Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (13 page)

             
A small gasp from Krennel revealed the High Wizard knew the language of the elves as he murmured, “Life’s Blood? How could you possibly know what the glyphs along the shaft say?” He paused trying to wrap his mind around the situation. “You created this then. Only its creator could have been told a wizard staff’s name with no prior knowledge of the ancient script.”

             
The high wizard wandered back to his seat on suddenly wobbly knees.

             
“I created it, but Bairh’loore came from more than I intended. I had meant to simply bond iron to the wood for strength.” He pointed at the gem in the metal leaves, and added, “Somehow the magic took over and called this from beneath the earth as well.”

             
The shield wall winked out without a word. Their point had obviously been made. Even the mizard was unsure how he had called the wall into being. Though fairly sure that he would be fine, the staff remained placed onto the floor where the mage could still feel the earth’s power waiting to pounce at a word.

             
In a much quieter, and Sebastian thought meeker, voice, Krennel sought to explain, “That is said to be part of a true sornfitreel. Though we’ve seen few enough, there are rumors and legends about wizard’s staves. True enchanted staves are known as sornfitreel which is elvish for magical weapon. They say true magic comes from both the wizard who invests his magic and the weapon’s true self as it manifests. While it’s not truly alive, in some ways the magic brings it almost true sentience.

             
“It’s hard to explain and mainly because there have been so few ever recorded in our world.” The high wizard paused looking unhappy in his admission, “No wizard of Southwall has ever achieved such magic and I am not sure that any have ever tried.

             
“What possessed you to try?”

             
Sebastian looked uncomfortable. Bairh’loore remained quiet in his hand as a good staff should. It wasn’t needed to protect him this time. This was a question that he had hoped to avoid answering from the battle mages, but he had never expected that a full wizard, let alone the High Wizard of Falcon’s Keep, would be asking this question of him. Unsure what he should say and even could say, the mizard thought long and hard.

             
With a sigh, he finally answered slowly, “I had noticed a direct correlation between the earth and air magic used to create lightning. Experimenting with a few different materials, I noted that using a staff would let a mage draw the energy of the earth easier than just trying to rely on his own innate power.

             
“I can’t say that I have any defined ideas to give to the wizards or battle mages at this time, so asking me further won’t have me clarifying beyond that. Perhaps if the researcher guild wanted to test out the ideas, they might give you answers sooner.”

             
Sebastian could tell that the answer was too thin for their wants, but seeing as he had already told them in no uncertain terms that he knew no more, there was little for them to say. He had been the one to figure out any part of the myth, which left them stuck in the unfamiliar position of needing to be taught by a much younger mage. Who were they to question someone who had created something thought only to be legend?

             
Lord Dorwyn recovered first. Being uninitiated to magic, the man could take what he was told and what he had seen easier. It was magic. Enough said.

             
“Aside from the new magic and staff, we are left with what to do about your actions. Unfortunately, we have only the words of the three involved and only the apprentice and the falcon know what actually started this. Even Leryn can’t say for sure, since he came after hearing the noise as did the other witnesses.

             
“Perhaps it is good that you are going on this new mission now. The apprentice and his master are remaining here and there will be plenty of time before they would ever see you again.

             
“That said, I leave you with a warning, Falcon Trillon. There has been history between you and the wizards, both good and bad. You will be traveling with both wizards from Kardor and I believe the High Wizard has a small contingent of Southwall’s wizards joining you.

             
“Falcon Markun will be lead falcon and I hope that you will try and temper your actions under him. We don’t need any further incidents especially with or in front of our northern allies.”

             
Falconi Saren added nothing except his nod of agreement, though Sebastian had a feeling the man wanted to know a lot more. Like Lord Dorwyn, Sebastian figured that the man didn’t want to reveal his true opinions in front of the group from Kardor. The lord and wizard were Southwallers, even if they weren’t battle mages, and airing dirty laundry before strangers was impermissible.

             
Eyes still delving for more information, High Wizard Krennel simply said, “There will be a pair of nature wizards and a pair of water wizards joining you. Two of them are apprentices and they need more field work under their trainers. Perhaps the mizard will learn something new on their trip as well. If he figures out more on this staff and its uses, perhaps he can relay the information back through the wizards. I believe both full wizards to be competent enough to bring back anything you might find.

             
“I hope you have good weather,” Krennel added and was standing before Lord Dorwyn had fully concluded the meeting.

             
Saren quickly followed Sebastian as he left after hiding Bairh’loore once more in the case. The lord remained staring after them shaking his head. Arbitrating between the factions caused little more than headaches and a loss of hair, he thought.

             
Trying once more to get Sebastian to tell him about the staff and what he had meant by harnessing more power, Saren remained disgruntled as the mizard refused to say more on the subject. Explaining that he knew no more still did little to make the falconi believe it was truth.

              Morning broke overcast and gray around the castle. The party gathered in the courtyard had awoken by first bell to the darkness of a winter’s morn. Breakfast had already been eaten and, despite being awake for hours, Sebastian noted that few who were up were speaking much with so gloomy a start to the day.

             
By second bell, the soldiers and mages had gathered assisting sleepy headed stable boys in the preparations of the gear and animals. The wizards waited to show themselves about the time packs and saddles were set.

