She cracked a smile at that and nodded. Alba returned with Diana and Jennifer. I asked the much more agreeable, wizard in black, her name. She told me she was Lynley and thirteen years old.
I smiled at that and told her that the wizard that had captured her was thirteen too! She said that she would never have guessed that because she was so powerful! I think she made an ally in Alba with that. Alba just grinned. I said that the wizards I wanted her to do some tests with were a bit older, fourteen and fifteen but had been training only slightly longer than she had. She nodded and slowly pulled her wand.
I called Diana and Jennifer over to the south wall of the keep and said that I wanted them to cast some spells for me, with Lynley. First, I wanted all three to cast an energy bolt at the southern wall of the canyon. They nodded and I said, begin. The trio spoke the spell word as if they had practiced together all the time, in unison. The energy streaked across the river striking the wall. The difference was obvious even to an untrained eye. There were two bright white streaks of power and a whitish grey bolt that hardly looked like it would have the power to make the trip. Next I asked if she knew the fireball spell, she nodded and I said fire. Two basketballs and a softball flew towards the wall. It almost broke my heart. This girl hadn’t been trained in the use of magic, she had been taught to cast spells! Some may not understand the difference, but the result was obvious to everyone, even Lynley.
She turned to me and said, “Why is there so much difference? Why are they so much more powerful?”
I tried to explain, “When my girls, the wizards in training, get here I make sure that someone works with them. For the longest time, spells uses and abilities are explained. They are never given a list of spells and spell words to learn because that would be memorization and not true learning. Do you understand?”
She nodded sadly, “How did you know they gave us a list? I still carry mine in my pocket.”
Elaine walked from behind me to the girl and put her arms around her. She knew exactly what it was like to be sent out with only a list of words to learn by. The same thing had happened to her.
I told Lynley that Elaine could relate and had a similar experience. I then said that it didn’t sound like these girls were the problem and they were just being used by Sir Gildon to cause trouble. I told Lynley that she wasn’t a prisoner and was free to go, or she could choose to stay with us and become a true wizard like the ones she’d met this evening.
“You would let me join you after all I’ve done? I attacked you with magic! You’d just overlook all that and forgive me?” She asked in surprise.
“You would, of course, be under constant supervision for awhile. We would have to be sure of your motives, after all. As for your attacking me, that was forgiven before the spell got to me. I knew your actions weren’t out of malice, but fear.” I said soothingly.
She curtsied and said “My Lord…” there were snickers across the roof, “I would be greatly honored if you would accept me as a novice at the Wizards Keep.”
Alba nodded to me and said that she could share her room for awhile. She would personally instruct her the way that she should be instructed and would treat her as a novice that had just come to the keep and needed to learn everything. I said that would be a fantastic idea and she should also teach her that my name is David! Everyone on the roof laughed, both with humor and the release of a possibly stressful situation. Before we departed for our various locations I asked if anyone was traveling at night. There was a lot of head shaking and questioning looks. I said that, for the time being and to protect Lynley that recalling in and out of the keep would be turned off. Everyone nodded except Lynley.
She said, “What do you mean ‘turn off recall’? You can’t just turn off magic whenever you decide to! I mean, it’s not a problem and I thank you for the protection, but it just can’t be done!”
I laughed, “You, of all people, should know that it can be done. If you will remember, it was done to you! I‘m not exactly a normal wizard.”
There was laughter and comments of ‘now that’s the truth’ and I gave everyone my smirk, followed by a grin.
She hung her head, “Sorry David. But how can you do that? I’ve never heard of a wizard that could do something like that. Not even Melodie could!”
I said, “You might want to rethink the Melodie worship too. Melodie was a good apprentice. Just that, good, she wasn’t great or outstanding. If she is the most powerful wizard that you’ve ever met then you’ve set the bar way to low and have a lot of learning to do!”
She said “Alright David.” And Alba led her to the room they would share. I followed to see the expressions like I did with every new novice. She was amazed that there were only the two of them rooming in there. I whispered to Alba that it was going to be strange with her in the bed, when I called on her. She grinned and said that we could find an empty room when the time came. I said it was a shame that she was in there tonight because I thought she should be rewarded for the capture. She laughed loudly, punched me in the arm and told me to go visit my wife.
Lyn looked at us trying to decipher the banter. The poor girl was sure going to have to learn how things worked around here quickly if she was going to room on the third floor! The third floor had somehow become a clothing optional floor since six of the eight, now nine people on the floor were either my wife or consort, modesty wasn’t an issue.
12.
Attacking Recruitment
The next morning I woke with the sun and took my time dressing. I walked out of my bedroom and remembered that I had the Keep protected. I turned the ability to recall in back on and started towards the stairs. There was a ‘crack’ sound on the roof and the stairway door was jerked open. A girl in a black robe with a hood was coming down the stairs waving her wand wildly. I said, “Can I help you?”
She yelled, “I know you’ve captured Lyn and have here somewhere! Release her or I’ll be forced to kill you. I’d be doing the kingdom a favor, but I’ll give you this one chance.”
