Border wars book nine of.., p.4
Border Wars: Book Nine of Crystals of Memory, page 4
“Arise! The sun is up and it is time to travel! From your beds be you all! Awaken!”
It took a bit of work, but inside ten minutes of that, everyone was showing up outside, ready for the day. They were fed there at the unnamed inn, a simple meal, since fruit and flatbread could be eaten as they moved on the road. Even while walking. Instead of telling people what efforts to take, Anders looked around and then waved at the smallest boy there.
“What task are you taking for the morning, Prince Roald?”
Then he looked at Princess Sabine.
“He’s older, so gets to pick first. Today. Tomorrow you get first choice.”
They didn’t have a lot to select from, as for real work, on the road. Learning would be a good idea, though they could do that in the evenings, too, for a while, to press everyone to speedier memorization skills.
Thinking of that reminded him of something.
He owed Ezola some coin. A hundred silver would make for a heavy purse. That was also ten gold, which would be lighter. She’d clearly, and honestly defeated the three-minute mark he’d set her however. By the end she’d matched everyone else at a single minute.
He teared up, a tiny bit, thinking about it. Feeling proud. Of everyone. Even Ezola, which was an idea he hadn’t been ready to understand before that very moment.
Roald, instead of acting too good to work, even if his entire life should have informed him of that lofty state of being, sighed. Looking away at the side of the road.
Then took the hardest task they had at the moment.
“I can walk, smooth and harden the road... I’m not fast. Walking. I don’t think I can run all the way to the military base. We’ll get there in some hours, you think, Prince Andros?”
Even walking, that was most likely to be the case. If they had horses and wagons it might have been slightly faster. Not much, however. Wagons moved at about walking pace, for a grown man. The boy hadn’t been walking much yet, however.
Anders nodded.
“That will work. At each stop come to me and I’ll heal your feet and legs, so you won’t have to be too sore as you work. We need to keep up a good pace. Not running, though. A boy’s quick pace.” He wasn’t certain this boy could manage even that, being used to a softer life in a palace. Then, Anders could, and he wasn’t exactly coming from a life that had hardened him that much, either.
Roald, simply gave a nod. It felt firm. Adult. Out of place, and not, at the same time.
“Thank you, Prince Andros. That healing will make this a lot easier. I’ll try not to fail.”
Those words of self-doubt were waved away. As the boy tightened, expecting a fight, it seemed, Anders shook his head.
“You will hold fast and do mighty levels of work. I have total faith in you in this. What we need though is... Mage Kip! Over here!”
The man, in red and brown leather walking robes, the kind that had trousers, which were loose enough to trick the eye into thinking it a true robe, be cool and stay out of the way, being attached at the ankle as they were, ran over.
“Yes, Anders Sona?”
“Prince Roald is doing the road work this morning. I’d like you to stand with him, as guard. It shouldn’t be hard, but keep an eye out for anything strange?”
The young man, shorter than Anders was, and nearly as thin, gave a sharp look at Roald, then smiled.
“It will be done.”
Anders left them then, walking back in the line, as everyone got ready for the day.
“Ready to move when you give the word, Kip!”
“Ready and... Move to the east! Move to the east!”
They did, walking at a pleasant, but real enough pace. Dropping back, he waved to Mary, who was over by Ezola, and then noticed that Naveed was walking that day. Seeking to learn part of his lessons as they moved. Doing the harder task first as an example to them all. Walden was next to him, as a guard. Niven was inside the coach, with Sabine, who looked slightly annoyed when she glanced at him through the window.
The feeling from her was powerful, and indicated that he’d chosen Roald over her, for some reason. Even if she was good at magic, too. Then, she was also the youngest person there, so, while not fair, she did expect such slights to come occasionally. That made it easier to understand for her, at least.
Which simply wasn’t the plan for the day.
