I looked at Raven and we both cast our spells. Two fire whorl appeared in the air between us. They spun together, however their spin was slightly off.
"Enough. Much longer and they will collide and explode." Stain called an end.
We let the spells go and looked at him.
He sat back down and sighed. "Alice was right. You two are not in harmony with each other. Not your magic, just you two." He looked at both of us. "Any idea what is causing the problem?"
We both sat down and looked at one another. Raven answered first, "No idea. We spend all day together learning and working. I have not noticed any issues."
I thought a moment and answered, "I agree with Raven. We are always together and we hardly have any problems."
Stain leaned back and closed his eyes. He sat still so long I thought he had gone to sleep. I looked over at Raven and shrugged. She shrugged back. Suddenly Stain sat up.
"When was the last time you two talked about you?" He asked this suddenly.
We looked at each other, both blushing.
"Not since we have been here." Raven blushed worse, her ears turning bright pink.
"We have been too busy to discuss much outside of magic." I could feel my blush growing brighter.
Stain grinned widely. "Well, what about it?"
"What do you mean?" Raven stammered.
"I mean, what are your plans?" Stain smiled even wider.
"We have not really talked about that." I blurted.
Stain nodded, "Well as both of you are under my authority I think we should deal with this now." He stood up and stuck his head out of the doorway, "Conium! Come here please!" He took his seat and waited. Raven and I both sat restlessly. Shortly we could hear Conium walking down the hallway.
"What is going on?" She exclaimed when she entered the room. "Why are you two not at your lessons?"
Stain pointed to a chair, "Take a seat. We have something that must be discussed. I felt it would be best if you were here."
Conium sat down, a confused but amused look on her face. "Well, out with it."
Stain turned to me, "As your master I have certain rights. One of those is to guide you in matters of the heart. Also your father gave me certain powers. He entrusted to me his son. When we talked about you becoming my apprentice he talked to me about what to do if you met a young woman who caught your fancy." He turned to Raven. "I know most of your history, you told me yourself at one point. I understand you have none who can stand in place of a parent or master. Therefore I feel that it is best if Conium did so. She is young, but wise for her years. Would this be acceptable?"
Raven nodded blankly, "That seems fine."
Stain grinned, "Cheer up. This is a simple matter." He turned to me. "We all know you two fancy one another. With everything else going on I know romance and the future has been far from your mind. However, I think that with all the time you two are working together is causing both of you to suffer." He turned to Raven. "What are your feelings for Ott?"
Raven leaned backwards and looked down. "I care deeply for him." She whispered this into the room.
Stain shook his head, "Is that all it is? Caring?" He was trying to be gentle, but firm.
Raven wiped some tears from her eyes and looked at me. "I guess you could say I love him."
Stain nodded. "What about you Ott?"
I looked at Raven. She seemed as if she might break, depending on what I said next. "I would have to say I have fallen in love with her."
Conium let out a little cheer, which caused all of us to chuckle.
Stain grinned, "What about the future? What about marriage? Have you considered that idea?"
Raven nodded, "I have thought about it. Things are so complicated right now. I figured it would be a discussion for much later. Probably after this war was decided."
I agreed with her. "That was the same thought I had. We are all so busy and preparing for the worst. I figured a wedding was the last thing to worry about right now. "
Stain looked at Conium. "There is something to what you both are saying. However we need to talk about this now. It seems as if this frustration in not knowing your future is what is causing an imbalance between you two. " He stood up and pulled us both to our feet. "Ott, do you desire to enter into a relationship with young Raven?"
"Yes, please." I stammered out. I could feel my ears turn purple. Raven grinned slightly.
"And you Raven. Do you desire to enter into a relationship with young Ott?" Stain was enjoying himself.
Raven nodded. "I do so desire." She said this quietly.
Stain grinned. "Then I pronounce that you two are betrothed to one another. We will make arrangements for a wedding. I will make all the arrangements. With consideration to our current situation I think it would be best to wait till we get to the King's castle. I will send a message to Lightfoot. Perhaps he can be there. In the meantime I expect you two to do certain things. There are certain considerations that must be made." He sat back down. "Sit while I explain."
We both sat down beside one another. Raven rested her hand on mine. I gently gripped hers.
"First, I expect both of you to behave. I doubt either of you would misbehave, but I have been surprised before. Treat each other gently and kindly. Secondly, I want you both to work on making a marriage gift for one another. I know it is an old idea. I do not care. I like it and so you will do it." He grinned at this. "Finally, I do have in my possession Ott's inheritance that his father planned on passing to him upon marriage. I will add to it and I am sure some others will do so also. We will use this to establish your marriage. I feel that neither of you will be the kind to settle in one location." He looked at both of us. We both shook our heads and grinned. "Then I think what would be best is that I use some of that money to acquire a Travelers wagon and equip it fully. It will be your home on the road. I do have some connections so I should be able to get a good solid wagon. So, any questions?"
We looked at each other and both shyly shook our heads.
"Well, I hope that clears up some of the issues. Shall we try to cast the spell again?" Stain stood up and pulled Conium to the side.
