Stranded Mage

by D. W. Jackson

Thad thought back to the found memories he had at Joan’s farm among the other children. He had worked hard but it had been the first place where he did anything more than exist. His mind then settled on his meeting with Monique who had taken him in as her own family, and years later had come to his rescue. His first meeting with the princess while not a completely happy moment, it had been the start of one of his first real friendships. The god was right, Thad had plenty of happy memories.

  “What should I do?” Thad asked, looking up to the gentle god.

  “Right now there is little you can do but rest. If you should perish then I shall personally escort your soul back to the ether. If you manage to live then when you wake you shall fade from my garden. Until your fate is decided all that is left for you is to rest, and if you don’t mind me saying, you could really use it.”

  Taking the god’s advice Thad lie on the ground and closed his eyes, though it felt weird to try and sleep when he knew he was already sleeping.

  When Thad’s eye opened again he found himself looking into a large group of worried faces. “So I didn’t die,” Thad thought to himself.

  Thad tried to rise but Monique and Mary both put their hands on his chest keeping him from moving. “You shouldn’t be moving about. Just relax and rest, it’s what you need most right now,” Monique said imploringly.

  Thad stopped trying to rise and settled instead for tilting his head around to get a better look at where he was at. It looked like a small cottage, with only a single room much like the one he had lived in when he stayed with the dwarves, but with only one good eye it was hard to really see much.

  “Did anyone happen to grab a silver orb with a large sapphire sat in its center?” Thad asked, his voice slightly pleading.

  “Let me go look,” Marry said, giving him a motherly smile.

  Turning back to Monique, Thad gave her a questioning look. “How did you end up here and where did you find all these mages?” Thad asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

  “It’s a long story,” Monique replied with a short laugh.

  “Looks like I got plenty of time,” Thad said, giving her a smug look.

  “That you do,” Monique replied, giving him a worried frown. “After I returned from Farlan I received orders from the Merchant Guild to report. Winter was starting to set in and knowing the guilds reputation for dealing with those disobeying summons, I set out quickly in hopes of returning before the first heavy snows fell. I made good time and to my surprise was admitted to see the council shortly after arriving. At the time I thought it was a stroke of luck, having expected to spend a few days waiting at a local inn for them to make time to see me.”

  Monique’s face took on a haunted look as she continued. “That’s where everything started to go wrong. The council members were interested in your magical items, and honestly I expected them to be, but not in the way they were. They seemed adamant to learn your whereabouts and though I found it odd I saw no reason not to tell them. They went on to request quite firmly that I sell any remaining magical items to the guild house and even offered more than a fair price so I agreed to sell those, excluding the ones you had given me for my own personal use, once the snows had melted and it was safe to travel after the winter.”

  “I brought the items we recovered from the Merchant Guild,” Mary said, interrupting Monique politely.

  Thad was relieved to see almost all of his belongings in Mary’s arms. Reaching out weakly Thad grasped the small sapphire orb and looked around for something to wash it in. seeing a small water basin Thad asked Mary to bring it to him. She gave him a questioning look and instead took his magical eye from his hand and proceeded to wash it for him.

  Monique turned her head as Thad pulled back the bandage covering his empty eye socket and slid his magical eye back in. It stung at first but after a few minutes he could once again see clearly through it.

  I will just leave the rest next to your bed in case you need anything,” Mary said with a light giggle, seeming to enjoy Monique’s displeasure.

  “Please continue,” Thad said once Mary had left the cabin.

  Monique gave him a scathing glare, her left eyebrow rising slightly. “While I found the actions of the council odd I didn’t really have a reason to question them, so as soon as I was done I went back to my room at the inn. That night I woke when a man put his hand over my mouth. I kicked him hard in the chest and activated the shield ring you had given me and ran out of the room. Outside I found a host of guild soldiers. When I tried to explain what had happened they drew their swords and advanced on me instead of going after the assassin.”

  Monique shivered and Thad noticed a few tears welling in her eyes. “I knew something was wrong so I ran to my horse and rode as fast as I could. When I finally returned home I found my house burned to the ground and my mother’s dead body in the courtyard. That’s when a group of men rode over the hill and came after me. I jumped back on my horse and rode it until it collapsed, then I ran. I continued to run until I collapsed. When I woke I was in a cabin much like this, being tended to by an older gentleman.”

  “When I explained what had transpired his face became one of concern,” Monique said, laughing weakly as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “He told me about the Brotherhood and brought me here, where I found more than I could have ever imagined. Then a few days ago one of our seers told us about you and the elves fighting your way across Rane. When we learned you had been captured we decided it was past time we took some action.”

  “It sounds like you went through quite a bit of trouble because of me,” Thad said morosely.

  “If you weren’t injured I’d hit you for that,” Monique replied with more than a bit of fire. “The Brotherhood and their twisted views are to blame, not you. Yes I went through a rough patch but I also found a great deal along the way.”

  “How did you convince everyone to risk their lives to save me?” Thad asked quickly, thinking it wise to change to tone of the conversation.

