Argent's Adventures - Book 1 - "Travels and Trials"

[Argent]

Chapter One

My name is Argent and this is the story of my life. I am a sorceress by trade, an invoker of powerful magical energies to be specific. I am also much more than that, but that would be spoiling what is yet to come. This is the story of how my life unfolded, so I’m not going to reveal where I ended up right at the beginning!

Argent is my chosen name, not my given name. I have another name, but I choose to not share that one. I am not ashamed of my family, nor do we have any deep, dark secret hanging over our heads. My birth name was just so--- so plain. From a very young age I was anything but plain.

I am not going to bore you with an in depth look at my childhood. Suffice to say I will merely hit the highlights. My parents were not rich, nor were they poor. They ran a general store in the City of Crossroads. I helped out around the store once I was old enough to walk. I suppose it kept me out of trouble at a young age.

As I started to grow up, several things were quickly becoming apparent. For one thing, I was smart. Very smart. I could read and write better than most adults by the time I was six years old. By the time I was ten I had taken over doing the accounting for the family business. Not long after that I started to make deals with the traveling free traders to purchase goods for the store. The business, as a whole, did rather well in those days.

I have a natural easy-going personality. I find it easy to talk to complete strangers just about anything. I was a cute kid, but I grew up quickly to be a very beautiful woman. I wasn't tall, just a few inches over five feet and slender for my build. But I had that classic hourglass figure that drove the boys wild. My natural curly brown hair fell down past my shoulders and it matched by equally brown doe-like eyes.

It isn't hard to imagine just how devastating that combination was. Boys always come around the store to pester me. They were easy to control and manipulate. So easy that it quickly became a tedious task. A few of them were nice, but none of them were the kind of man I ever imagined myself ending up with. I had much grander dreams on how my life would unfold.

I am my parents' eldest child. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. Both of them also worked in the store, but neither could match my abilities. The years passed as they always do but I felt that I could do more than just run the family business. From a very young age magic had fascinated me. I was a small, slender girl. I was also very weak when it came to physically demanding work. I was just not very strong. I guess it was the gods' way of making things even out. I was overly talented in some areas, and feeble in others. So the idea of wielding mighty magical powers enthralled me to no end.

Mystra is the Goddess of Magic and my first thought was to serve her directly as a priestess. So when I was fifteen years old I went to the local Mystran Temple and sought to be accepted as a priestess in training. They performed some tests on me and did some divinations. The results of those tests said that I was not "priestess material". However, it showed that I had a very strong aptitude to become a mage. In short I lacked the wisdom to serve as a priest, but had more than enough intellect to master magic. In hindsight, it probably was for the best.

I found a teacher of magic in Crossroads and started training with him. My first teacher seemed so smart and so wise, but that was only because I didn't know much when it came to wielding magic. I learned everything I could from him in a frighteningly short period of time. Turns out that he was merely a dabbler in magic and really had very little to offer to me. He was more interested in being with me, than actually teaching me. I left him to find a more talented teacher.

This went on for several years from several different teachers. I learned all that I could from each one and then sought out someone more knowledgeable than them. I still worked in the store all this time; by doing so I probably dragged the whole process out a few years longer than I needed to. I guess the Priests of Mystra were right. I was smart, but I was not very wise! By the time I was twenty, I had learned a few magical spells on my own, but I still wasn't a real mage. Most of the magic that I had learned were minor cantrips and the like. Spells that made everyday life easier, not ones that would defeat foes and slay monsters. I had learned a lot, but I hungered for more.

The City of Crossroads is a major city in the Kingdom of Cynalon. It sits, literally, at the crossroads of two major roads. The first is the High Road, that connects Crossroads to the City of Elcadan in the far west. The road south was the King’s Road, and it traveled south through the capital of Alexandria all the way to King’s Port, the main ocean port. East of Crossroads and several days away through the Graystone Pass was the City of Gateway. Gateway was on the border between Cynalon and the old Keln lands. It was late in the year of 569 CR that Cynalon reclaimed Gateway from goblins that held it. There was even talk that other, more powerful monsters were involved including Priests of Hextor, the vile god of War. Leading the charge was one Sir Alon Teramar, a gallant knight of the realm.

The tales of Gateway filled Crossroads' conversation for several weeks. The boys reenacted the fierce battle to reclaim Gateway, while we girls swooned at the romantic notion of being noticed by such a powerful knight and swept away. Such were the daydreams of your typical teenager looking for excitement. But mixed in with those tales were the associates of Sir Alon who helped liberate Gateway. Of particular note to me was one Lord Sharadin Sculley. The name Sculley was an important one here in the Kingdom of Cynalon. Their family dated back to the founding of the kingdom itself and were even blood relatives of the royal family! Lord Sharadin had been named the Archmage of Gateway.

To me this was my chance to find a teacher who was truly worthy of my talents! So I decided to make my way to Gateway and offer myself as an apprentice to Lord Sharadin. Should it come to that, I wasn't afraid of using my feminine wiles to get what I wanted. And I usually got what I wanted. So I left early the next morning carrying a few belongings and all the gold that I had saved up over the years. I left a note for my parents to find and didn't look back. I found a handsome caravan driver who was willing to take me to Gateway and off I went. It took five or six days to reach Gateway. It was winter now, so at least I didn't spend those days trudging through snow in the mountainous pass. The caravan driver was a bore, but it was all worth it when I got to Gateway.

Gateway wasn't all that impressive to see. It was a city that had seen much destruction over the years. The outer protective wall had collapsed in many places. Men were working in the cold to rebuild them. Most of the buildings had damage of some sort. A few had been reclaimed for use, while others were open to the elements or had even collapsed. This was the first time I really ever saw what the aftermath of war looked like. It wasn't pretty.

Gateway was much smaller than Crossroads, but had a similar layout. The center of Gateway was an open market where merchants hawked their goods. Inns and other stores surrounded the open market. Past those were the private residences. The estates of the wealthy were at the far eastern end of the city. Gateway itself sat on top of a plateau. From certain places you could look out into the former Keln Lands below. Two roads lead down the plateau to the forest hundreds of feet below. One road was to the north, another was to the south. The main road ran west back through the Graystone Pass to Crossroads.

Once in Gateway, I slipped away from the caravan and started to ask around about where I could find Lord Sharadin. Finally, I did find a friendly guard who pointed me in the direction of Lord Sharadin. So I made my way through the ruined town towards the noble estates. It seems Lord Sharadin had claimed one of the abandoned estates as his own. It was cold and windy as I made my way through the dark streets of Gateway. I bundled up as good as I could, but it wasn't enough to hold back the biting cold. So weary, with chattering teeth, I arrived at Lord Sharadin’s Estate. There were no guards or other individuals around to announce me like you would find in more civilized lands.

I made my way to the front door, but paused to compose myself before knocking. I pulled out a mirror and adjusted my makeup slightly. I shook the snow off my hair and prepared myself to persuade Lord Sharadin with my more than ample charms. Now fully prepared, I straightened up and knocked as hard as could on the door. After a time, the door opened and my heart sank. Standing there was a beautiful blonde haired girl with sparkling blue eyes. She was a little taller than me and a few years younger. She wore an elegant royal blue gown. Could there already be apprentices to Lord Sharadin?

“Can I--”, the girl started to say. Much to my surprise, what must have been the girl's identical twin sister stepped into the view. Even stranger the second girl finished the first girl’s sentence! “--help you?”

“Uhm--”, I stammered out, completely taken by surprise. I quickly recomposed myself. “I would like to see Lord Sharadin, please.”

“About...”, the first girl said. “..what?” the second girl finished.

“I wish to offer myself as an apprentice to Lord Sharadin, for I seek training in the ways of magic.”

The two girls giggled to themselves, but stood aside. “Come...”, one of them said. “...in”, the other finished. I walked into the manor house and found that it was sparse when it came to furniture and decorations. But there was a warm fire burning in the fireplace. It may not be much to look at, but at least it wasn't cold. I stamped my feet to get the snow off of them.

“Wait there',” the girls told me, each continuing to alternately speak. They both pointed to a side chamber and then walked off to summon Lord Sharadin.

I stepped into the waiting area, removed my coat, set my bags down and warmed myself by the fire. Once alone, I tried to regain my composure. The sight of the those twins really threw me for a loop. Their presence might make it harder for me to be Lord Sharadin’s apprentice. But then again it might make it easier. It just depended on what the man was like. Maybe young girls was his thing.

After a few minutes wait, the master of the manor appeared. Lord Sharadin was a tall man with short blonde hair. He was clean shaved and was handsome in his own way. Much to my surprise, he didn't have the stereotypical look of a mage. Instead he was muscular and well built. I might have mistaken him for a warrior not a mage. Lord Sharadin looked youthful, but the lines around his eyes suggested that he was far older than he appeared. There was the unmistakable look of intelligence in his eyes.

