Brian Pratt - The unsuspecting mage

Near the end of the meal a horse is heard approaching from down the lane. Cyanna bolts out of her seat and rushes to the window. “It’s Papa!” she exclaims happily, then runs for the door.

“Cyanna!”

Ignoring her mother’s cry, she throws open the door and vanishes outside. A moment later, the dogs can be heard raising a cacophony of barking to greet their master’s return.

Mary walks to the open doorway where she stops. The look she sends outside is one filled with both gladness that her husband has returned, and worry. She steps aside to allow Corbin to enter with Cyanna hugging him around the middle. By the look on Corbin’s face, whatever the meeting with the mayor had been about, it hadn’t been good.

“Devin, take care of my horse, please.”

“Ok, Papa.” Taking a last big bite of stew, he takes a slice of bread as he heads out the door to do his father’s bidding.

As Corbin takes his seat at the table, Mary fills a bowl with stew and sets it before him. “What happened, dear?”

“The Empire has done what we have feared for so long. It has launched an assault on Madoc.”

“No,” Mary gasped.

Corbin took a bite and nodded. “I’m afraid so. They have already pushed several hundred leagues north and have laid siege to the town of Saragon. The Madoc Council has sent runners to Castle Cardri for assistance. One passed through and gave the mayor forewarning.”

“Are we in danger?”

“Not at present. Their attack seems to only be against Madoc; so far. Though if Madoc falls, the Kingdom of Cardri will most likely be next.”

“What does the mayor wish us to do?”

“Right now there is nothing we can do. It’s the middle of summer and harvest is not far off. We cannot spare anyone. However, if the situation worsens, and they feel Cardri will be threatened, I’m sure levies will be summoned.”

Elizabeth wrinkles her nose in confusion. “A levy, Papa?”

He nods. “It’s where they summon all able bodied men for service. I don’t think we have much to be worried about, Devin’s still too young and they don’t enlist girls for fighting.”

“What about James?” Cyanna asks.

“James, I’m afraid, would be a prime candidate.” Glancing to James, he continues. “I don’t think you have much to worry about at the moment. If the war does come here, it is still a ways off.”

James didn’t like what he was hearing. He definitely did not want to go into the army, especially not one in an age where doctors use leeches and hard liquor is the only pain killer to be had. Thinking of documentaries that described the Civil War makes a cold shiver go down his back. No matter how bad it had been then, here it would be worse.

“The main thing the mayor wants us to do is to keep our eyes open for strangers and people asking a lot of questions. They could be spies scouting for the Empire.” Breaking off a corner from a piece of bread, he sops up the last of the gravy and eats it.

Cyanna turns wide eyes to James. “Are you a spy?”

“What?” Startled, he almost chokes on the mouthful of stew he had been in the process of chewing.

“Cyanna!” her mother scolds. “That is not the sort of question you ask of a guest in your home.”

Withering under the stern glare of her father, she says quietly to James, “Sorry.”

“That’s okay,” he replies. “And I’m not a spy, just someone who has lost his way.”

“That’s good,” she says. “I mean, good you’re not a spy.”

“Who’s not a spy?” Devin asks as he enters through the door and returns to his seat at the table.

“James,” Cyanna answers.

Her brother glances to their guest with much more interest than he had previously shown. “Is he supposed to be one?”

“No,” Elizabeth joins in, “he is not.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem,” their father interjects sternly, “is people who only hear the end of a conversation.” He glares at his children, quieting them in a way only a father can achieve, then flashes James a smile that lasts only a second.

Corbin stands and stretches. “James, let’s take a walk. That is, if your leg is up to it?”

Surprised by the request, James comes to his feet and nods. “It can make it. The pain is not so bad anymore.”

“Good, come along then.”

Motioning for James to follow, he heads for the front door. As they exit, the dogs notice their emergence and run over to fall in behind Corbin as he and James make their way to the stables.

“I wanted to talk with you privately. Ceryn told me everything about your time with him. I know you’re a mage.” Holding up his hand, he stops James from commenting. “I’m a pretty good judge of people and I don’t get any feelings of evil about you, so your being a mage doesn’t bother me. I haven’t told anyone else and as far as I know, only Ceryn and I am aware of this.

“But there was more than The Empire’s thrust into Madoc that has the mayor concerned. We’ve known the Empire has been on the verge of attacking for several years. What preparations could be made, have been.” He reaches down and scratches Tor’s head absentmindedly.

“No, what I wanted to talk with you about has to do with something else. Several nights ago, Hern, a farmer that lives a few miles out of town near the Forest’s fringe has disappeared. The day before, he asked a neighbor for help in getting rid of a stump in his field. When the neighbor arrived, he discovered Hern’s front door open. There was no sign of Hern outside, so the neighbor went inside to investigate. Hern was not there either.

“The table had been set for dinner. His plate was clean, as if he had just pulled it down off the shelf. A bowl of stew sat on the table; it hadn’t been touched. The neighbor then rushed outside calling Hern’s name but never received an answer. Both inside and out, there weren’t any signs of a struggle.

“So far, no sign of Hern has been found though the entire area has been scoured. Those living closest claim they hadn’t seen or heard anything strange the night before.”

James glanced uncertainly at his host. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Nothing directly, but let me finish, please.” Getting a nod from James he continues.

“Last night, another went missing, this time a small boy. “He had gone to fetch water from the well and never returned. When his parents went to look for him, they found the pail lying on the ground by the well, but no sign of the boy. The boy’s family lives on the edge of the forest just like Hern, though about two or three miles from his place. I was hoping that there would be some way you could help in finding them?”

“I’m not sure what help I can be, Corbin. Despite what Ceryn might’ve said, I am still pretty new to this whole magic business. I will think on it and see if I can come up with some ideas.”

“We would be grateful with whatever aid you could give.”

Nodding, James thinks for a bit. Whenever detectives are trying to solve a case, they always examine the scene of the crime. “Maybe we could ride out to Hern’s place tomorrow morning and I can look around. Maybe something would turn up.”

“Ok, then. First thing in the morning. We better be getting back before Mary sends one of the young’ens to see what’s going on.”

James agrees and they return to the house where they find Mary readying the children for bed. With a round of goodnights and several kisses, they head to their rooms. James takes his leave of Corbin and Mary and goes to his and lies down. He lies awake most of the night as he works to come up with some way in which to help.

The following morning looks to be another sunny, summer day. Above stretches an expanse of crystal blue only broken by a few high clouds. Coming out of the east, a breath of wind helps to ease the heat of the day.