The Apprentice

by Thomas Rouxville

  The Apprentice

  Thomas Rouxville

  ~~~

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2019 Thomas Rouxville

  First published in 2019 by Jonmac Limited.

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters and places, incidents are used entirely fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

  Table of Contents

  Free Map of Galbar and Free Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  The Prince – Book 4 in the Chronicles of Suvaria Series – Chapter 1

  About The Author

  Fantastic Fiction

  Free Map of Galbar and Free Book

  Get your free map of the Kingdom of Galbar (the setting for all my books) by clicking here.

  Also, if you don’t yet have the first book in this series – Edgehill, you can get your free copy right now by clicking here.

  Chapter 1

  Abigast emerged from his room, opening the door and beckoning Rue in. His face was dry with tears, and his skin was pale as if the blood had decided to stop running through his veins. He had just spent the last hour or so, dressing Thane's body. He and Rue had debated on whether to take their dear friend to a professional but decided against it. Thane wouldn't have trusted anyone else to take care of him; Abigast and Rue were his only friends and therefore the only people he would trust. So Abigast solemnly took on the task, and Rue watched as Abigast carried the body with the utmost reverence and respect.

  “I've finished,” Abigast said now, waiting for her to enter the room.

  “I don't know if I'm ready,” Rue said, already trying to hold back tears. “I did my best. I think he looks as good as he did in life.”

  Rue gave a slight smile. “I'm sure you did great, Abigast. Is it okay if I wait a few minutes?”

  “Take all the time you need,” Abigast said gently. He wandered down the hallway, hobbling with sadness. Rue watched as he disappeared, and when he was gone, she let the tears fall.

  The previous night, Rue had tried and tried to stop crying to no avail. She kept promising herself she wouldn't cry anymore, that she had to accept that Thane was gone. She tried to think about her task ahead, eliminating Adaranth, but her mind kept drifting to the friend she had lost. Adaranth would pay, it was his fault. It was his fault that Thane wasn't here right now, standing next to her. It was Adaranth's fault that she couldn't look into Thane's eyes, that she couldn't see his smile. She did not sleep at all that night, and this morning, she was still too entrenched in emotions to even think of sleeping.

  Slowly, Rue entered the bedroom, casting her gaze downwards at first, suddenly nervous about seeing Thane. What would he look like? She had seen bodies prepared for burials before; they always looked waxy, unreal. It was unsettling. She didn't want to see Thane that way, she only wanted to remember him as he had been in life. But it was too late; her gaze shifted toward the body, and there he was, lying serenely on the bed, his arms folded as if he was in prayer. His lips were curved ever so slightly, showing the hint of a smile. It was natural looking, unlike some expressions Rue had seen over the years. His eyes were closed, and she was thankful she didn't have to look into them. She wouldn't have been able to bear seeing those lifeless eyes, lacking the love they had once shown her. Thane was dressed in one of Abigast's formal robes. It was red velvet like the capes royalty wore. Rue touched it, feeling the soft texture. Somehow, it was comforting. She held her hand on it for a second, closing her eyes and remembering Thane.

  “Are you ready for the burial?” Abigast asked.

  Rue hadn't noticed him standing in the doorway. He too was dressed formally, she noticed. She looked down at her own dress, dragging across the floor, already collecting dust and dirt from the cluttered house. She'd braided her hair in an elaborate way, a style Thane had never gotten to see. She wondered if he would think she was beautiful right now; she certainly hoped so. She lifted the dress so it would stop dragging and nodded at Abigast, waiting as he scooped up the body, placing it into the open coffin lying next to it. He closed it, and Rue wanted to cry again. That would really be the last time she'd ever get to see Thane. From now on, all she would have was a grave.

  Abigast and Rue carried the coffin outside, walking down the road with it and into the woods. A

  couple of townspeople watched from their windows, and their faces were sad. No one in Maplefrost had really gotten to know Thane, but they had seen him with Rue, he had even helped some of them.

  Rue looked at the sunrise as she walked. While Thane was gone, the world still spun, life still carried on as usual. The sun would always rise and set in an endless cycle. And Rue too would carry on. She wouldn't succumb to a depressing life of grief, that wasn't an option.

  Abigast and Rue eventually reached the woods, finding a pretty little spot for Thane's burial. They lowered the coffin into the ground and began to dig. Rue had left shovels there the previous evening. The two figures dug in silence, and every time they looked at each other, there were tears in the other's eyes.

  Of course, Rue realized, digging in a dress wasn't the best idea. She normally dressed the way the men did, in tunics. But she thought that Thane might have appreciated seeing her this way, digging while looking like such a lady. He would have laughed at how absurd it looked. She almost laughed just thinking about it, but when she caught a sight of the coffin out of the corner of her mind, any urge to laugh disappeared.

  Eventually, Rue looked at Abigast. The hole had gotten quite deep in a short amount of time, and the sky was a brilliant orange color, the sun rapidly rising. “I think he's ready to be buried,” Rue said.

  “I wish we could just keep digging,” Abigast breathed. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his old age making this labor difficult work. “The longer we dig, the longer we delay saying goodbye to him.”