‘I am Lord Sharadin,” he said in greeting with a bow. “How can I help you?”

“I am Argent, Lord Sharadin” I said proudly, curtsying in return. It was a name I had chosen for myself long ago, but one that I had never used until now. “I seek training in the magical arts from one so esteemed such as yourself. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my dream come true.”

“Then you have wasted your time traveling here,” Lord Sharadin flatly stated. “I have not the time nor the inclination to instruct novices in the arcane arts. Good day.”

With that, Lord Sharadin turned and started to walk away! Just like that my dream was over!

[Argent]

Chapter Two

I had traveled to Gateway to see Lord Sharadin Sculley so that I could learn magecraft from him. After I finally got to see him, he said that he had no time to instruct novices in the art of magic and walked away!

I was stunned at first, and then I got angry. I uttered a magical word and glanced at the fireplace. At the direction of my finger, a tongue of flame leaped from the fireplace and streaked in front of Lord Sharadin. It understandably startled the Archmage to find the flame suspended before him.

“I am not a novice,” I growled in a low voice.

“So I see,’ Lord Sharadin said, turning back in my direction. “But still a cantrip is but a minor magic. Most novices can at least master that simple feat.”

“I can assure you, Lord Sharadin, that I am anything but common. I've mastered this lesser magic with very little real teaching. Just imagine what I can do with a competent tutor?”

“Indeed,” Lord Sharadin stated while appearing lost in thought. The Archmage gestured and my tongue of flame returned the fireplace seemingly of its own accord. Turning back to me, Lord Sharadin said, “Come with me then.”

“As you wish, milord,” I said with a graceful curtsy. There was a wide smile on my face. It seemed that I was making progress here. My foot was still in the door, a little bruised, but still in the door. The Archmage of Gateway led me deeper into the manor house. Soon we arrived at a large room. I looked around in wide wonder. This had to be Lord Sharadin’s laboratory! The tables around the room held many pieces of equipment. Some of them I recognized, some I did not. Many papers and books were mixed in with the equipment.

The room was surprisingly bright. The source of the light seemed to be on the ceiling. It was hard to look up directly at the light. There was shade over the light that helped defuse it somewhat. What was even stranger is that there were no shadows in this room. Somehow this light was seemingly everywhere! Magical in nature, no doubt. In addition to a laboratory this chamber must have served as a instruction area. Two of the walls of the room had blackboards on them with numerous writings. At a glance some of it I could understand, some of it I could not. This was so exciting! There was much I could learn here!

There was another boy in the room head down in books while working on a paper. He had brown hair and was clean shaven. The boy wasn't bad looking, but not the most handsome I had ever seen before. He looked to be around my age.

“That’s enough for today, Burant”, Lord Sharadin told the man. “Help the girls get dinner ready and we’ll pick this up in the morning.”

“Yes, master,” Burant intoned as he closed up his books and tided up his work area for a moment. Then he left the room, leaving me alone with Lord Sharadin. Clearly this Burant was already an apprentice of Lord Sharadin. Counting the twins, that made three apprentices in all. This house was starting to get crowded. While Burant was getting ready to leave, Lord Sharadin moved towards what must have been his own desk. He shuffled through the papers for a time before finding whatever it was he was looking for. I glanced at Burant as he left. He looked back at me and I waved. Burant smiled as he closed the door behind him. I turned back to the chalkboards. Some of them held some very interesting stuff, but one in particular drew my attention. There was something that looked like pictographs on the board and words in common. It was as if they were trying to convert the pictures into understandable words.

“Excuse me, Lord Sharadin,” I politely asked. “What is this? I find it fascinating.”

“A side project of mine,” the Archmage explained. “Have you ever heard of the Elder Script?” I shook my head no.

“There was a race of beings who lived long before we humans or any elf or dwarf came into being.” Lord Sharadin explained. “They died out so long ago that all that remains of them is this strange type of script that is occasionally found on ancient ruins. We call this unknown race the Elders.”

“Hence the Elder Script.” I correctly deduced. “But surely you can easily translate this with magic?”

“It is a trivial matter to do so,” Lord Sharadin agreed. “But that method does not teach me how to read such script without the use of magic. Many of the words have been translated and we have a loose Elder dictionary, but not every word has been identified thus far. But anyway, back to more important matters.” Lord Sharadin handed me several pieces of parchment. There were writings and drawings on them. Some of it was in the script of magic, while other parts were equations of some type. This was a test of some sorts.

“See what you can do with this,” Lord Sharadin directed. “Answer all the questions before I return and you might get your wish.”

“Thank you, milord,” I genuinely said accepting the papers. “You won’t be disappointed.”

“That remains to be seen,” Lord Sharadin said as he walked toward the room's exit. Taking the papers, I found a writing pen and an ink well on a nearby table. It must have been a spot for another student of Lord Sharadin. As I settled into work, Lord Sharadin departed the room leaving me alone.

The first question was surprisingly easy. But then again, I had mage training to some degree already. This was stuff I learned years ago. The next question was slightly harder, but easy to answer as well. I lost track of time as I worked on Lord Sharadin’s test. Each question was harder than the one before it. Near the end of the test I found myself not knowing the answers, but having to make educated guesses. I might have made some mistakes on the test, but I was confident that I had most of it right. After going through the test a second time, I put the test down and waited for Lord Sharadin to return. My gaze was inevitably drawn back to the Elder Script puzzle. Moving closer to the board I tried to follow the work of the Archmage. The puzzle before me was daunting, but this was the kind of thing I loved.

I lost track of time as I simply stared at the chalkboard. I first examined the work that Lord Sharadin had done, trying to see how the pictures were translated into common. It wasn't obvious at first, but in time I started to see a pattern in the work. The translations were starting to make sense. Most of them that is. One of them just seemed wrong to me. A picture that seemed to indicate the rising sun was translated into day. Based on what I had studied from the other pictures, I was sure that the correct word was dawn, not day. It wasn't a huge error as the words were similar, but it seemed odd that Lord Sharadin had leaped to a wrong conclusion. I reached for the eraser and wrote the word dawn in place of day.

“What do you think you are doing?” A loud voice demanded. Glancing back, I saw Lord Sharadin standing in the doorway. He did not seem pleased.

“Forgive me, Lord Sharadin”, I quickly answer while stepping away from the chalk board. “I though I found a mistake…”

“Do you really think I made a mistake?” The Archmage demanded.

“A small one,” I quietly said. Figuring that I had nothing to lose at this point, I showed him the reasoning behind my work and how I had reached my conclusion. Lord Sharadin stood there for a minute before speaking. I braced myself for the shouting that was to come.

“Very good,” Lord Sharadin said, seemingly pleased. “You are correct. The proper translation is dawn, not day.” I was surprised at first and then beamed with pride at solving the puzzle.

“This isn't’t really a side project of mine,” Lord Sharadin casually stated. “The Elder Script was translated a long time ago. This a logic test that none of my apprentices have yet to notice and figure out on their own. And you solved it in just one evening. I am impressed.”

“You are too kind, milord,” I answered in complete surprise. I had done something that not even his own students had yet to do! I hadn't noticed before, but Lord Sharadin had returned bearing a plate of food and mug of drink. They had been set down when he found me working out his puzzle. Lord Sharadin retraced his steps to retrieve the food and drink.

“I figured you might be hungry by now.” Lord Sharadin said as he offered them to me. Until the subject of food had come up, I didn't realize just how hungry I was. It must be late in the evening by now. I tend not to notice such things when I am engrossed in a puzzle. I accepted the food and quickly began to devour it. The mug held water. At this point I was so hungry and thirsty that it didn't matter.

While I ate, Lord Sharadin went over my work on his written test. He quickly scanned my work, going through page after page. Lord Sharadin took his time on the paper and I had eaten my dinner before he finished.

“You did well on my test,” Lord Sharadin said. “Not perfect, but more than satisfactory. In the meantime I have much to consider. You’ll be our guest for the evening. I will have an answer for you in the morning.” I was a bit disappointed at that, but knew that things like this are not to be rushed. Still, I felt I had done more than enough to become Lord Sharadin’s next apprentice.

At Lord Sharadin’s direction, we headed towards the room's exit. Not far away in the hallway stood the twin girls that first greeted me at Lord Sharadin’s door. They were seemingly waiting for us.

“Argent”, Lord Sharadin said as he indicated the girls. “These are my daughters, Sherry and Terry. They’ll show you to your guest room. Sleep well.” His daughters?! That caught me by surprise and my initial opinion of Lord Sharadin was clearly a wrong one. But, I guess in hindsight, I should have seen that. Oh well, that will teach you to leap to conclusions.

