked at Thane, and he could read her expression perfectly. What is wrong?
“Abigast, is the potion dangerous? Will it hurt someone?” Thane asked. “Can't say, can't say,” Abigast sang. “But I can say what the ingredients are.”
“At least that's something,” Rue mumbled.
“I've already begun working on the potion, but I don't quite have all of the ingredients. I'll need you and Thane to go into the woods and gather the remaining ingredients so I can complete it.” Abigast conjured a list from seemingly nowhere; he handed it to Rue. “There's a few hours of daylight left, I trust that you two can get this done today.”
Rue and Thane nodded. “Of course,” Rue said. “But Abigast, why are you being so elusive? So secretive.”
“I'll tell you everything in due time, my apprentice,” Abigast reassured her. It was the first time Thane had heard him call her an apprentice. “If I told you everything right now, it would scare you. I don't want to scare you.”
“By telling me that something is going to scare me, I'm already scared,” Rue said.
Abigast sighed. “I'm sorry. Please just go to the woods and find the ingredients so I can finish this potion as soon as possible.”
“We'll be back soon,” Thane said, standing up. Rue followed behind him, grumbling about something.
“I don't know where the woods are,” Thane said.
Rue rolled her eyes, taking the lead. “The quarantine is in effect, we'll have to take a different route than the usual one.” She didn't say anything else for a while as they walked. She handed the list to Thane, so he could read over it. The ingredients seemed easy enough to find. The potion couldn't be too dangerous, or so it seemed. But what Abigast had said, scared Thane too. There was definitely a catch to this whole plague cure. It couldn't be easy.
By the time they reached the woods, having taken an extra long path to avoid guards, Rue finally spoke. “I don't want to think about the potion right now,” she declared.
“Neither do I,” Thane replied.
“Let's just gather everything we need, and get back to Abigast as soon as possible. Whatever this potion is going to do, we'll find out soon enough.” Rue started to scan the woods, searching for the needed ingredients.
After working in silence for a while, Rue was the first one to speak again. “Prince Adaranth can't be the next king,” she said.
Thane looked up, surprised to hear her talking about the Prince. She hadn't mentioned him at all before. Perhaps she was just trying to take their minds off of Abigast's potions.
“You're right,” Thane said.
“How can the King let Adaranth get away with all he's done? He's just a spoiled kid. A rotten brat.” Rue swore, calling the Prince a far ruder name.
“The King is ill,” Thane said. “Too ill to stop his son.”
“And no one else can stop him? What about the king's advisors? They're the ones really in charge, aren't they? Isn't that how royal governing works?” Thane had no idea. “I was a mercenary, not a politician.”
“I just think it's crazy,” Rue said, “that no one is doing anything about Adaranth. The whole Kingdom should be able to see that he's an unfit ruler, yet they're not even so much as saying anything that goes against him. No one is lifting a finger as this so-called Prince destroys the Kingdom.” She yanked a plant violently, and when it didn't budge, she flew backward, getting covered in dirt. Rue huffed and stood up, brushing the dirt off her now soiled clothing.
“Are you alright?” Thane asked. Rue didn't allow him to help her stand up.
“I'm fine, just frustrated about that stupid Prince. After we take care of the plague, we have to take care of him too. We have to end him.”
“We will,” Thane assured her. “I will go to the castle myself and kill him. I will make sure he never wreaks havoc on Galbar again. The Kingdom will be safe once and for all.”
“For once, I'm glad you were the best mercenary in the Kingdom. If anyone can stop Adaranth, it's you.”
“If the Prince can so easily disregard the lives of the entire Kingdom, he has no right to be king,” Thane said. “I used to disregard lives, and I've realized lately just how valuable lives truly are.”
“It was your job to kill though,” Rue said. “Of course you had to disconnect, but Adaranth can't even use that as an excuse. It's his job to care for the Kingdom, and he hasn't done that at all. He's done nothing but bring sadness and pain.”
“I wish he could see the world the way I see it now,” Thane said. He sighed. “I've missed out on so much joy. So much love.” He knelt down on the ground to pick up a flower. “Gold was more important than friendship. I can't believe I thought that.”
Rue placed a hand on his shoulder. “We all think stupid things sometimes. And then we look back on those stupid things and realize how far we've come.”
“Most people don't think or do the stupid things that I've done,” Thane whispered.
