by Sigrid Kraft
After a while the Prince appeared again, galloping towards Eryn at full speed. As he came near, he reined the stallion in and Brood reared up.
How theatrical.
At least Eryn’s horse was too exhausted to react, and it also remained calm as the Prince walked Brood beside him.
“Shouldn’t you stay behind me?”
Eryn already hated Prince Raiden’s little games. “Yes, my Prince, so you commanded.”
“And...?”
Now he wants some useless explanations, although it is obvious that my horse couldn’t keep up with his stallion.
Again he was struck by something unseen. “Ow!”
“Impudent thinking will be punished. Besides, if you see a magical attack coming, you are likely to try to block it. Just see that as part of your education in the magical arts,” said the Prince patronizingly.
“My Prince, how do I block magical attacks at all?”
“You haven’t learned this yet?” Disbelief colored his voice.
“No, my Prince,” answered Eryn honestly. And the Prince was briefly silent in what could only be described as shocked resignation.
Is it my fault? I have learned what they taught me.
It was lucky the Prince didn’t succumb to one of his fearsome fits of anger.
“Well, let’s look at it another way. What kind of spells have you learned so far?”
“Mainly healing spells, scanning, copying, basic spells of air magic, and bewitching of things. Or rather opening the Golden Circle for others, who then bewitched the things, my Prince.”
“That’s all?”
Eryn confirmed this and Prince Raiden punched his fist in a completely unprincelike gesture against the front of his helmet with a dull thud. “That can’t be true. What the hell have you been doing all this time?”
“My duty as instructed, my Prince.” What does he expect anyway? Complete warrior mage schooling in one year?
Careful, he reads my thoughts…, doesn’t he?
Luckily the Prince hadn’t really paid attention to Eryn’s reply.
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to rearrange things slightly now. We’ll use the days of the journey to raise your level to an acceptable standard. Teacher to a greenhorn... what have I done to deserve this?”
Eryn admired the beautiful green wood with its hundreds of trees. I can count trees to avoid commenting in my thoughts. Because I could think of a thousand reasons why the Prince deserves a whole lot of trouble. And I can find a thousand reasons more why I don’t deserve this journey. Which promises to become extremely stressful.
Prince Raiden started his teaching: “Block-magic. Pay attention, because I will say this only once. The attacking spell can be caught by a barrier, dissolved or changed. Therefore it is necessary to recognize the spell and to find out to which circles it belongs. You create a sensitive aura around you and when the spell invades, you react accordingly. Understood?”
“The theory? Yes, my Prince.”
“All right, I’ll now guide you in the creation of the aura.”
Eryn saw how the Prince used his circles and tried to remember their type and strengths.
“And now the creation of a simple air shield. It is rather similar to a thickening.” After a very brief demonstration the Prince ordered: “And now we’ll start practicing! The aura. I’m waiting!”
Eryn concentrated and the scanning aura began to flicker around him unsteadily.
“As soon as you see something coming, you draw up your shield!”
Squelch! It was like being hit by a rotten tomato.
“Hmm, seems that was a bit too fast for our Nurin. Try again - very, very slowly.”
The next time Eryn actually saw the magic coming, but he didn’t manage to create a proper shield in time.
“Again!” demanded the Prince.
Over and over again, a thousand times in the next few hours. Eryn was sweating nearly as much as his horse after the race. He hadn’t learned a gesture or an intonation for weaving the spell, and this made the strength extremely difficult for him. Besides, he had to pay attention that his mount and the pack animal didn’t stop for a mouthfull of grass or abandon the road for the tempting meadows.
Eryn managed to catch just one of twenty tomato spells.
Useless. I’m glad he’s not shooting poisoned arrows at me. A loss of concentration was punished by an immediate splat as the next tomato spell hit home. Neither the shortest rest nor one second of inattention was acceptable, and this continued for hours.
Perhaps I should just endure the tomato beating? It doesn’t hurt so much.
