The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (9 page)

“I’ll do my best,” Kilen told him. “Thank you again for your help upstairs. I really will try my best to help you.” She nodded back, but Kilen could still see the fear on her face.

“Take the blade into your hands and she will place her hands over yours. Concentrate on the water that surrounds her body and makes it up. Water is what the body is mostly composed of, so if we move the water we can stitch the wounds back together. As you can see the water elements are almost solid around wounds. You will see water gathering on the lining of the wounds, but not going into them. The voids without water flowing as it does in the rest of the body is what we must repair. You will force the water to flow through them, to make the voids like the rest of the body. Small ones first, do you see any wounds on her body?”

“I think her feet have sores on them, there is a cut on her right thumb, and she is biting her lip,” Kilen said.

She spoke to the wizard then. “That’s right,” she let out a sigh of relief, now knowing that what Kilen had felt was correct. Then she stopped biting her lip.

“Now will the water to move through them, to close the wounds as you pull them together.” The wizard spoke anxiously. It felt like it had been an hour before he finally stopped with the wounds in her body. As Kilen fixed them he noticed that there was what seemed like a green glow that enveloped the area he had just healed. It was like a fog within the twinkling lights. With each wound he closed, the wizard would speak words of encouragement. Each became less difficult to complete. Kilen was already improving the skill. The larger wounds like the cut on her finger were harder to force the water to move in and out of, but he did as well as he could for Erica. Sweat clung to his brow as he focused his mind to move the water throughout her body. The process was exhausting.

“I think I’m finished,” he said while opening his eyes. She looked even more tired than when he had started.

“Easy, you have a second part yet. You must give her energy. You just forced her body to heal itself in a short amount of time. You must now use magic to restore energy to her body. This is a combination between water and earth magic. When you healed a wound there was a movement inside, like a fog. Did you see that?” Kilen nodded his head in response. “That was her body using energy. Picture that fog and force the earth elements to create that fog inside her body. It will be difficult at first but when you do it enough you will be able to summon it very rapidly.” Kilen concentrated while he felt the wizard’s hands clasp the girl’s hands around Kilen’s. She jerked at that touch. Kilen knew even with his eyes closed that she had fallen asleep in the chair waiting for the energy. At first Kilen felt nothing, he saw no change in anything in the room. Then It came on in a rush and she straightened in her chair, gasping as the green glow moved from her chest to each of her limbs, restoring the energy inside her body. She let go of Kilen’s hands. He opened his eyes and held on to the water vision seeing the glow now in each muscle she used to stand and talk.

“Thank you, I feel much better now. Is there any other service I could provide Master Parker?” She felt better but Kilen felt as if he had run from Humbridge to Basham a second time. The process was exhausting.

“I would like any bread and cheese you have laying about, and I’m sure that using the magic has exhausted his food storage also.”

“I will return shortly, Master Parker.” She curtsied and left the room, closing the door behind her. Kilen watched her walk down the hall and into the kitchen door with the vision provided by the water. As he followed her with his new sense he had a weird feeling of knowing where she was beyond what his eyes could see.

“Ok, now that you’re practiced I will permit you to heal and energize me.” Kilen was shocked at the suddenness of the request. He repeated the exercise and found the wizard to have saddle sores and wounds on his hands and feet. The wizard was as exhausted as Erica was when she was falling asleep. He didn’t know how he was remaining so vigilant. He started to heal the wounds first and the wizard yanked his arms away from him. “You will need to energize me first or I shall fall over dead from exhaustion. Be careful now.” He slowly placed his hands on Kilen’s and he used his effort to energize the wizard. The fog would appear in him and vanish. Again he would focus his will forming the fog and pushing it in all directions. Before it reached the wizards limbs the fog would fade leaving him just as exhausted. He tried again, and again. “You’re doing fine keep going. I have used a lot of earth magic energy and my trinket requires it back. You will save me many nights sleep by this I assure you.” Kilen cautiously started again and again, continually pushing harder to create the fog faster. Kilen seemed not to weaken but he knew that he was borrowing stores from all three of his earth items’ to restore the wizard’s power. “Stop. That is enough,” he finally commanded. Kilen let down his arms and moved to take a drink of wine on the table. He couldn’t lift the mug and the wizard helped him.

He then noticed a plate of bread and cheese on the table and started eating with the young wizard. “You’ve done well. I didn’t believe that you would be able to energize or heal so well. I thought that I would have to eat and wait a while before I healed Erica myself. You should be proud. This is the only lesson you will get tonight. You will be able to energize your horses and friends as well as heal parts of their bodies. This will come in handy in the upcoming days. Take every opportunity to practice this.” He popped a piece of cheese in his mouth. “I will show you how to subdue your sister in the morning. You will have to watch closely because I will only have enough energy to do it once.” Kilen nodded to the wizard with a mouth stuffed full of bread. “We will have to send Bowie to find the supplies while we rest. So you will need to energize him before we retire for a couple hours sleep.” The plate was empty and Erica had long since gone to bed. The wizard helped Kilen return to the room to find Bowie asleep on the floor. Kara was still fast asleep on the pallet and there was a comfy bed totally empty. The wizard roused Bowie and explained all the equipment they needed, Kilen took his sword in one hand and grasped Bowie by the side of the neck. Bowie shivered when he did, and Kilen felt the renewing strength rush into Bowie. The healing was coming faster each time he tried. When Kilen let go he saw a twinkling of lights in his vision that he was sure wasn’t from any type of magic but made from exhaustion.

