Master Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  Thad took the bird and gently stuck it in his pack. “Maybe one day there won’t be a need for cages anymore,” Thad replied, giving the woman an odd smile. “Though what will you do with the academy once the birds are all set free?”

  Sara gave a hearty laugh, surprising Thad. “I think it would be a good place to teach orphans and those of lesser means. There are plenty of people in this world who could use a good bit of teaching. Might one day even rival the royal school that the royals are so proud of. My father always said ‘a country’s true worth is in the people,’ and I believe he was right. If Farlan is going to be my home, then I might as well make it better if I can.”

  Thad looked back up at the imposing wall surrounding the academy. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t picture it as anything other than what it was. “I wish you well should that time ever pass,” Thad replied to the matron, trying his best to smile. “Now we must be off before we lose too much of the day to chatter. It will be a two-day march to Lady Emeriss’s estate if we’re lucky and far longer should we happen upon any of Rane’s troops.”

  “Then I bid you a farewell and hope that the road finds you safely to your destination,” Sara said, giving Thad one final smile before disappearing back through the doors of the academy.

  “Time to go, men!” Thad yelled at his new conscripts. He didn’t have much time to get to know any of the men, and none of them he remembered from his time at the academy, but that wasn’t surprising since it had been over six years since he had last stepped foot within its walls. As was expected, the men moved out without further urging, making Thad feel a little wretched. They had no brand marking them as slaves, but within their minds, that was what they were. Even should he give them their freedom, they, much like him, would always be bound by how they were raised within the walls of the academy.

  Little was said as they marched down the thin road that led toward the capital. Thad knew that it would be faster to travel through the forest, but there was too large a risk of getting lost once again without a clear view of the sky. From studying maps, Thad knew that the road would continue on for about thirteen miles before connecting with the main transport route into Rane. From there, he need only travel back five miles before reaching his destination.

  It wasn’t a long distance and on horseback could have been easily reached within a day’s time. On foot, it was even possible to reach it within a day, but with a large group, they had to march at the slowest man’s pace, but given that the men gathered around him were all academy-trained, he didn’t expect to be slowed down much. He was sure that by midday on the morrow, they would meet up with the rest of the army.

  To Thad’s amazement, they were able to reach the crossroads shortly before the sun had fully descended from the sky. He had the urge to continue on, but from the looks of the men around him, he decided against it. They would do little good if they were pushed so hard that they became ill or injured along the way. Had they had better shoes or attire, Thad wouldn’t worry, but most of the kids around him had nothing more to wear than what he now considered rags, though years ago, he would have seen it much differently.

  Thad ordered the group to a halt and to make camp, though he warned them to keep any fire small so they wouldn’t attract undue attention. He doubted the Rane forces had made it this far west yet, but he wasn’t willing to take the unneeded risk.

  Shortly after the camp was set up, a decently sized blond man with piercing blue eyes approached him. Thad could tell that the boy was nearing his sixteenth year and should be considered a man, but looking into the boy’s eyes, Thad found it hard to see him as anything but a child. “The mothers didn’t tell me who we are going to serve,” the boy said firmly, though Thad could tell that he was forcing the tone from the slight shaking of his hands. “Are we to serve the same master that you serve?”

  “Despite my brand, I only serve out of my own will. Should I desire it, the queen would have little recourse should I refuse a request. I serve Farlan at this time, and so shall you. We are currently at war, and you will help fill our depleted ranks. Should you survive, then you will have earned your freedom for what it is worth to you,” Thad said in an almost-rehearsed manner.

  “Are we to be branded?” he asked with a little more confidence.

  “No” was all Thad said in reply.

  “Then what is to stop us from simply running away?” the boy continued, and Thad could see the spark of fire within his eyes. Thad had known that spark well as he had it as well when he was young.

  Thad didn’t want to force anyone to fight that didn’t want to, but he had little luxury of sitting on his own morals. If they lost the war, many more would die—perhaps all of Farlan. He didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to risk it. Stretching forth his hand, Thad called on his magic, and rings of fire coiled around the boy’s body. “You would find a different sort of freedom than you are looking for should you try and flee.”

  “Please don’t kill me,” the boy pleaded, hitting his knees. The look of fear in his eyes made Thad feel ashamed of himself, but he quickly pushed those feelings aside. There would be plenty of time to lament his choices after the war. That was if he was still alive to lament them.

  “I don’t plan to harm you as long as you do what you are told,” Thad said, letting the fire disappear. “Now go and get some rest. We will be leaving at first light.” Before the last words had left Thad’s lips, the boy scrambled on his hands and knees back toward his gathered companions. Thad could see the looks of fear and hate being cast in his direction, but he cared little. Setting up a small shield barrier, Thad disappeared below his covers for some much-needed rest.

  CHAPTER XV

  It was easy to tell when they got within the borders of Lady Emeriss’s estate. Not only was the manor massive, but having been built back when Farlan was heavily embroiled in the Succession Wars, there was also a large number of troops out scouting the grounds for any sign of the Rane forces. It was also evident that more than a few souls were searching for any news of his whereabouts. Every scout they passed rushed off to give the news that he had survived the attack at Digger’s Fort and had brought a small number of reinforcements.