“Mary, you’re in charge. That means walking, so that we can put Ezola in the coach here without stressing Juniper too much. Each of you will be responsible for using wizard skills to watch for any threat, emergency or even random happenstance that may impact our travel or safety. I want at least one of you doing that at all times, for the day. Preferably two, so work out the best pattern for that. Mary, you have to do it while you walk.” He grinned. “Niven, you have the next round for that. Pay attention and work on your skills, constantly.”
Then he moved away, allowing them to actually do it. Hoping that Ezola wouldn’t be too harsh with the younger people there. Her tongue was sharp, and her anger quick. At least it had been for some time. That day, even if he risked taking a peek with his mind, he did other work. Mainly catching up with his correspondence, since other than letting everyone know that they’d won the fight that had come and taken no human deaths, he hadn’t spoken to anyone.
Which was rude of him.
First, he thought for a moment, then cast his mind out, before simply speaking inside anyone’s ear. Some would be sleeping, after all. Even if he’d been up and moving for an hour by that time. Less than that, he knew. His life simply moved at good pace, early in the day.
That meant waiting, of course. No one was even breaking their fast and simply talking to them as a fellow wasn’t a good enough reason to interrupt their daily routine. Not that much, at least.
Of interest, he noticed that Eltha Tennet was awake and aware of him touching her mind, even if she was at an early table herself. Drinking tea that she left unsweetened, from what he could determine.
So he cast the far speaking spell, without the potentially annoying visual component and then spoke, out loud. Everyone could hear him do it. Then, as strange as it might seem, they also understood the point of it. He spoke, in Modroc, of course. Which would hide nothing, from most of the people there.
“Good morning, Eltha! This is Anders. How is everything going?”
“Ah! I knew I felt watched. Things are going well here. I’m considering going back to Barquea, to marry, soon. That’s nerve wracking, you know that? We’re, the troupe and myself, we’re staying near the border, so that I can defend it, if need comes. Which, given the last time that happened, with me nearly dying, doesn’t bode well. Currently everything is quiet here.”
He sighed.
“We had an attack on our journey. Two hundred bandits and a magic user of some sort. Probably a Natech Shaman, if they have that title. A single spell nearly wiped us out. We, the people, all lived. We’re down to only three horses, a wagon and a single coach. We should reach the outer military camp today, at about noon or slightly before.” He stopped then and smiled. “Oh! Naveed is with us. Walking and learning magic as he does it. So, you can meet up with him, when the time is correct for that? Which... I do understand. That would stress my nerves as well.”
Eltha chuckled at the jest, even if it was still filled with truth.
Chapter three
“How dare you!” The voice yelling was female. Shrill and harsh sounding, as well. “He’s Prince of Barquea!”
Anders hurried forward, having been considering how to best run a high intensity learning session later that day, if they had time away from the needs of battle. The sound, oddly enough wasn’t coming from Ezola at all. No, it was Salina who was calling out. Berating a rather small seeming Kip at the moment. Still, wincing and seeming ready to be beaten, the boy was standing in front of her, as she tried to grab young Roald by the arm, pulling him away.
Anders could see it, he thought. The reason for her abrupt and angry action of the moment. The child was sweating, being covered with liquid. Indeed his shirt was changing colors from it. At the same time he was sucking in air fairly hard. Anders checked him, to find that his feet weren’t causing him pain. It was simply that his current use of magic was too sloppy, really.
At the same time, the boy was walking, not stopping in his work. Even when his arm was taken firmly. Soldiering forward, as was his task to do that morning. Plus, looking ahead, with his own eyes, Anders noticed that the military camp, on the edge of the jungle, was there. In the distance, but no more than a mile and a half away.
Waving his right hand, he tried to get Salina’s attention. That worked, though it came with a scowl. True anger.
“This... beast is forcing a little child to slave for him!” She waved at the junior prince, to show what she was speaking about.
Anders shook his head.
