The Hunt for the Three Roses

by Jason Hubbard

  About an hour after sundown, he walked the chestnut mare back to the stables. There, he along with four others would watch for wolves that might startle the horses, and someone would eventually bring him a plate of cooked venison and a kind of paste made from wheat (perhaps sweetened with sugar or cinnamon). At the empty stall, he unexpectedly found Cypher. “Sean, I need a word with you. Follow me.”

  Sean was reluctant to leave his post, but he supposed he could still look out for wolves if he didn’t stray too far. As it turned out, Cypher led him a fair distance from the stables to a tree stump near the edge of the southern wheat field, well out of earshot of the convoy. Sean had a feeling he wouldn’t like what he’d hear—not from Cypher’s tone or body language, but from his own sullen mood and the gloom of the night.

  Cypher lit a lantern and set it on the stump, its steady light making the scruffy sorcerer appear like a grim apparition. “I had intended to ride all the way to Asturia … but I think I should take advantage of coming across Count Guyver. There are things I still need to do, and I don’t have much time to do them all. Sean, I need to ask you to take over my responsibility to Jonas and bring him to Asturia. In return, I will recommend you to the count to be his next house mage. His current house mage is an old man, so you’ll be apprenticed to him and learn all of your duties. What do you say?”

  Holding true to his noble roots, Sean only appeared intrigued in the face of an offer, but inside he was jumping for joy. This was the kind of opportunity he had dreamt of but hadn’t dared to expect: being a house mage to an esteemed lord of Lonsaran. His primary duties would be to keep up the house’s magic defenses and administer healing spells to any sick or injured servant; he could also expect several odd jobs such as exterminating rodents and making fashion accessories. For this, he would be well fed and supplied, and he’d receive a roof over his head and a stipend. Considering that he’d be working for a count whom he already respected, the offer seemed too good to be true.

  As for Jonas, Sean was a natural choice to be his guardian. He understood that Jonas was not very bright and needed to be supervised like a child, and although Jonas could get on his nerves in the short time he knew him, Sean was mostly tolerant of the older man’s eccentricities. While Cypher could entrust Jonas with Count Guyver instead, the count was a crippled man whose attention was often divided, and Cypher didn’t know any of the soldiers enough to trust Jonas with them. Ultimately, Cypher’s choice was either Sean or no one at all.

  “Is the count going to Asturia as well?” Sean asked.

  “Yes. He’ll first stop at his manor in Darin Province for a few days, then make for Asturia where he’ll wait out the war like much of the peerage. He should then send a letter asking the Royal Palace to receive you and Jonas. Simply ask for the majordomo—his name is Edward Reed. If he’s not available somehow, ask for Guard Captain Victor Sutton. Understood?”

  Sean blinked to signal his complete lack of understanding. “Wait, you said … the Royal Palace?”

  “I did,” Cypher said, speaking as if to a slow learner.

  “But sir, you never mentioned the Royal Palace before; you only said you wanted to bring Jonas to safety. I mean, I’m sure he’ll be safe there, but why would the palace want him?”

  “They’ll accept him at my request, and Count Guyver’s word will carry extra weight. They won’t refuse him.”

  Sean’s upper lip grew stiff. “There’s something you’re not telling me. If you want me to do this for you, you’ll need to trust me with more than you’ve already given. What is it about Jonas that—”

  “No,” Cypher snarled. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. The fewer people who know about the Three Roses, the better. Just know that getting Jonas to the palace is imperative.”

  “Hmm … imperative enough to defy King Hugo? Or did King Paulson ask you first?”

  Cypher tilted his head down as a subtle threatening gesture. “Push me again, Sean, and I’ll retract my offer. In fact, I’ll tell the count to not accept you, seeing as how there’s a price on your head in St. Mannington. Either do as I say, or you’re on your own.”

  Sean briefly balled his hands into fists, and he suppressed the urge to deck his old master square in the face. As much as he hated to, he had to back down and face facts: Cypher was not going to reveal what Sean wanted to know, for he had the upper hand. “Very well, Master … I accept. I’ll take Jonas to the palace, if the count will allow me.”