  “When the seer first told of her vision of you and the name she had heard one of the elves use I knew it was you even if her description was a bit different than I remembered,” Monique replied laughing to herself. “At first many argued we should march with you, but there were a lot who didn’t want to risk the Brotherhood finding out about our hidden village, and were scared to risk their family’s lives. When the seer saw you chained in the Brotherhood dungeon there was a huge outcry to aid you and not just from me. In the end only a handful decided to go. Honestly I don’t know how we were all able to get into the guild house and find you with as little trouble as we did. It was almost as if someone was shielding us,” Monique said, smiling.

  Thad instantly thought of the small flower petal that the god had given him. He wasn’t sure but he had an inkling that the gods may have played a small part in his rescue. “I am glad you came when you did. I am not sure I could have lasted much longer,” Thad said gratefully.

  “What’s new, fool men are always needing to be saved by the women in their lives,” Monique said jokingly. “Now get some rest, you have been through a great deal, and your body is in shambles.”

  Thad turned his head and watched as Monique left the small cabin. She had changed a great deal since he had last seen her. She had been full of life and ambition then and though her face still had the energetic shine to it, there was something also a hint of maturity in her eyes now.

  As he moved his head Thad caught a glimpse of one of the rings that sat on the table by the bed and instantly thought of Tuck and the other elves. As he stretched out his hand pain ripped through his body. Ignoring the pain Thad forced himself to grab the jewelry that was within his reach. Thad found both of his rings within the small pile and struggled to get them on his fingers.

  “Tuck,” Thad said, praying for an answer as soon as the ring slid onto his finger.

  “Thad, where have you been? I have been trying to contact you for a fortnight,” Tuck said, his voice ringing in
Thad’s ears.

  “I ran into a bit of trouble,” Thad said in explanation, not wanting to go into the full detail of the past few days. “How is everything on your end?”

  “We lost a good number back at the manor, but as we promised, when you didn’t return by the appointed time we headed west toward Farlan. Right now we believe we are only a day or two away from the border. Should we turn back and meet up with you?”

  “No, just get to Farlan and tell the queen I will be along shortly,” Thad replied hastily. “Tell her I am safe but there are still things left that I must do.”

  “Alright, I will contact you again so try and not ignore me this time,” Tuck said, his voice more than a little relieved.

  You don’t plan to go back after the Brotherhood again do you? I was hoping you might have learned your lesson. Thuraman said after Thad cut his communication with Tuck.

  “No, I am quite content to never see another member of the Brotherhood as long as I live,” Thad replied solemnly. “I just doubt that I will be fit for travel anytime in the near future.”

  That is good to know. I was starting to think you had lost your mind completely. Not that you ever had much of one to start with.

  “It is good to clearly hear your voice again Thuraman, even if it hasn’t dulled,” Thad said laughing.

  If I don’t speak up and point out your faults then your ego will get larger than it already is. You need someone to bring you back down to size.

  Thad laughed and tendrils of pain raced through his body but they were much lighter than they had been the day before. Everything was going better than Thad could have ever hoped. He was away from the Brotherhood, Tuck and many of the other elves had survived and now he had been reunited with Monique.

  Be careful, luck doesn’t last forever. You should know that by now. The second you drop your guard you’re going to end up like you did back at the guild house.

  Thad had to agree with Thuraman on that point. Too many times in his life had he let his guard down because everything was going his way, only to end up in a bad situation. Most of the tragedies in his life could have easily been avoided had he paid just a touch more attention to his surroundings.

  Glad you finally realized that.

  Not long after Monique left Mary returned with another mug of the horrible brew she had forced down his throat before. Though he knew what awaited him should he drink it Thad knew better than to argue. If he had learned anything in his life it was that it was pointless to argue with a woman when you were sick. In the end you would still drink the foul brew, just in a less pleasant situation.

  CHAPTER XXV

  Over the next span Thad spent all of his time in bed healing. Thanks largely to his staff and a few mages with skills in healing Thad’s right leg and left hand had healed considerably, but it still pained him to stand unaided.

  Besides his pouches of coins and magical slugs all of Thad’s belongs had been rescued from the Merchant Guild. Even though he would be near useless in a real fight Thad still felt more comfortable with his leather harness and sword once again on his person.

  The elves had reached Farlan and Maria had provided them sanctuary against the Brotherhood. Tuck had said that many of the elves were talking about returning to the island and try to get more of their brethren to return to the mainland.

  When Tuck told Maria that Thad was going to be delayed she was none too happy but thankfully she had yet to visit Thad in his dreams to convey her displeasure, something Thad was not looking forward too.

  Thad had not spent all his time idly while he waited to heal. He had spent a great deal of time and effort to meet with any of the local mages that would see him. To many of the people who lived in the secluded village Thad was seen as a hero who had fought against their oppressors but to some he was seen as a cause for concern. Thad could understand their feelings. They had lived in hiding for many centuries, trying their best to stay out of sight, and now Thad had come marching into Rane and stirred up the hornets’ nest.