  “We have to say goodbye,” Rue said. “No matter how much it hurts.”

  “All right.” Abigast took both of their shovels and placed them against a tree. Together, they picked up the coffin and slowly lowered it into the grave site as far as they could before it had to be dropped. It landed gently, settling into the deep grave.

  “Let's say a few words now,” Abigast said, standing over the grave. He cleared his throat. “I didn't know you very long, Thane. And I had no idea how great of a friend you would become to me. I saw you grow from a troubled man to a strong, brave, hero. You made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of this Kingdom. I can never thank you enough for undergoing such a task. I can't imagine what it must have felt like, and I am so sorry. So very sorry...” Abigast trailed off, beginning to cry. He dabbed at his face with a corner of his robe sleeve. “I wish there could have been some other way. I really do. You didn't deserve to die, you had so much to live for. I can't help but feel responsible, and I think it helps me to understand what you went through when you were feeling guilty. You took lives, and the regret was almost unbearable. I took your life, and I can hardly bear it. I hope that you are at peace, both with yourself and with me. I hope you are in a better place, Thane, and I hope you have finally found true happiness.” Abigast stepped backward, dabbing at tears again. “Would you like to say anything, Rue?”

  Rue nodded and stepped closer to the grave. She stared at the coffin for a
moment, imagining the velvet robe. She looked at the ground, finding a tiny flower amidst the dirt; she pressed her lips against it, kissing it, and then tossed it into the grave. “It's the kiss I never gave you,” she whispered, hoping that wherever Thane was, he would hear it.

  “Where do I begin?” Rue sighed. “Thane, you were the greatest person I ever got to meet, and I'm not exaggerating. I didn't trust you in the beginning, I didn't like you much either. When you told Abigast and me who you were and what you had done, I'll admit, I wanted to chase you out of the house. But then I got to know you. And the more I got to know you, the more I saw you change, the more I loved you. I still love you, Thane, and I always will. I wish I said it a thousand times when you were here. You're an amazing person. There's no one else I know who would have sacrificed themselves. No one else has the courage that you had. I know you had a lot of demons, Thane. I know trying to find redemption was difficult for you, but I think you've finally found it. I think everything is okay now. I'm going to fulfill your dying wish, and then there will be complete peace at last. I hope that you'll never have to think about anything bad again. I want you to be happy, I want you to love and be loved. I know that you're in a better place, I won't accept anything else. You deserve more than anyone to be somewhere happy, somewhere that feels like paradise. I love you so much, Thane, and I'll love you forever. This may be goodbye, but I won't forget you.”

  “That was beautiful,” Abigast whispered.

  “Thank you,” Rue replied. Somehow, she had managed to hold the tears back, but now they were flowing, and they wouldn't stop. She looked at the sunrise again, watching as the sun moved up in the sky, filling it with vibrant colors. It was stunning. Thane would be very grateful for such a beautiful funeral. He had appreciated nature so much in his final days. Rue decided she would capture every gorgeous moment she could, to honor him. She would always honor him as much as she possibly could.

  “Well, I suppose it's time to cover the grave,” Abigast said after a long silence as they both stared at the sky. They looked down into the grave one last time, silently paying their respects, and then they began to shovel dirt back into it. In a few moments, a layer of dirt covered the coffin and Rue's flower. In another half hour, dirt completely covered the burial site. Soon, grass would grow over it, and there would be no sign that someone was buried there, except for a little stone tablet that Abigast had created that morning. He had used magic to carve an epitaph that read: Thane, Galbar's Hero. No one would ever know that it was the same Thane who had once been the most dangerous and powerful mercenary in the Kingdom. No one would ever know how that very same Thane had become a completely different person. He would not be remembered as a hero, but instead as a villain. Except in Abigast and Rue's hearts. They would always remember him for who he really was.

  “We have to fulfill his dying wish,” Abigast said. “As soon as possible. We owe it to him.” Rue nodded. “We'll start preparing for our journey as soon as we get home. Adaranth needs to pay for what he caused. He needs to feel the pain that Thane felt, that you and I feel. I want the whole Kingdom to know what a horrible person Adaranth is.”

  “I'll do everything I can to help you, Rue. We cannot fail. We'll refuse to fail.”

  “Thank you, Abigast.” Rue hugged him. “By the way, I don't want you to feel guilty about Thane's death anymore. It's not your fault and you know it; it's Adaranth's fault.”

  “I'm trying to reconcile, I'm finding it very difficult though,” Abigast sighed.

  “Thane had a tough time too, but I think in the end, he was much more at peace with himself than he had been. You can find peace too, Abigast.”

  “For now, I want to focus on helping you, Rue. I want to make sure you get to Adaranth safely.”

  “Well then, let's go,” Rue said. She began to walk away, back towards the house, but stopped, to look at the grave site. “Goodbye, Thane,” she whispered and then turned away.

  Chapter 2

  The rest of the day was spent preparing for the journey ahead. Rue worked tirelessly, trying to put the house into working order so that it wouldn't be too much of mess when she and Abigast returned. Part of her wondered if she would be coming back, but it was a fleeting thought; she couldn't afford to think that way.