“You work fast, I feel great. I’ll get your stuff and meet you in the stables in the morning. I’ll need more gold though.” Kilen handed Bowie the entire purse of gold hoping that would help with the cost, and that he wouldn’t find a set of clothes as fine as a lord’s in his new saddle bags come morning. “By the way, where did you learn to do that?” Kilen pointed his chin at the wizard already climbing into the comfy bed. Bowie took the coin purse full of money and left the room. Kilen knew there was short time before the sun began to rise, and that he had better get some rest. He laid down on the pallet beside his sister and his thoughts wandered about the change his life had taken. He himself wouldn’t have believed this was his life now, even if he was told by a fortune teller. If he had, he probably would have demanded his money back. He watched as the water in the air gathered around the lamp. The wizard smiled at him before gathering water at the lamps wick plunging them into darkness. Kilen let his mind wander at the trials that he had been through that night until sleep took him.

Bowie departed the room letting the Kilen and the wizard fall asleep after their training session. He went to the bottom of the stairs and saw Erica cleaning the bar in the front room. The Inn was empty except for her and the hired thug sleeping on a stool at the front door. “Do you not need sleep after a full day of Springfest?,” he asked her.

“Your friend gifted me energy and healed my body. I feel as if I have slept a week. Is there something I can help you with my lord.”

“He did the same bloody thing to me! Does magic always make you that cold?” She shook her head no. “I am not a lord, I’m sorry I deceived you and your mistress here.” She nodded her head in response. He noticed her casting small glances at him as she cleaned the dishes behind the counter. “I could use a plate of food before I leave for supplies, if you have any handy that is.”

“I will bring you some stew left on the fire for early morning risers such as yourself. Can I offer you directions for the city?”

“No, thank you. I have traveled through Basham a time or two. Just the food if you could, and ale. I have a feeling it will be awhile before I am able to indulge myself in a mug again.” He watched her clean as he ate his meal. He knew Kilen had to make some of the hardest decisions he had ever made. Kara was in a fight for her life. If town’s folk on the road knew she was a fire wizard, she would be dead as soon as they could accomplish it. Kilen would be lucky to get her to the Earth Realm, let alone to the King himself. Bowie would have to go with him, and insure both their safety. He looked over the coin purse in his pocket and what Kilen had given him. The money was still quite a bit short of what it would take to get a room in each town and for supplies along the way. They would have to find a dice game or two and see if they can make some more for the trip. He decided that would have to wait. They would be off before long.

Bowie knew that he would need to get horses first. He left the inn tipping his hat to Erica as he ducked out the front.

The town was much larger in size than Humbridge and had the money to show it. Each house in town was thatched and had walls made of stone. The streets were cobbled but with new stone to replace the old instead of leaving holes in the streets. He always felt richer as he walked through the streets of Basham. The town was the last guarded city before reaching the Earth realm. A lot of trade went through this town, and Bowie loved to find a good bargain here. As he made his way through the town he passed a fletchers storefront. There were signs posted on the edge of the fletcher’s range to the side of his store.

Archery Contest at First Light on Springfest

One gold crown per entry

Winner Takes All

He wished he had been in Basham the day before. He would have won that contest and could have spent the rest of his days living as a lord in Humbridge. The old fletcher came out of the storefront to take down the sign, sitting by his practice range.

“How did the contest end, good sir?”

The old fletcher looked Bowie up and down taking in the clothing that he wore. He probably assumed he was a young lord. “A townsman won forty-five crowns, twas more than the wizard made in Basham this year given blessings and such. He won using Crescent arrows. I have to admit they are better made than my own. I do have some for sale if you be interested, my lord.”

“I use only crescent arrows when I shoot. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the contest. I think I would have made a pretty good challenge for him since I’m the best shot in Humbridge.”

“I know the winner milord. If you think you could challenge him, he’s always up for a bet, when it comes to archery that is. He’s the one that suggested this contest and it brought me a pretty penny in sales yesterday. I could arrange for him to meet you here today. Of course you’ll want to be using Crescent arrows, and I have some to sell if you need some.” Bowie ignored the second prompting to buy his own arrows.

“I have to leave town just after first light. If you can arrange him to meet me here, then I would gladly give you a tenth of the winnings.” The fletcher turned his head and rubbed his chin while looking at Bowie, then smiled a toothy smile.

“I do know to rouse him from his bed this morn it will have to be a pretty hefty bet milord. I can’t rouse him for less than probably twenty crowns.”

“So make the bet at twenty crowns, best of three arrows each. I will be back at first light with crowns in hand.” The fletcher scrambled into his shop and out came an yawning apprentice and sent him running off through the street still buttoning his shirt. Bowie made the arrows the winner shot with, and he personally had one of the best made bows in the realm. He had as good a chance as any to beat this archer, and this was a far better gamble than dice or cards. However, Bowie had other needs to attend to this morning. He moved down the road with a grin on his face at solving a problem they had, money.

The city streets were full of bottles and mugs dropped by their owners. A few of the owners still lay in the gutters sleeping off a night of festivities. He thought more toughs ought to be out running them off but was sure they were in the same condition. He walked past a city guard patrolling the streets and tipped his black hat. “Know where I can buy a horse?” The guard pointed and continued on his patrol. Bowie tipped his hat to the guard’s back anyway, partly out of sarcasm, partly out of his upbringing.