“Thank you, Lord Sharadin,” I fumbled to say. I followed the twins while Lord Sharadin went his own way. We move to the second floor of the manor house. The twins lead me to a door in one of the wings. Beyond it was a good sized room, but one that held only minimal furniture. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a table and chair. A pitcher of water was on the table along with a bowl to wash up with. A fire was burning in the fireplace, providing the room with warmth. I could see that my belongings that I left down in the waiting area had been brought here.

“Good night”, the twins said in their weird alternating way of speaking.

“Thanks,” I said with a wave as they closed the door behind them.

I washed up a bit and then changed into my sleeping clothes. I was confident that I would be accepted by Lord Sharadin. In spite of my eagerness to start learning, I was very tired from the demands of this day and quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow was going be my first day as an apprentice!

[Argent]

Chapter Three

I awoke sometime the next morning in the manor house of Lord Sharadin Sculley. It was chilly as the fire in the fireplace had burned itself out overnight. Still the bed was warm so I wasn’t too uncomfortable. I moved the blankets aside and slipped into my robe. I slowly made my way to the fireplace. I added another log to it and then used a cantrip to light it on fire. The wood slowly started to burn and the warmth returned to the room.

I washed up and used other cantrips to prepare myself for the day. Cantrips were minor magics that could be used for everyday tasks, such as lighting a fire or even minor manipulation of fire. I also used them for personal hygiene. It was easy to wash myself and comb my hair this way. They could even be used to apply or remove make up. Once clean, I pondered what dress to wear today. Since Lord Sharadin was an older man, clearly since he had daughters nearly my age, there was no reason for me to try and flirt with him any more. So I choose a more conservative dress than the one I had worn the day before. After adding stockings to my feet, I put on my shoes and left my guest room.

I was understandably excited. Lord Sharadin had promised me an answer about my becoming an apprentice today. I had no idea how late or even how early it was in the day, but regardless I should have my answer soon. It was quiet outside my room. I made my way downstairs in search of Lord Sharadin. The inviting smell of food reached me and my stomach let me know that it needed to eat. I was at the bottom of the stairs near the front door. The smell led me into a large dining room on the opposite side of the waiting room I was in yesterday. A huge dining table dominated the room. There was enough room for at least twenty people to eat here. But the room was vacant.

I could still smell food but now I was picking up muffled voices in the distance. It was coming from a room next to the dining room. Logically, it should be the kitchen. I tentatively pushed the swinging door open and found that I was correct. The manor kitchen was good sized. Not as large as the dining room, but still roomy. There were several cooking fires and much storage space. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the room. Seated around a table in the middle of the kitchen sharing breakfast were the twins and Burant. Lord Sharadin was not present. I also noted the lack of presence of the twins' mother, but decided not to bring that subject up. She could simply be away or maybe even deceased. It was simply better not to ask that potentially dangerous question.

“Well, look who--,” one of the twins started to say. “...decided to join us,” the other finished.

Burant turned and looked at me. “Good morning,” the apprentice said excitedly. “Come on in and join us.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Don’t mind if I do.” Gatherings like this were going to become commonplace in my life while I was an apprentice of Lord Sharadin so I might as well get used to it.

“We've got hot bread and jam,” Burant said as he got up out of his chair to assist me. “Milk and porridge too.”

“Help yourself,” the twins said. I did as instructed and filled a bowl with the warm porridge. I grabbed a few slices of the bread. There was already butter and jam on the table. I settled into an open seat and began to butter and jam my bread.

“Did you sleep well?” The twins combined to ask. The two were absolutely identical. I couldn't see how anyone could tell them apart.

“Yes, I did. Thank you.” After a pause I asked, “Do you two always talk like that?”

“Like what?” They answered one at a time.

“The short answer is no,’ Burant interjected. “Talking like that is so ingrained in them that they don’t even realize that they are doing it.”

“Doing what?” The twins said again, seemingly oblivious about what were talking about.

“See what I mean?” Burant said gesturing towards the girls. Annoyed one of the girls flicked a small portion of porridge at Burant. He avoided the makeshift missile, as if this was something that happened regularly around here. I couldn't help but chuckle at this.

“If you want to try something really fun, Argent,” Burant continued, “try forcing them to give a one word answer. Chareos and I theorized that they would explode if forced to do that. It's an experiment that we are still working on.” The other sister lobbed her own porridge missile at Burant over that comment. I dug into my porridge. It was edible and filled me with warmth so I couldn't complain.

“Chareos?” I wondered aloud after swallowing.

“Father’s other apprentice”, the twins answered. “He is away right now.”

“Oh, I see,” So Lord Sharadin had at least two apprentices, not counting the girls. Right now I couldn’t be sure that they even were apprentices. “Where is Lord Sharadin this morning?”

“Father teleported away last night,” one of the twins answered. “He said he’d be back before lunch,” the other finished.

I found that to be odd, but made no comment. The conversation turned to more mundane topics while we finished our breakfast. Afterwards, everyone pitched in to help clean up. Burant stayed close to me, he clearly liked me and was trying to show it. Subtlety was not his strong suit. We were nearly done when Lord Sharadin stepped into the room.

“Morning,” he said to everyone present. Lord Sharadin handed out work assignments to his daughters and Burant before turning his attention to me. “Argent, come with me.”

“As you wish, Lord Sharadin,” I answered. I followed Lord Sharadin out of the kitchen and into the hallway beyond. We started down the hallway that led the laboratory/classroom, but kept going past it.

“I was away consulting with my associates regarding your arrival here,” Lord Sharadin said.

Associates? I wasn't honestly sure just who an Archmage would consider to be his associates. Other Archmages perhaps?

“Based on your test results and your solving of the Elder Script test, you do possess a high degree of intelligence and are a good candidate for mage training.”

“Thank you, milord,” I said excitedly. “I will strive to be the best apprentice that I can be.”

“I’m sure you will,” Lord Sharadin continued. “However, I will not be your instructor in magecraft. That task will fall to another.”

“I don’t understand?”

Lord Sharadin stopped and gathered his thoughts as if choosing his words carefully. “My associates and I keep our eyes open for people with the skills to be adventurers. We have a pool of talented individuals that we call upon to solve those problems that only adventurers can solve. In the case of mages, we train them as well. I train the men in magic, while Jallarzi handles the girls. It is she who will instruct you in magic.”

“I am unfamiliar with this ‘Jallarzi‘,” I had to admit.

“I take it that you have never been to Elcadan before?” I shook my head no.

“Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian has an estate just north of the City of Elcadan. She is close to my level when it comes magical powers, and honestly probably a much better teacher than I.”

“I see…”, I started to say. This was not something that I had expected at all. “What do I need to do?”

Lord Sharadin turned and started to walk down the hallway once more. “Jallarzi has accepted you as an apprentice, provided that you can pass her test.”

“What kind of test?” I couldn't help but wonder.

“Its very simple. You just need to travel to Elcadan and arrive at the High Road Inn. The Innkeeper is a friend of Jallarzi and he will tell you how to reach her estate.”

“That will take weeks!” I complained.

“Most likely,” Lord Sharadin agreed. We stopped outside of another door. He grabbed the handle and opened the door. He stepped inside and I followed.

“Couldn’t you just use magic to send me there?”

“Yes, I could, but I won’t. Argent you need to understand that the path you have put yourself on is not an easy one. We get requests by would-be apprentices all the time. Most don’t make it very far. Learning magic is an ordeal for the student and the teacher. We have these tests to weed out those who are not really committed to becoming mages. It serves to not waste their time or ours.”

“But I am committed to becoming a mage,” I tersely answered. “Haven’t I proved that by coming to Gateway alone and solving your Elder test?”

“In part yes,” Lord Sharadin admitted. “But on the other hand if you are so committed, then the trip to Elcadan will be an easy task for you. Will it not?” I hate when people come up logical reasons why I should do something that I don’t want to do! The room I now found myself was a combination of private office and library. It was Lord Sharadin’s den. He examined the books on his shelf as if looking for a particular one.

“It will be as you wish, Lord Sharadin,” I said resigned to my fate.

“It is what the Lady Sallavarian wishes,” Lord Sharadin corrected. “I have my kind of tests, she has hers. It is now her that you need to prove yourself to.”

“I guess I should pack and get ready for the trip to Elcadan.”

“Not so fast, Argent. I have a few things to give you.” Lord Sharadin looked away from the bookshelf and fished in his robe pocket to produce a small pack of papers. “You’ll need these on your trip.”

“What is this?” I wondered. “Homework already?”