“No. Roald selected the duty for the morning. He’s accomplishing it as well and we’re nearly to the camp. It would be insulting to him to replace him now. Though, when we get closer, Mage Kip, if you could see to his outfit for him? Remove the sweat and so forth?”
Then he turned, leaving the situation no more resolved than it had been. Counting on, praying, that Salina would understand his point. That the boy had taken on the duty of an adult and needed to see it through if at all possible. That it could harm his progress, if they coddled him too much.
Thankfully, instead of grabbing the boy away, a troubled seeming Salina came back down the line, to glare at Anders for a while. That was much better. They were far enough back, away from everyone except Depak and Gull, so he simply accepted that they’d hear his words.
“He’s not harming himself. I have the new healing spell on him, working constantly. This is trying for him, but only that. Nothing that you and I both haven’t done, many times. He’s magically strong, too. Not in your range, but he’s going to be able to match me, with practice. Possibly do more than that.”
He still expected screaming and nearly had it, it seemed. Until Salina shook her head and looked away. Then down at her feet.
“I... Know. It isn’t even that he’s working hard. Some sweating and putting in hard effort could be an amusement for one of us others, except that... He’s a child.”
“Yes.” It was the truth. Possibly enough of a point to have Anders taken to task for allowing such effort from him.
She snorted then.
“No, you don’t understand. Of course you don’t. You freely pass out magical powers to any who will stand still long enough. I spent nearly ten years working on magic and only learned fifty spell parts the whole time. Twenty of those weren’t well committed to memory, either, if I’m being honest. And here is a mere child doing something that no one had even tried before a few years ago. I do want to protect him. That... it isn’t the only matter here. I’m jealous. Afraid, too. He’s going to be better than I am, in the long run. Magic and being pretty are the only things that make me special at all.”
Except that wasn’t the truth.
Anders nodded, though.
“You’ve gone to war, which is rare for a princess. You’re also well-traveled. On top of that, you have a head start and can already learn a new spell piece in less than a moment. True, so can the children, so we can’t let dust settle on our heads, but we have a chance, if we keep working regularly. As for them growing to be better than we are, great beings of grand stature, well, that’s the hope we must all possess for those who come after us, is it not?”
The woman sighed, seeming slightly saddened.
“I know. I truly understand all of that. It still doesn’t take the sting out of it. Worse, I know that I’m being awful, even thinking that sort of thing. I don’t believe I’m a very good person, truly.”
Anders let his lips twist, just a little.
“Then become better? It’s all that we can really do, when such fears come upon us. What we all must work toward. I know that I have to, at least. Almost every day, often at every single turn, if that aids you in feeling better. We all must strive for that, without end, I fear.” He left off the other part, that they probably wouldn’t succeed, either.
Few ever truly did manage to be truly good. Not for most of a life.
Depak didn’t speak up. Gull simply looked sad.
Anders patted her on the back though, not letting himself be too close to her. That would be improper and possibly unwelcome. She was engaged, after all. Still, she didn’t dash his hand away, just shaking her head.
“I’ll do better. Maybe I’ll make a spell for that? To make myself a better person as you mentioned. We rarely have worked with mental influence, have you noticed that?”
Anders had. He understood some small portion of that basic skill and had read on the topic. Still, he hadn’t made a point of pursuing the craft at all.
Instead of suggesting anything useful, hints or tricks, he took a moment and gave her a grin.
“You could specialize in that area, perhaps?”
There was an eyeroll in return to his excellent idea.
“Only I don’t know much about the idea at all. I can, I think, perhaps suggest a person feel a certain way. I’d need to map that out first. Then, I guess I could... I don’t know. Tie specific thoughts or knowledge to a spell. That won’t be very complex, will it?”
After a moment, Depak cleared his throat.
“I’ve seen people driven mad, using less complex mind magic than that. It will take some study, to master, of course.” There was a considering expression on his face. A touch to his chin and a glance at Salina.
Then he dropped the topic. Changing it.
