by Robert Beers
Ethan straightened and made a decision. He would mark this place in his memory and then push on in the direction of Cloudhook. If he found no tracks after a couple more days he'd return and start following these again, even if they turned out to not be made by Circumstance. He didn't think he'd be back this way again.
* * * *
Adam woke to soft hands caressing his cheek. Without thinking about it, he leaned into the caress and groaned with comfort.
“He's awake.” The voice was feminine and softly contralto. Adam wondered if she looked like her voice.
He opened his eyes to see a heart-shaped face framed with shoulder-length red hair. The eyes were large, deep green and adorned with long, lush lashes.
She saw him looking at her and smiled, revealing small perfect teeth. “Good morning,” she said, blushing slightly.
“Good morning,” he said, and then he remembered. “The mine! Did everyone get out ok?”
She pushed him back into bed with a small hand and another smile. He found he didn't have the strength to resist, but he felt terribly hungry.
As if anticipating his feeling, she turned and reached to the side of the bed, returning with a bowl of a savory smelling stew that she held before him. It made his mouth water.
“Everyone is just fine. Dunstle will be having headaches for a while until his skull knits, but the Lord Wizard says he should recover completely after a season.”
She spooned out some of the stew and placed it into his open mouth. “What you did was wonderful. My father is alive because of it.”
“Muuff Wabf fee?”
“What?”
Adam swallowed and tried again. “Who was he? Which one?”
She blushed slightly again, and spooned up some more stew. “Tyndale, the first one to come out. You remember, don't you? The white-haired gentleman?”
Adam nodded as he chewed. It figured, if he read these people right, the eldest miner would have been the first to be sent through to safety, there being no children in the mine.
“Ah! You're finally awake. How are you feeling, my boy?” Milward came into the room with his staff in his hand. His beard was freshly brushed, and the smell of sweet herbs entered the room with him.
Adam looked up at the Wizard and swallowed his mouthful of stew. “Hi, Milward. Right now, I feel hungry. Like I haven't eaten for days, weeks.”
Milward chuckled deep in his beard. “That's to be expected. You've been sleeping for three days, and this is the dinner hour of the third, so let's make that three and a half days.”
Adam tried to rise out of bed, but the girl placed a hand on his chest and wouldn't let him rise. He gave it up as a bad idea and fell back into the mattress.
Milward continued to chuckle. “Don't worry, lad. The village will do quite nicely without you, thank you very much. Thaylli, here, insisted on being your nurse, and I've of a mind to agree with her, so you may as well lay back and enjoy your convalescence. I would, if I were in your shoes.”
Adam had to agree the old Wizard had the right of it. He felt nearly ready to fall back to sleep after finishing the stew, and Thaylli was very easy on the eyes. There were plenty of faces he would rather not have in front of him instead of hers. He relaxed and settled into the pillow. “I suppose you're right.”
Milward huffed. “Of course I am.”
Thaylli wiped a corner of Adam's mouth with a cloth she had at hand. “The Lord Wizard is wise, you should listen to him.”
Milward glanced in her direction. “Young woman. How many times must I tell you ... Auuuggghh! I give up.” He threw his hands into the air. “I give up! These people, Adam, after thinking I was no better than a common Sorcerer, now insist on treating me as some sort of minor deity. It is becoming quite insufferable.”
Adam managed a weak smile. He could feel his eyelids growing heavier. He stifled a yawn. “If you don't mind, I think I'm going to fall asleep on you, but before I do, could you tell me how the miners fared? Did they all get out?”
Milward looked at the boy gravely, and nodded. “You saved them all, lad, and they and their families will be forever grateful for the deed. Now,” he said brusquely, “Let this part of Access,” He patted Thaylli on the shoulder. “Show her gratitude and nurse you back to strength. There's a good lad.”
Milward turned and left the room, a one-Wizard parade.
Adam looked into Thaylli's eyes. “Thank you,” he said.