“Nothing like that. These are Letters of Passage should you need them. They are signed by Jallarzi and will say that you are on a mission for her should you be stopped by patrols. Expect that to happen when you pass through Pyris.”

“The rest is the locations of Inns to stay at on your trip to Elcadan. My associates and I have rooms rented year round at Inns in every City and way station along the High Road between here and Elcadan. Just show the appropriate letter to the Innkeepers and they will take care of you.”

“That is most unexpected”, I had to admit. While it was annoying that I had to make the long journey to Elcadan, at least I would have room and board along the way.

“We take care of our people.” As he said that, Lord Sharadin finally located the tome that he had been searching for. He pulled the slender tome out and gave its pages a quick glance. Satisfied that it was the one he had been looking for, Lord Sharadin handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Since you were so fascinated by the Elder Script puzzle, I am giving you a guide on how to read the Elder language. It might come in handy some day.”

“Thank you, Lord Sharadin!” I said excitedly.

“You’re welcome. You might as well spend the night here, Argent. The caravans traveling to Crossroad leave early in the morning, so you might as well wait until then to depart. The road to Crossroads is not safe to travel alone.”

“That makes sense,” I agreed. With the Letters of Passage and the Elder text book in hand, I made my way back to my guest room. I had packing to do and wanted to get some studying done as well. Tomorrow I would begin my journey to Elcadan in the far west. I would prove myself as being worthy of being Lady Sallavarian’s Apprentice!

[Argent]

Chapter Four:

I had been accepted as an apprentice for mage training, not by Lord Sharadin but by a Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian. That turn of events came as a surprise to me. But I took it all in stride. After all, it was my goal to become an apprentice and learn magic. Just who the teacher was going to be wasn’t as big of an issue, as long as they were competent.

Once back in my guest room, I familiarized myself with the packet of letters Lady Sallavarian had provided. Just as Lord Sharadin stated some of the letters were to provide me safe passage through the various domains I would be passing through on my long journey to Elcadan. The rest were the locations of inns and places to stay along the way.

I knew the local geography well enough that I could reach Elcadan, but some of the places that were mentioned were unfamiliar. I knew of the big cities, but not the smaller towns and villages in-between. At any rate, the High Road connected Crossroads and Elcadan. Just stay on the road and travel west.

After that I opened up the Elder writing translation book that Lord Sharadin had given me. In the first part of the book, the author explained his methodology on how he deciphered the Elder pictographs. It was somewhat similar to the patterns that I had noted while working on the problem. The book went into much greater depth and detail then my amateur work had. I found it fascinating.

I lost track of time as I read and studied the book. I was torn away from my research by a knock on the door. I rose and answered the door. Standing there was Burant, one of Lord Sharadin’s apprentices. The boy seemed nervous in my presence, but then again, I tended to have that affect on most young men. He had trouble taking his eyes off of me.

“Supper is ready,” Burant informed me. “Or do you plan to stay in your room all day?”

“Already?” I said in surprise. “No, I definitely could use something to eat. Are you my escort?”

That just made Burant more uncomfortable and made me chuckle. He offered his hand and I accepted it. Burant was attractive enough to hold my attention. I had known other, more handsome men, but he was also a mage in training so Burant as intelligent as well. It was an interesting combination, but one that couldn’t be explored with my short stay here.

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to get lost,” he finally managed to say.

We walked a few steps in silence. I could sense that Burant wanted to say something, but was either having trouble finding the courage or finding the words to speak.

“So,” he finally said. “I hear that you are leaving us in the morning?”

“Yes, I will be traveling to Elcadan to be an apprentice for Lady Sallavarian. Do you know of her?”

“I’ve met her in passing,” Burant answered. “Lady Sallavarian has been here a once or twice before to visit. Usually in the company of Sherwood.”

“What’s she like?”

“Lady Sallavarian seemed nice enough to me,” Burant reported. “It’s not like she had any serious conversations with me. She’s a beautiful lady with a marvelous smile. Honey blonde hair and light blue eyes….” Burant’s description drifted off as if he was recalling the Lady Sallavarian in his mind. I expected him to start drooling at any moment.

“Beautiful, huh?” I said as I squeezed his hand as hard as I could. That snapped Burant out of his daydream.

“Well, not as beautiful as you are, Argent.” He quickly added. “But she was impressive. Older of course, but not too old if you know what I mean.”

“Why Burant, you can be charming when you want to be.” I said with a light laugh. “You mentioned Sherwood before. Who is this Sherwood?”

“An adventurer,” Burant answered. “He’s a mage and a ranger. The three of them work together. As I understand it, Sherwood is Lord Sharadin’s nephew. Lady Sallavarian is a distant relation to both of them.”

“I see… How interesting.” After a pause, I asked, “Do you know how many apprentices Lady Sallavarian has now?”

“I can’t be sure”, Burant admitted. “Sherry and Terry were both apprentices to Lady Sallavarian, but have graduated earlier this year. Oh, there is at least one other. A Lyra Stinson. She has delivered messages to Lord Sharadin from Lady Sallavarian before.”

“Well that’s strange. If they are both as powerful as they seem to be, why send apprentices on such mundane errands?”

“Search me,” Burant shrugged. “Lyra said that it was a test of self-reliance when I asked her about that.”

“That sounds eerily familiar”, I noted as it sounded similar to the journey I was about to undertake.

By now, we had reached the entrance to the kitchen. Burant released my hand and stepped towards the door. I reached out and grabbed his arm. Burant stopped and faced me.

“Thank you for the escort and the information,” I said gratefully. “You’re sweet.”

I stood up on my tip toes and give the already nervous apprentice a kiss on the cheek. Burant was startled at first, and then turned bright red in embarrassment by the unexpected show of affection. I just smiled sweetly, opened the kitchen door, and swept into the room beyond.

Lord Sharadin were already seated at the table inside the kitchen along with his daughters. The evening meal was already on the table, just waiting to be eaten. There was roast with potatoes and vegetables to be had. There were pitchers of water on the table. Fresh bread with butter was available.

“Come in, Argent”, Lord Sharadin said looking up. “Help yourself.”

“Thank you, Lord Sharadin”, I answered. “Most kind.”

I did as instructed and took an open seat at the table. Burant, his face less red, followed me in a moment later. I helped myself too two pieces of thinly sliced roast, a couple of the smaller potatoes and a portion of carrots. I took a slice of bread and buttered it.

The dinner conversation was surprisingly light and I joined in when I had something to add. It was almost a family like atmosphere here. I was even starting to get used to the twins and their unique way of speaking. It occurred to me that in spite of being two girls, they seemed to act just like one. A part of me did wish that I could stay here as it seemed so homey. But alas my destiny lay elsewhere.

I did learn some interesting things. Lord Sharadin had moved into this manor house just a few weeks ago after Gateway had been reclaimed. They were still bringing his belongings back from his family estate in Alexandria. That’s what the missing apprentice was doing, the Chareos that I had only heard about. So they were still very much just setting up here.

“Have you decided on what kind of magic wish to study?” Lord Sharadin asked me as the meal was starting to wind down.

I have to admit that the question did catch me off guard a bit. “I know that there are different types of magic, but no one ever mentioned to me before that you could specialize in a specific type.”

“Mages can be classified as being one of four different types,” Burant said, sounding as if he had rehearsed that answer as part of his studies. “There are the Generalist Mages who are equally skilled in all schools of magic. There are Specialist Mages who focus on one particular school of magic, but at the expense of not knowing spells from all schools of magic. There are Elementalist Mages and their spells all have a common theme to them, such as being a fire mage. Much like a Specialist, they are good at one type of magic, such as fire in my example, but would be weak in water magic as they are opposites. The last group are the Thaumaturgical Mages. This category is basically a catch all for anyone who doesn’t fit the other three mage types.”

“Very good, Burant,” Lord Sharadin complimented.

“I never realized that there was so much variety,” I said. “I have to admit that from what I have read the school of evocation would be of interest to me. I like the idea of wielding spells that go boom.”

“An Invoker,” the twins said with a laugh.

“I like the sound of that” I agreed sharing in the laugh. “I will be an Invoker of no small power.” That had a nice ring to it.

We cleaned up from the evening meal. I helped wash and then dry the dishes. We chatted about this and that until we started to drift away. It was getting late. I said my goodnights and made my way back to my guest room. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day as I had to catch a ride back to Crossroads.

I was only mildly surprised to fine Burant lurking near my door. He seemed unsure of himself.

“And to what do I owe this honor?” I said with a smile.

“You’re quite the tease,” Burant said as he drew closer.

“Its my nature,” I admitted with a shrug. I leaned back against the wall next to my guest room door. I offered him my hand and he took it. “Sometimes I do it without even realizing it.”

“You’re just so beautiful… I don’t think you realize how you affect people.”