Raven and I stood up and both cast the spell. This time the spell formed into a beautiful vortex, just as it was supposed to do. The two parts spun in harmony with barely any wiggle. We both grinned and let the spell go.
"I think that does solve the issue. Also I am glad to get all this out and started. I will start making arrangements This will be fun." Stain grabbed both of us and gave us a massive hug. "Now. Why not take the rest of the day and spend some needed time with one another. I suggest the fire falls. They are lovely at a distance." He shooed us out of the room. "Conium, we have a wedding to plan!" He crowed as he shut the door.
* * *
The next three weeks flew by. Our lessons went much smoother now that neither of us was worrying about what was going to happen between us. We both learned many new spells and how everything magically worked. My understanding of magic was much better and more in depth than I had thought possible. Raven started to show a flair for the creative aspects of magic. Smithy made it a point to help her gain more and more knowledge and experience. Stain was even busier, having taken on the burden of making the arrangements for our wedding. Conium was helping him everyday now. We were reaching the end of our time in Heathstone Heart. Tomorrow would be the last day of lessons.
Sitting down for our evening meal Stain made an announcement. "Gias said he wanted to talk to us after we eat. He will be here in just a bit."
Raven and I looked at each other and shrugged. "What does he want to talk about?" I asked Stain.
Stain shook his head, "I am not sure. He is being secretive about it."
Conium nodded, "That sounds like him."
We finished the meal and found Gias in the lounge.
"Good, you are done eating. I was just getting comfortable." Gias waved us to sit down. "I came to discuss a few things. Firstly, that tomorrow will be different. Y
ou will have to prove you have learned all your lessons well. Each teacher has a challenge that you must complete. Once you complete all the challenges we will consider you trained in the basics of fire magic. I see no problem with this occurring, both of you have been working harder than I could have ever imagined." He smiled at this. "I think you might have set too high of a bar for future students. Although that might be a good thing. It will help us turn out better fire mages. Now, on to the second thing. I understand that you all will be leaving in two days. I want you to know it has been a great pleasure to have you as our guests. Also we will be replenishing your supplies before you go. Finally, we are sending some of our soldiers and mages to escort you. I think times have become too dangerous to travel without some armed forces."
"That is a generous offer. However I do not think we need the escort." Stain seemed annoyed.
Gias leaned forward, "I think that is a foolish idea. You have enemies that desire either your capture or destruction."
Stain nodded, "However, with a large escort we will be much easier to locate and track. Our small group should be able to avoid detection with a minimal amount of fuss."
This was sounding like an argument that had already been done before.
Gias turned to the rest of us. "Please listen to me. This is troubling times."
We all looked at each other and shrugged.
"I trust Stain to know what he is doing." I stated this plainly.
Gias sneered at me. "What about the rest of you? Will you ignore my wisdom?"
Conium rolled her eyes. "Stain is much older and more experienced. I go with his wisdom over anyone's."
Raven nodded but made no comment.
Gias slumped back. "Very well. You will choose what you will. I just hope it does not lead you to danger." He stood up suddenly. "I will see you tomorrow evening." He strode from the room. Obviously upset.
Stain sat there and stared after him. "That was most curious." He turned to Conium. "I think it would be prudent if you put our emergency plan into action. Be ready for tomorrow night."
Conium sighed and nodded. "I was afraid of that. I have things to do." She stood up and walked out.
"What is our emergency plan?" Raven asked.
Stain stood up and pulled us to our feet. "I dare not say it out loud Conium and I have a plan. Just be ready to do what you are told." He leaned in close, a bubble of magic forming around us for a split second. "Pack all of your things tonight. Be prepared to leave in a haste." The bubble popped almost before he finished speaking.
Raven opened her mouth to ask a question but Stain's hand flew up to hush her. "No questions. Simply do. Tomorrow complete your training. Everything else will be taken care of by us." He hugged us and left the room.
We stood in shocked silence. Looking at one another we both knew we had questions to ask, yet dared not utter them.
"I think I will go to bed now." Raven finally stated tiredly.
I nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. Goodnight." I gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to my room. I carefully packed everything that I did not need for tomorrow. I had collected more items than I had thought. Learning seemed to be that way. The more you learned the more items built up. I packed away all the small items that I had learned to enchant, all the various writings that explained magic theory, even the odd magical artifact that assisted in working certain spells. By the time all of my things were packed I was more than ready to lie down to sleep.
"Sounds like things are getting interesting again." Pat's voice wafted down from the shelves.
"Yeah. Something strange is going on with Gias." I whispered into the dark.
"I would keep an eye open tomorrow. Pass your tests but also be careful." Mophar murmured this quietly before snuggling down to sleep.
* * *
The next day found us completing some very difficult tasks. Each teacher tested us to the point of almost failure. By the end of the day both Raven and I were worn out. Once all the tests were complete we finally made our way to the evening meal. We all sat down and started eating. For some reason the food tasted extra good tonight.
"Well, that is done and over." exclaimed Stain. "Congratulations on completing your fire mage basic training!"
We all cheered.
"And a special congratulations to Raven for attaining control of her magic. I know it has not been easy." He pulled Raven to her feet and gave her a massive hug. "I am proud of you young lady." He let her go and sat back down.