I said calmly, trying to defuse the situation, “Lynley is here because she chooses to be. She asked to join us and we accepted her. She isn’t being held by force. We aren’t that kind of people regardless of what you have been led to believe.”
She said, “I don’t believe you! Show me where she is or my fireball will turn the ‘master wizard’ to ash.” There was utter scorn in her voice when she said ‘master wizard’.
I walked to Alba’s door and knocked softly. I heard Alba call for me to come in and I opened the door. I said “there is someone here, dressed in black, that wants to see that Lynley is alright.”
Alba jumped up, grabbed her wand and headed for the door. I shook my head and said, “She’s standing right behind me with a wand on me.” and I smiled at Alba. Lynley had awakened and heard that there was someone here and she was terrified. I told her that she could see her and be told that she was here by choice. I promised that nothing would happen to her. She got up, wearing one of Alba’s nightgowns, and stood by the bed. I had Alba go to the other side of the room and promise to be nice. She promised with a look that said ‘the hell I will.’
I looked back at our captor and told her, “Lyn is right in this room. You are welcome to come in and check on her.”
The girl came forward with her wand at the ready and pushed me through the door ahead of her. She turned and saw Lynley standing beside the bed. “I’ve come to rescue you. Grab your clothes and let’s get out of this place.”
Lyn shook her head. She said, “I don’t want to go, Nineve! These people aren’t anything like what we’ve been told. You should put down your wand and try to get to know them!”
Nineve looked at her as if she were looking at a stranger. “What have they done to you Lyn? Are they making you say this?”
“They haven’t done anything except be nice to me and talk to me. They said that if I wanted to stay, I could. They might do the same for you if you gave them a chance. Please Nineve?” s
aid Lynley.
“They’ve taken over your mind just as Sir Gildon said they could. Perhaps if I kill the Master the spell will be broken.” she yelled hysterically.
Alba started to raise her wand but I shook my head. Alba had seen the strange, new abilities that I had and grudgingly put it down. I said, “No one is in control of her but herself. I wish you could look beyond what you’ve heard about us and see us for what we really are. We would like to help you and to be your friend if you would give us a chance.”
“Or maybe you should just die!” she snarled and cast fireball straight at me.
The fireball came from her wand and looked boring so I set it on a corkscrew path through the air. That wasn’t very pretty so I tried looping the loop. Finally it got to me and hovered beside my head. I looked and Nineve and said, “Wow! That really is a neat and powerful spell! Do you think you could teach that to my girls? I really liked the loops!” Alba was almost doubled over with laughter.
“Maybe you wouldn’t think it so funny if I killed your tiny friend over there.” She pointed the wand at Alba and another fireball was loosed. This one I brought to me in an arc and extinguished both fireballs.
I looked at Nineve and said, “You know, you really made a mistake with that. Threatening me and attacking me is quite alright. But now you’ve attacked someone I love, one of my girls, and I don’t think that I can allow anymore of this foolishness.”
“Like you can do anything to stop me! I’m a wizard too and just as powerful as any of you. Lady Melodie, your mentor, herself told me that I was better than any two of you.” she growled.
“Did my mentor also happen to mention that I had other novices before she was recruited? Did she happen to explain how the king had given me the title of Master Wizard before she had reached apprentice level? I didn’t think so.” I sighed.
“More lies! Die you puny man!” she screamed waking the entire keep. She drew back her wand and cried, “columnae ignis”. The spell words for Flamestrike. And nothing happened.
“I told you that the magic game was over for you. You attacked someone I love and were unrepentant. I’m afraid that, and I deeply regret, you will no longer be a wizard. Now, if you would like to leave, you may. If you need to go somewhere farther away than walking distance I can send you or have one of my girls take you. I’m sorry it had to be this way, truly I am.”
I turned to the door, looked at Lyn and told her that if she’d get dressed we could go to the tailors to get her measured for her wizard’s uniform. I told Alba that when she got tired of the spitting, sputtering and swearing she could remove Nineve, gently, from her room.
Alba said, “She tried to kill me David! Why would I want to be gentle?”
I said, “Alba, my love, we don’t want to stoop to that level. We have to do our best to be above all that so people won’t ever believe the vile rumors that are being spread.”
She sighed, “I understand. I don’t like it, but I do understand. So what do you want me to do with her?”
“Well, as I told her, she is free to go. I’ve taken all of her wizard powers and abilities away so she’ll be on foot. If she asks to be taken somewhere, let me know.”
I looked over at Nineve who, after trying a litany of spells, was starting to realize the awful truth. She looked at me with a terrified look. All the defiance and anger were gone. She was just a frightened young lady standing in a keep full of wizards. Her wand fell from her fingers unnoticed. She walked across the room to me and tears started to fall. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around my legs. She looked up at me and said, “What happens to me now? Sir Gildon and Lady Melodie were all that I had. They said that we should rule the non-magic people because we were more powerful. Now I am one of the non-magic people! They are ruthless and have ordered us to start killing anyone that stands in their way. My Lord, will you please protect me? I know I don’t deserve it but I beg you.”