  “I’ll arrange things with him. He’ll take you to Asturia, and you may see Jonas off to the palace yourself. Thank you, Sean, you will not come to regret this. If you keep up your studies and training, you’ll make a fine house mage, I’m sure. If you’ll excuse me …”

  Cypher took the lantern and made off for the count’s carriage. Sean was left in awe, for he had never heard Cypher thank him for anything. Hell, the old sorcerer never thanked his staff back in his tower. To receive gratitude from a man like Cypher, one must do an undertaking of great significance, which helped give Sean’s promise some perspective.

  As he headed back to the stables, it occurred to him that the other “things” Cypher needed to do might include searching for the other two Roses. This reignited his curiosity about the Roses, and it infuriated him that Cypher still kept him in the dark even after asking him for a big favor. But as he reached the chestnut mare and began to brush her mane, he calmed down and reminded himself that he really had nothing to worry about. He didn’t need to know the truth behind the Three Roses, because soon he will have a good job in a new home, just as he had wished for since leaving St. Mannington. And while he didn’t want to do a favor for Cypher’s sake, he could certainly do it for Jonas’, for he too wanted to see Jonas happy and safe.

  So to hell with knowing everything; as long as his future well-being was secure, he would learn to be content.

  That morning, after the convoy began moving again, Cypher invited Sean into the count’s carriage. Sean was still sleepy, but he mustered the energy to run up to the moving vehicle and go through the door Cypher held open for him. Inside, Count Guyver said that per Cypher’s recommendation, he would like Sean to be the next apprentice of his current house mage, Master Ryan Harris.

  “Let me be frank,” Count Guyver said. “There’s nothing much interesting about Darin Province. We grow the majority of the kingdom’s hops, yes, but we don’t have anything like an arena or a grand theater. Most of the citizens are farmers and builders, and we have only a token defense force. If anything serious happens, such as bandits or other invaders, we have Asturia only a three-day’s ride away to send for a stronger defense unit. It’s a peaceful place, so Master Harris’ apprentices usually deign to move on to other, more exciting positions. But what about you, Sean? Do you think Darin would be a good place for you?”

  Sean (who made it a practice to avoid glancing at the count’s missing leg) replied, “My lord, I’m no stranger to combat, but I’m not built for war. Darin Province sounds like a place I might want to stay in.”

  “Then that settles it: As soon as we arrive at the manor, you’ll take the Apprentice’s Oath and Master Harris will show you the ropes. Glad to have you, my boy.”

  Sean firmly shook the count’s hand, grinning so broadly it was as if his tense exchange with Cypher last night had never happened. But as soon as he let go, he wrinkled his brow. “Shall it really be that easy, my lord? I hear that being a mage in Lonsaran requires going through many regulations.”

  “True. If not for Cypher here to vouch for your competency, I might not have you onboard at all. You’ll still have to go through legal hurdles, but with the war going on, the Ministry of Magical Arts is stretched thin and can’t account for every occupation. I’m sure I can expediate your apprenticeship with only a letter or two.”

  “I can’t thank you enough, my lord. I’ll do my best to serve you.”

  The two of them discussed f
urther details, such as Sean’s housing arrangement and his responsibility to Jonas, while Cypher mostly kept silent, only nodding every now and then. He probably sensed that Sean was still irritated with him and didn’t want to provoke him further.

  Just before noon, the convoy stopped in the shade of a bluff amid a sea of hills where grass and rocks competed for space. The meat of two wild boars was hastily set up over roaring fires, and an assortment of nuts and berries were passed around. As the smell of roasting game floated around the camp, Count Guyver announced Sean’s appointment as the new magic apprentice of Darin Manor. Sean had rather the news be kept under wraps, but he did appreciate the well wishes of those who came up to him. The soldiers whose lives he saved had not forgotten him, and they heartily welcomed him to Lonsaran even though they had yet to cross the border.

