Lost in Nightwalk: Accidental Sorcerers, #5

Chapter 1

Solstice

The Old Watchtower stood over the ancient breakwater, guarding Koyr Harbor and the nearby Gulf waters. But on this late afternoon, the guard faced inland as the setting sun dipped toward a companion watchtower atop Ak’koyr, the nearby acropolis. The guard looked down, assuring himself once again that he stood in the right place. Shielding his eyes, squinting against the glare, he saw the sun slip behind the Ak’koyr watchtower, speared perfectly through the middle. He blew a horn, and others through the city relayed the message: the longest night had begun. Archers on the breakwater lit pitch arrows afire, and shot them into the sky, sending Fire to re-ignite the sun. Thus did the Winter Solstice celebration begin.

High up the hill of Ak’koyr, in the Sixth Round, Koyr’s sorcerers and their honored guests made merry with wine and the traditional Solstice pig. Four apprentices, two local and two guests, dug away sand and coals and carried a large tray and a bench to the edge of the pit. After laying the tray on the bench, the apprentices conferred among themselves. Finally, one extended his magic, and the pig rose out of the coals and floated to the tray. The apprentices smiled as each took a corner and lifted the tray.

That girl is strong, one of the apprentices whispered to his fellow, tilting his head toward the girl at the other end of the tray. She carried her corner with as much ease as the boys.

Stolevan, the other whispered. Her boy’s no softer. But you know that.

Aye. Life as an apprentice sorcerer had become so much more interesting since Sura sam Bailar and Mik Dragonrider had arrived in Koyr with their mentor, Bailar the Blue. Bailar had studied combat magic as a youth, long thought useless until the Conclave decided it was once again a necessity. He had taught his apprentices what they could learn, and the lessons had served all three well through the troubles that seemed to find them. All three had been teaching in Koyr since the equinox. In the old days, it was said, apprentices practicing Air magic would make local Conclave campuses smell like a storm coming. That was a scent the mages had come to know in recent months.

The apprentices lugged the tray to a banquet table, where the chef stood with carving knives ready. They saluted the chef, who returned the salute and got to work. The senior and guest sorcerers lined up, while all the apprentices found seats to wait their turn.

Mik, Bailar called, A little assistance, please?

The mentor is calling, Mik told the other apprentices, and circled around the chef.

This weather is paining my hip, Bailar whispered, leaning heavily on his staff. I’ll need both hands free to keep myself upright, I fear. Two summers ago, at the annual Gathering in Queensport, Bailar had taken on five marauders who meant to finish two wounded apprentices. He prevailed, but took a crossbow quarrel to the hip in the brawl. Since then, that hip warned him of coming changes in the weather.

Understood. Mik took his mentor’s platter, with a generous cut of pork and potatoes, and followed Bailar to the banquet table. Glasses of water and wine were already waiting at each place.

There should be enough for you and the other apprentices, Bailar said with a smirk. Should.

Berg has filched us something to hold us until it’s our turn, Mik grinned. We’ll manage.

I wonder if other mages understand how clever their apprentices are. Bailar dropped into his seat. Fortunately for me, the two of you have made no attempt to hide your cleverness.

Allow your apprentices to enjoy themselves, Bailar. Aleya the Red, the leader of the Koyr Conclave, took her seat next to Bailar and gave Mik a wink. It’s the Solstice celebration. I’ll see to your needs from here. Apprentice, you are dismissed.

Mik sketched a salute and returned to his seat next to Sura.

All is well? Sura asked.

Indeed. The mentor’s hip says a storm is on the way, though. And our host… well, you know.

Sura huffed, then gave Mik a playful nudge. If she wants to secure a legacy so badly, perhaps I should loan you to her for a night. She laughed at Mik’s horrified look. But I won’t. She rubbed the gold ring he wore on his index finger, the ring she had given him the day they departed for Koyr.

Hoy, Berg whispered, passing a bag to Sura. Hungry?

Sura looked into the bag; it held several rolls and a hunk of cheese. Looks good, she replied, but is there any water to go with it? Or wine?

There’s a jug of ale, said Berg. I couldn’t get to the wine. Even the table wine.

