Battle Mage: Winter's Edge

by Donald Wigboldy

  Thoughts like that could prove frustrating. After all, the mage did enjoy learning new things. He just got tired of having to train everyone else and, if the mizard didn’t come up with any new spell soon enough for expectations, everyone seemed to be waiting with drooling jowls for the next magical meal. There had also been spells that just couldn’t be passed on easily.

  That was another reason why he had told no one of his new staff. Sebastian had also not mentioned his theories of being being able to tap the earth’s energy. It was still mostly theory at this point anyway and the staff had come from that line of thinking, which led him back to refusing to try explaining new magic that he himself was still trying to figure out.

  “Are you ready for a long ride in the cold, Bas?” Rilena asked in the lull of questions from the rest.

  “Most of the time the cold doesn’t bother me,” was the reply. “It might be nice to get out of here for awhile though and, if we do ride all the way to Hala, I’ve never been to the capitol. It might be nice to see where Southwall started from, I guess.”

  “Perhaps,” she replied before popping a grape into her mouth. Her dark eyes seemed contemplative. “So I wonder if your wilder friend will come see you tonight. We’ll be traveling with them, correct?”

  “I would assume the wizards are assigned to the ambassador, so yes.”

  Falcon Farlev, who was next to Sebastian, asked, “She’s a wilder, right? I heard that wilders can cast spells sort of like a battle mage. Is this true?”

  After a moment’s thought, Sebastian replied, “I would guess trying to generalize the way a wilder uses magic would mean that for each wizard it would be different. In Ashleen’s case, she has an affinity for lightning and I’ve seen the magic release from her without a word. I’m sure for some wilders they have to cast as any wizard with their spells and chants. All I can tell you is the one I know, since she’s the only one that I’ve ever met.”

  “Speaking of whom,” Rilena gestured towards the doorway and Ashleen, who appeared to have dragged her fellow apprentice Wendle after her.

  The wilder waved as she realized they were spotted. Gliding over, Sebastian could tell that her ankle was feeling better. “So we haven’t missed the dancing despite Wendle dragging his feet all the way over here,” the girl grinned. Wendle sighed. This obviously wasn’t his idea.

  “It should be starting soon,” Rilena replied with a smile and nearly grinned at the male wizard’s discomfort. “What’s the matter, wizard? Your look would make me believe that you’d rather not be here.”

  Servants began moving the tables towards the walls as they were cleared. The table of battle mages began to disband to let the staff do their work. Some even started to help clear as they hoped to get the dancing started sooner.

  “I tried to tell Ashleen that I am not much of a dancer but she insisted. I am afraid that I may injure any partner foolish enough to try and dance with me.”

  A glint of amusement in her eyes, Rilena stated, “Then perhaps you just need a patient teacher. I think that I may be up to the challenge. If I can survive these club foots,” she gestured at all the male mages near her, “then I am sure that I can help an apprentice like you.”

  “I hope your boots are sturdy,” the apprentice chuckled in reply. The man looked at the fetching brunette and seemed intrigued to at least try.

  As the musicians began their first tune, Ashleen quickly found Sebastian to draw him out to the dance floor. He thought that he spotted several disappointed men around the room. The wilder was very attractive even in a less fancy pale blue dress than the previous night’s attire. It was made from a thinner, lighter material that came down to just above her heal tops, and somehow managed to make the girl’s silvery blond hair seem to gleam with its own light. With silver jewelry and matching silver belt, though not necessarily needed to secure this dress, she was every bit the look of an air wizard at her best.

  “I thought maybe this dress would be better for dancing. I’d hate to have you healing my ankle every night we’re here,” she laughed with a light musical sound.

  His hand on her hip could feel as her body slid beneath the glistening gown. It was a very attractive dress and accentuated the shape of her figure as well. “You look very pretty and I think that your ankle should be safer with the shorter hem,” he agreed. “I also know that there are a lot of men wishing they could dance with you right now.”

