Stranded Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  After dispatching the four enemy scouts and hiding their bodies, Thad and the others returned to the caravan and reported what had happened. The elders were more than a little upset they had not been included in the decision. Thad and the others held firm that it was an on the spot decision and that they had lacked the time to come back and argue about it for days on end.

  With the possibility that the brotherhood had found their trail the caravan had begun to speed up. Three mages were also tasked with obscuring their trail and making false leads, and another two were tasked with keeping the noise from their movement from reaching unfriendly ears that might be about.

  As the days passed and the forest began to thin the scouts reported more and more sightings of Brotherhood soldiers. Then the day before they were supposed to reach the edge of the wood line Tuck reported to Thad that their spies reported that a force over nearly two thousand troops were headed from the capital to the Farlan border.

  If they moved fast it would be possible to stay ahead of the soldiers but as long as they pulled the heavy carts behind them it would be hard to escape. Thad had tried on more than one occasion to get the villagers to leave the items in the carts behind. He had argued the added space would allow elderly and children to ride and would increase their pace but they had adamantly refused.

  With little choice, as soon as they stopped for the night, Thad gathered the elders. Like any other time the elder gentlemen were gathered and the problem was laid at their feet arguments arose. The worst part of it was even those agreeing seemed to find something minute to argue over. Thad quickly grew tired of the farce and told the elders to make their own plans as he would his.

  As soon as he left the meeting Thad went straight to Roger and Marcus who always camped close together. “We have a problem,” Thad said, the annoyance from the meeting with the elders still thick in his voice. “The brotherhood has amassed a large force that is marching straight toward Farlan. If we were to abandon any unnecessary weight we might make the border ahead of them, but I don’t see that happening.”

  “You should tell the elders,” Roger said, looking perplexed.

  “You have to be the dumbest smart person I know lad,” Marcus said to Roger shaking his head. Thad might not get along with the old man but he had a way of cutting to the meat of a situation. “One look on his face and the sound of bickering in the distance and it’s easy to see he’s done that. Once the boy realized those fools would spend a fortnight heating the air before they ever came close to a decision he decided on a course of his own. That about right boy?”

  “Pretty much,” Thad replied evenly. “we need to put up traps to slow them down. At this point I don’t care how well they work as long as it can buy us some time.”

  “Good idea boy, but it isn’t going to be enough. Let me go talk to a few people and see what we can come up with, in the meantime use whatever supplies you want that I brought. Won’t do me any good to have them if I end up on the wrong end of a sword,” Marcus said with a dark laugh.

  Once again Thad couldn’t make himself like the crotchety old man but he respected him. Marcus never minced words. You were always certain that the man said exactly what was on his mind. It was refreshing and frustrating at the same time.

  Having spent years with the wily old man, Thad left Roger to sort through Marcus’s packs. Gems were in short supply even back in Sanctuary but there was an abundance of the brown crystals Roger had used on his staff. That found them to have a decent capacity compared to the clear ones he had used back in Farlan but they had an obvious affinity for the earth element.

  For metal they had iron and copper though not a great deal of either. They would have to be frugal with the metal but if worse came to worse they could always use wood.

  Thad, being the only magic smith, worked to make small orbs with small pieces of the crystals inside for enchanting. While Thad worked on making the orbs Roger started making enchanted traps. Where Thad was strong with earth, dark, and energy Roger was strong with water and air. In Sanctuary Roger had spent the bulk of his time making enchantments to make ice. Now he was using a variation of that enchantment to make ice daggers that would fly at the enemy. Thad found the enchantment curious, as it used the moisture in the air forming the ice daggers in midair, then used the wind element to launch them forward at great speed. Thad accomplished the same speed using the energy element but his worked by adding a great deal of stress to the object whereas Robert’s spell did not.

  Due to the fact that the crystals had a high affinity with the earth element it was not overly taxing to bend the metal around them. As soon as Thad had a good supply of the orbs made he went to work on his own enchanted traps.

  Marcus still hadn't returned before Thad and Roger had exhausted themselves. Without the energy to wait for the old man the two crawled into their bedrolls and quickly fell asleep.

  The next morning after their fast was broken Marcus brought seven other men to meet Thad. “These gentlemen can help you with slowing down the Brotherhood,” Marcus declared proudly.

  “How so?” Thad asked, slightly curious of the skills belonging to the assortment of men before him.

  “They each have their own talent but used in the right way they can be quite inconvenient. Bill and Thalen thought themselves up a spell when they were kids that drove horses wild. Dang spell always hung around for days, used to drive old Martha raving mad,” Marcus said, laughing to himself as the two men now in their forties blushed and laughed along with him.

  “Jason here is one of the best hunters in all of Sanctuary. He has a way with the earth and is skilled in making pitfalls. I remember once your father fell into one and tanned your hide something fierce once he was able to crawl out.”

  Marcus continued to go down the line telling each person’s skills and associating them with a time in the man’s life when he had gotten himself in trouble with it. Thad had found it both an informative and entertaining morning.