  “Congratulations,” Callie said. “At least one of us knows for sure what he’ll be doing.”

  Sean shrugged. “A manor needs many able bodies; I’m sure you can live there, too.”

  “Yeah, but … we’ll talk about it later tonight, okay?” She left for her circle of friends around one of the campfires, leaving Sean in an awkward state. It had only been four days since they came across the convoy, and already he felt Callie drifting away from him, developing close bonds with those she could better relate to. It was probably for the best since they came from such different worlds, yet Sean felt cheated somehow, as if these foreigners were stealing away a significant part of his old life.

  After Sean had to turn down two men who wanted him to do a magic trick (“Can you pull a rabbit out from your sleeve, mate? Might solve our food problem, doncha know.”), Cypher came and led him to one of the carts on the outskirts of the camp. Jonas was there along with Cypher’s maple mare, fully outfitted for single travel.

  “I hate to go so soon, but time waits for no man,” the sorcerer said. “Jonas, I’m going to be leaving you. I want you to listen to—”

  “What, you’re leaving? But why?” Jonas asked with slumped shoulders.

  “Because I can’t stay. There are important things I need to do, and I can’t do them here.”

  “But … but you’re going to leave me with strangers?”

  “Sean is no stranger, is he? He’ll look after you, so I want you to listen to whatever he tells you. He’ll get you to the Royal Palace, just as we discussed. Do you remember me telling you about the palace?”

  “Yes,” Jonas replied, giving Sean a puppy-dog look that made him second-guess himself.

  “Good. You’ll stay in Count Guyver’s manor for a few days then go straight for the palace, where you’ll be safe. It’s for your own good, understand?”

  “Will you come see me again?”

  “I … yes, Jonas, I will. I’ll come as soon as I can.”

  “Will you bring me a present?”

  “Yes, I don’t see why not. Now please, be careful on your journey. Do whatever Sean says, and don’t eat anything poisonous.”

  “I won’t.”

  Cypher turned to Sean and pulled out something from his tunic. “My apologies for being stingy, but I can only give you two potions. Reserve them for emergencies.”

  “Yes, sir. I wish you luck in your endeavors.”

  “And to you as well. Keep Jonas safe and get him to the palace. If you don’t, I’ll know.”

  Sean rolled his eyes when Cypher turned to mount his horse. Then, with a simple nod of the head, Cypher steered his horse northward and snapped the reins to get it going. Sean watched him go for a while, thinking to himself that he understood his old teacher a little better since he confronted him back in the army host. Master Cypher was a man of action who was more comfortable doing a mission on the road than dwelling in a city tower. While he wasn’t entirely against teaching a young apprentice, he must have felt that it was mostly a waste of his time, which would explain his ornery attitude during Sean’s lessons. But out in the wild, doing tasks such as hunting, cooking, and chasing down bandits, he was less prone to anger. Out here, away from the suffocating atmosphere of his tower in Consaria’s capital, he felt he was doing something important, and his tolerance level of other people was raised considerably.

  Sean also was a little clumsy in social settings, but other than that, he and Cypher were very different. For Sean, a comfortable life was a stationary one in familiar surroundings, with only the occasional outing for the sake of variety.

  He turned to his new charge, who appeared at least ten years older than him yet was more dependent. “Well, Jonas, you’ll be in Asturia’s Royal Palace soon enough … but do you want to go?”

  Jonas thought about it with crossed arms. “Yeah … if Cypher wants me to go …”

  “He does, but I didn’t ask about him. I said, do you want to go?”

  “I, uh … I wasn’t very happy there. Not a lot of people wanted to play with me.”

  Sean was taken aback. “You’ve been there before? Is that where you lived?”

  Before Jonas could answer, the dinner bell rang. Sean encouraged Jonas to join him for some roasted boar, and the two men ate their share of the meat sitting aside a large rock.

  Once they were nearly finished, Sean asked Jonas again about the palace. Jonas admitted to living there for a time, before being abducted by three men. “They put a sack over my head and carried me outside, then put me in a cart and took me away.”

