Труди Канаван - The Magician’s Apprentice

“We must also keep the populace here weak,” Narvelan continued. “But not so that we are weakened along with them. Freeing the personal slaves means that the remaining magicians will have to pay the people who serve them.”

Jayan saw the king nod, then look up at the newcomers. “Lord Tarrakin. Have Lord Bolvin and the others left?”

“Yes. We also found Magician Jayan and Apprentice Tessia.”

The king looked at Tessia, then Jayan. “I am glad to hear you both survived the night.” He frowned and looked from Tessia to Dakon. “Since you have agreed to stay and help rule Sachaka, will your apprentice be staying with you?”

Jayan drew in a quick breath. Dakon is staying? Surely not! He has a village to rebuild, and a ley to run.

But he found he could easily believe Dakon would choose to stay and help the Sachakans. Perhaps in order to redress the harm the army had done.

And Tessia will have to stay with him...

“I have been considering that,” Dakon said. “If Tessia does not want to stay here she is free to go.”

“I couldn’t leave you, Lord Dakon,” she said.

The king turned to regard her. “You have a gift, Apprentice Tessia. A gift of healing that you might teach others. If I asked you to return to Imardin with me, would you agree?”

She bit her lip. She glanced at him, then at Dakon.

“Who... who will take over my apprenticeship?”

Jayan felt his heart skip. Could he...?

“I will.”

All turned to see Lady Avaria stride towards the circle from the side of the room.

“Dakon mentioned that he was considering staying,” she explained. “I thought of Tessia, and how she might not want to remain here, and that perhaps it is time I took on an apprentice of my own.” She looked at Tessia and smiled. “I can’t hope to match Lord Dakon’s experience, but I promise to do my best.”

All eyes shifted to Tessia. She looked at Avaria, then at Dakon, then at Jayan, then turned to face the king.

“If Lord Dakon wishes it, I would be honoured to be Lady Avaria’s apprentice.”

Dakon smiled. “Though I would like to finish your training, Tessia, I think it is more important that your knowledge of assisting healing with magic be shared with others.”

The king smiled broadly and slapped his thighs. “Excellent!” He then turned to Jayan. “What are your plans now, Magician Jayan?”

“I will return to Imardin,” Jayan replied. “And, if you approve, begin work on forming a guild of magicians.”

The king smiled. “Ah. The magicians’ guild. Lord Hakkin is exploring this guild idea as well.” He nodded. “You may join him in the endeavour. Now.” He looked around the circle. “Who is going to stay and help Lord Narvelan and Lord Dakon rule Sachaka?”

A shock of cold rushed through Jayan. Lord Narvelan? Rule Sachaka? Is King Errik mad? He turned his attention to Narvelan. The young magician wore a smile, but it looked fixed and strange. It didn’t match the intensity of his gaze. As something distracted him – a slave tugging at his arm – a savage anger crossed his face, to be quickly smothered behind the smile again.

Jayan heard Tessia catch her breath.

“Hanara,” she breathed. “It’s Takado’s slave!”

Looking closer, Jayan realised that the slave now prostrating himself before Narvelan was the man Takado had left in Mandryn. Whom Lord Dakon had freed. Who had betrayed the village to Takado.

“I told you, no throwing yourself on the floor,” Narvelan said to Hanara, as the conversation of the magicians continued. “No wonder you get so dirty so quickly.”

“Yes, master,” Hanara replied.

“Hanara is Narvelan’s slave?” Tessia choked out.

“Yes,” Lord Tarrakin said. “Though apparently he’s told the man he is free now, but he won’t pay attention.”

Tessia shook her head. She glanced at Jayan, then as Hanara hurried away to do Narvelan’s bidding she strode forward to intercept him. Jayan followed. She caught up with the slave near the side wall of the room. When Hanara saw her, his eyes widened and he froze.

“Tessia,” he whispered. Jayan could not decide if his expression was one of horror or amazement.

“Hanara,” she said. Then she said nothing, her mouth slightly open and her eyes suddenly tortured.

Hanara dropped his gaze.

“I am sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything. I thought if I went to him he might leave. But I also knew he’d learn from me that Lord Dakon wasn’t there. But...he would have worked that out anyway. I...I am...I am glad you were gone.”

The slave’s babble was about Mandryn, Jayan suspected. I ought to want to throttle him, but for some reason I don’t. The magician who had dominated his life had returned. I don’t think anyone could have acted out of anything but fear at that moment. And now he’s serving Narvelan. I’m not sure whether to think of it as a punishment he deserves, or to pity him. Or to worry at the combination of an invader’s former slave and a ruthless, mad magician.

“I forgive you,” Tessia said. Jayan looked at her in surprise. She looked relieved and thoughtful. “You’re free now, Hanara. You don’t have to serve anyone you don’t want to. Don’t . . . don’t punish yourself for your master’s crimes.”

The slave shook his head, then looked around furtively, bent close and whispered: “I serve him to stay alive. If I didn’t, I would not live long.” He straightened. “You go home. Get married. Have children. Live a long life.”

Then he hurried past them and disappeared through a doorway. Tessia turned to look at Jayan, then let out a short laugh.

“I suspect I’ve just been given orders by a slave.”

“Advice,” Jayan corrected. He moved through the same doorway, glanced up and down the empty corridor, then shrugged. “Good advice. Add teaching magicians to heal to it. And helping me set up the guild.” He shook his head. “I’m going to have to work with Lord Hakkin. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“Yes,” she agreed as they started walking along the corridor. “I noticed you didn’t mention to the king that I’d worked out how to heal with magic.”

“No. It didn’t seem the right time. And now that I think of it... I’d rather the teaching of healing didn’t begin in Sachaka. It should start in Kyralia, and be part of our new guild.”

“Incentive for magicians to join?”

“Exactly.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know, for a moment there I was worried you were going to offer to take on my apprenticeship.”

He blinked in surprised. “Worried? Why? Don’t you think I’d be a good teacher?”

“A reasonable teacher,” she replied. “But I suspect Kyralian society would frown upon a master and his apprentice being . . . well... romantically entangled.”

He smiled. “Depends how entangled you want to be.”

Her eyelids lowered and she regarded him in a way that made his pulse speed up. “ Very entangled.”

“I see.” He looked up and down the corridor. It was still empty. Reaching out, he drew her close and kissed her. She tensed, then relaxed and he felt her body press against his.

Footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor and he felt someone brush past him. Belatedly, he and Tessia sprang apart.

“I’m going to have to keep an eye on the two of you, aren’t I?” Lady Avaria said, not looking back as she strode away.

Tessia smothered a giggle, and then her expression grew serious. “Where are you going to live?”

“I don’t know.” Jayan groaned. “Not with my father!”

“Well, we have plenty of time to work these things out,” she said.

“Yes. And plenty to sort out here, first. Like eating. I’m starving. Though I suppose we should find Mikken first.”