A. Searle - The King's sword

“No, that would require a hole that he might not be able to fill.” Mikel stepped forward, eyeing the mounds thoughtfully. “We must think positive magic, not negative.”

“He must learn to do it anyway,” Ula argued. “I mean he can’t go around performing magic without cleaning up behind himself.” She looked at the changeling when he shook his head.

“You encouraged him to do something large like this. Now we are set back hours when we should have left at dawn.” Mikel the Hort dismissed her from his gaze. “He should start smaller and then work his way to something so large as he masters the magic.”

Ronan nodded in agreement with the changeling.

“He made the cottage disappear and it was much bigger than these huts,” Arien defended Ula loyally.

“Not by will. It was an emotional outburst that caused him to take away the cottage. Nothing that he consciously willed,” Mikel said and Ronan nodded, not liking the way they were talking about him as if he were not even there.

“Well, we can’t just leave it here.” Ula pressed her lips together. Mikel the Hort stepped closer to the mounds, eyes sweeping over them thoughtfully. Ronan could almost see the little wheels in his head turning.

“Send the dirt back to Johran in the form of huts. Set them on the outer parts of the village with a note to Yarro saying the huts belong to you for you to use as you need to.” Mikel glanced up at Ronan, “That way you can summon them to you when we stop for camp again.”

“That is an excellent plan,” Ula agreed nodding. “And doesn’t require vanishing them to thin air.”

“But how will I know if I send them to the right place?” Ronan wasn’t so sure.

Mikel spoke again, “Ask that Yarro mark the note once he’s read it. Then, when you summon the huts again and if he’s made his mark, you can practice your negative magic on making the letter disappear. And without creating so much of a mess.”

Ronan stared down at the little changeling. “You are a clever little thief.” Mikel beamed and nodded in agreement.

Ronan closed his eyes and conjured a picture of the Johran village in his mind. He willed the huts back together and set them just outside the village by imagining them there. With an invisible hand on a piece of paper he left a short note to Yarro on the door of the middle hut.

Taking a breath, he opened his eyes and found that the mounds of dirt were gone. “I pray it worked.”

“If it did not, when you summon the huts back to you, you will receive mounds of dirt with a silly note on top. No loss.” Mikel shrugged.

“No loss but a bit humiliating.” Ronan glanced around at the others. “Can we get going now?” He swung atop Sorcha’s back and kicked his horse forward without waiting for the others.

A gust of wind nearly blew Ronan from the horse’s back and he looked up to find the Dragon landing alongside him. “You are an impatient little wizard,” The dragon said as his pace slowed so that he was walking alongside at an even height. “I’ve been watching you and I wonder does Yarro know it was an amateur wizard that joined his tribe and promised him a river.”

“I will find a way to keep my word,” Ronan said with irritation.

“Foul tempered today are we?” the dragon purred. “Man is an odd creature.”

Ronan’s frown deepened as he looked at the dragon. “What are you talking about? Man is complicated. We aren’t like wild curs.”

“I shall uncomplicated things for you,” Monty continued. “The horseman feels as if you do not appreciate him. The sorceress feels you are pushing her away when she only wants to do for and help you. The centaur keeps silent because he only wants peace but thinks you take too many risks. The boy continues to attempt to impress you but still you do not notice him. And your woman feels you keep your distance because you do not trust her.”

“That is not how I feel toward any of them,” Ronan murmured.

“Then why behave as if you do?” The dragon shook his head. “They make such effort to do what you wish, to please you. Can you not find it in your heart to give the same in return?”

Guilt washed through Ronan. “I did not want to be a wizard. It makes me angry.”

“None of us asked to be born as what we are. We all have things about us that we don’t like. We accept those things and learn to live our lives the best we can.” Monty quickened his pace, leaving Ronan behind to consider his words. Moments later he soared up into the sky.

Ronan sighed heavily. The dragon was right. He was acting selfishly. This journey to Merisgale was not just about him. It was about them all.

That evening he called them to stop early. Hesitantly he summoned the huts and was surprised when they appeared before him intact. Yarro’s mark indicated that the spell the changeling had suggested worked.

“Want me to ride ahead?” Keegan offered but Ronan shook his head. “I’d feel better if it were Arien. His young eyes can spot trouble better than either of ours.” Arien’s face immediately lit up and he kicked his horse forward.

“And I’d rather have you close by just in case something should happen to me,” Ronan added when the boy was far enough ahead. “You know the way to Merisgale.”

Keegan nodded and Ronan continued, “I know I rely on you greatly, Keegan Yore. I just think you should know that I appreciate your wisdom, your sword, and your horses. You’ve sacrificed a lot for this trip. Like me, you too lose business when you are away. I am thankful you are here though. I feel a bit safer because of it.” There. Ronan didn’t look at Keegan, a bit embarrassed of the words he’d said to the man and he could feel Keegan’s stare.

“What brought that on?” Keegan asked, chuckling lowly.

“That damned dragon. He pointed out how selfishly I’ve been behaving. And to my surprise and shame I realized he was right.” Ronan glanced at Keegan. “So I thought to tell you that I do appreciate your presence and that I understand it can be difficult for you when my mood is ill.”

“Like a woman.” Keegan grinned and Ronan smiled back at him before allowing his horse to fall back away from the horseman’s. He eased alongside Ula.

“Touching speech,” she murmured. “I suppose you appreciate me as well?” Her sarcasm made Ronan smile.

“Only the food you feed me,” he teased and her mouth slanted. “No, I wanted to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” Ula’s face grew serious when she looked at him.

“For treating you so poorly. I do not know who the betrayer is and have treated each of you as if you were guilty. Especially you.” Ronan sighed, shaking his head. “But the truth is that I do not suspect you, Ula. I have prayed it isn’t you, unable to conceive that someone who had done so much for me would be the one to turn against me.”

Her black eyes watered but she did not shed any tears. “It is not me. My loyalty is to Merisgale and…to you.” He nodded and reached to touch her hand. His fingers closed over hers for a moment before he released her again. He watched her ride ahead with Keegan.

“You owe me nothing,” Bryan murmured.

Ronan smiled at the centaur and then the changeling on his back. “No?”

“We are not so silly as these others,” Mikel agreed.

The two were an odd pair but Ronan had noticed that they often chatted back and forth as they traveled, becoming some strange kind of friends. No doubt they had discussed Ronan’s behavior between themselves.

“I take many risks to get this sword to Merisgale.” Ronan scratched at the short beard on his chin. “Risks I normally would not. But it is because many are relying on me to complete this mission successfully. I have never been on such an important journey. I cannot fail.” The centaur nodded, as if he suddenly understood Ronan’s drive.