Mik and Sura had the same thought, almost at once: We should have brought a bottle of Royal Purple. Of the three cases the liege of the Northern Reach gave them, they had opened only one bottle so far, the day after moving into the small manor down in Koyr. The senior sorcerers would have Point White, or perhaps the quality red wine the Reachers called Gulfside. The thought of apprentices enjoying Termag’s best wine while their mentors drank second-best was amusing.

Finally, the last mage took his seat, and the chef called the apprentices to line up. Mik and Sura took their places about midway back, behind the seniors. As guests, they were first among the intermediate apprentices. The choicest cuts were gone, of course, but there was still plenty of edible meat left. Each apprentice had an entire roasted potato as well, plus a roll or two (in addition to those Berg furnished). The steward brought them jugs of water and table wine.

We received a most interesting proposal from the Northern Reach, Aleya told the sorcerers at the head table. She paused to sharpen everyone’s attention. They are proposing war games in Nightwalk.

Nightwalk? one of the Koyr mages repeated. All the entrances are sealed up.

Seals can be broken, Aleya replied. And they offer a good reason for breaking them. With Goblins still alive in the wide world, the Valiant need to train for battle in their fastness outside ancient Isenbund. The best substitute we have is Nightwalk.

What of the labyrinth under Roth’s Keep? Bailar asked. Was the Seventh Trumpet not hidden there?

Aye, it was, Aleya agreed, but the folk who live there now would be hard-pressed to house several hundred soldiers and mages. Nor would they be especially welcoming. They are fiercely independent, and might see us as an invading force, landing under the pretext of an exercise.

Ah. In any case, the idea seems a good one.

Aye, although some on the Council might not agree, said Hen the Blue, from down the table. If those at Roth’s Keep might see two armies as an invasion, would not the Council think the same of a shipload of Reachers? Our own imperial ambitions died with Amon the Red, four hundred years ago—but can we say the same of the Reachers?

Aleya’s musical laughter filled the dining hall, making even some of the apprentices look up. You speak true, my former apprentice. But the Council has put themselves in somewhat of a bind over this matter. You do know they voted to offer aid to the Northern Reach in next summer’s campaign to Isenbund?

Oh?

So if they offer to send soldiers to the North, Bailar mused, then it would be thought churlish to deny a visit by the Northerners?

So I would think, Aleya replied, and more importantly, some on the Council would, as well. There is still a great deal of pride among the ruling families, and that pride will tear at them in two directions. It is their decision to make, whether to invite the Valiant Men of the North to set foot in Ak’koyr at last, but they will likely allow it.

When do you think we would begin, then?

Not right away. There is the matter of housing and feeding the Reacher soldiers, and that will take time to work out. Then there will be discussions about the nature of the war games, and how they will be conducted, and by whom, and how many. It may be near spring before all is ready.

So the Goblins charged, and the Grand Commander ordered the soldiers to stand and fight. Sura had told this tale often enough, but the Koyr apprentices never seemed to tire of hearing it. Mik thought perhaps the boys were too busy watching Sura to pay attention to her story, but he had learned to be comfortable with that. The boys learned their boundaries soon after their arrival in Koyr, when Ni’gaj had presumed to pull Sura behind a screen… indeed, that boy in particular kept his distance after meeting the sharp end of Sura’s elbows and fists. Mik thought him lucky that Sura had not set him afire as well.

We were outnumbered about four to one, but the Northerners… well, you know how they are about magic. All the apprentices nodded, and Sura continued. But when the Grand Commander saw how the battle was going, he finally let us help. We started by neutralizing their archers. The Lea was too wet to raise a Dust Devil, but we could use the same magic to throw mud in their faces. The same spell helped to blow their arrows off course.

You should have sent the arrows back at them, one of the apprentices quipped.

That’s one thing we learned about battles that day, Sura replied. "Things happen so quickly, you don’t have time to consider what the best thing might be. You just do, and hope it works out. It was going well enough, at least at first. When Goblins got through the line, we set them afire, and still kept their archers at bay.

"So Mik and I were linked through the onyx, and we could see in two different places. I was watching for Goblins to break through the lines, while Mik was looking for things we could do beyond. What caught us was when two Goblins came through at once.