“Pay attention and concentrate, if you please! Your Prince is devoting his time to you. Therefore I can demand a certain degree of participation,” said the Prince mercilessly.
Many, many, many tomato spells later, Eryn managed to defend himself five times in a row. He was really proud of his achievement but was immediately deflated by the Prince commenting:
“You were lucky. But we’re done for today. And anyway you can get going again. We’ve been frozen on the same spot for five minutes now and I don’t intend to put down roots here.”
Eryn hadn’t noticed that they – or rather he – had stopped his mount because he had been concentrating so much. The Prince turned off the road and they went through the high grass of a meadow, passing by a group of trees. Then they crossed a creek and a scraggy meadow, behind which a larger wood stretched into the distance. As they approached the forest, Prince Raiden dismounted.
“We’ll stay here tonight.”
And eat something – at least. Eryn’s stomach was rumbling already. It’s still hours till nightfall. We could cover quite a fair distance by then. Astonishing that he wants to stay here. On the other hand, I’m not going to complain about a warm meal, some lazing around and a nice long sleep.
“Well, now pay attention to how we set up camp. Because there are no limits for mages.”
The air hummed with magic as Prince Raiden let his power flow. All at once three trees turned into a small shelter with a table before it, with two paddocks for the horses giving access to the creek. Also a neat stockpile for the fire and a double cross the height of a man, whose purpose became clear when Prince Raiden’s armor unfastened and flew magically to hang itself on it. All of this happened breathtakingly quickly. Another spell unsaddled Braeven’s Brood and sent him to the paddock. The stallion jumped over the fence and grazed peacefully. He seemed to have no desire to leave the paddock again.
“You can attend to the other horses and then we shall dine. I hope “manservant” isn’t an unknown word to you.”
“No, my Prince. I have served Sir Haerkin several times.”
While Eryn took care of the horses, he wallowed in self-pity.
My comrades are resting in their quarters or playing cards. And me? I have got to slave away non-stop. One step through the gate would have taken me to Aleroth. Why this hideous journey with the posh Prince? He’s complaining about everything already. Why does everything take so long? Why can’t I cast magic better? Why is he being punished to be my teacher...?
Eryn came back to the camp, where a fire was already burning invitingly. And now the Prince gave Eryn a veritable flood of orders: how His Highness wanted his meal to be served down to the slightest detail. The result was a nicely-set table with plates arranged decoratively.
“My Prince, everything is ready.”
Even the critical Prince seemed pleased with the result. “You almost did this correctly.”
He sat down, and Eryn turned to leave, to put a safe distance between himself and the Prince, but a sharp voice called him back.
“Am I to pour water and wine myself? The manservant should stand beside the table at a respectful distance to fulfill all my wishes. The Master eats first, as I am ultimately responsible and have therefore more than earned such a small privilege.”
A discontented Eryn went back to the table. “My Prince, may I offer you some wine?�
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“Yes. I drink it half and half. And please do your service with a friendlier face. Otherwise people might think that I treat you badly.”
Eryn could not believe what he was hearing.
The Prince continued humorously: “Not to mention the high honor it is for you to journey with me. Many men would give everything to spend such a long time in my presence.”
These words aren’t very cheering. When I get back to the garrison, I’ll smack Ravenor pretty hard.
“Why Ravenor?”
Eryn cursed himself for letting the thought escape, but it was impossible not to think at all! “My Prince, I would be very glad if you did not insist on an answer.”
The hissing undertone in Prince Raiden’s voice signalized his displeasure: “Your gladness is of little concern to me, and I would not ask, if I did not intend to know.”
Eryn took a deep breath. How shall I put it into words?
“Due to his relationship with Your Highness, Ravenor would like to spend more time at your side. Especially if he sees other noble men rising fast around him. Probably some kind of childhood psychic trauma.”
“Ha, what nonsense! If he is the man he wants to be, he will make his fortune with or without his relationship with a kinsman. I left home at the age of nine and it did not do me any harm – in the end.”
