Warded Mage (Reawakening Saga) (10 page)

“We won’t let you near our families demon spawn.” One of the men yelled as he pointed his blade at Thad.

His steed hummed and blazes of fire roared from its nose warping themselves around the man’s sword turning it bright red. A loud yelp of pain was quickly followed by a clatter as the blade fell to the ground. Thad knew he had to do something fast otherwise things were going to turn ugly fast. “Either you stand aside or you watch your town burn.” Thad said harshly hoping his bluff would work. To add a bit of credibility he created large roaring imaginary flames and pushed them toward the town. To add to the effect he made the flames directly in front of the militia real so they could feel the immense heat coming from them.

The men stood firm though Thad could see the sweat beading on their faces and their determination waning. Thad hoped they would break soon. He still had plenty of energy left but he didn’t want to have to kill the men for simply wanting to protect their town and families. “Lay down your arms.” The large man declared as he slid his own sword back into its scabbard.

“Holbar you can’t mean to let them into town, he’s a demon spawn.” The man who was still holding his burnt hand objected.

“Johan do you really believe
that nonsense about demon spawns. Even if he is a demon in the flesh we have little choice or would you prefer we let our families burn. I am sure your wife and little girl might not feel too keenly about that.” Holbar said heatedly.

As the men sheathed their weapons Thad let the flames disappear but left his stead standing until he had a chance to dismount and then in a flash of smoke it too was gone. “As I said we only plan to gather information and see if we can seek passage to Farlan. We do not plan to cause any trouble, but if trouble finds us, we will not sit idly,” Thad said fiercely.

“I apologize but we do not have an inn in the town.” Holbar said looking around at the fellow members in the militia who still looked as if they were ready attack at any moment. “You better come to stay at my house, so that the chance of any trouble finding you won’t be as likely.” He said not sounding very happy about the declaration.

CHAPTER XIII

Holbar led them to his house that was in the market district. He lived in a fairly large house built onto his butcher shop. Avalanche stayed outside while the other three headed up the steps to the living quarters. Once they were inside and the doors were close Holbar let out an audible sigh of relief. That feeling of relaxation only lasted for a moment before Holbar rounded on Thad with a very stern look on his face. “You can stay for the night but I want you on your way in the morning. A day should be more than enough time for whatever you’re here for. I warn you if you try anything I will run you through faster than you can raise that little stick of yours.”

“It would be
tha last thing ya do.” Brianna said tapping her fingers against the blade of her axe.

“Back already sweetie? What was all the commotion about dear?” A musical voice said from the other room
, which was quickly followed by a young girl running into the room. “Daddyyyyyyy.” She yelled as she ran and jumped into Holbar’s arms.

A blond haired bea
uty stuck her head out the doorway and looked at her four guests with more than a bit of surprise on her face. “Who are your friends dear?” She asked brandishing a long wooden spoon at Holbar.

“It is complicated dear. Jeanie, why don’t you go outside and play for a bit.”
Holbar said setting the girl down who pouted a bit but obeyed her father and quickly ran down the stairs and out the door.  Soon as the door shut Holbar turned to the three companions. “Please follow me to the dining room; I think we need to have a little chat.”

The three followed
Holbar to the fairly large dining room. Holbar’s wife joined them looking none too happy with having three strangers in her house. Holbar looked over his shoulder at his wife and then back toward the three travelers who sat at his table. “Just from the looks of you three it’s easy to tell that you’re not from around here and from what I witnessed outside the town you’re not quite normal either. From what some of the other militia members were saying if I’d left ya to sleep on your own they would have paid you a visit this evening.”

“It would have been the
ir last time making a nighttime visit.” Crusher said aggressively.

Holbar
’s wife let out a scared squeak; he looked over to her and sighed heavily. “That’s what I thought would happen. That is the reason I invited you to stay here. I don’t get along with all of those hot heads but I prefer not to have to bury them. What I would like to know though is how you did that outside the village. I don’t believe you’re the spawn of some demon but I prefer not to take chances.”

