Nature Mage

by Duncan Pile

  Jonn put a sack containing Gaspi’s few clothes and belongings on the bed, and sat down on the chair. “Get yourself sorted, Gasp, and we’ll go and see if there’s any news of Emmy and Taurn, maybe see some of the city,” he said. Glad of the distraction, Gaspi emptied his sack on the bed, quickly finding a home for all its contents; the only thing of any real personal value to him a hard Koshta seed, which went in the drawer in his bedside cabinet.

  Gaspi and Jonn made their way to the main entrance of the college to ask about the arrival of the gypsy caravan, but there wasn’t any news, so Jonn took Gaspi into the city. While Gaspi had slept, Jonn had learned his way around the main streets of the town, and visited the barracks several times. Today, he took Gaspi to a café with a view of the main gate. Jonn ordered a plate of cured, spicy meat, and they sat at the side of the street watching people go by. Each table had the same centrepiece; a kind of covered clay bowl, with several long, flexible pipes snaking from it. Other customers were sucking on those pipes, drawing smoke out of the clay bowl as it gurgled noisily.

  Gaspi was intrigued when Jonn asked for theirs to be lit. He watched as Jonn drew in a deep lungful of smoke and let it stream out of his nostrils with a contented sigh. When Jonn invited him to take a pipe for himself, Gaspi quickly snatched the nearest one and sucked. Jonn couldn’t contain his laughter as Gaspi gave an explosive cough and spluttered uncontrollably, the inhaled smoke violently expelled from his mouth as soon as it touched the back of his throat.

  Gaspi was put out by Jonn laughing at him, and pulled a face. “Come on Gasp, lighten up!” Jonn said with a smile. Gaspi couldn’t help smiling in return. This trip seemed to be doing his guardian the world of good. Gaspi couldn’t remember Jonn looking this relaxed in Aemon’s Reach, and was happy with the change.

  “I’ve got something to tell you,” Jonn said. Gaspi looked at him expectantly.“I’m signing up as a guard. I’ll need something to keep me occupied as you study.”

  The source of Jonn’s good mood became clearer to Gaspi. He had been wasting away in Aemon’s Reach, with nothing to do but odd jobs, and everything he saw reminding him of what he had lost. But here he was free from all that, and the prospect of soldiering was clearly doing something for him.

  “That’s great, Jonn,” Gaspi said, genuinely pleased for his guardian. “Now I won’t have to worry about you being bored,” he said with a grin.

  “Cheeky young pup,” Jonn muttered good-naturedly, taking a playful swipe at Gaspi’s head. “Now, come on, and try this Tabac again.” A couple of hours later they were still sitting in the same spot, replete with the local, spicy sausage they had indulged in, and after several embarrassing attempts Gaspi had given up on the Tabac. It had a subtle cherry flavour as well as the harsh tang of Tabac, but Gaspi couldn’t work out how Jonn could call it smooth, whatever he had said about passing the smoke through water to filter it. Jonn had explained to Gaspi that smoking Tabac was only an occasional pleasure, and that some people became so addicted to it they’d smoke it all day every day until their lungs filled with giant growths that led to a painful death. Gaspi, whose throat felt like he’d been swallowing sandpaper, didn’t feel he needed the warning.

  They were still waiting for their friends to come into the city, and as they had watched everyone coming through the gates they knew they had not missed them; there was no reason to go elsewhere. Jonn was sitting back in his chair, feet extended and resting on a small stool. They talked on and off, comfortable in each other’s company, and as they talked, Gaspi let his eyes explore his surroundings. The thick red outer walls of the city were smooth and rounded at the top, just like the houses and shops of the outer city. Gaspi thought the whole place looked like nothing more than a giant anthill.

  His eyes fell on the guards at the city gates, who were each dressed in shining light chain-mail over a burnished leather cuirass - a piece of hard leather armour covering the chest and back. The chain mail hung to just above the knees, and beneath them the guards wore leather-trimmed trews to protect their legs. The only weapons they carried were short swords, sitting tightly in scabbards attached to thick leather belts. It didn’t seem to Gaspi that they were very well armed, but then he noticed the rows of spears, heavier swords and bows fitted to brackets set into the walls of the gatehouses on either side of the gate, within easy reach of the soldiers if the need to use them arose.