  The village had a lot more residents than Thad would have thought, near four hundred. He had enquired as to how they had stayed hidden from the Brotherhood for so long. He was surprised to find that the mages had little trouble in doing so. It was simple, they only left the safety of the village when news of a new mage was found. The village itself was located in the largest forest in Rane and was surrounded by a myriad of spells that left anyone not wanted confused and disorientated should they enter its protective ring.

  Monique had also introduced Thad to Jayden, the older gentleman who had saved her life and who had taken Monique as his wife. He was a good man though a bit standoffish. What surprised Thad the most was the man was nearly twice Monique’s age though she seemed to care little about that fact. Jayden himself was an internal mage who could transform into a large mountain lion at will.

  Thad was quite fascinated by the change the man went through during the transformation and was happy when Jayden agreed to do it while Thad watched with his magical senses. Thad was surprised to learn that not only did Jayden’s physical body change but the magical aura surrounding him did as well, going from a light blue mixed with green and red to a very dark green when he was in his cat form.

  Today was the first day Thad had been allowed out of the cottage without Mary tagging along. The woman, who Thad learned was much older than she looked, had seemed to take Thad on as her adopted child. At first Thad found it annoying but he had to admit the fussy woman was starting to grow on him. She even insisted that Thad call her Mother Mary. When Thad tried to explain he didn’t have many good memories associated with the word mother she gave him a crestfallen look until he was brow beat into calling her as she desired.

  The town, aptly called Sanctuary, was like most other towns with butcher, bakers, and many other shops. The only real difference Thad could see was that magic was everywhere. Thad was even able to find an enchanting shop that supplied everything he could possibly need for his work. Much like the dwarves, there was no real need for gold in Sanctuary, everyone traded to get what they needed or wanted.

  Not all the people in Sanctuary were mages. More than a few were family members of those with magical powers or people who had lost loved ones to the Brotherhood’s twisted views. The most surprising thing Thad learned was that the town had been around for more than three hundred years, about as long as the Brotherhood itself had been a major force in Rane. It was started when a small group of runaway mages hid within the security of the forest. It grew over the years as the mages started helping others escape the Brotherhood's grasp.

  As Thad hobbled through the town leaning heavily on his staff he began to wonder if other towns like Sanctuary existed. From what Thad had learned the magical races had each been able to hide and live in secrecy why shouldn’t more human mages have done the same. The more Thad had contemplated this thought, the more he was sure that it wasn’t just a possibility.

  “Thad, how are you this morning?” The seemingly young enchanter asked as Thad entered the shop.

  “Better than yesterday Roger,” Thad answered back smiling. Even in the mages hidden city there were only two enchanters; Roger who was in his mid-thirties but look about Thad’s age, and Marcus who looked every bit of two hundred.

  As soon as Thad had learned about the two enchanters he had insisted to meet them. Marcus had been less than pleasant, always seeming to find some fault with anything Thad said, whereas Roger had been welcoming. The two younger Enchanters had struck a quick friendship. Now it was a daily habit for one of the two to pay a visit to the other.

  Roger had been surprised to find that Thad was not only an enchanter of some skill but also a Mage Smith, able to force his will on metal and make them freely move without fire. More often than not the two would spend hours talking about how and what they enchanted and the different methods each employed. Roger had also shown a keen interest in Thad’s staff, Thuraman, and was currently working on his own.

  “
Still working on your staff?”

  “Still trying to work on the staff you mean,” Roger answered back, frustration creeping into his voice. “I keep trying to grow the bonds to the gems gradually as you were talking about but they don’t seem to take hold unless I force them. To make matters worse when I try and create multiple paths the gems end up shattering and I spend the rest of the day getting scolded by my wife as she picks the shards out of my hide.”

  “You have to be careful not to overtax the gem,” Thad said laughing. “I am sure you will get the hang of it.”

  “Maybe it’s just the difference in how we were taught,” Roger replied sadly. “You would think I should be able to do it. Unlike you, I was born and raised in Sanctuary and have worked under Marcus since I first showed talent with enchanting.”

  Thad laughed again patting his friend on the back. “Sometimes danger and need can force a man to think in ways he might not have before. I am sure if you run into a few battles foolhardy like I did you might pick up a few more tricks.”

  “I don’t think so, my wife would have my hide,” Roger said, joining Thad in his laughter.

  “Thad, some of the elders are calling for you,” a young boy yelled from the doorway. Thad recognized the boy as one of the runners for the group of older mages who acted as the town’s overseers.

  Thad had been visited by one or more of the elders nearly daily. Most of them saw him as a threat to their safety and were in a hurry to see him gone. Sighing, Thad turned to Roger and gave him a shrug of his shoulders. “Looks like I’m being called to task again,” Thad said with a dull expression.

  “Don’t let them get to you. They all just spent too much time hiding, makes one a little jumpy when something jumps in to stir the pot.”

  The young page led Thad to a fair sized building located in the center of the town. Thad could tell it was going to be an eventful meeting before even walking through the door as the sounding of raised voices echoed from inside. Steeling his nerves Thad took a deep breath and tried his best to walk in confidently.