  As the caravan moved out Thad, Roger, and the others hung in the back discussing the most effective way to slow down the Brotherhood. Roger wanted to continue working on enchantments as they walked but Thad cautioned against such actions, having learned that the loss of concentration could be deadly should something arise that needed your attention.

  I never knew a bunch of childhood pranksters would be the only defense hundreds of people would have. I guess it’s better than nothing. Thuraman said with a slight hint of humor to his words.

  It wasn’t until midday that they broke through the tree line. There was no road in sight so Thad and the others deiced it was best to hold their tricks until they were in an area they were sure the Brotherhood would pass.

  Shortly before nightfall they passed through a rather narrow valley that wouldn’t allow more than six or seven people to pass shoulder to shoulder. Thad saw this as the perfect place to lay some of their traps. The night before Thad had only been able to make two of his enchanted traps, but Roger had made five.

  After a great deal of discussion they decided to place pitfalls on the side of the valley that Thad lined with stone spikes. In the middle of the valley Bill and Thalen used their horse charm. Thad watched the two brothers as they worked and noticed all they were really doing as altering the smell that the flowers gave off. He suspected they had run across the effects on horses quite by accident though right now he was quite happy for that fact.

  After the pits and horse charm was laid the others went to work adding tangling spells to the grass as well as an assortment of other spells. The magically enchanted traps were placed at the far end of the valley to catch any stragglers.

  After they were finished they steeped back and surveyed their handiwork to make sure nothing was obvious. Once they were sure nothing stuck out they hurried to catch up with the caravan. Though the caravan moved slowly the amount of time it had taken them to place all the traps meant they didn’t catch up until well after nightfall.

  After a quick meal Th
ad and Roger made a few enchanted traps each before settling down for a good, if not peaceful, sleep. Shortly after falling asleep Thad found himself floating in the darkness as Maria called him to her dream world. This time Thad was relieved to find himself in the palace garden walking among the moon lilies. It was easy to tell Maria’s mood by where Thad found himself. Today it seemed as if she was in a fond mood and wanted nothing more than a causal talk.

  Thad found Maria at the far end of the garden near the small tower that had been built for Thad’s use. When he had left it had only been partially finished. Now it was completely finished and looked just as he had imagined it. “Looks just as I pictured it all those years ago,” Thad said, walking up behind Maria.

  “Mother made sure it was finished even after you were taken captive by Alba. I think it was her way to make up for her wrongs,” Maria said longingly. “She blamed herself when you didn’t return. She was a hard queen and always expected people to follow her, but she was often just as hard on herself. I didn’t really understand that until it was almost too late,” Maria continued as large tears rolled down her eyes.

  “I can’t say that I was happy your mother threw me in the dungeon but I can understand why she had to. She was a good queen and she raised an even better one. I am sure that no matter where your mother is she is quite happy with you,” Thad said consolingly as he wrapped his arm around the suddenly vulnerable princess.

  The rest of the dream, little was said between the two. Maria cried and Thad simply held her. It was awkward but Thad knew that as a friend it was the least he could do for her.

  CHAPTER XXVII

  Moving over open ground was much faster than through the woodland, but it still seemed agonizingly slow to Thad. It would have to have been much faster but they had to take frequent stops to let the older members rest.

  Each time they passed a good area for traps Thad and the others would hang back and place them. The elders were not happy with Thad’s unauthorized activates but since they had not come up with a better solution, there was little they could say against him.

  The long nights and longer days was starting to wear on Thad. He didn’t know whether he should have been happy or sad. It meant no more magical traps but it also meant more hours of sleep in the night.

  As Thad looked up into the night sky he felt tense. The Farlan border was only two days march away and that meant he was close to being home, or at least back in the country he was born. The closer he got to the Farlan border the greater the tightness in his chest.

  It will be better once we cross the border.

  “How do you know?” Thad asked grumbling.

  The same way I know most everything else about you.

  Thad turned on his side trying to get more comfortable. He didn’t know if his staff was right but for once he hoped it was.

  The next day the caravan topped a large hill and Thad could see the rise of the Twin Mountains in the distance. The sight of the mountains lifted everyone’s sprits as they knew they were on the last leg of their journey before they reached safety. All throughout the caravan Thad heard people talking about what they planned to do once they reached the capital. Most of the plans were simple things such as open a business or farm, but a few seemed extravagant even to Thad. One woman planned to open a shop where all she planned to do was make magical clothing that changed colors. Knowing a few of the nobles, Thad had a feeling that the idea might even work.

  As Thad watched the people around him talk and joke some of the tension lifted from his shoulders. Thad even joined in some of the merriment until he saw one of their scouts riding hard up the rear of the column. Thad watched as the man rode up to the elders carts and began speaking waving his hands in big circles. Thad almost broke into a run as he quickened his pace to catch up with the elders who rode a little under a half mile away.

  “What has happened?” Thad asked breathlessly once he had caught up with the elders.

  “Just the man I didn’t want to see,” Jonas said sneering.

  “A large force of the Brotherhood is less than a half a day behind us and catching up fast. At their current speed they will overtake us sometime tomorrow morning,” Illias said, a grave look etched on his face.