  The gatehouses rose up to the top of the wall, a series of steps cut into the side of them to provide easy access to the top of the wall, where a path wide enough for two to pass abreast had been cut deep into the top of the wall. Gaspi could see the head and shoulders of sentries pacing along the path around the city wall, until they completed an entire circuit of the city and started again.

  A troop of soldiers passed them by, booted feet tramping noisily in unison. “They must be changing the guard,” Jonn said. Gaspi’s eyes were drawn past the soldiers to the gate itself, where a group of wagons was entering the city. As the first wagon passed through the gates, its green lacquered sides caught the sun.

  “It’s them!” Gaspi exclaimed, his seat clattering to the ground behind him as he surged to his feet.

  “Hold on, Gaspi!” Jonn called, to no avail. Gaspi darted through the traffic, weaving between groups of people, until he came to the enormous gates of the city, through which three colourful gypsy wagons had now trundled. Gaspi scanned the faces of the wagon drivers, a broad grin bursting onto his face as he saw Roland.

  “Roland!” he called, waving his arm energetically, until the wagon driver looked down and saw Gaspi, and his own face was drawn into an expansive smile. Roland pointed behind him to the fourth wagon emerging through the gates, and to Gaspi’s sheer delight there were two dusty but familiar faces poking out over the driver’s seat, staring goggle-eyed at the city before them, and with them was Lydia. A mischievous urge came over Gaspi and he raised a finger to his lips, receiving a wink from Roland in response. Sneaking up close to the wagons, he stealthily made his way back to the side of the fourth wagon, where his friends were still ogling Helioport like uncultured peasants. He climbed up the wooden ladder at the side of the wagon, sidled in behind the driver’s bench, and with a quick heave swung himself over the back and landed heavily between his two friends.

  “Impressive, isn’t it?” he said, the astonished faces of his much-missed companions transforming from shock to joy in a heartbeat.

  There was a fraction of a second’s silence. “Gaspi!” Emea screamed, and suddenly her arms were around him, her head buried deep into his neck.

  Taurnil clapped a large hand on Gaspi’s shoulder and returned Gaspi’s grin, but the tightness of his grip and something around his eyes showed Gaspi the immense relief he was experiencing. “Good to see you, mate,” he said, and Gaspi was sure there had been a catch in his voice. Emea must have heard that same catch, as at that moment her embrace turned into a death-grip, and she began to sob into his shoulder.

  “Emmy, don’t cry. Emmy, what’s wrong?” Gaspi asked.

  “Oh, Gaspi!” she gulped after a few seconds. “I was...so worried...we thought you might be...you know...but you’re okay!” She looked up, her eyes bright with tears, and met Gaspi’s gaze, smiling a watery smile.

  “Yes, mate,” Taurnil said, “it’s a bit of a relief to see you...er...here. You looked totally out of it last time we saw you, if you know what I mean.” Gaspi was taken aback by his friend’s seriousness.

  Lydia reached over shyly, and placed a hand on Gaspi’s. “I’m glad you’ve recovered, Gaspi,” she said gravely. “You saved my life.”

  Gaspi hadn’t thought of it that way, and didn’t know what to say. “Oh. Don’t mention it,” he said, not knowing what else to say. A sudden realisation sent an icy shock to his core.

  He’d known something wasn’t right about his friends’ reaction, and now he knew what it was. “But Heppy, I mean Hephistole, the Chancellor of the college - he sent out a couple of Mages to find you. They should h
ave told you I was okay,” he said, deeply concerned.

  “We’ve seen no-one, mate,” Taurnil answered.

  Emmy shook her head. “Maybe they missed us?”

  “I don’t know,” Gaspi answered, filled with concern. “We’ll have to let Hephistole know. Did you have any more trouble on the road?”

  “Nothing at all,” Taurnil said. By this time the wagons had pulled to a halt inside the city wall, out of the way of the main gate, and Roland and Jonn were walking over to them.

  “Good to see you, Gaspi,” Roland called.

  “And you, Roland,” Gaspi called back. Gaspi’s relationship with Jonn had always been more like two friends looking after each other than guardian and child, and Gaspi felt comfortable being on first name terms with adults.

