The Princess and the Apprentice

by Roland Boykin

  He levered himself up off the floor of the cavern and turned away from the group, calling back over his shoulder. “I have alwaysss been and shall alwaysss be sssimply Broco the Black. Come, I will lead you through to the cavern opening ssso you may continue on your journey.”

  Aldan and the others followed closely, careful to avoid the swinging tail. The iron chain attached to the dragon’s leg gave testament that he was just as much a prisoner as a guardian. The list of questions continued to grow in the back of Aldan’s mind. Who was the spirit in the mountain? Was the staff real? Why was the dragon chained? Foremost among them was whether or not the dragon would be willing to answer.

  Broco halted and moved to one side allowing the humans passage to the opening of the cavern. The tightness of the chain indicated this was his limit. The first glow of dawn lightened the sky to the east and the fresh scent of an overnight rain filled the air. He lifted his head and stared off into the distance for a moment before lowering it to address the group, regret heavy on his voice.

  “I mussst not be here when the sssun breaksss the horizon. I underssstand that you have many questionsss but you will have to find your own anssswersss. There isss a path that leadsss down into the valley below and a road that will take you to the nearessst village. There are ssseveral familiesss in the valley who sssurvive asss bessst they may. Beware the band of outlawsss who control the road at the end of the valley. Sssafe journey to all.”

  The companions watched in silence as the dragon disappeared into the cavern. As one, they turned back to gaze down at the barely discernible valley below. How far would they have to travel before they reached the end of the road? Aldan and Odessa shared an uneasy look, questions arising from the words of the dragon.

  Breathing deeply, they filled lungs and spirits with the cool, moisture laden air. The two guardsmen stood taller, knowing they were back in familiar territory that they were trained to handle, the veteran good-naturedly chiding his young partner over his reaction to the dragon. The Princess pulled a small towel from her pack, dipped it in a pool of rain water and began washing her face and hands. Aldan gazed in awe at the staff in his hand. It was a good day to start a new chapter in the book of his life.

  * * *

  From the shadows of the cavern, two figures watched in companionable silence as the four young humans descended into the valley below.

  The spirit of a man gazed with sadness and remorse at the emaciated body of his oldest and truest friend. “Will he come back?”

  “He will, if he isss the one.”

  “Nice illusion by the way. You fooled them completely.”

  Broco shrugged a bony shoulder in reply. “It isss easssy to cassst an image of my former magnificence. Now, if I had wanted to look like a toad, that would have been difficult.”

  A sad chuckle escaped the lips of the spirit. “As time passes, my old friend, I regret more and more the decision I made so long ago. Even though you may have forgiven me, I may not ever be able to forgive myself.”

  “It wasss necesssary.”

  “Yes, but was it right?”

  Broco snorted twin puffs of smoke from his nostrils as he turned and began the slow journey back to the wall of the citadel, “Bah! You humansss, alwaysss worrying about thingsss that cannot be changed.”

  He snorted again, this time emitting a small flame that caused the spirit to look up at his guardian and friend.

  “What?”

  “One thing could have ruined the illusssion. I’d almossst forgotten how to breathe fire.”

  The spirit laughed out loud in spite of himself as he passed through the blank wall into the citadel.

  * * *

  By unspoken agreement, the four companions stepped off of the ledge and proceeded to follow the path down, Jon leading the way while Derek brought up the rear. Both fighters were careful to make sure the sacks of provisions didn’t interfere with their ability to draw swords if the need arose.

  At this level, the path was little more than a deer trail that quickly descended into the dark forest below, obscuring their view of the valley. As long as the path continued downward, there was no reason to doubt they were headed in the right direction. The gloom of early morning gave way to the rays of sun that slanted through the tall evergreens and illuminated the lush vegetation on either side of the path. The sun also started a symphony of sounds from the forest around them.

  Aldan, unfamiliar with the forest, jumped every time they flushed a bird out of the bushes and worried over every strange sound. His earlier bravado had abandoned him and the staff became no more than an aid to walking. His unease prompted him to call ahead, “Jon, is there any danger here we should be aware of?”

  “It is possible we may chance upon a stray wolf or bear, but these woods appear fairly tame. Listen to the birds, my lord. They will recognize danger much sooner than us and grow silent. If the forest suddenly becomes quiet, stop where you are and make no sound. My sense is that the only danger here will come from those who walk on two legs.”

  “Thank you Jon, but there is no reason to address me as ‘my lord’. If there is any royal blood in my family, I am not aware of it. Aldan is my name.”

  The old guardsman glanced back at him and nodded, but did not reply.

  As they continued in silence, Aldan compared the plants and trees around them to descriptions he had read in his mentor’s library. It was a matter of pride to be able to identify everything he saw. The few birds and small animals he observed brought up images in his mind from those books. It comforted him to be able to identify such things as being no different than what was on the other side of the mountain. After their trek through the citadel, he’d harbored a slight fear that the land here would be completely different from their own.

  They all heard a noise up ahead and stopped at the point where the path dropped sharply. Jon motioned for everyone to duck down as he carefully set down his sack, inched slowly ahead and disappeared around a bend in the path. He returned a moment later and gathered them together.