Her blush was fetching, but she rallied and fluffed each side of his pillow briskly. “You rest now and call me when you wake. I'll be right outside the door.” She stood and turned to leave.
Adam's last thought before sleep overcame him was that she was awfully shapely for a girl.
He woke hungry again and was about to ask Thaylli if she could fetch him a sandwich and a pint, when he realized she was not in the room with him. Milward was there, along with two other village folk. The Wizard's face was unreadable, but the other two had the same look that Thaylli had given Milward when he visited him last.
“Your color is better, Adam. I imagine you feel you could finish off a roast pig at a sitting, yes?”
“Yes,” he said. “But I'd settle for a sandwich or two, and a pint.”
The older man of the two looked familiar to Adam. He stepped forward and pulled his floppy hat from his head. “You'll soon have that and anything else you wish, my Lord Wizard. You have enriched our poor village beyond all imaginings.”
Adam looked stunned. “Huh? Lord...? Milward, what are they talking about?”
The other man was several decades younger than the first, and much larger, nearly as burly as Nowsek but his hair was black, rather than Nowsek's rusty red. He put his hand on the older man's shoulder and spoke softly to him. “Come, Paulo, I'm sure the Wizard's have more important things to talk about than what happened at the mine.”
Paulo turned at the interruption. “Huh? Oh ... yes, quite.” He bowed to Milward and to Adam. “Sires.” He backed out of the room.
Milward's face remained unreadable.
Adam shifted in the bed. He was beginning to feel restless and even hungrier. “What did he mean; enriched? And what was that drivel about Lord Wizard? I'm no more a Lord than you are, probably less so.”
Milward thought, “Probably more so, if my guess is right.” He leaned on his staff. “Well...” He scratched his long nose. “There was a side effect I hadn't considered when I had you shape that tunnel into the mine.”
Adam didn't like the sound of that, but the villagers didn't seem angry with him, quite the opposite, in fact. “What happened?”
Milward looked at him with his head tilted. “What do you know about physics?”
“Huh?”
A sigh. “I might have guessed. It's good thing you're going to live a Wizard's lifetime, lad. You have a lot to learn. Do you know what happens to coal when it is put under tremendous heat and pressure all at once?”
“No.” The answer was cautious.
Milward leaned forward, his eyes flashing. “It turns into diamond! You, without meaning to, I am sure, have given the village of Access the only coal mine in the entire world with a diamond-lined entrance. The thing couldn't collapse now if we set another mountain on top of it.”
Adam felt a little green around the gills, “Diamond?” He said weakly.
“That's what I said. This village will want for nothing from now on, if they can keep their new wealth's origin a secret.”
“I made diamonds?”
Milward frowned. “You keep repeating yourself, and I'll have to examine you for early senility.”
Adam shook off the vision of a diamond tunnel and brought himself back to the present. “Sorry. It's a lot to swallow all at once. What is it with this Lord Wizard title they called me?”
“At least I don't have to be the only one having to put up with that. The people of this village, along with most of the small towns and villages in the East, have a somewhat skewed view of the world of magik. The Eas
t was hit the hardest during the war, and was, in fact, ruled by Sorcery for a couple of hundred years. Their historical picture of a wielder of magik is a bit different from what the West has known.
“My name became linked as one of the mighty during those centuries. I suppose it has been passed down to this day as a name to be feared.” He sighed. “I'd have preferred a warm fire and a hot bowl of stew.”
The mention of stew reminded Adam of his stomach and its demanding nature at the moment. He brought Milward out of his reverie. “Speaking of stew...” His stomach rumbled on cue.
“What? Oh, oh, yes. You must be starving.” The Wizard rose from his perch on the foot of Adam's bed and pulled open the door to the bedroom. “Food! Bring food now!”
The staff obeyed Milward's bellowed order with alacrity. Soon, Adam found himself facing a platter overflowing with sliced meats, steaming potatoes and crisp vegetables covered with a tangy white dressing that smelled of aged cheese.