  Gaspi quickly told Jonn what he had discovered, unable to shake a feeling of dread.

  “I’ll go tell Hephistole straight away,” Jonn said worriedly. Jonn turned to Roland.

  “Thank you, Roland, for bringing them here safely,” he said, his tone grave and sincere. “The local guard will take you to where Ramoa is stabled. How long are you staying?”

  “We’re here to bring Lydia to the college,” Roland answered, “so at least a week while she gets settled. We might even set up camp and stay for a while. We‘ve been on the move for months now, and a rest might do us some good.”

  “Where will you be staying?” Jonn asked.

  “In the wagons, of course,” Roland answered, sweeping his arm in the direction of the bright gypsy caravans. “We’ll get permission to set up a circle outside the city wall.”

  “Let me buy you a meal tonight!” Jonn insisted. “Then we can catch up properly about the rest of your journey.”

  “That would be a great pleasure,” Roland answered.

  “Meet me here by the gatehouse at third watch,” Jonn said. “If you’re not here, I’ll come find your circle.”

  “Third watch it is,” Roland agreed.

  Jonn turned to Gaspi. “Gaspi, will you lead everyone up to the college? I’m sure the gatekeepers will know what to do from there.”

  “Sure,” Gaspi answered, and taking his leave Jonn set off up the road to find Hephistole.

  Chapter 10

  Gaspi led his awe-struck companions up the long curve of the road that led to the College, followed several paces behind by Lydia’s parents, pointing out the couple of landmarks he could remember from Jonn’s more thorough tour earlier that day. He adopted an air of bored familiarity when drawing their attention to some of the grander buildings, until Taurnil stopped him.

  “Gaspi, how long have you been out and about here?”

  “Just today,” Gaspi answered reluctantly.

  Taurnil and Emea laughed freely, and even Lydia couldn’t hide a smirk. “So you’re going to stop the experienced traveller act now?” he said, not letting any hint of a smile show on his face.

  A red-faced Gaspi didn’t know where to look. “I don’t know what...well...” he blustered. “Oh fine!” he said at last, an embarrassed smile spreading on his face. All four of them burst out laughing, and Emea leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Gaspi led them up to the college, where they approached the creamy, glowing stone of the outer wall, and the two gatekeepers sitting in the booths on either side of the gateway itself.

  Gaspi waited for Roland to catch up with them before approaching one of the magicians. “Could you help us please, sir?” he asked. The gatekeeper was an aging man with shoulder length, messy grey hair, and enormous bushy eyebrows.

  He leaned forward, raising one of those extraordinary brows. “And what kind of help would you be looking for?” he said, with a warm smile that cracked his wizened features.

  Roland stepped up behind Gaspi. “Gaspi here has already been enrolled in the college by his guardian, but these two are also here to enrol,” he said, indicating Emmy and Lydia. “This is Lydia, a talented Seer and my youngest daughter,” he said, making no attempt to hide the pride he took in his child and her talent. “And this is Emea, one of Gaspi’s friends from Aemon’s Reach, who is believed to have a healing gift,” he finished with a flourish of his hand. Roland’s flamboyant introductions seemed to embarrass Emea, whose cheeks had turned pink.

  “Very good,” the gatekeeper said with enthusiasm, and reached over for the small silver bell sitting on the desk, ringing it three times in short sharp bursts. A green-robed Mage arrived shortly. She was the youngest magician Gaspi had seen so far, though there was nothing youthful about her. Gaspi didn’t know if it was her hair, scraped back into a severe bun, or the firm set of her thin, straight lips, but she carried an air of unyielding sternness.

  “So we have some new students?” she said, peering down at a board she carried with her through small square glasses. “I’m not expecting any today.”

  “Did we have to tell you we were coming?” Emea asked.

  “Don’t fuss, child!” the woman answered with a touch of irritation, as if flapping at an annoying insect. “We’ll not turn you away.” She looked them up and down more closely, examining them intently over the long narrow point of her nose. “At least, not yet,” she added. Before they could ask what she meant by “not yet,” she had turned and was walking briskly back the way she came. “Follow me,” she called unctuously over her shoulder. Emea directed a wary look at Taurnil, who just shrugged, and the small party walked into the college.