  “There is a small cart path up ahead. The noise we heard was a man leading a cart with two children inside. Probably a local wood cutter headed out looking for deadfall, and the children will search the forest for whatever they can use. I suggest we try to find his home and ask the Goodwife’s permission to rest in their barn.”

  No one voiced an objection, the weight of their fatigue being the deciding factor. Jon nodded tiredly and turned to lead them down to the path. Once there, they headed in the opposite direction of the wood cutter, the cart tracks fresh enough to easily lead them back to the family’s farm.

  The wider path allowed Aldan to walk alongside Odessa. Even though it had been a pleasurable experience observing the graceful movements of her lithe form from behind, he was worried. Not a single word had passed her lips since exiting the citadel.

  “You have been uncommonly quiet, Princess. Please share your thoughts with me.”

  Odessa peered up into his face as if searching for something. She shook her head and returned to staring straight ahead before answering. “You show up in my home and one of the men I have always regarded as a favorite uncle, welcomes you like an old friend and hands over a book I never knew existed. Shortly thereafter, he is dead and the castle is under attack. I am forced to flee in your company, leaving my father alone to face the possibility of his own death. Supposedly only an apprentice, you are able to enter and safely lead us through a place out of legend and then be greeted by a mythical creature who commands me to keep you at my side.”

  By this time, they both had stopped and she stared deep into his eyes, suspicion clearly written on her face.

  “Who are you, Aldan Beaverson?”

  Chapter Five ~Cottage in the Woods

  Jon continued up the path a short distance before noticing that the others had stopped. He back tracked to find the Princess and Derek both staring at Aldan. He waited a moment while Aldan’s mouth opened and closed several times without
a single word being spoken.

  “The cart tracks leave the path a short distance up ahead. Forgive me, your Highness, but I feel it would be safer for you if your true identity be kept a secret. I also have no wish to cause the family any distress by having a soldier in an un-familiar uniform knock at their door.”

  Odessa reluctantly tore her gaze away from the apprentice and fixed it on the guardsman. “I doubt my identity would have any impact on these people, Jon, but I see your point. Since Master Beaverson has been doing such an admirable job, we should continue to let him lead and see where it takes us.”

  Unable to bear the accusation in her eyes, Aldan wheeled and led them to the point where it was obvious even to him that the tracks left the path. The other three companions caught up and followed him into the forest.

  Jon could sense that something was not right between the apprentice and his princess and glanced at his fellow guardsman, who only shrugged, unable to answer the unspoken question. Jon had pledged his life to his princess, but the young apprentice had also gained his respect. He prayed he would never have to choose between them.

  A short distance from the path, a large cleared area in the forest opened up. In the center stood a small cottage with a barn and fenced area to one side. A large garden filled with green plants at various stages of growth lay on the other side. A wisp of smoke curled up from the rock chimney, while several scrawny chickens scratched and pecked in the dirt out front.

  Two small children sprang up from where they were weeding in the garden and scampered into the house. They soon returned, hiding behind their mother’s skirts as she stepped through the front door onto the porch. After drying her hands on her apron, she attempted to tuck several loose strands of slightly graying hair back into the bun on her head.

  The companions stopped a respectful distance from the cottage and assumed what they thought would be a non-threatening pose. Aldan stepped forward and bowed to the familiar looking goodwife, the staff preventing him from falling flat on his face. “Forgive us, my lady. We have been traveling all night and only wish the use of your barn for awhile so we may rest.”

  The goodwife snorted as she stepped down from the porch and approached scrutinizing the companions. “My lady, is it? You just keep that silver tongue to yourself, young mage. I would have guessed you were still young enough to be an apprentice, but you hold the staff of a mage.” She then ignored Aldan and stood before Odessa, hands on her hips. She reached out and gently lifted the Princesses head to gaze into her eyes. “Now this one deserves to be addressed as ‘my lady’. By the pain of loss and betrayal I see in your eyes, you are all that is left of your family and these brave young men have sworn to protect you.”

  Shouldering young Derek aside, she wrapped an arm around Odessa and steered her toward the cottage. “Come dear one. The men can take care of themselves while I offer you what comforts I have. After you have rested awhile, we will talk.”

  Aldan and the guardsmen watched in stunned silence as the goodwife took over and led their princess away, until she turned and motioned toward the barn. “Shoo! Off with you now. I will take good care of your princess until my man returns, and then you may join us.”

  Fatigue and Odessa’s unspoken accusations combined to cloud Aldan’s thoughts as he stumbled toward the barn. None of the things that had happened were his fault, were they? He had sworn to protect the Princess and that’s what he’d been doing. Why did he care so much what she thought of him anyway? He lay down on the first patch of hay just inside the barn, his last thought that he was missing something important.

  Aldan woke hours later at the sound of the woodcutter going about his chores. An impressive stack of split wood, that he had missed earlier, lined one entire wall with the two wheeled cart parked carefully to one side. The sound of a large animal rolling in the dirt and standing with a snort penetrated the wall of the barn.