  As the small group approached the manor, they found a large number of people awaiting them—Killian, Parson, and Bache among them. Thad had expected to see them, but the one he had not expected to see waiting was Reeve, the elfin assassin, along with thousands of elves. It was easily the best sight Thad had seen in his life.

  “I was wondering where you might have got off to,” Killian said, greeting Thad with a firm handshake. “I see you have brought with you a few more swords, though their gear looks a bit old and worn.”

  “The enemy forces had already discovered the tunnel heading west, so I was forced to escape to the south. I found these good men at the slave academy along my way,” Thad said in reply to the unasked questions that he was sure Killian wanted the answers to. “I see I was not the only one to come bearing gifts of more swords. It does look like my force pales in comparison to your own, Reeve,” Thad said, greeting his old friend.

  “As promised, I have brought four thousand along with me, though most of them have never held a sword in their lives before. I just wish we could have arrived sooner,” Reeve said, giving Thad a wry smile.

  “It is sad to say that we are not the only ones gathering our forces, though,” Bache interjected. “The Rane forces have stopped their advance. At first, I had hoped that the losses they received at Digger’s Fort made them rethink the invasion, but Parson’s scouts reported that a massive force more than thirty thousand strong is on the march. They will arrive within the next four days.”

  Thad cursed to himself. If the Rane forces thought them broke and didn’t bring in many more troops, then with the addition of Reeve’s forces, they had a chance at destroying them and setting a defensive position back up. Now that seemed like a lost dream. “How many soldiers do we have in all?” Thad asked hopefully.

&nbs
p; “With the addition of Reeve’s forces, we have a total slightly over six thousand troops. We lost far more than anticipated in the last battle at Digger’s Fort. The enemy just came too quickly over the walls. We would have fared much better had we started the bulk of the evacuation days before as you had initially suggested,” Bache said, the inflection of his voice showing his humiliation at the loss of so many under his command.

  “What should our next move be?” Thad asked more to Killian than anyone else. The old warmaster had seen more battles than the others combined, so it was to him Thad looked for advice.

  “We have two choices that I can see at the present,” Killian said, bending down and using a small dagger to draw in the dirt. “We could set up a defensive position here at the manor. It is large and will house the bulk of the troops, though not comfortably. The manor was built soundly and would be hard for even siege engines to bring down easily, but once the Rane forces arrive, it will be near impossible to escape.”

  “And the other choice?” Thad said, looking dour.

  “Our other choice is to fight small pitched battles, trying to slow down the Rane forces for as long as possible. We will have to set up a few token defensive fronts and hit quickly, then pull back. Otherwise, the Rane forces will see through our tactics and move at haste toward the capital. Both choices will cost us a lot of men in the end.”

  Thad thought through the two choices. The more he thought about them, the more clear it seemed to him which one he should choose. If he was going to die, he would rather it be on an open field than cooped up inside the large manor, waiting for the end. “We will go with the second choice,” Thad replied confidently, though most of it was feigned.

  “I figured that would be your choice,” Killian said, giving Thad a sly wink. “We will need to start the attacks as soon as possible as well as decide who will lead the attacking parties and defensive parties.”

  “Then we better get inside and find a good place to talk. I doubt this will be settled in the course of a few moments,” Thad replied, turning toward the manor. “Bache, can you find someone to outfit our new recruits with suitable weapons and attire? I am afraid what they have is ill-suited for a real battle,” Thad said, remembering the men he had brought with him from the academy.

  Bache led the small group of warriors and advisors to a large room that had once looked to be a study. The sheer number of books and scrolls lining the wall amazed Thad and nearly rivaled that of the queen’s own archives. Fighting back the temptation for a search through the tomes, Thad took his seat, while the general ordered one of his officers to make sure the kitchen staff prepared them food and had it brought to them. Thad was very gracious about the general’s command as he had not stopped during the day to have a proper meal.

  The day passed rather slowly as the group of men and women discussed the formation of troops. In the end, it had ended much the way Thad had expected. Reeve and one of his officers along with Killian and his men would lead the small forays against Rane. At the same time, Parson, Thad, and Bache would concentrate on putting up staggered defenses for the Rane army to attack.

  Thad had thought they would wait until Rane received their reinforcements to begin their attacks, but Killian had strongly protested that notion. He wanted them to start their plan on the following day, not giving the Rane forces a chance to savor their hard-fought victory at Digger’s Fort. Thad was not in any hurry to see more bloodshed, but he knew arguing with the seasoned warmaster was pointless.

  As soon as everything had been worked out about their moves over the next few days, Thad headed to a large room they had set aside for his use. It wasn’t anything grand, but after weeks of sleeping in a tent, a soft bed was well received.

  The next morning came all too soon for Thad. Thad didn’t mind fighting nor did he mind the endless waiting for the next action. What he did hate was that war never seemed to wait for one when they were in the mood to relax. It always seemed that the enemy decided to attack just as you were starting to relax. The few times the enemy left you alone, it was your own officers that decided that was the time to move. That morning, Thad would have easily given up his other eye for just a few moments of sleep.