Thad laughed lightly which was quickly joined in by Crusher and Brianna. “I am sure you have heard the stories about mages,” Thad said stretching out his hand and calling a small flame to dance around his palm. “I can do a few tricks but I prefer not to use it if I don’t have to.”

“Look Holbar it’s dancing,” Holbar’s wife said grabbing his arm and shaking him.

“I can see that Alicia. So I’m guessing that if we pressed the issue earlier?”
Holbar said wide-eyed.

Thad looked down at the table keeping his voice low. “I would have killed you, but the other flames were illusions, I never planned to hurt anyone else, I just needed a bluff large enough to make you rethink attacking. I wasn’t in the mood to see blood so early in the morning.” Thad’s blunt statement got another squeak out of Alicia.

“I don’t know if I should thank you or not. So what is a mage doing in these parts?”

Thad blushed a bit. “Would you believe that I got lost and I’m trying to find my way back home to Farlan?”

“Farlan, then you put a new definition to the word lost. We have some small boats here but we’re just a small fishing village. We only see large trading vessels a few times a year. Your best bet would be to follow the coastline to Handlane. It’s a bit of a ways, but it’s a large port town. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting passage to Farlan from there.” Holbar said then looked at the three sitting in front of him. “Well you three might find some trouble, but it’s the best place that I can think to send you. If you need anything from town please let me know. I would prefer it if you didn’t venture out until you were ready to leave.”

“I believe we can agree to that.” Thad said smiling.

“Do ya have any ale?” Crusher said grumbling.

For the first time Thad saw
Holbar laugh. “I think I can take care of that for you, though don’t expect me to pay.”

Crusher dug
out two gold plates that were slightly larger than the dwarfs thumb. “That should cover it.”

Holbar
looked at the oddly shaped gold coins and flipped them in his hand. “I don’t know what you expect to be drinking but this would buy out most the ale in the pub. Do you need anything else besides something to drink?”

“What else does a growing body need than some good ale?” Crusher said smiling.

Thad slapped Crusher on the back of the head though all he accomplished was hurting his wrist. “We also need some smoked meat for the road and maybe some hard tack for the road.” Thad said glaring at the dwarf.

“Well I have plenty of smoked meats downstairs and I can get a few other things for you at the town bakery. Even with all that I don’t think I can come close to spending all the gold you gave me.”

“Then take the rest as a boarding fee.” Crusher said grumbling. “I thought things cost a lot more otherwise I wouldn’t have made so many of the coins before we left.” Crusher said jingling the large pouch that hung at his side. From the size and sound of it he had at least a hundred of the coins in the sack. The dwarves didn’t buy and sell anything as anything made was available to those who needed or wanted it. That meant there was no need for gold to pay for things.

“
If you want to give away your gold I’ll gladly take it.” Holbar said happily.

“I have to run a few errands, dear do you want anything while I’m out.”
Holbar said flipping the two gold coins one more time before sticking them in his pocket.

“No dear I think we have everything we need.” She replied dismissively.

Thad watched Alicia as she remained silent and absolutely still. The house was so silent that Thad could hear the door at the bottom of the stairs close. Before anyone had a chance to say anything the door downstairs opened again and little footsteps could be heard rushing up the stairs. Thad readied his staff and grasped the hilt of his sword as Brianna and Crusher prepared themselves as well. When Holbar’s little daughter’s head popped into the room smiling widely everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “Mommy, Mommy there’s a cute doggy outside made of rock. At first, you know… I thought it was a statue like the mayor has outside his house but when I went to touch it, the doggy began to jump around.”

The girl continued to rattle on about
Avalanche until Thad was sure she would collapse from lack of air. “Oh, you don’t say.” Alicia said giving Thad an odd look out of the corner of her eye. “I bet the dog belongs to our guests here.” She said tapping the little girl on the nose.

Thad could see the little child’s eyes light up like only that of a child could do. At no more than six years of age
, she still had that inquisitive gleam in here eye and the mischievous smile on her face that said that she was always out looking for something new. “Is the doggy really yours?” she asked running up to Thad as if he were a new toy she had found. ”Wow you have a really pretty eye mister.”