  The sights and sounds of the domestic scene enveloped Aldan in the vain hope that he had experienced a terrible nightmare. A dry, dusty chuckle that could only have originated from the Tome of Magic echoed in his head as a brief flare of blue light from the staff shattered his hopes. Tempted to close his eyes and drift back into oblivion, he raised his head instead to greet the approaching woodcutter.

  “I am not as charitable as my wife,” he announced in a voice used to giving orders. “I expect you boys to work for the privilege of sleeping in my barn. Now, one of you see to the care of my horse while the others help me position the logs I brought home so they can be cut and split.”

  Jon sprang up from the pile of hay he’d been sleeping on and extended a hand to the man. “And a privilege it was, Master Woodcutter. Reminded me of my younger days. Jon is the name and my partner here is Derek.” Pointing to Aldan who still sat on the floor of the barn, he continued. “Our young bleary eyed mage, who has probably never slept in a barn before, goes by the name of Aldan.”

  After shaking hands, including Aldan’s, who by this time had scrambled to his feet, the woodcutter introduced himself. “Folks ‘round here call me Braun. Now the sooner we finish the chores, the sooner you can entertain us with the story of how a princess, a mage and two guardsmen ended up in my home.”

  Jon left to care for the horse while Aldan and Derek followed Braun out to the opposite side of the barn where a pile of logs lay on the ground. Next to them stood a rack, that Braun called a sawhorse, with a chopping block to one side. Considering the fact that Braun had loaded and un-loaded the logs by himself, it was obvious he didn’t really need their help, but gave them the opportunity to repay him for his hospitality.

  The entire time they worked, Aldan became more convinced that he knew this man from somewhere. That conviction did nothing to calm his inner turmoil over Odessa’s suspicions. How was he to answer her and try to explain himself? He didn’t understand what had been happening anymore than she did. Her opinion of him meant more than he cared to admit.

  With Jon’s help they soon had the pile of logs cut, split and stacked inside the barn. Braun led them over to a large water trough with several towels hanging close by. “Make sure you wash your hands and face and wipe your feet before entering the house. My wife will not tolerate dirt on anyone at her table.”

  Aldan lagged behind the others and was the last to enter the house, running into Derek who had stopped just inside the door. As Derek moved to one side, Aldan puzzled over why everything suddenly felt different. A second sight superimposed itself over the scene before him, threatening to pull his eyes in two different directions. The image of a family gathered around a table with a small pot of stew in the center slowly merged into the real table as his hearing and sight returned to normal.

  Odessa moved to stand between Aldan and the table, where she could watch his expression. “Goodwife Monica just related a very interesting story. They had reached the end of their stores when miraculously; packages of food began appearing on their table. But the really interesting thing is that this happened two days ago. What does our mage have to say about that?”

  Drawing a ragged breath as his lungs reminded him of the need to breathe, Aldan whispered, “Two days?”

  Odessa now stood only inches away, and the need in her eyes tugged at the strings of the deepest part of his soul; her need to understand, to believe and to trust. He did the only thing that made any sense. Aldan leaned down and gently placed a soft kiss on her waiting lips. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable slap, but it never arrived. He opened his eyes as she leaned her head against his chest and put her arms around him.

  “Truly a miracle, Princess.”

  Chapter Six ~Revelations

  King Romar fumed as he strode along the halls of the old castle, leaving his personal guard hard pressed to keep up. He would rather be alone with his thoughts, but something or someone had thwarted nearly every one of his plans and he was not fool enough to search these halls without extra protection. If his search proved unsuccessful, then this had been a terrible
waste of time and the unfortunate death of the old king. He must find the Tome of Magic, as it held the spell to enter the Citadel of Oron.

  Immediately upon securing the castle, King Romar sent his troops searching for the Princess and Mage Ryecliff, both of whom were supposed to have been subdued and captured by the demons he had sent. The mage was soon found, but he had been dead for some time. Romar personally inspected the Mage’s rooms and detected the faint traces of his demons. Apparently the old mage had been successful in defeating the two granmory, only to succumb to a failed heart. Another waste.

  His troops reported the discovery of the princess’s rooms, and King Romar hurried there hoping to find some answers. What he found was nothing. No princess and no trace whatsoever of his krindar, which he had always thought was impossible. According to his old mentor, demons could only be summoned from the astral plane where they existed and then banished back to that realm. They could not be destroyed, so this meant he had five unaccounted for.

  The arms-master, who had been given charge of the new troops, approached and bowed to the king. “Your Highness. After a thorough search, all the guardsman and servants, including the Chamberlain, who was hiding under his bed, have been gathered in the Grand Room.”

  “Very well, Gregory. If there are answers to be found, the servants will have them. Lead on.”

  After several steps, the unmistakable disturbance in the ether resulting from a banished krindar penetrated his heightened senses. The disturbance was concentrated outside of the door to one of the many suites in this wing of the castle. Without hesitation, Romar opened the door and detected another disturbance. Well, this accounted for two of his missing demons.

  A quick survey of the rooms revealed that the last occupant had not been there long enough to use the bedroom, but had shared a meal with someone. The delicate scent of perfume indicated the presence of the Princess not long ago. A disruption in the natural flow of magic energies inside the room pointed to the possibility of another mage.