Milward left while Adam was focused solely on eating. When he came up for air he noticed Thaylli. She was leaning against the wall of his room, wearing an amused half-smile.
He swallowed and reached for the mug of cider that had been brought in with the platter. “How long have you been there?”
Her smile broadened. “Long enough to see you down enough food to feed both of my brothers, and you're only half their size.”
“I was hungry.” He pleaded his case.
She suddenly sobered. “I imagine so. The Lord Wizard says you lifted the entire top of the mountain all by yourself, and you would have to eat a lot to recover your strength.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “How can you be so strong? You're nowhere near the size of my brothers, and they couldn't shift one of those stones working together.”
He swallowed some more cider. “I really don't know why. I suppose it has something to do with the Wizard powers I'm developing.”
Thaylli blinked. “Developing? You did that? And your powers are just developing?”
Adam looked at her strangely, saying nothing.
“What? Why are you looking at me that way?”
He blinked. “Oh, nothing. It's just for a moment there you reminded me of Milward.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Well, thank you very much. That's the best compliment I've had all day.”
His grimaced. “Sorry. What I meant by that was that Milward looks at me sometimes with the very same expression you just used. Especially when we talk about what I'm supposed to be learning.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm. An apprentice Wizard with the strength of a master Mage, and you wonder why he looks at you funny.”
Adam's mouth twitched in a wry grin. “I see your point.”
He levered himself up onto his elbows and lifted the now-empty tray onto the side table. “Do you think it would be okay if I got up and walked some? I'm getting sick of just laying around.”
Thaylli moved from the foot of the bed around to Adam's side. “That's why I'm here. The Lord Wizard says you need to get your blood moving again. Your days of sloth are over.”
Adam took Thaylli's hand and allowed her to help him into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, taking care to make sure the nightshirt did not rise to an embarrassing level.
He put his feet on the floor and transferred weight to his legs gingerly. They seemed solid enough, and he stood upright with a sigh. “Ahhh. That feels good.”
Thaylli eyed him critically. “Yes ... I imagine it does. I'll let you get dressed, unless you think you need some help...”
“No! No, I'll be all right.” Adam reached for his trousers that hung over the back of the chair next to the window.
She moved to the door. “Very well. I'll be right outside the door if you need me.” She closed the door.
Adam rushed into his clothes. The thought of her opening the door at an inopportune moment lent wings to his movements. She was an interesting contrast to the others he'd met. They treated him as if he were a not quite tamed jungle animal liable to rip their throats out at any moment. Thaylli, on the other hand, seemed to be less interested in what he could do than in how he did. She was certainly easy to look at, he thought. They could have given me a nurse with the face of a wild boar and a disposition to match.
A knock sounded on the door. “Are you all right?” Thaylli's voice came from the other side.
Adam worked at the frogs on his jacket. “Almost done. You can open the door if you want.”
She opened the door. Behind her, in the hallway, stood a young man half again taller than Adam and muscled like a gladiator. Thaylli saw his glance and turned to indicate the young giant. “This is Moen, he's one of my brothers. I asked him to come along with us for your walk.”
Moen looked like he would gladly be anywhere else.
Adam was beginning to get a picture of Thaylli. Her mother probably ran the household with an iron hand wrapped in velvet and most likely raised Thaylli to do the same. He was Thaylli's accepted charge, and she was going to have someone help him, regardless of how they felt about being in the presence of a Wizard.
Adam held out his hand to Moen. “Hello. I'm called Adam. I'm pleased to have you along.”
Moen looked at the hand as if it could turn into a viper at any moment.
Thaylli buried an elbow into his side. To his credit he merely grunted. “Oh, come on, Moen. He's not going to turn you to a statue or some such. Take his hand.”
Moen swallowed and took Adam's hand. His grip was strong and sure, in spite of his obvious nervousness. “Well met, sire Adam. Thaylli says you are the reason our Da is alive this day; I thank you for that.”