The Prince laughed: “Otherwise I would probably have burned down the whole of Arvon in my childish high spirits. Fire is always so exciting for children. But if you are skilled, it is even worse and unmagical parents cannot cope with a magical child. In those days I had already mastered the first grade but completely lacked responsibility for casting spells. They sent me to Master Kailin, a distant relation. None the less he was hard on me. A magical education was very different then than what it is today. The mages were from the time before the Great War, and when I was young, all the mages were so kind and friendly, and the few talents around were handled with kid gloves.
You would be wrong to think that the few soft air spells which hit you today were unjustly severe. You should have seen Master Kailin!” The Prince was speaking excitedly and didn’t seem in any mood to desist soon. “Another example: Master Savyen the Towerlord of the Blue Tower. His Master Tiundor threw him and two others off the highest battlements into a raging sea during a storm. And he would not let them come ashore again. A water-mage must learn to survive in that element. Of those three – it is said – only Master Savyen survived. The old goat must have been a very tough man in his younger days. You wouldn’t put that past him now, if you saw him – at his age. His teacher, Master Tiundor, was not a nice fellow to be sure. Some say he went mad. So be careful if you read about magic from his pen.”
“What happened to Master Kailin, my Prince? Is he still alive?”
“No, he met his maker a long time ago. I had the necessary power and wanted rid of him.”
“You mean, you...?”
“Killed. Sometimes that is the only possible solution. Normally I keep it a secret because things can be misunderstood, but with you I can talk freely about it. Thanks to the soulban you will never be a threat to me.”
Eryn made sure that the Prince’s cup was never empty, because that would certainly upset His Highness and also put an end to the relaxed talkative mood the Prince was in now. Eryn seized the opportunity and dared to ask more pointed questions:
“With all your power, my Prince, why are you not King of Ardeen?”
“Only a Nurin from the mountains could ask such a question. Have you any idea how tiresome it is to be regent of a realm? Endless ceremonies. Everybody tries to manipulate you and win you over for their cause. Begging, pleading and administration stuff till you puke. My noble brother has sacrificed himself for all that. What a great stroke of luck for me.”
“And you bend the knee to him?”
“Not at all! I am Towerlord of Naganor, High Mage and Master of the Black Tower. I bow to no secular authority. Not even slightly. But your questions are half-baked, and that reminds me of the meal I have not been able to start. You need to know: a Prince’s manservant should stand at table in silence.”
After the Black Prince had eaten his fill, he dismissed Eryn for a while and the young man used the short break to tuck into bread and ham.
Was thinking I’d have to go without food today. The Prince is soooo caring of others. As long as he has a fine meal, everything is all right.
But all too soon Eryn was summoned and the Prince gave him his next task:
”Light a fire,” he commanded, throwing Eryn an expectant glance.
“But there’s a fire there already, burning quite well, my Prince,” Eryn replied in astonishment. The Prince sighed in resignation.
“Very well then, the long version for Nurins: use MAGIC to collect wood, light a fire, then put it out! From now on we will do all things magically, so that you learn it at long last.”
There followed the brief I’ll-show-it-to-you-exactly-once introduction and then Eryn had to practice for the next few hours. Meanwhile the Prince sat cross-legged close by and meditated. So Eryn dared not stop trying until the Prince gave his permission. Which finally happened a long time after daylight had faded away.
“I’ll take the first watch, I suppose, my Prince?”
The Prince gave him a pitiful glance. “Do you seriously think that I will rely on your inattention and lack of concentration, which I have witnessed all day long? Scan the surroundings and you will notice that I have already taken care of everything.”
Before the Prince could find some other work for Eryn, the young man quickly said: “Stupid of me to ask, my Prince. I wish you a pleasant night.”