Thad
stooped down so he could meet the small girl eye to eye. Looking at her made him think of the time he had met with Eloen’s sister. The only difference was that the child in front of him wasn’t weighed down with her family’s hate of men. The child in front of him was pure and innocent free of prejudices. “I wouldn’t say that Avalanche belonged to us but she has decided to follow us.”

“Really, where did you find her? What does she eat? Her name is Avalanche? How do you know she is a female? Can you get me one?” the girl rattled off questions so fast Thad soon got lost.  Holding up his hand the girl looked and him and blushed slightly. “Sorry?”

Thad patted the girl on the head softly. “I can only answer one question at a time. I found her deep underground where no light will shine and she eats these,” Thad said pulling a large ruby from a side pocket in his pack.

“She eats gems?” Alicia spouted getting everyone’s attention. She blushed furiously, “I mean
, that’s a very expensive pet. A gem that size would feed our family for well over a year.” She said meekly.

Thad reached into his bag and pulled another large gem from his bag this time a sapphire that was almost the size of Thad’s closed fist and tossed it to Alicia. “It is a simple rock. Avalanche digs them out whenever she smells them.” Thad handed the ruby to the small child. “Now you and your mom both have one. If you want you can keep it or feed it to Avalanche. I’ll leave the choice to yo
u. To me it’s just a simple stone, one that I can find anywhere it’s up to you to decide what it is to you.”

The little girl held the large ruby in both hands
and looked at it in awe. “Wow! You must be a lord with a large castle or suffin.” The girl said as she stared at the large jewel.

“Mr. Mage… Are you sure? A gem like this…. It is worth more than our whole shop.”

Thad laughed and stuck both hands into the side pocket on his pack and pulled out a handful of large gems. “As I said they are just colorful rocks that Avalanche can find easily. Though we didn’t get off on the best foot your husband, he has been more than kind. I can tell that he is a good man if a bit stiff.”

Thad felt a tugging on his jerkin. Turning his head he found the girl looking at him her mouth slightly hanging open. “Mommy called you a mage.” She said softly.

“I know a trick or two. Would you like to see some?” Thad asked, giving the girl a bright smile.

“Magic, magic, magic!” the girl chanted as she jumped up and down.

The little girl’s excitement spread to Crusher and Brianna who joined in her chanting. The sight of the two dwarfs bouncing on their feet, chanting magic over and over made Thad laugh hysterically. After a few moments, Thad was able to calm himself and wipe the tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes away. Crossing his legs Thad sat on the floor and lay his staff across his lap. As the gems covering it began to glow the chanting died down and was replaced by looks of anticipation.

Thad felt the flow of the elements around him. The room grew dark as miniature glowing people only about two foot tall began to appear out of the darkness. Remembering the princess’s party Thad did his best to copy the extravagant dresses the nobles had worn as they had danced. The little girl seemed to
be enjoying the show as she ran through the ghostly figures laughing and dancing along with them. Alicia seemed to be enjoying herself as well, as she watched her daughter playing around. Pushing himself a little more Thad filled the air with glittering lights that pulsed humming slightly filling the room with pleasant music.

Though illusions drew little magic by themselves
, the sheer number and intricacies of the magic he was preforming drained him quickly. Even though he was tiring, Thad could not make himself stop when the child was having so much fun. Maybe the mages of old used their magic in such a manner. Thad had to admit that it felt much better to use his magic to make a child smile rather than to kill.

As the magic faded and the light from the windows lit back up the ro
om, the little girls face dropped. “More, more.” She pleaded with large eyes.

“That’s enough, he must be tired. Why don’t you go play for a while?” Alicia said tapping the girl lightly on the head.

The little girl pouted for a bit but she looked down at the large ruby, then at the door, and her frown faded away as she ran down the steps.

Laughing Thad tried to rise but he had no strength left in his legs. Brianna grabbed him by the arm and pulled him hard. “
Ya aint got a lick of sense in that noggin of yers. What’s the point of working yerself till ya get so tired ya can’t stand?”

Thad could feel his eyes closing as fatigue began to take control of his body. “She was having so much fun.” Thad said sleepily.