“I'm just glad I could help. Milward guided me through it. He's really the one responsible, I just followed his instructions.”
Moen grunted. “A humble Wizard? This is a season of wonders, Thaylli. I begin to see the wisdom of your choice.”
Adam wasn't sure he liked the portents in that statement, but held his tongue. “Can we go outside? I'd like to have some open air above me. All of a sudden, I'm feeling like a caged animal.”
Moen threw back his head and barked out a laugh.
Thaylli threw him a quick glare that Adam missed. She took Adam's arm and led him down the hallway. The great room of the Inn was filled with villagers. Most of the men had a tankard in their hand, and some of the women, as well. Milward was deep in conversation with Westcott, Nowsek and Tyndale, Thaylli's father. Everyone looked up when he and Thaylli hit the top of the stairs.
Milward rose to his feet. “Finally! I was beginning to think you'd taken on the trait of the Bear and decided to hibernate the winter away.”
Nervous laughter tittered through the room. Westcott pushed his way though the crowd to meet them at the foot of the stairs. “We have a custom in our village, sire Adam. When one performs a service to our community, such as what you have done, those who have benefited from the deed honor them with gifts of thanks. Since the entire village has done so...” He spread his hands.
Milward sidled up to Adam's side, and spoke to him out of the corner of his mouth, sotto voice, “Just accept it all as it comes, lad, it's the best thing you can do now. Be your natural humble self later.”
The next hour or so became a blur to Adam, as each of the villagers came up to him in turn. Thaylli and Moen stood behind him. Milward kept his place off to the side, again beaming like a proud parent.
Each of the villagers had something to present him. For some, it was an article of knitwear. For others, a carving made with loving detail. Some presented him with a baked pie or a cured ham. No one left without placing something at his feet, and all of them looked as though they were in the presence of royalty. Near the end of it, he had a building desire to climb the stairs back to his room and bolt the door. The attention made him extremely uncomfortable, and he did not feel worthy of it at all.
He told Thaylli so, after the crowd had dispersed and the great room was near
ly empty.
Moen grunted. It seemed to be his favorite expression. “Better and better. I am coming to like you, sire Wizard Adam.”
Thaylli glared at Moen.
Adam looked at the pile of gifts. They filled the floor and two tables next to where he stood. “Where am I going to put all this stuff? There's no possible way I can fit it into the room.”
Thaylli picked up one of the pies. “I'm sure sire Westcott will gladly store the food for you.”
Adam looked at Westcott. “Will you?”
Westcott looked at the pile. He seemed to be counting. “Oh, I'm sure we can work something out.”
“Sire Westcott!” Thaylli was outraged.
He held a forestalling hand up between the girl and himself. “Just having a bit of fun, lass. Nowsek himself would string me up by my figgin if I so much as charged our young hero a copper twit for the deed. Maibell hasn't let Petron out of her sight since he came out of that mine, and she makes sure to let her husband know who opened it up. Daily, from what he tells me.”
He looked at Adam, his usual sardonic expression gone. “You've done a great service for this town, young man, and I thank you for that. Those were both my friends and family in there, but what I want to thank you for even more than that is the way you carried yourself just now. A lot of folk in your position would take these gifts as their just due. If I read you right, you're more embarrassed than anything else, eh?”
Adam nodded.
Westcott nodded in return. “Thought so. That's why you deserve it and they don't.”
Thaylli tugged at Adam's arm. “Time for your walk. Come with us, Moen.”
Milward turned to Westcott as they left the room. “I'll have another of those nut brown ales, if you've any left.”
Westcott pulled the handle behind the bar. “I've some left, Wizard. Mind if I join you?”
Milward picked up a nibblet from a tray on the counter and chewed it. “Not at all, innkeeper. Not at all.”
They picked up their mugs, and nodded to each other in a silent toast, and then drained half the mug in a long pull.