The following day started with a wakening spell even before the sun had climbed above the horizon. The Prince demanded this and that, and kept Eryn busy without a rest. While Eryn saddled the horses, he also ate breakfast by taking directly from the supplies. The Prince certainly doesn’t bother himself with the banal thought that I need something to eat too.
This proved to be true, because shortly afterwards, they mounted and continued on their journey. As on the day before, Eryn had to practice block spells. Happily his success rate improved enormously and he caught most of the rotten tomatoes. But then suddenly the pattern changed and Eryn scanned another circle. He yanked up his shield, but the magic went right through and gave him a little sting.
“My Prince, that was fire magic?” said Eryn, halfway between a question and a complaint.
The Prince smiled, clearly pleased: “What else?”
“The air shield doesn’t help to ward it off.”
“You truly surprise me so early in the morning. Now we learn the same in red. Circle of Red – expression fire, with a small change: defense with negation and absorption. Pay attention to the teaching demonstration.” The demonstration was quite short and then Prince Raiden ordered Eryn to practice. Eryn’s scanning had improved noticeably but he had great difficulties with negation, and the spells hit him more often than the air spells of the day before. Mean little stings, which Eryn named waspfire.
About noon they crossed the road and then they came to the banks of a broad river. The water flowed fiercely and it did not seem a good place to cross. Brood pranced nervously, also seeming to dislike the look of the water. The Prince paused his teaching and surveyed the foaming torrent.
“A small additional question for beginners. We want to cross the river. What shall we do?”
We ride along the shore until we find a ford. But surely that’s not what he’s thinking of.
“Oh, you’re so quick-witted!” Master Raiden commentated on Eryn’s thoughts.
“My Prince, you build a wooden bridge, magically chopping trees as you did yesterday when setting up camp.”
“But I am not teaching the basics of magic any more, Nurin.”
“Erm, well, I will try to build a bridge.” But I have no idea how.
The Prince encouraged him: “You have many possibilities with magic. St
op thinking like the unmagical people.”
Eryn found a solution, which he hoped would satisfy the Prince. “With ice! By freezing the water to ice, my Prince!”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it? But how will you do it?”
Eryn’s euphoria subsided again. “Er... “
“Can I expect any more or is that as much as you can do? A small hint: when does water become ice?”
If it becomes cold. The opposite of warm. “Negation of the Circle of Orange, my Prince.”
“Well then, begin. Same in orange.”
Negation was not Eryn’s favorite magic and he struggled. Meanwhile the Prince conjured some fish out of the water and sent them directly into the packhorse’s saddlebag. Without even lifting a finger.
Eryn tried hard but in vain. First of all he turned the water to ice right down to the ground, but that had only created a dam, and the water immediately surged over the barrier like a torrent, which turned the whole thing into a dangerous trap rather than a bridge. Now small ice floes were flowing downstream because Eryn was unable to bind the floes together.
The Prince soon lost his patience with Eryn and pushed him aside, smacking him on the back of the head with an air spell for good measure.
“Stand back, Nurin, and let a true mage get to work!”
The water rose, flowing slightly upwards and froze in a wide arc three meters wide. There was a wall on both sides and small towers rose up at regular intervals. The building sparkled in the sunshine like a wonderful piece of art.
“There is nothing more for you to do except marvel with envy at my brilliance,” the Prince said complacently.
Yes, the bridge is really beautiful, but Eryn decided the Prince didn’t need to go on and on about it all the time.
With no little sarcasm he remarked: “I am absolutely amazed, as my Prince commands.”
“Don’t feel too bad about it, little Nurin. A time will come when you too will be able to work such wonders... in about three hundred years or so.”
Eryn fumed. Rage, pain and sickness arose through the bond of the soulban. And they would not abate until Eryn had overcome his grudge against the Prince of Ardeen. Master Lionas’ words helped Eryn: “Don’t condemn the Prince. He is better than you may believe.” No, he may be a genius, but he is also arrogant, presumptuous, boastful... More powerful waspfire hit Eryn.