  She smiled. “Too bad for them. You’re stuck with me tonight. So what have you been up to today anyway? I thought that I heard a rumor that you were showing off the lightning spell already.”

  Chuckling, Sebastian replied, “Oh that was just me playing with a nosy wizard’s apprentice who failed his training. I teased him with a weak tendril just to let him know he was seen. The rest of my day was spent teaching or training. Oh, I was also told we would be escorting your group to the capitol.”

  The girl looked perplexed and happy at the same time. “I’m not sure which part I should ask about, the teasing with lightning or the fact that you said you’re going to escort us?”

  “Yes, Rilena and I with another falcon you’ve probably not met were assigned to go with your group in two days.”

  Nodding, she added, “Well that should be nice. Now about this teasing with lightning. You’ve become that comfortable with the spell in just one day that you can play around with it?”

  With a grin, Sebastian stated, “A single tease and then I had to spend the rest of the day trying to teach a group of the battle mages how to replicate it, though few seemed to get even the basics. I think using more than one element is confusing for them. Most can cast a bolt like they can cast a fireball, but maintaining it…? So far no one else could cast a prolonged stream of current.

  “I can do a few things with it, but I would still say that I am just a beginner, since I’ve only had a day to try and master any of it.”

  The girl let the matter drop for several dances. By the time they were getting warm and even a little sweaty, Ashleen finally pulled him towards the doorway saying she needed a breath of cooler air. That was when she let him know that the matter of his lightning practice was not forgotten.

  “Show me what you’ve learned,” the girl half begged and half demanded. “I am kind of curious what it is that you can do since you only looked at how I drew out the lightning last night and how to maintain it. You can you already maintain the lightning for longer periods?”

  Frowning as he tried to decide just what he could show her, Sebastian shrugged and said, “Well, we’ll have to go outside if you really want to see what I have figured out about it. Did you want to grab a coat?”

  Ashleen shook her head. “I think we can survive a brief exhibition. If I get too cold then we’ll go back inside.”

  It wasn’t too far to walk to one of the courtyards. Since it was winter, the yard was vacant as he had figured. “Air shield,” he called the bubble of air that trapped some heat and filtered out the snow and dust. Ashleen showed some surprise at the ease and strength of the barrier. A brief chant with several hand signs raised a similar shield around the girl.

  “You knew of the shield before this?” the girl questioned.

  “From an air wizard, yes,” he stated thinking little of the matter and quickly called forth the sparks, “Dance.” First, the smaller sparks danced across his fingers. Feeling the flow of the earth coming through him, the mizard wished that he had brought Bairh’loore with him even though he knew that he had hid the staff for a reason. The mage began to increase the power of his flow making the tendrils extend outward. They twisted and stretched but remained a weak strength as he let the tendrils light the night and play along the stone walls a moment.

  “This is what I teased the apprentice with earlier,” Sebastian stated keeping his mind on what he was doing. “Though I also played around making this,” closing the force into his palm with a thought, the swift swirl of the balled lightning increased in both power and speed.

&n
bsp; Ashleen’s eyes widened. She could feel the power of it standing her hair on end. This magic was new to her, a wind wizard, and she nearly felt jealous of this talented battle mage. Mizard indeed.

  The girl spotted an old weathered board left along the wall and placed it standing on one of the benches in the courtyard. “Here,” she suggested he release the ball to see how powerful it was.

  Frowning slightly, Sebastian impetuously lunged with the ball in his palm meeting the board with thunderous results. Glad that he had intentionally tried to aim the power away from Ashleen who held the board so close to her, the splinters flew as the board was obliterated.

  Eyes wide in shock. The girl let out a low whistle of appreciation. “Wow,” she half whispered, “where did you learn that one? It’s so powerful.”

  Wiping at his brow, Sebastian smiled wanly. “I was playing with it a bit this morning and figured if I could extend the flow then maybe tightening it into a controlled force would have its uses as well.”