A young lady’s tears are, and it’s a well know fact, my kryptonite. I leaned over, gave her my hand, and pulled her to her feet. I put my arms around her and whispered “I think we need to talk, would you like to go with me?” She nodded slightly with a sniffle. I looked at Alba and said, “Would you please take Lyn to the tailors. I’ll be back soon.” Alba nodded.
The sun was still low in the sky but it was already a warm day. Grass had grown lush and thick in the clearing we now stood in. The cave behind us looked dark and forbidding but I knew it was empty. I sat down in the grass and Nineve sat beside me. She was a bit dazed because there was no sound of the recall spell or the feeling of arrival. We were just here. I looked over at her and softly asked, “What are Sir Gildon and Melodie planning?”
She looked at me with a sigh and said, “It’s like I told you. They are planning to take over the kingdom. They said that the only ones that had a chance of standing against them were the ’wizards in brown’. We were told that if we ever got the chance, we were supposed to kill any of you we could. You were the main target, but they said you always had bodyguards around you and would be hard to get to. We have been robbing from rich manors and keeps to try to lure your younger wizards out. We thought that if we could surprise them that we could kill them off one at a time.”
“And what do you think now?” I asked.
“I think that if you can take my powers away just by looking at me, they won’t stand a chance. I think that someone has to stop them but Sir Gildon has a way of talking that makes your head buzz. Everything he says feels like it is the absolute truth and should be acted on. I think that he was controlling me somehow but that can’t forgive my actions this morning.” she stated sadly.
I asked bluntly, “Are you telling me all this because you think it’s what I want to hear? Are you honestly and truthfully asking for my protection?”
She pulled out the kryptonite again and the tears started flowing. “I know that you don’t have to believe me, but I’m begging you. If they were to find me and learn that I am just another non-magic person they would shoot me while flying, as target practice. I’ll do anything you ask of me. I’ll work as a scullery maid in the kitchen if you’ll allow it.”
I looked at her and nodded. “I’ll give you my protection. I’ll take care of you and you can stay at the keep. Just know that everyone that lives there does exactly what I say. I am in charge and you must be willing to accept that. Would you agree to that, regardless of what I was to ask of you?”
She nodded and said, “Thank you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I accept your offer, My Lord.”
“First rule!” she jumped, startled. “Is that my name is David. Not ’My Lord’ not ’Master Wizard’ or any other nonsense title that gets thrown my way.”
She laughed softly and said, “I’m sorry David. I didn’t know about that rule. I’ll try not to make that mistake again.”
I looked at her and said, “Do you really want to be a scullery maid and work in the kitchen?”
“Not really, but if that is what you would want me to do then that is what I’ll do.” she said.
“I was thinking that I might want you in a different position.” Her head snapped up and there was a trace of fear in her eyes.
“Yes David? And what would that position be?” Her hands were shaking and reaching for the buttons of her robe.
“No, not that. You don’t have feelings for me like that and I’d never take advantage of my position to coerce you into that. Sex, for me, is something shared, not taken.” I said.
She took a deep breath and put her arms around me. “The things that I’ve heard about you were all wrong. You are a good person, David.”
I smiled down at her. “Thank you Nineve. The position that I thought that I’d put you in is that of a Novice wizard training at Wizard Keep. Is that something that you think that you would be willing to do?”
She gasped, “You’d really let me be a wizard and train with all the wizards that have become legend? The Twins, Lady Chloe of the White Wand, al
l of them?”
“It does come with a condition, of course.” I said.
“Anything you say, David” she said.
“This will have to come from your heart. If it doesn’t we’ll know and then have to think of something else. You have to apologize to Alba for attacking her. And trust me when I say, she won’t be the easiest to get along with for awhile. She is one of the best wizards in the kingdom and would have killed you had I not stopped her.”
She nodded and asked, “Will you be with me when I talk to her?”
“I will be, if that is what you want.” I replied.
“So what do we do now? I don’t have my wand because I dropped it in Alba’s room.” she said.
I held up my hand and felt her wand in it. I handed it to her and said, “Do you like this one or would you rather use the style my other girls use?”
She shook her head to clear her vision and looked at her wand. “How did you do that? I know I left it there!”
I smiled, “you did but, as you’ll learn, I’m not exactly your normal wizard.”
She nodded with a thoughtful look and said, “I suppose we should go find Alba.”
I put an arm across her shoulders for comfort and strength and we were on the roof of the keep. She jumped at the change of scenery and just looked at me. I asked her if she wanted breakfast and she nodded. We went downstairs and I asked the kitchen to bring me breakfast for two to the meeting room. A few moments later a maid brought plates and went back to her duties.
I looked at Nineve and said, “And that is what you were willing to do? Be a house maid? Personally I think that you made a better choice with the wizard thing.”
She said, “I just thought that if I could be close to you that maybe I’d stand a better chance against Melodie when she came looking for me.”
The Wizards of Eredwynn 02 - Another Typical Day, Too Page 7