“We should be at the military compound in less than an hour. We’re traveling slightly slowly today, I noticed?”
Anders shrugged. The man knew why that was, meaning that the idea was to either take Anders to task, more gently, for the same idea that Salina had or simply distract from the current conversation. The one about using magic to control minds. It could be either one, of course.
Depak Sona had to know how to influence thoughts, after all. It was, however, a thing that Anders had never actually noticed the man doing. Not directly. Then, it hadn’t truly come up for himself, either. He’d had it happen to him, from others, a few times, so he understood the concept. It was an idea to approach later, if the man wasn’t going to simply forbid the practice for Salina.
So, instead of preparing for a battle, Anders nodded.
“Prince Roald has chosen to firm our path for us today. His legs are still a trifle short, which isn’t a personal failing, slow speed at the moment or not. He’s doing good work, magically speaking. I asked what he had planned for today. It was this.” There was a soft smile and a light shrug to go with the words.
Depak beamed.
“Ah! I’d thought I’d heard that. Wonderful! You plan to have him and Princess Sabine work that for us, for the rest of the journey?”
The man seemed leading. As if that, placing the children to regular brutal labor, was the best plan.
Salina looked down, angry at the words. Holding her tongue, which showed a lot of growth on her part. Not that it would save Anders, or apparently, Kip, if she felt the need to take them to task. Depak Sona, at least had some tiny protection from the sharp words she used in her own form of combat. That day at least.
Still, he shook his head.
“Not alone. We want to push them, but not brutally. I was thinking that we’d offer them choices, as to what to do, so they can work, while also trying different things. True, we’re riding toward a war but neither of them is a war mage as of yet. Not even in training for that. They came to work on learning magic, as regular people might.” At least that was his assumption.
Not thinking anyone would take up the offer at all, Anders had suggested that anyone who wished to learn magic from the palace of Sula Darian could come with them to the Natech lands, learning along the way. That had been a foolish thought on his part, since two people had put themselves forward, seeking knowledge and skill on that very topic. A boy of nine and a girl of seven.
Taking them away from their home was slightly strange, perhaps, but those were good ages for a person to start learning any skill. Farad was rather pleased with them, so far. He’d expected more complaining and fits and much less work, along the road. Instead of learning a few new items per week, they’d done many times that, each day.
So Anders smiled, meaning it.
Then lowered his voice.
“I’m rather pleased with their efforts, so far. Prince Naveed, as well. I was teasing him, suggesting he walk and learn at the same time, but he’s actually doing it. I’ve been doing that as well, out of fellow feeling, spurred on by his example.” Which, Anders knew, was the actual truth.
Salina made a face then.
“I hate this.” She whispered the words, and then, looking at Depak, frowned. “I didn’t even think to try doing that. Even hearing that Prince Naveed was set the task. I feel myself failing at every turn.”
Depak actually gave the girl, the woman, a friendly and sympathetic look. It spoke of a gentleness and kindness being directed her way.
Gull moved in, seeming gruff.
“If you have it now, then you should work on that? I should, too. That or practice and review as we walk. Not this close to the front, though. On the way back, perhaps?”
That was a real point. Anders nodded, thinking about it.
“Wizard skills used for lookout, then. Eyes as well. We need to be doing that constantly. That, the skills of the wizard, are useful, and my weakest area, so far.” Even his use of illusion was better, he thought.
Not that a lot of things he did couldn’t be practiced daily, of course.
Depak took a breath, then nodded.
“Agreed. It is my own weakest area of endeavor as well. We should strive to follow the lead of Prince Roald, perhaps, and move into areas that might be tiresome for us?”
Anders didn’t wait, simply doing it. Casting his mind into a deep trance, holding a sense of information about the world, the feel of it, even as his eyes were open and they walked. He could feel the others shifting after that. Gull first, since that, wizardry, was his main area of magic. Then Depak and Salina at the same time.