  Ashleen nodded. “I don’t know that a wizard can use it the way you can. I find it safer to cast from a distance than let the enemy get close enough to hurt me. You’re more comfortable with the closeness of combat. It probably takes that kind of person to use it that way. I bet I can do that spell, but I’m no soldier.”

  Realization of her words dawned on him. “You’re probably right. What wizard wants to try calling up a ball that he can’t just cast away from himself, but I use swords and such. It was really just something to play at, though I think if a troll presented itself this might take care of it.”

  “Definitely. Now if that’s about all, I think I am getting cold now,” she stated with a smile as her hands rubbed her arms and shoulders.

  “Sure,” he nodded and put an arm around her waist to extend some warmth.

  The heat of the castle, and shortly after, the dance hall, was a welcome feeling after being outside. Winter still had a strong hold on North Continent with more than a month from the expected entrance of spring, which was no guarantee of gentler weather in Southwall.

  They separated for a few minutes as Sebastian found some food and drink. Ashleen went to speak with Wendle, whether about his new magic or something else, the mage didn’t know. Meanwhile Rilena and Dougren quickly made their way over to him, smiles on their faces.

  “A walk with the beautiful apprentice again,” Dougren grinned. “I am so jealous, and you get to ride with her on a trip besides. Some guys get all the luck.”

  Rilena let her eyes wander across the floor to the two apprentices. Sebastian wondered if it was because she worried over being interrupted or if she was actually more interested in her new dance student.

  Sebastian meanwhile retorted to Dougren, “Don’t get so far ahead of yourself. She was asking about the new magic. Apparently, the lightning was talked about all over the castle. So I simply showed her the spells.”

  The male mage looked in dismay at his friend. “Spells? I have only seen that long lightning stream. Is there another?”

  Glad to have the mage off the topic of Ashleen, if only for a moment, Sebastian replied, “If no one can master the basic stream, then there’s no way they’ll figure out the other one. Don’t bother asking until you’ve got the first part down, since the second requires holding the power in far greater force than I’ve seen any falcon begin to pull so far.”

  Looking disappointed at the news, the other mage let the matter drop for now.

  Sebastian caught Rilena’s eye. “And how did the dancing go with the other apprentice,” he asked.

  The girl half smiled. “Wendle’s better than he gave himself credit for, though it’s still a good thing I wore my boots.”

  “Learning anything interesting from him?”

  Shaking her head, Rilena’s eyes strayed back to the apprentices. “Just dancing.”

  “You two are so boring!” Dougren exclaimed. “I can’t believe you two go so slow with these people. She’s pretty and I can tell Rilena likes her partner, but you guys just dance and talk about magic?”

  Rilena turned to face him, her eyes mischievous. “Oh, and who have you been wooing tonight, Dougren?”

  The man’s jaw dropped wordlessly. Snapping shut just as quickly, the man replied, “Ok, now you’re just being mean.”

  Chuckling, Rilena glanced around the room. Spying a few maidens seated across the way, she guided Dougren’s attention to the women. “That’s where you should be instead of trying to live vicariously through we boring mages,” the woman stated. “I can walk you over there and introduce you, if you’d like,” she offered trying to be helpful.

  Taking a deep breath, the falcon shook his head, “Nope, I don’t need you to hold my hand. This is a mission I must handle myself. So many ladies, I may not get to bed tonight.”

  Watching Dougren crossing the hall confidently, Sebastian asked quietly, “What do you think are his chances?”

  “Well, there are seven of them and I noticed that they haven’t been dancing very much. If they’re bored enough and he doesn’t trip, I’d say fifty-fifty.”

  Sebastian chuckled and noticed a soldier move up to Ashleen and request a dance. The apprentice glanced over at her mage friend holding up a finger signaling just one dance. The mizard wondered if he might have to go join Dougren if he wanted to dance some more. Ashleen was new and pretty, and with that dress there were few women in the room that compared. She might be getting requests all night.