  She flung clothing into a knapsack and prepared a few small meals that she managed to also fit in the sack. There wasn't room to bring anything else. Would Abigast be okay, not being able to take a lot of items? Looking around the house, and after living with Abigast for a very long time, Rue knew there would be quite an adjustment. Abigast liked things, lots and lots of things; he could hardly go anywhere without collecting an assortment of items, contributing to the great deal of clutter in the house. But he would have to make do with a small amount of things on this journey.

  “Is that all?” Abigast asked, peering inside the knapsack. “Is this enough?”

  “Well, we're going to Slyfort, to the castle,” Rue said. “It won't take long so I think this should be enough. I packed practical clothing and your favorite meal. Albeit, a smaller version of your favorite meal.”

  Abigast sighed. “What about dessert?”

  Rue rolled her eyes. “You don't need dessert, Abigast. You're not going to have time to eat it anyway. We have to move fast, as fast as possible.”

  “I'm an old man, Rue. I can't move as fast as you want me to.”

  “We already talked about it, Abigast. I need you, and you need me, you're coming on this journey.”

  Abigast nodded. “I just want to make sure you're still okay with it, Rue. I want to help as much as I can, but I don't want to be a burden.”

  “You're not a burden,” Rue smiled. “It'll be nice to go into unfamiliar territory with a familiar person. I think Thane would have appreciated it too – me not facing Adaranth alone. Thane knew better than anyone that having friends was better than being alone.”

  “Okay,” Abigast said. “I'm glad you still want me to go along with you. It would have been so difficult to watch you go alone.”

  “Thank you for coming with me,” Rue said.

  “Of course,” Abigast replied.

  “So should we spend one last night in the comfort of our own home?” Rue asked.

  “Yes, let's leave to Slyfort first thing in the morning.”

  That night was not easy to get through. Rue thought of Thane again, and she thought of the impending journey. She could not clear her mind of “what-if” thoughts. What if Adaranth captured her? Or worse – killed her? What if Adaranth wasn't even in the castle? He could be somewhere far away by now, perhaps a hideout. Rue was terrified of what the possible scenarios were, and she didn't want to face them. She wanted to stay here in bed and wake up and go on with her typical business in Maplefrost. It was the comfortable thing to do, it was the easy thing to do. But the easy days of life were over; Rue had a feeling things wouldn't be easy again for a long time.

  When morning came, Rue glanced at the mirror. She didn't look like someone about to go on an adventure, she looked like someone ready for sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot, the severe lack of sleep making it almost painful to keep them open. But it was time to go – this journey could not be delayed any longer. It was time to find Adaranth.

  “You ready?” Rue asked Abigast, finding him in the kitchen eating one last full meal. “Let's go.”

  After eating breakfast, they gathered their knapsacks and closed the door behind them, both hoping they would return soon. Rue's heart was heavy as she walked through the streets of Maplefrost. She recognized faces of friends, people she cared about and loved. There wasn't time to say goodbye, she could only hope they realized she was doing something important. If they didn't know yet, perhaps they would when they found out Adaranth had been killed. Perhaps they would be thankful for Rue, perhaps she would be a hero. Or maybe no one would ever know, and the Kingdom would carry on as if nothing had happened.

  The pair reached the town gates. “I take it the quarantine is no lo
nger in effect?” Rue said to the guards.

  “Lifted just a couple of hours ago. It's amazing, isn't it? That the plague suddenly ended?” The guard snapped his fingers. “Just like that – poof – gone.”

  “It's a miracle,” Rue said, though she knew it was because of Thane's sacrifice.

  “Where are you going with those knapsacks? Looks like it's going to be quite the journey,” the guard said.

  “To Slyfort,” Rue answered. “It will be quite the journey indeed.”

  “Well, good luck.”

  Rue and Abigast nodded. “Goodbye,” they both said. Rue looked at her town one last time before moving forward.

  The journey to Slyfort began solemnly. After just a couple of hours of walking, the traveling pair ran into the first village. They smelled it before they saw it. The scent of rotting flesh permeated the air, and Rue began to gag, placing her sleeve over her mouth and nose in an attempt to rid herself of the pungent odor. “What is that smell?” She coughed.

  Abigast pointed directly ahead, and when Rue saw it, she stopped in her tracks.

  It was a pile of bodies; they looked as if they had been tossed carelessly on top of one another, like a bunch of rag dolls. Except they were not toys, they were human beings, and they were dead. As Rue and Abigast ventured closer, Rue could actually see their faces. Most of them looked peaceful like they hadn't suffered before death, but there were a few whose faces were contorted in pain. Rue realized that they all must have been like that until someone made them look more at peace, so it was less disturbing.

  But it was still disturbing, incredibly so. Rue looked away from the bodies, shielding her eyes. She wondered how many more of these piles of humanity she would come across. “Let's keep moving,” Abigast whispered reverently. They walked past a woman kneeling down at one of the bodies, weeping softly.