I chuckled at that. “Actually, I have a pretty good idea what I am doing. I might be beautiful, but I am at least as smart as you are. I like being paid attention. I like the company of men. Call it a fault of mine.”

“I can see why,” Burant explained. “You’re a small, wisp of a girl. You want big, strong men to like you so that they can protect you. It is a logical strategy.”

“Is it working?”

“Perhaps too well.” With that, Burant leaned down and kissed me full on the lips. It was a nice and passionate kiss. I could almost feel the reluctance when he pulled away.

“That was a very nice kiss,” I said genuinely. “I am almost ready to invite you in for the night.”

“And I am almost ready to accept…” Burant admitted. “But…”

“But we shouldn’t,” I said finishing Burant’s train of thought. “At least not under these circumstance, not here in the house of your master.”

“Agreed,” he said with a heavy sigh as he released my hand and stepped away. “It is best if we just say goodnight.”

“Goodnight”, I said lightly. “We’ll meet again, Burant and then things will be different. Neither of us will be apprentices forever.”

“Goodnight, Argent”, Burant responded as he started to walk away. “I’ll see you in my dreams.”

That was a very sweet thing to say. I felt a twinge of sadness for the poor boy. I grasped the handle to my door. I wanted to call him back, but no this was for the best. I couldn’t remain here as I had to travel to Elcadan and begin my instruction in magic. Likewise, if I did remain here, poor Burant would never be able to concentrate and complete his training in magic. I was beginning to see the wisdom in Lord Sharadin’s decision to only train boy mages, while Lady Sallavarian trained girl mages. At our age it was so easy to get distracted by the other gender.

I went inside my room and closed the door behind me. I prepared for bed as I had an early morning. Sleep did not come easy that night as my thoughts were elsewhere and focused on a charming mage in training that through a twist of fate I could not be with. But, I reminded myself, sometimes dreams do come true.

[Argent]

Chapter Five:

I woke the next morning and started to prepare for my long journey. I didn’t bother with my usual level of cleanliness, as I was going to be bundled up for warmth rather then trying to look good. I packed up my few belongings into my bag. It wasn’t all that big, but that was due to my limited ability to carry things. My perpetual curse of being frail.

I opened the door and took one last look at the guest room that had been my home these last two days. It would have been interesting to be an apprentice to Lord Sharadin, but it was not to be. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever see that room again? No way of really knowing. I closed the door and went down the stairs.

I sat my gear near the front door along with my bulky, but warm coat. The inviting smell of food was coming from the kitchen. I knew enough by now to avoid the unused dining room and head straight for the kitchen. I could hear the others talking as they ate.

I entered the kitchen and took an open seat. Lord Sharadin and his daughters were present, as well as a dejected looking mage in training, Burant.

“Good morning,” I said as I swept into the room. The others returned greetings, save for Burant who kept his head down and fumbled with his food.

“Eat quickly,” Lord Sharadin advised. “The caravan will be leaving shortly and you don’t want to miss it.”

“Yes, milord”, I said in response.

Conversation was sparse and I quickly consumed my morning meal. Before I could even realize it, I was at the front door putting my coat on grabbing my bag. Burant had disappeared, but the twins were there and each gave me a friendly hug.

“This is for you,” one of them said, handing me a small bag.

“For the trip to Crossroads.” The other sister finished. The bag held food to nibble on during the trip back to Crossroads.

“Thank you very much,” I told them. “You’ve been so nice to me, that I will never for get this.”

“Good luck!” the sisters told me. “You’ll have fun with Jallarzi!”

I hoped they were right. Lord Sharadin was present as well, but he was dressed up for the cold. I guessed that he was going to show me off.

“I’ll be back after lunch,” Lord Sharadin told his daughters. With that, he opened the door and we headed outside.

It was shaping up to be a nice day outside. It was still cold and the ground covered with snow, but at least it was sunny out. We made our way through the snow towards the center of town, that’s where the caravans would be at.

“I appreciate you coming along, Lord Sharadin,” I said as we walked through the nearly deserted noble district, “but it was not necessary to escort me.”

“It’s along my way, Argent,” Lord Sharadin said. “It is no bother. There is a meeting with the City Council this morning.”

“There doesn’t seem to be many people here to have a City Council”, I wondered.

“There is more then it appears to be, but Gateway is still a large town compared to how many people are current here. Regardless, policy needs to be set.”

“How many people are there on the Council?”

“Just four,” Lord Sharadin answered. “General Logan Rowan, Selinda of Azrella, and Durn of Heironeous. Eventually, Gateway will have a Baron, but for now General Logan is serving as its Regent Lord with the advice of the rest of the council.”

I just nodded my understanding. The politics of nobles was not something I had dealt with much before. Lord Sharadin was the first noble I had spent anytime with. I hoped that he was the norm and not the exception when it came to the nobility.

In short order we arrived at the center of Gateway. I could see that there were two caravans there. The one was getting ready to leave, while the other one was still being unloaded. The goods from the wagons were being stored in nearby warehouses. The area was bustling with activity.

Lord Sharadin looked around for a moment before finding what he was looking for. It was a large man dressed for the cold weather. All that was visible beneath his clothing was is face and few stray red hairs. He was busy directing the departing caravan, walking up and down its length.

“Master Trevor, a word please,” Lord Sharadin called out as he advanced on the man.

Turning, Trevor looked in our direction and smiled. “Lord Sharadin, good to see you as always. What can humble caravan master do for the Archmage of Gateway this morning?”

“I need a favor,” Lord Sharadin said and the two men walked off a few steps to speak in private. Words were exchanged and then Lord Sharadin gestured for me to approach.

“Argent, this is Trevor, the master of this caravan,” Lord Sharadin explained. “He’ll transport you to Crossroads.”

“Thank you, Master Trevor,” I said with a curtsey. “I am most appreciative of your kindness.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Argent,” Master Trevor said. “I’ve got the perfect spot for you in the caravan.”

“Good luck, Argent,” Lord Sharadin said to me. “I’m sure that I’ll see you at Jallarzi’s Estate at some point.”

“Thank you for everything, Lord Sharadin,” I answered gratefully. “I’ll make you proud.”

Lord Sharadin smiled and then turned and walked away, no doubt continuing on towards the City Council chambers. I followed Master Trevor as he moved down the line of wagons that made up his caravan. Most of the wagons were covered, so that their contents were protected from the weather. A few wagons were left exposed to the elements.

I counted at least a dozen wagons, each having two drivers who would take turns driving. Most of the wagons were being pulled by two horses, but a few had a team of four. There was nothing really remarkable about the members of the caravan. They were just hard working men, and a few women, making a living in this brutal cold.

Master Trevor led me to one of the covered wagons. He helped me up into the wagon. The inside of the wagon held a dozen or so crates and barrels, but wasn’t completely filled. There was enough room for me to sit and relax as the wagon rode along without feeling cramped. At least I would be out of the cold breeze.

A lantern was hanging from the bottom of the ribbing that made the frame on which the wagon’s fabric cover covered. Trevor reached up and turned the knob, as he did bright light filled the interior of the wagon. It was the same kind of light that Lord Sharadin had in his laboratory/classroom. I would later learn that it was the product of Continual Light spell.

“There you go, Miss Argent,” Trevor said. “Lord Sharadin mentioned that you’d most likely spend your time studying.”

“This will do nicely, Master Trevor,” I answered. “Thank you so much.”

I put my bag down and tried to find a comfortable way to sit. Once I did that, I pulled out my Elder Script book and started to read. In short order, the caravan headed out with a jerk. It took some time to get used to being on the moving wagon, but I adapted. I concentrated on my book and tried to ignore the world around me.

Graystone Pass is what connects Gateway with the rest of Cynalon. As the name suggests, it’s a mountainous pass that runs west and downward at a gentle slope. There were no towns and villages between Crossroads and Gateway, so there were no stop offs for the caravan. Instead there were campgrounds spaced to be one day apart from each other by wagon. At these places the caravan would stop for the night and then continue on the next morning.

The journey from Gateway to Crossroads takes six days on average. Each day we would pass a caravan heading towards Gateway. I guessed that this was part of a regular rotation of caravans that were being used to supply Gateway. Given its run down state, Gateway need a lot of supplies.

I basically spent the entire trip reading or sleeping. My skill with the Elder language grew by leaps and bounds. I paid little attention to what was going on around me. I would hear talk at night while out stretching my legs that some caravans had been attacked by bandits before. The drivers were understandably nervous. Fortunately, I had yet to experience any bandit attacks.