  A little sigh sounded from beside him, and Rilena stated, “If I were wearing that dress, I’d be dancing all night too I bet.”

  Placing a brotherly arm about her shoulders, Sebastian leaned in and said, “If you wore that dress I know I’d be in line.”

  With an exaggerated sigh, Rilena gently elbowed him. “Flatterer, but if I had you trying to dance with me, then I’d be stuck with a second man who needed a teacher.

  “That said, I think Wendle needs me.”

  Left alone, Sebastian found a seat to eat and drink to restore his energy. Hopefully using the staff for wizard level spells would keep him from being as drained while practicing he thought. Channeling the force through himself simply drained him faster. He still wasn’t sure why the staff or the iron rod helped keep him strengthened, but his morning experiments had proved as much. In a fight, the battle mage might not be able to use it that way. Only time and experience with Bairh’loore would tell, however.

  While he was waiting, one of the women from Dougren’s target group mustered the nerve to come over to Sebastian and asked him to dance. Two others seemed about to try that as well, and as he moved out to the floor with their friend they seemed disappointed.

  A few more songs and after the two other girls had their dances with the mage, Ashleen found her way into his arms with a grin. “Well, you’re a popular one tonight,” she stated. “I thought that they’d never let you go.”

  Gesturing with his head towards a small group of women including the three amongst them, all talking together and with most looking towards him, Sebastian answered, “I think you must have snuck by them or I would still be dancing with one or another of them.”

  She followed his direction and retorted, “Well, I can leave you to them, sir, if you would like. I am sure that I can find someone to dance with me as well. Maybe them,” she gestured at the four men she had snuck away from to dance with Sebastian.

  “That’s all right. At least with you I know you respect me for my mind and not just my good looks,” he laughed.

  With a girlish snort, Ashleen responded, “If that’s what you believe…”

  Gasping in mock surprise, Sebastian said, “Oh no.”

  “Shush and dance,” the girl stated and laid her head against his shoulder.

  The remainder of the evening passed by in a rush. Dougren actually managed to get a few of the women to dance with him, which made the young man much happier. Rilena, meanwhile, discovered that even her boots could only prevent her toes from being injured so long by We
ndle before they gave out. After a time, the poor girl was actually limping and finally had to sit down. Looking genuinely beside himself, Wendle kept apologizing to the pretty woman over and over as she sat. Rilena had the apprentice help remove her boots so that she could rub her feet.

  Noting his friend’s dilemma, Sebastian led Ashleen over for a quick spell to relieve the injuries and removed her pain. Not willing to try anymore that night, however, Rilena gave Sebastian a thankful hug and, carrying her boots, decided to head to bed. Wendle sighed at the loss of his partner and excused himself. The falcon assumed that the man wasn’t willing to risk injuring two women in one night.

  “Wendle’s going to be a good water wizard with a good feel for air even,” Ashleen said as she watched the two go, “but he will never be a good dancer.”

  Sebastian and a few other people nearby who had watched Rilena’s rough night all had to laugh. For all her bravado about teaching anyone, even the brave mage had to give up this time.

  It was shortly after the others had left that Ashleen asked the mage to walk her back to her room.

  Holding his hand, Ashleen leaned into him. Sebastian began to feel a little uncomfortable. Though he liked Ashleen a lot, the man also had feelings for another young woman from Southwall, who was an apprentice wizard he had gotten to know traveling from White Hall to Windmeer the previous summer. Unfortunately being members of the country’s army of magic users, they had been separated since early fall by the powers that be. His current assignment was at Falcon’s Keep while she went back to White Hall for more training and that meant they were half a country away from each other. Now there was Ashleen in his life. She was from another country and Sebastian knew nothing lasting would come of it, but somehow he couldn’t help longing for more.