"I must also congratulate both of you!" Gias walked into the room. "I thought it would be impossible for such a thing to happen. I honestly did not expect either of you to pass the tests today." He sat down at the table. "I guess tomorrow will be your last day with us. Supplies are being loaded in the morning. Are you sure you will not reconsider a guard?" This last was posed in a nonchalant manner, yet I sensed a hidden agenda.
Stain sat up straighter "I do believe we have reconsidered. We will take that escort tomorrow. However, I think we will have to leave tomorrow afternoon if we do so."
I was honestly surprised at such a statement. I could tell Raven was also. Conium had a small smirk on her face.
Gias smiled and stood up. "I am glad you have come to your senses. I will have the soldiers and mages prepare to leave. They will meet you by the accession bridge." With that he walked out.
Stain sighed and leaned back. "I hate politics." He stood up and walked over to where Conium sat. "I need everything ready for the morning. We are leaving using the route I told you about." He then walked out.
Conium looked at Raven and myself. "Make sure everything is packed and loaded before you lie down. We leave in a hurry tomorrow." She stood up and walked out.
"What is going on?" Raven asked the room.
I shook my head. "I think we will find out soon enough. I am going to finish packing and carry everything down to Tag. Need a hand with your stuff?"
She shook her head, "I only have the one bag left to pack. I will carry them down and load them on Evins. I just hope everything turns out okay."
We both stood up and exited the room.
I stood beside my bed, looking down on my bags. I was confused. We had come here to learn yet it felt as if we were about to start running from enemies. Could Gias be in league with the evil mage? What was going on? I only knew I had to trust in Stain. I know he was trying to do what was best for all of us. I smiled at that. He told me a friend of his had found a wagon for Raven and I. They were refurbishing it now, getting it ready for us. With that thought I picked up all my bags and carried them down to load on Tag.
"Do not be so worried." Tag stated. "Stain knows what he is doing and he has been in worse situations. Once he almost was married against his wishes. Ask him about that some time."
I chuckled at the thought of Stain being in such a situation. "Thanks Tag. I will try not to worry."
"Just do what Stain says and you will be fine." Tag leaned into his food bowl and munched on some leaves. "I will miss the food here. But I am tired of being underground. It will be nice to see the sun, moon, and stars."
"I agree with you there. My shell is starting to itch from all this ash." Evins stated. "I could use a good washing and my foot is ready to move."
I smiled, "I could not agree more. It will be nice to be above ground once more." I went to bed with a lighter heart. If I just trusted Stain I would be fine.
The next morning started with us loading the rest of our stuff onto Tag and Evins. Boys showed up with supplies for our trip. We were loaded and ready to go by mid morning
Stain gathered us all into a shield, "We leave now. We are not waiting for this escort. Our path will be dangerous but I feel we have no other choice. Grab your things, we are leaving." He let go of the shield and grabbed his bag and walking stick. "Follow me. Walk quietly."
We headed away from the King's Quarters and down some dark corridors. Stain led us in silence. Magic keeping any small sounds we made hushed. We walked deeper a
nd deeper into the earth. Soon we left all traces of human work behind, the tunnels looked to be formed by some ancient force. A glow grew brighter and brighter. We finally exited a tunnel deep underground into a chamber. A sullen, red river of fire oozed across the bottom of the chamber. It's heat filled the chamber. I looked around and could see no other exit. We stopped for a break, having walked till midday.
"I think an explanation is in order." Stain spoke softly. We all looked to him. "I have noticed some odd behaviors in the past weeks. I have felt magic that should not exists in the arena of fire. I looked quietly yet found no answers. So I must make certain assumptions. I do not believe Gias is allied with the evil mage. However, I do believe he has his own agenda. That agenda involves using Ott and Raven. He cannot risk keeping Conium and I around. This is why we are leaving in the manner we are."
His statement was a shock. "What do you mean?" I was upset.
Stain sat down, "Frankly I believe Gias was going to have Conium and I killed once we were beyond the borders of his area. That way he could blame it on bandits."
Raven stood up, angry. "And we were just supposed to stand by and let this happen?"
Conium stood and grabbed her, "He was going to make it seem as if you two were kidnapped again. He would come to your rescue. You would not have known any better."
I sat there and burned with anger. "Why? Why go through such an amount of work? What is the point?"
Stain sighed, "I am afraid it comes back to me. You see, I hold a lot of power in the kingdom. If I was killed then that power would be divided among the four guardians. That would increase Gias's power way beyond what he will have at any other time in his life. He resents the current system. I believe he wants to report directly to the king."
I nodded, "He was going to make a power grab?"
"That is right." Conium stated.
"Okay, what now?" Raven asked. "How do we escape his reach?"
Stain stood up, "Now that is a good question. He will have blocked every exit that he can consider us using. There are many ways out of Hearthstone Heart. There is one that only I know though. One of the advantages of such a long life." He turned towards the fire river. "I once, many years ago, had to use this same exit. It is dangerous yet I am confident we shall prevail. While Gias guards the exits and searches for us we will be safely escaping." He pointed to the river. "That is our way out."
A Deepening Knowledge (A Life of Magic) Page 25