  Emea and Lydia spent the next hour filling out forms for the formidable magician, whose coldness stood out in stark contrast in Gaspi’s mind to Hephistole’s almost overwhelming warmth. Jonn had already filled out Gaspi’s forms while he had been recovering, so he and Taurnil sat and chatted while the girls finished up. They discovered that Lydia and Emea would be sharing a dormitory, and that they too would be expected at class first thing the next day, but along with this good news there was something more disturbing to contemplate. The unfriendly magician, whose attitude was starting to rankle, referred to something called ‘The Test’, which she’d explained was a way of determining if they had sufficient magical talent to be trained at the college. It would take place a few weeks into their training, once they had learned to safely release a magical force; and they were dismayed to learn that, if they failed, after all they’d been through, they could still be turned away.

  Roland had helped carry their baggage to the dormitory, and had gone to seek permission to set up a circle outside the city walls. The girls settled in, then found Gaspi and Taurnil sitting on a bench at the side of the dusty quadrangle. They sat down and began to talk animatedly of the Test.

  “Well, now we know what she meant by not yet,” Gaspi said.

  Emea looked worried. “But what if we fail it?” she asked. “I mean, we know you have ability Gasp, and the same goes for you, Lydia, but we don’t really know anything about my healing gift, do we? We only have Martha’s vision to go by. I mean...what if you pass, and I don’t?”

  Gaspi put his arm round Emea. “Don’t worry, Emmy,” he said comfortingly. “I’m sure Martha was right,” he said, with more confidence than he felt.

  “Gaspi’s right,” Taurnil added. “Remember what Hahldorn said; Martha’s never been wrong. She predicted all of the disasters and troubles the village has been through, and always got it right.” Gaspi didn’t think Emea looked comforted by Taurnil’s words.

  An idea that could help encourage Emea flashed into Gaspi’s head. “Emmy, why don’t you try and do some magic now?” he said excitedly.

  Emmy looked doubtful. “But I don’t know how,” she said uncertainly.

  “Well, when I released my magic I just thought about what I wanted to happen, and sort of commanded it to happen. Maybe you should try something like that.”

  Lydia’s expression brightened. “You’re meant to be a Healer, right?” she said thoughtfully. “So maybe that’s where you should start. Gaspi has nature magic, so he can use natural forces. You’re a Healer, so you should try and heal someone.”


  Emea laughed. “Right now I don’t feel like a Healer at all,” she said, “but I’ll give it a go. Anyone sick?” she asked, with a wry smile.

  “Actually, I scraped my leg getting down from the wagon,” Taurnil said, pulling up a trouser leg to expose a small graze above his ankle.

  Emea looked at it dubiously for a moment. “Well...here goes nothing,” she said, and, hopping off the bench, she knelt in front of Taurnil and put her hands over his cut. She tried to think about Taurnil’s flesh, but her mind kept wanting to focus on how her knees were beginning to hurt, and how hungry she felt. She stayed there for a few moments, trying to imagine the damaged skin healing under her hand, but nothing was happening. A group of girls came around the corner and burst into fits of giggles as they walked past, at which point Emea jumped up, her pretty face flustered and red with embarrassment.

  “That’s it!” she stated angrily. “I’m not trying again until they teach me what to do.” She shot Gaspi an accusing glance.

  “What?” he said in an injured tone. “It was her idea too,” he accused, pointing at Lydia.

  “Charming!” Lydia said, and put her hand on Emea’s shoulder. “Don’t worry Emea,” she said. “It was a stupid idea anyway. I’m sure we’ll learn how to release our magic once we start lessons.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the college, and were amazed by its size and complexity. Just when they thought they’d explored every part of it, they would discover another secretive nook, or an archway leading to a whole new section of eclectic buildings; some grand and imposing, some cosy and cottage-like, and some piled up with unpredictable wings, corridors, towers and extensions. What amazed Gaspi most of all was that apart from the more formal section of the campus around the dormitories, there weren’t two buildings in a row that were built in the same style, and non of them matched the uniform red-stone dwellings of the outer city. Perhaps a city of magicians couldn’t resist using magic to stamp their own personalities on the campus. Or maybe they got homesick, and some of these buildings were a nostalgic reminder of how things looked back home.