On the sixth day since I had left Gateway, my home, the City of Crossroads, came into sight. It was warmer here, as Gateway was higher up in the mountains. But I really didn’t want to go home, as I left with the strict purpose of becoming a mage. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and my brother and my sister. I just didn’t want to see them this soon and not before I had done what I sat out to do. It would seem like admitting defeat to return home and have my family try and talk me out of it.

Because of that, I decided to not go home, but rather use the Inn in the network of places used by Lord Sharadin and his associates. They used the Blushing Maiden Inn of Crossroads for this purpose. I knew where it was at, but had never been there before. My parents home and business were on the other side of town.

With my trip near an end, I packed up my belongings and was more than ready to leave the caravan behind. I was safe and out of the elements for most of the trip, but it was lacking in creature comforts and I always like my creature comforts. Once the caravan came to a stop, I got out of the wagon, thanked Master Trevor for his generosity and made my way towards the Blushing Maiden Inn.

Appropriately enough, the Blushing Maiden Inn was on Maiden Lane, just off the High Road. I made my way down the somewhat busy street. The streets were busier in the summer time, but this was late afternoon, so most folks were heading home from work. Many would stop at the plethora of Inns and taverns for something to warm them from the cold.

A sign up ahead showed a maiden with rosy cheeks telling me that I had found my destination. I walked into the Blushing Maiden Inn and found the common room not quite half full. The décor was pleasant enough. The Inn wasn’t some cheap dive, but by the same token it wasn’t extravagant either.

I asked a serving girl to point out the Innkeeper to me and she did so. I then stepped up to the Innkeeper and produced my letter provided by Lady Sallavarian. Jenvis Feerling was his name and he immediately understood and showed me to the guest room they had held in reserve. I thanked the man and followed. I had the option of either eating in the common room or having dinner served in my room. I decided to have the meal served in the room. Just gave me less of a chance to be spotted by someone I knew. I thanked the Innkeeper again as he departed.

Once alone, I sat my bag down on a large table in the middle of the common area and removed my bulky coat. The table had room for six. There was a fireplace on one side of the room with an inviting fire burning in it. Several comfortable looking cushioned chairs were spread around in front of the fire place. It looked like a nice place to warm up at.

The contents on the other side of the room were concealed by two privacy screens. Peaking inside I found a large, brass bathing tub. The Innkeeper did mention that a hot bath was available with the room and I fully intended to make use of it!

Three doors along the back wall lead to smaller, private bedrooms. This was a three person suite of rooms. All in all, it was pleasant, much like the Inn that housed it.

I picked the room on the right and carried my belongings inside. I removed my winter weather clothes and let them dry on the table and slipped into my plain dress. Not like I was going to be impressing anybody tonight! As I changed, I heard the outer door open and assumed that dinner was being delivered. Once dressed, I made my way out to the common area. Much to my surprise, dinner had not been delivered yet, but rather another girl about my age had entered and was setting her bags down on the table.

“Oh, hello!”, the startled girl said. “I wasn’t expecting to have company tonight. Oh, where are my manners. I’m Lyra Stinson.”

[Argent]

Chapter Six:

I was staying at the Blushing Maiden Inn while in Crossroads on my way to Elcadan. I had just changed after spending six days traveling on a caravan between Crossroads and Gateway. I stepped out of my bedroom and discovered that another person had arrived to make use of the room provided by Lord Sharadin and his associates.

It was a girl with short reddish blonde hair and green eyes. She looked to be around my age, but was a few inches taller in height. My new guest was an attractive girl wearing a nice looking purple robes embroidered with golden trim. A matching purple ribbon was woven into her hair. She was cleanly groomed. My guest was as surprised to see me as I was to see her.

“Oh, hello!”, the startled girl said. “I wasn’t expecting to have company tonight. Oh, where are my manners? I’m Lyra Stinson.”

“My name is Argent,” I told Lyra wearily. “I am traveling upon the order of Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian. I have papers to verify my claim.”

“Not to worry,” Lyra simply said. “You made into the room, you must be okay. You meet all sorts of folks in these rooms. Looks like we’ll be roomies for the night, which will be a pleasant change for me. Traveling like this can be so lonely at times. I’ll take all the company that I can get!”

“Forgive me for being so forward,” Lyra continued, “but you are so beautiful! I just love your hair. I wish I could get his rag mop of mine to do anything half that fancy!”

“Thank you,” I said genuinely.

I will say this for Lyra, she was certainly enthusiastic! It was hard not to like her bubbly attitude. After I thought about it a minute, I realized that I had heard her name before,.

“You’re an apprentice of Lady Sallavarian!” I accused.

“That’s right,” Lyra said. She picked up her bags and moved them to the bedroom on the left. Once inside, she sat her bags down and hung her winter coat up to dry. “Guilty as charged.”

“That’s why I am traveling to Elcadan,,” I said as I stood in the doorway to her bedroom. “I’m going to be an apprentice Lady Sallavarian too.”

“Really?” Lyra said. “I hadn’t heard anything, but then again I’ve been on the road for over a week now. Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together in the future. Welcome to our little club, Argent.”

“Thanks”.

My mind was racing now. I had so many questions to ask Lyra about what being trained by Lady Sallavarian was going to be like. Before I could start asking, there was a knock at the door. Lyra reached the door first and our evening meal was being delivered. I stood out of the way while the food was placed on the table. Lyra dealt with the servers in a manner that made her seem accustomed to this sort of thing. She closed the door behind them when the servers had completed their task.

“Hmmm…. That ham smells good,” Lyra said as she took in inviting aroma of the food on the table. “Lets dig in shall we?”

There was a large piece of baked ham for us to slice. There are buttered potatoes and green beans. There were dinner rolls to have with butter or jam. There was a pitcher of water and a bottle of wine. I had to admit that my mouth was watering slightly by now.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” I said as a took a seat at the table.

Lyra took a seat at one end of the table, close to mine. We quickly helped ourselves to the inviting food. It had been nearly a week since I had eaten anything this grand and I dug in with a hearty gusto.

“They always have some marvelous meals here,” Lyra said between bites. “I look forward to visiting this Inn.”

I couldn’t help but agree. The food was delicious. Lyra reached for the bottle of wine and opened it. I caught a glance of the label and saw that it was Rennydale Red. I wasn’t familiar with the vineyard, but then again, I only had wine a few times before.

“You want some?” Lyra asked.

“Sure,” I said offering my glass. It couldn’t hurt to try some free wine.

Lyra filled my glass with the reddish colored wine. It smelled nice and fruity. I took a small sip and found it to my liking.

“This is really good.”

“Moderation is the key when it comes to Rennydale Red,” Lyra cautioned. “One or two glasses is nice. Three will give you a good nights sleep. More than six and you’ll sleep the day away.”

“I’ll try to remember that,” I said.

We ate silently for a time, but eventually Lyra started the conversation once more.

“So, it looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time together when we get back to the Sallavarian Estate,” Lyra said. “What’s your story, Argent?”

Looking back now, it was unusual for someone else driving the conversation, as that was something I usually did. Lyra was as skilled as I was when it came to the art of making conversation. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was trying to learn all about me while I was going to try and learn all about here.

As we ate, I relayed my story in general terms. How I left home to be a mage, traveled to Gateway and met Lord Sharadin. How I passed his test and solved the Elder Script puzzle. And then my odd way of being accepted by Lady Sallavarian by needing to pass her test by traveling to Elcadan. I left out the parts of the near romance with Burant. No need to get into that! Especially since I really didn’t know Lyra at all.

“It’s a test of self-reliance,” Lyra said with more than a hint of annoyance in her voice. “To see just how committed you are being a mage. I get them all the time. I‘ve lost count how many times I‘ve made the trip between Elcadan and Gateway. I think I spend more time on the road then being tutored.”

“That’s what I heard. So tell me, Lyra Stinson, what is your story? How did you end up as an apprentice of Lady Sallavarian.” I finished my glass of wine and poured another. At this point, I wasn’t sure if this was second or third glass.

“Not a lot to tell,” Lyra answered as she leaned back in her chair. “My family originally came from Akorros and lost most everything when it fell to the orcs. My forefathers moved southeast and settled in Elcadan where they worked as shipwrights. I was a bright girl and sought magical training from Lady Sallavarian and was accepted. Otherwise, my life has been most unexceptional.”

I had only heard a little about Akorros. It was a city to the far west, farther west then Elcadan, and like many cities in that region it was overrun by orcs and goblins after the Great War. There were wild uncontrolled ruins inhabited bandits, monsters and other strange creatures or so the stories went.

“So what is she like?” I asked next, as nibbled on a piece of the delicious ham. “Lady Sallavarian, I mean. I would like to know as much about her as I can.”