  “We need to ditch everything on the carts and put every person who can’t move fast on them. We can’t afford to let possessions cost us our lives,” Thad implored.

  “So be it, though I doubt that will save us much time,” Horus said as he began to bark out orders to those around him.

  “I need a horse, a fast one,” Thad said hastily.

  “What do you intend to do with the horse? Plan to run off and leave us behind for the slaughter?” Jonas asked spitefully.

  “Jonas I have never left people behind who needed help. I plan to ride back and do everything I can to slow down their advance. If you march through the night by late tomorrow you should reach the border. The queen has already stationed a sizable force there so you will be safe.”

  “Soraes,” Horus yelled so loudly Thad feared his ears would never work right again.

  A young man on horseback rode up beside the cart. “Give this man your horse and help get everything off the wagons that aren’t nailed down. If anyone complains tell them they are more than welcomed to carry it themselves but we won’t be slowing down for them,” Horus said in a commanding voice.

  Thad wasted no time, as soon as Soraes dismounted he threw his leg into the stirrups, swung up into the saddle, and raced off. Before leaving the caravan Thad found Roger and got an eight foot length of rope. His friend was a little curious why that was needed but he simply smiled and raced off in the direction of the approaching army.

  With his right hands on the reins Thad touched his earring with his left. “When we reach our destination I will call down a lot of magic. When I go limp on your back can you make your way back to the others?” Thad asked as he nervously began tying himself to the saddle.

  “If you desire I shall run with all my might but don’t blame me if you fall off. You humans tend to have a weak grip,” the horse replied seriously.

  “I never expected animals to understand so well. Are all horses as intelligent as you?” Thad asked suddenly curious, though he suspected it was more his mind trying to find an excuse to keep from thinking of what lie ahead of him.

  “We are all different yet the same,” the horse replied.

  To pass the time as he rode Thad tried to figure out the magic that made the earring work. He didn’t believe he was hearing the animals words per se, but getting their base responses and the earring just translated them into terms he would understand and vice versa.

  When Thad got his first glimpse of the Brotherhood army he dismounted and watched them for a short time. They were moving slowly yet still at a much faster pace than the caravan. As he watched them it was easy to see they had put out an advance line and none of those in it seemed to enjoy the task. Looking around Thad could see that more than a few soldiers were wounded and more than a little nervous. So the traps had worked but not well enough it seemed.

  When the horse seemed rested, Thad rode down the small hill to meet the coming force. Cries of alarm went up through the force as he approached. Thad watched as bows were raised and readied all aiming in his direction. Thad wasn’t sure if they could reach but he saw no reason to risk it. Saying a trigger word a shield enveloped him and his horse ensuring their safely should any flying projectiles come near.

  Reaching up, Thad touched his earring again. “If they fire at us don’t move about. We are protected from harm,” Thad said confidently.

  “I shall stand here for as long as you need,” the horse replied proudly.

  At first the soldiers held their ground watching Thad. Every second that passed without movement Thad considered a win for the caravan. When it was clear hewasn’t going to move Thad began hearing loud barking commands and the force began to cautiously move forward.

  “Have any good ideas?” Thad asked Thur
aman sincerely.

  Run comes to mind, other than that you need to scatter them. Only one out of every twenty soldiers has a white sword so maybe the trick with the fire horse might work. It sure made the Ablaians run for the hills.

  “A good as plan as any I suppose,” Thad replied lifting his hands above his head and testing the magical currents around him. Illusions were easy to create, they were just a manipulation of light, add a little flame and energy to them and they could even become deadly.

  With the help of his staff two life sized horses wreathed in flame and blue glowing light appeared in front of Thad and rushed toward the soldiers less than three hundred yards away. The distance forced Thad to expend a bit of extra magic but with Thuraman’s help it wasn’t unbearable.

  Thad watched as the horses ran through the advanced line and into the main force trampling soldiers and setting them ablaze. It didn’t take long before the white swords had taken both of the apparitions down but not before they had done their damage. As soon as the officers regained control of their men a hail or arrows rose into the sky and rained down on Thad like an afternoon sun shower. Noticing that their enemy was left uninjured the soldiers on the front lines began to slow, far less eager to face the deadly mage as they had been only moments before.

  Opening a large sack of rocks that he had collected while he had waited on the horse to rest Thad began firing down on the enemy. He didn’t take the time to aim there were so many that it became pointless. More than half of his stones found a target and even those that missed caused the soldiers on the front lines to cringe as it left his hand with a loud crackle.

  When the army was no more than a hundred yards away Thad was quickly running out of stone and magical reserves. “It’s almost time for us to leave. Whether I am awake or not after my next spell we need to go back to the others,” Thad told the horse as he started pulling in as much magical energy as he could hold. The force inside his head grew steadily until it hurt so bad he feared it would burst open any moment. When the nearest soldiers were no more than twenty yards from him Thad released his final spell. More than four dozen three foot spikes sprouted from the ground covering nearly fifty yards. Blue energy charged from the earth, dancing between the spikes like lighting between clouds during a storm.