“When are you going to stop feeling guilty?” Rue asked. “You've been so happy lately. I see the way you smile when you help people. You enjoy it, you enjoy bringing happiness into other lives than your own. It brings you fulfillment. I know that it seems like you can never truly pay for all of the sorrow you caused, and maybe that's true, but you can keep trying. And you can stop feeling guilty.”
Thane smiled. “You're too good to me, Rue.”
“You deserve to be treated with kindness, Thane. I take it you've been treated badly enough.” As they continued gathering ingredients, Thane realized how close he had become to Rue.
Abigast too, though the wizard had been awfully busy lately. These were the first friends he'd ever made. He had never opened up to people before, never had he revealed so much of himself to someone, and now, with Rue and Abigast, he was revealing everything, and he was finding that it was becoming easy. Rue was easy to talk to, and she always listened. Sometimes she rolled her eyes, but she never said anything genuinely unkind. She was the most decent human being Thane had ever come across.
As a mercenary, Thane didn't understand why people became so attached to other people. He couldn't see the reasoning, but now he understood. Humans were not meant to be solitary creatures. They weren't meant to be alone. Humans were meant to have companions. Friends. Friendship was perhaps the greatest experience of Thane's life.
Chapter 7
Thane and Rue trudged back home from the woods, ingredients tucked in knapsacks. Rue hummed cheerily while they walked, but it was clear she was still distressed about Adaranth and Abigast's lack of clarification. She was nervous, wanting to know exactly what Abigast's potion would do.
Thane wanted to know too, and as they approached the house, he could hardly contain himself any longer. Abigast's potion held the key to ending the plague. The instant relief Thane would feel when this awful plague was over, would be an amazing feeling. The guilt that had been eating away at him for so long would finally be eased, with the knowledge that millions of lives would be saved.
“Should we go in?” Rue asked, one hand hovering hesitantly over the doorknob. Normally, she would burst through the door and announce her arrival to Abigast without care for his deep studying. This time though, the anxiety was evident on her face.
“You're afraid the potion isn't going to be what you want it to be,” Thane said. “Of course I'm afraid, aren't you?”
Thane nodded. “I'm afraid that it won't work. I'm afraid that there's some missing ingredient that we'll never be able to find. I'm afraid that Abigast isn't telling us everything because there's some catch to the potion that will be unbearable.”
“Not as unbearable as the plague,” Rue interjected, “but I have the exact same fears. Abigast isn't one to keep things from me. At least, I don't think he is.”
Now Thane could see that Rue was doubting herself. The confident woman he had spent so much time with seemed to be showing signs of
insecurity. “No matter what happens with the potion, or the plague, or anything else, you're still Abigast's apprentice, Rue. You're not a maid, Abigast cares about you, and he loves you. How could he not?”
Rue smiled very slightly. “That almost sounded like an indirect declaration of love, Thane. Be careful, I'm not one of your tavern girls.”
Thane's face went flush. He had tried not to think about Rue in that kind of way, but he realized the more time he spent with her, the more his feelings of friendship seemed to be something more. He was never going to be with Rue though, they both knew that. He had to focus on redemption, on finding himself. He would have to do that before he could ever devote himself fully to another person. Rue was the type of person who deserved all of the love someone could possibly give. She was not someone to be toyed with.
“I do love you,” Thane finally said, and though there was no possibility of romance, it felt good to say it.
The smile that spread over Rue's lips was truly beautiful, and though she did not say she loved him too, it didn't matter. That smile was all Thane needed to see. He decided that if there were only one smile he could ever look at, he would pick that one.
“Let's go inside now, I think I'm ready,” Rue said, not acknowledging Thane's words. But as they walked inside, her smile did not disappear.
Of course, happiness was always fleeting. Rue and Thane dropped the ingredients in front of Abigast, expecting him to be excited. Abigast simply looked up at them gravely. “Sit down,” he said solemnly.
Thane glanced at Rue, who's smile had finally vanished, replaced with a large, deep, frown. They both knelt down in front of Abigast, bracing themselves for whatever horrid news he had.
“There's one ingredient left, the final ingredient,” Abigast said, observing the various ingredients sitting in the bag in front of him. He pulled some of the items out, turning them over in his hands as if making sure they were correct.
The Wizard Page 4