“That’s understandable,” Lyra agreed. “I am sure that she is learning what she can about you as well. Lady Sallavarian is a very good teacher. You will learn a lot from her if you pay attention. She is very knowledgeable about many things beyond magic itself. You’ll pick up new skills along the way, basically everything that you need to be a mage.”

“I like learning, so that all sounds good. Lord Sharadin’s apprentice told me that she was very beautiful.”

“That she is,” Lyra agreed. “She has plenty of would be suitors, but the Lady Sallavarian pays them no heed. ‘I have no time for love starved fools!’ the Lady has been known to say. But if you ask me, there is someone she is sweet on. I don’t know who for sure.”

“Could it be this Sherwood that I heard about?” I wondered aloud.

“Sherwood?!” Lyra said in surprise and then laughed. “No, its definitely not Sherwood! Their relationship is more like brother and sister, not lovers.”

“Oh,” I uttered while looking embarrassed to have make such a wild accusation.

There was a knock on the door, saving me from any further embarrassment. Lyra rose to answer. The servers were back, inquiring if we had finished our meal. I had lost track of time while we ate and chatted. Given how cool the food had gotten, I’d say that it had been at least an hour.

Lyra said we were and that they could clear the dishes and that they could begin to fill the tub when ready. She grabbed the bottle of wine and we both moved to the cushioned chairs by the fire place, so that the servers didn’t have to work around us. We curled up and warmed our feet by the fire.

I finished off my roll on the way and then offered my now empty glass for a refill. I found that I liked wine. I liked it a lot.

“Any other apprentices that I should know about?” I asked of Lyra.

“One other. Her name is Kharyna and she’s an unusual sort.”

“How so?”

“She has a very interesting life story, far more compelling them mine, but I think I will let her tell you about it. I think you two will get along just fine. I see some similarities between you.”

“I look forward to it,” I said taking another sip of wine.

“What I can say is that Kharyna was already an adventurer when she came to Lady Sallavarian to learn magecraft. In fact, she is a Priestess of Mystra!”

“Impressive”, I said. I didn’t realize what affect the wine was having on me by now. I was feeling pretty good and would indeed sleep very well tonight. “I tried to become a priestess of Mystra, but I didn’t qualify. Not wise enough I guess.”

“Not everyone is qualified for everything,” Lyra noted. I guess it was true.

In the background, the servers had returned and were filling the tub up with hot water. At Lyra’s direction the added a strawberry scented essence to the water.

“That smells good enough to eat!” I noted excitedly. “Just like fresh strawberries!”

“Why don’t you give it a try?” Lyra suggested. “I’ll take one after you’re finished.”

“Sounds fine to me!”

I rose from my chair, grabbed a robe from a line of them on pegs behind the tub, and entered my room. I quickly undressed and put the robe on to cover me. I then made my way back to the tub and behind the privacy screen. The warm water felt wonderful and I enjoyed my bath thoroughly.

I don’t remember much beyond that of that night. I had partaken too much wine and for the first time in my life was drunk. Of course, I didn’t realize it at the time. I vaguely remember Lyra bathing after I was finished, then we curled up by the fire to get our hair dry. We chatted all sorts of things while laughing and drinking. That was the last thing I remembered about that night.

[Argent]

Chapter Seven:

I awoke sometime the next morning, my heading strangely pounding. Much of the night before was a blur to me. I remembered meeting Lyra, having dinner and sharing that marvelous wine. We took turns bathing and then sat by the fire to get our hair dry. I had no recollection after that.

Given just how miserable I was feeling, I had to guess that I had drank too much wine and was now feeling its sting. This was a hard lesson that I had learned. Lyra warned me about moderation when it came to Rennydale Red. I would heed that warning in the future.

I laid there in bed for a long time until the throbbing in my head weakened. I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed gathering my wits when I noticed that my fingernails had been freshly painted red. That wasn’t all that unusual, but I hadn’t refreshed the color since back at Lord Sharadin’s home. My toe nails were likewise painted red.

“Okay,” I said to no one. “What else did I do that I don’t remember now?”

I took a quick look in the mirror and my face and hair were the same as I last remembered them. I didn’t bother with makeup on the trip back to Crossroads and after the bath last night, I was clean. I picked up the robe I wore last night and put it over my sleeping clothes and left my room.

“Lyra?” I called out as I stepped into the common room.

I received no answer. I rapped on her bedroom door and once I didn’t get an answer peaked inside. The room was vacant and the bed had been made. Lyra was already gone. Turning around, I noticed a note had been left on the table. It was from Lyra.

“Good morning, Argent!” It read. “I had to get going early this morning to hitch a caravan ride to Gateway. You were sound asleep so I just left you alone. I had a lot of fun last night and I look forward to meeting you again in Elcadan. Oh, breakfast had already been served, but I left your portion warming by the fire. Your friend, Lyra.”

Looking at the fire place, I saw an iron pot dangling from a hook over the fire. It was a standard way of keeping food warm so that it could be eaten later. I didn’t feel hungry, but figured a little food would help settle my stomach.

I used a poker to move the pot away from the fire and take the lid off. Inside the pot was mixture of eggs, ham and potatoes. I had to admit that it smelled good. On a small table beside the chair was a glass of milk and a picture of water. I decided to have water with my meal. I poured a glass and nearly drank it down in one try.

I turned back to the food and took a few experimental bites. It tasted really good, so I had more. All at once I felt feverish and my stomach was wildly churning. I pushed the food away and leaned over the arm of my chair. I then proceeded to make some of the most disgusting retching noises I ever made as the contents of my stomach were unceremoniously dumped on the floor.

Once I was finished, I drank more of the water. I took my robe off and tossed it aside. I was now drenched in sweat from my sudden illness. It helped get the foul taste out of my mouth and my stomach did feel better. I felt weak and woozy as I stumbled back to my bedroom. I crawled on top of the bed and fell back to sleep.


I awoke some unknown time later. I had the strangest dream that I thought I heard voices in my room, but now my room was otherwise empty. I just shook it off as a side affect of my unexpected illness. I was feeling better now. My head, other than coming out of the fog of sleep, was clear. My stomach felt better and I thought I could eat now.

My sleeping clothes were damp from sweat, so I removed them and laid them out to dry. I slipped into the plain dress I had worn yesterday. After I put my slippers on, I left my room.

Much to my surprise, the mess I had made earlier had been cleaned up and the breakfast food taken away. I sighed in relief of that. The smell would have been most unpleasant if left unattended.

This day was pretty much shaping up to be a waste of time. The towns and villages along the High Road heading towards Elcadan were set an average days travel apart for a caravan. Were I to leave right now, it would be dark before I’d reach safety. I had no desire to camp out in the wilderness, let alone during the winter. That pretty much meant another night here at the Blushing Maiden Inn.

I left my room and made my way down to the common room below. I guessed that it was the middle of the afternoon by now judging how sparse the Inn’s common room was. That meant I was to early for dinner. Perhaps they had some lunch left over?

The only occupants in the common room where a pair of women seated at a table. One was an older woman with her graying hair made up in a bun on the top of her head held in place by several pins. She was very nicely dressed, suggesting that the was either rich or of noble birth, if not both. The elder lady had several note worthy pieces of jewelry on her, including a platinum bracelet set with several diamonds. I was rather fond of jewelry and dreamed about having my own collection some day. I knew enough to know that bracelet was worth a small fortune.

Seated with the elderly lady was an attractive young woman that seemed around my age. She had chestnut brown hair that went partway down her back and matching eyes. There was an aura of innocence around the young woman. She wore plain looking blue robes and had a necklace that ended at an infinity symbol. The girl was clearly a Priestess of Azrella, the Goddess of Life.

It was an odd combination, but I didn’t pay them much attention. The older woman did remind me of a noble seated on a throne. It was as if she was holding court here in the Inn. They were travelers most likely.

I talked to the Jenvis Feerling, the Innkeeper, briefly and thanked him for tidying up the room. It seems that a server came up to collect the dishes and found the mess that I made. Jenvis seemed was pleased that I was feeling better and would see what was left for lunch.

“Excuse me, Miss?” I felt a tap on my shoulders and found the priestess standing behind me. Now on her feet, I could see that she was at least six inches taller than I was. “Forgive my intrusion, but you seem a bit pale. Are you feeling well?”

Priests of Azrella were well known for two things. The first was their superior ability to heal wounds and cure diseases. Second was their near fanatical devotion to the destruction of all undead. Not that undead were popular with many folks anyway, but Azrellan’s made it a holy cause.

“I was sick this morning,” I admitted to the priestess. Given their reputations, those of her sect could probably smell diseases at forty paces. “But I am feeling better now, thank you for asking.”

“You’re still a little weak,” the priestess said as she looked at me. “Best to take it easy for a few days. If you start to feel poorly again, do not hesitate to see me.” With that, the priestess returned to her seat.