  Sean frowned, remembering his own episode when someone put a sack over his head. “Why did they do that? Were you being held for ransom?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember what they said or what they looked like.”

  “Well, they had to take you for some reason. Can you think of anything?”

  Jonas thought about it but merely shrugged.

  “How did you get away from them?”

  “We were on a road going … somewhere? One of the men punched another, and they all got into a fight. I ran away because I didn’t want to fight anyone, and I was on my own for a long time.”

  “Sounds like they got into a heated argument. Well, what about your parents? Did they live in the palace, too?”

  Jonas said he couldn’t remember his parents or any other relatives, leaving Sean more mystified than before. So he was bringing Jonas back home after being abducted, but he didn’t know the how or why of it. On the plus side, he at least wouldn’t leave Jonas confused when they arrived at the palace, though that didn’t alleviate the bad feeling he had about this arrangement he made with Cypher.

  Jonas was in the middle of telling how a farmer’s family had found and adopted him when two soldiers stopped by and asked what was wrong with Jonas. “That guy can’t do anything for himself,” said the one with short black hair and a crooked front tooth. “Did his mother never let go of him, even to let him go outside?”

  “Does he drink beer, or does he only have milk?” said the brown-haired one with a snicker.

  “I’m afraid your curiosity will have to be sated elsewhere,” Sean replied.

  The two men glanced at each other and whistled. “Hey, if a layabout’s going to be traveling with us, I want to know more about him,” said Mr. Crooked Tooth. “If he’s going to be eating food that we provide for him, there better be a good reason for it.”

  “I heard he’s a crier,” said Mr. Brown Hair. “When that crazy old mage attacked, all he could do was cry.”

  “We have five women with us, and he’s even more useless than them!”

  Sean sighed and stood up. “He is none of your concern, gentlemen. He’s under my protection, and I’ll provide for him if I have to.”

  “You’d better look after him, ’cause if bandits come at us again, I’m letting his bony ass get taken. But you should be doing better things with your magic than babysitting this useless mouth-to-feed. If you’re going to be one of us, you’d better start acting like it, or else you’l
l always be a useless Consarian.”

  Upon glancing at Count Guyver approaching the scene, Sean asked, “Do you have a problem with Jonas? Would you rather leave him on the side of the road?”

  “Hell yeah, I do,” said Mr. Crooked Tooth. “If he’s lucky, some cow will find him and give him all the milk he could ever want. Better yet, he can throw himself at the wolves, give them something to eat so they’ll stop following us. You hear that, Mr. Jonas? You have your uses after all.”

  Just as Mr. Brown Hair chuckled, Count Guyver bellowed, “What’s going on here?”

  The two men whipped themselves around quicker than lightning and stammered a greeting.

  “Sean is to look after Jonas under Master Cypher’s orders,” the count said. “If you have nothing good to say to them, leave them be. Anyone who gives them a hard time will have to answer to me.”

  The men forced out an apology, and the count waved a hand in dismissal. Sean inclined his head in thanks, and the count headed away with nary a word.

  Sean sat back down next to a visibly shaken Jonas. “Ignore them; they’re just venting off steam and needed someone to pick on. It’s nothing personal.”

  “They said I’m useless,” Jonas whimpered with his face hiding behind his knees. “I … I think they’re right.”

  “You’re not useless; we just need to find you something to do. Next time I forage for food or firewood, you can join me.”

  “Okay.”

  “And you said you worked on a farm, so you must be plenty big and strong, right?”

  “Yeah …”

  Sean nodded with a reassuring smile … but under his positive exterior, he worried about further acts of arrogance he and Jonas will have to suffer on the way to Asturia. It probably wasn’t a matter of if but of when.

  As the sun prepared to hide behind the western hills and the convoy moved to smoother lands dotted with lakes and streams, Callie surprised Sean by coming up from behind and squeezing his shoulders. “Congratulations, if I didn’t say it before … but are you sure being a house mage is really what you want?”