  Thad along with a group of 1,500 soldiers moved out, leaving behind the majority of their force. Reeve and his counterparts were working in much smaller numbers of less than fifty men. Though they had much smaller forces, Thad was sure that, in the end, they could end up dealing much more damage to the enemy than his larger force would.

  Thad’s objective was to march just to the west of Digger’s Fort, where the Rane army had set up camp. After the magical display within the fort, it seemed as if none were too eager to sleep in what was left of the fort.

  Thad had left the care of the new soldiers in General Bache’s hands. It was not that he didn’t trust the academy’s teaching, but he had learned the difference himself between learning in the classroom and on the field. There was nothing besides a battlefield that could prepare you for one.

  “Tuck, are you traveling with Reeve?” Thad asked his young elfin friend. He had asked him to move with the second group but didn’t know if the assassin would let him or not since Tuck had no knowledge or skill in their work.

  “Yes, and Reeve was much quicker to agree than I had figured. It seems that he likes the idea of being able to talk with you before the battles.”

  “That’s good to know. Keep me informed about what you learn and how things are going on your end. Other than that, just make sure to keep yourself safe,” Thad added, hoping that his friend would do just that.

  “I don’t think I will be in much danger. Reeve has agreed to let me come with him. He has even promised to train me up a bit, but I don’t think he will let me join in any of the fighting until I can prove at least somewhat confident. I think you are the one who should be worrying about staying safe. From what I understand, you are going to be the one in the most danger.”

  “I shall do the best on my end. I can promise you that.”

  I think you should listen to your young friend. As I said before, I don’t fancy having to wait around a few hundred years for another mage that I can halfway stand. You are bad, but most of the mages we have met are far beyond helping.

  “I think you are just too picky. Roger, Horus, and plenty of others would make you a great companion,” Thad said, trying to defer some of Thuraman’s contempt.

  Roger is spineless and too easily bows to that old wretch of a teacher of his. Horus is a lackwit who can’t think beyond the next moment. At least you can think, and you got a bit of a spine as long as there is nothing with a dress about.

  Closing his mind off from his staff, Thad continued his march. It would take a day to reach Digger’s Fort, and while he didn’t plan to move that far, he wanted to get most of the traveling done and set up camp well before the sun disappeared from the sky.

  It wasn’t until midday that Thad noticed a small childlike form and its stone dog companion. Shaking his head, Thad moved up beside the Nadari and gave her a stern frown. “What, are you thinking of coming along with the army? We are going to be fighting,” Thad said in reprimanding tones.

  “Avalanche didn’t want you to leave again. She is sure you would get hurt. I told her that if you got killed, I would take care of her. She didn’t like that idea. She even said that I forgot to feed her too often. Can you believe that? She said I forgot. Well, it’s not like she never forgets anything. Why, just the other day, she forgot that I was riding on her back and started chasing after some bug and threw me off. My butt still hurts. Want to see?”

  “No, I believe you,” Thad said, regretting asking Arianna anything. He should have known better. He had asked the Nadari a few questions in the past, but she would soon forget what he was asking and go off in a totally different direction. He would have said it was like talking to a child, but that would be an insult to children everywhere. “Just stay in the back, away from the fighting.”

  “I
will try, but I don’t think Avalanche will listen. She really likes to play with the soldiers. Well, except for the ones with the white swords. She says it really hurts when they hit her, so she tries to stay away from them. I wonder why it hurts so badly when they hit her and not the others. Do you know why? I wonder if they are really skilled miners or something. You know, because Avalanche is made of rock, they know where to hit her. I wonder what they would find if they mined her. Do you think she is filled with those gems she eats? It bothers me sometimes that she eats, but nothing ever comes out. Where do you think it goes?”

  “I don’t know,” Thad answered, holding his head as it began to hurt. Not only was Arianna speaking so fast he could barely keep up, but she had a shrill high-pitched voice that after a time seemed like a small dagger was being pushed into his brain. “Avalanche can fight, but I think you should head back behind the army. We don’t want you getting hurt,” Thad finished, hoping that would be the end of the discussion.

  “OK,” Arianna replied simply, leaving Thad shocked. The Nadari then turned to Avalanche and started rattling off more, and Thad quickly decided it was time for him to make a hasty departure.

  They reached their position well before nightfall. Thad was a little concerned about camping less than a mile away from the Rane forces, but Killian had asserted that if their plan was to work, that was what they were going to have to do.

  While the others put up the tents and prepared the fires, Thad walked around the exterior of the camp, putting up shields. He only had six left, having used most of them back at Digger’s Fort to help support the eastern wall. As he placed the last one, Thad wished he had more time and supplies to prepare more, but it was hard to get gems in the middle of a battlefield.

  Once everything was finished, Thad contacted Tuck so that he could let Reeve know that they were in place. Knowing that the morning would be a bloody one, Thad crawled under his blankets and settled in for a good sleep. If war had taught him nothing else, it was to get rest when one could because you never knew when the next chance would present itself.