             
Sebastian noted the four wizards. Three men and a young woman made up the Southwall wizards’ group. The water wizard Trenelaus sat his mare looking nearly lordly with his blond hair, pointed mustache and tight beard covering his chin just beneath his mouth. Wearing the typical blue of his order, the wizard wore pants, tightly worn cloak and coat all of blue. Simple robes would not do during a winter’s ride.

             
His brown haired apprentice wore mostly gray though the blue stripe of an apprentice water wizard found itself in various places on his uniform. Youngest of the wizards, Sebastian wondered if Barnclae was an adept caster or if the wizards simply sent their people out at younger ages.

             
The wizard Druick, a nature wizard in green was an impressively tall man, and helped his little red headed apprentice into her saddle. The girl, Nerieth, looked the most unique with a tight pair of green breeches and coat while a gray tunic belted at the waist with a stripe of green came down nearly to her knees. Sebastian guessed that it lent to a more girlish dress look while keeping the practicality of winter riding in mind.

             
It was nearly half an hour longer before Lord Romonous and his dainty daughter, Helena, finally came down followed by Deiclonus and his apprentices. They made their way into the carriage after the lord made a little speech and greeting to the assembled Southwall forces before retreating into his escape from the cold air.

             
Using the southern gate and exiting the town on the east side, Sebastian stared off towards the foothills that their path would find by the end of the day if all went as planned. With the gray sky lending a bit of an ominous feel to the beginning of this trip, Sebastian was retracing the ride he had taken nearly five months before in the much warmer fall. The mage felt like it was already a lifetime ago.

             
The first day’s travel passed calmly enough in the cold winter weather. This close to the keep, even the lands south of the wall received regular patrols. Farmers and woodsmen lived and traveled these areas where pests were much more controlled. Wolves and other wild life tended to remain up in the hills and woods of the south and east. Streams traveled through much of the area which made life easier for the animals and men alike. Woods and even forests held the lands not tamed by man and men were also sparser nearer the great wall while most animals rarely made their way towards the road.

             
Passing the time while riding, was not always easy. Sebastian noted that the Southwall wizards managed to distract their minds, however, as they made their apprentices practice small spells while on horseback. The water wizard, Barnclae, had picked up some snow early on and had worked it to water with his magic. Swirling and twisting to the teenager’s will, the water performed an intricate dance designed to hone his skills for the greater skill and power he would need for the more demanding spells of his order.

             
The pretty nature apprentice, Nerieth, played with a little marionette made of wood, except that it had no strings that could be seen. Using her magic, the girl made the figure dance on the pommel of her saddle or in her hand. Sebastian had not known that nature magic would work with such things though performing magic on living trees while riding was probably not feasible either.

             
When Nerieth wasn’t playing with the marionette, she would take a white mouse from her pocket. Sometimes the wizard would simply be talking to the creature. Other times she would enact her magic upon it such as making its hair grow or shorten.

             
It was an interesting display that often held both mage and soldier attentions alike.

             
Sidling up beside Sebastian, Rilena leaned somewhat close and asked, “Is that something that you could learn?”

             
The mizard shrugged. “Both types of magic are more intricate than they look and are merely used to train for stronger magic. The problem isn’t whether I can learn it, since they seem fairly similar to other spells I already know, but whether it’s worth investigating. A battle mage won’t have the strength for a lot of the harder spells and these aren’t necessarily a combat oriented type that would be worthwhile wasting time on for most.”

             
Looking a bit disappointed, Rilena replied, “If that’s their basic magic, wouldn’t it make sense to try and understand it? Then when they reveal the harder magic, you’ll have a better base to work from.”

             
Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t usually need to learn their magic in a certain order. I either get it or I don’t. Sometimes a new spell learned let’s me backtrack to one I couldn’t do before, but that’s usually from something I figured out about the spell that made it click in my head.

             
“Besides, both apprentices are using spells similar to what I already understand. The play with the marionette is nearly the same thing as the water dance. You’d need to harness more magic than most battle mages have, so it’s not very practical. I could do it if we weren’t on horse most likely.”

             
Looking surprised by his candor, Rilena looked speechless. Finally gathering her thoughts, dark eyes searched his face as the woman voiced her surprise, “You really think you could do both already?”

             
He nodded. “They are both similar to the lightning play. If you can do the one, it’s simply a matter of calling on the different elements. If you can’t do one element, then maybe you’d have a chance at another, but that’s about the main difference.”

             
The woman stopped to dismount and gather up a snowball in her gloved hands. Catching back up to Sebastian, she asked, “Ok, how?”

             
Chuckling, the mizard began to guide her through much the same processes as he had tried with over a dozen battle mages two days previously for the lightning dance. “First, you need figure out in your head what you wish to do with it. Second, feel for the snow. If you want it like water like Barnclae, then you’ll have to shift it in your mind from snow to water. Third, gather your power and set the spell with a word like ‘dance’.”

             
Gazing intently at the snowy sphere, Sebastian could feel the mage building her energy. He feared Rilena was about to use her magic like a hammer unfortunately which happened with most of the mages trying the extended spells. They were used to quick strong sets like their swords or air lances. To play with a dancing spell, meant that a mage needed to let go of that thinking. They needed to release their power much more gradually not in a single forceful push. Sebastian warned her quietly as she concentrated.