Jenvis came back out from the kitchen with a sandwich and a glass of water for me. I thanked the Innkeeper and started to make my way back to my room.

“Come sit with us, child,” the older woman called out. “My companion and I would welcome the company.”

I figured why not? It would at least help pass the time. I moved towards their table and took an open seat.

“I am Lady Anastasia Ashbrook,” the older woman stated. My guess about being a noble was correct. “This is Elspeth of Azrella.”

“Nice to meet you,” I answered. “I’m Argent.”

“Hello, Argent,” Lady Ashbrook said. “Our carriage broke down earlier this morning, so it seems that we are stuck here in Crossroads overnight. So we are just passing the time until we can leave again in the morning.”

“Nothing ever happens fast enough for, Lady Ashbrook,” Elspeth chimed in with a grin.

I chuckled at that remark as I took a bite of my roast beef sandwich. It tasted good and made my empty stomach feel better.

“We’re on a tight schedule,” Lady Ashbrook stated in annoyance. “One days delay just makes us one day late on everything else.”

So typical of nobles to be annoyed by such things. Everything that they do is so important, that nothing else can wait. Sometimes you have to wait, much like I am doing today. Such are the whims of Istus, the Lady of Fate.

“I’m sort of having a unexpected layover myself, Lady Ashbrook,” I admitted. “I had hoped to be on the road this morning traveling towards Elcadan, but this vile illness sidetracked me.”

“So it seems that we are stuck together then!” Lady Ashbrook said with a laugh.

We talked about this and that and the afternoon passed by at a pleasant pace. Lady Ashbrook dominated the conversation, but Elspeth did get a word in every so often. While I didn’t ask as it would be rude, I had to assume that Lady Ashbrook was ill to have a healing priestess traveling with her.

I complimented Lady Ashbrook on how beautiful her jewelry was. The noble lady then told me stories on how she gained each piece. The bracelet was a gift from her late husband, who died during the siege of Tenobar. I had to admit that I had not heard of that place before. It seems that Tenobar was further west than Athenos in the far southwest corner of the kingdom. It fell to the orc hordes nearly thirty years ago. As Lady Ashbrook gave me a closer look at the bracer, I could see just how thin her arms had become, further convincing me that she was ill. The bracer rested very loosely on her arm and could easily fall off if she wasn’t careful.

Dinner time had arrived and the three of us dined together. While we ate, a plain dressed man came into the Inn and whispered to Lady Ashbrook. He had the look of a woodsman about him as he was dressed in greens and browns. The messenger was a man in his thirties with brown hair and a full beard. After the exchange of words, the man departed the way he came.

“Good news!” Lady Ashbrook stated. “The carriage has been repaired. We depart in the morning for Nemiston.”

“That is good news,” Elspeth agreed.

Turning back to me, Lady Ashbrook said, “Did I hear that you were bound for Elcadan, Argent?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said respectfully.

“Then it’s settled”, Lady Ashbrook decided. “You shall ride with us to Nemiston in the morning. We can continue our pleasant conversation come the morn.”

“I couldn’t impose…” I started to object, but Lady Ashbrook would have none of it.

“Nonsense, child. We are both going in the same direction and we have plenty of room in our carriage. It is of no bother at all. Now, if you will excuse me, I am starting to feel tired. Have a pleasant evening and I will see you in the morning.”

The noblewoman and her companion departed the common room, presumably for their own room in the Inn. I sat there at the table for a time feeling a bit stunned. It seemed that I at least had a ride to Nemiston, the next closest city to Crossroads. At least I was going in the right direction!

[Argent]

Chapter Eight:

After sharing dinner with Lady Ashbrook and Elspeth of Azrella, I returned to my room in the Blushing Maiden Inn for the evening. Apparently Lady Ashbrook was bound for Nemiston come the morning and had insisted that I accompany her in her carriage. It seemed that the next leg of my journey was going to be made in style, as opposed to being cooped up in a cramp wagon half-filled with supplies.

Once back in my room, I examined my sleeping clothes and found that while they were now dry, they did smell offensively. I sat them out on the table in the common area and proceed to delouse them using cantrips. The process was slow, but when I was finished they were a pleasantly fresh smell. It was how I kept my clothes so clean.

As I worked, one of the servers knock on the door asking if I wished to have a hot bath this evening. I did, so they started to bring hot water in to fill up the tub. I added a rose fragrance to the water this time. I thanked the servers once they had finished and locked the door behind them.

I grabbed a clean robe from the pegs and went into my bedroom. The robe I wore this morning was now gone, probably having been taken away for cleaning due to my sudden illness. I removed my dress and underclothes and slipped into the robe.

Once at the tub, I removed the robe and set it aside. I noted a wine bucket with another bottle of Rennydale Red resting on a table beside the tub, but left it alone. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened last night! I drank the water that was also provided.

I settled into the hot water and simply enjoyed the sensation for a time. The rose fragrance was delightful and it clung to my skin like a fine perfume. I washed thoroughly and climbed out of the tub once the water started to chill. I dried off using the provided towels and then slipped back into my robe once more.

I took a seat by the fireplace so that my hair could dry. I read a little more of my Elder Script book and was pleased on the progress I was making. All my life I had the ability to learn things quickly and learning the Elder language seemed to be proceeding at what was a normal pace for me. It was as if I could just concentrate and all the words on a certain page would just come into my thoughts. I can’t explain how this process works any better, but that’s how it works for me.

I read for a time, but as soon as my hair was dry I turned in for the night. I didn’t want to miss my ride with Lady Ashbrook. It was a quiet evening, unlike previous night with Lyra. We had fun and I wished that I could remember all of it, other than just vague fragments.


I awoke before dawn the next morning and quickly got dressed in my warm traveling clothes. I gathered my meager belongings ready to travel and was off. I departed that very nice room that had been my home here in the Blushing Maiden Inn.

I found Lady Ashbrook and Elspeth of Azrella already down in common room. Breakfast was just starting to be served. I greeted them as I approached and took an open seat. I sat by bag on the floor beside me.

“Good Morning, Argent,” Lady Ashbrook said. “I trust you are feeling better?”

“Very much so, Lady Ashbrook”, I answered. “I’m ready to begin my journey to Elcadan.”

“Your skin isn’t as pale this morning,” Elspeth noted. “That is a good sign.”

I nodded in agreement.

We ate breakfast and were ready to go. After saying my goodbyes to Innkeeper Jenvis, I followed Lady Ashbrook out of the Blushing Maiden Inn to the street. There, not more than a few footsteps away was her carriage. It wasn’t all that fancy at all, but was serviceable. I decided that it was probably old and most likely grander back in its day. Still it was decidedly a step up from the wagon I rode in back from Gateway.

Two large horses pulled the carriage. The rack behind the driver was filled with Lady Ashbrook’s luggage. The man Lady Ashbrook spoke too yesterday was seated on drivers seat of the carriage. He climbed down from his perch to open the door for us. Lady Ashbrook stepped in first, followed by Elspeth and then myself.

“Thank you, Sherrod”, Lady Ashbrook told the driver.

The carriage door was closed and a heavy curtain was pulled across the window to help insulate us from the cold. Between that and the warm clothes I was wearing, the trip shouldn’t be too unpleasant.

The carriage jerked into the motion and we were off. Sherrod started off at a leisurely pace as we moved through the streets of Crossroads. I felt a pang of sadness as we reached the city gate. I was leaving home yet again on my quest to become a mage. I just hoped that when I did come back that I would actually be a mage.

Once outside of the city, Sherrod picked up the pace considerably. Inside the carriage, we settled in for the long ride. I had to admit that this was a pleasant way to travel. Much nicer then riding in a wagon or on horseback.

We ladies chatted as the miles rolled past. Lady Ashbrook dominated the conversation as before and in time the flow of dialogue came towards me. I told the story of how I was traveling to Elcadan to become the apprentice of Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian to learn magecraft.

“Well, I am sure that Lady Sallavarian will be pleased to be gaining such a fine apprentice,” Lady Ashbrook stated.

“Thank you, milady, you are most kind.”

The morning past quickly and we stopped at a spot along the side of the road for lunch and to stretch our legs. Lady Ashbrook had Jenvis prepare a lunch basket for us. It was easier to eat while the carriage wasn’t moving. A bottle of wine was included in the basket, but I declined having any. Water was good enough for now.

After lunch, we were off once more. Soon after we came upon a caravan traveling west and rode past it. The High Road took us from a lightly forested region to a heavier one. Before night could fall, the lights of Nemiston could be seen off in the distance.

“Have you ever been to Nemiston, Argent?” Lady Ashbrook inquired.

“No, ma’am,” I answered. “The Lady Sallavarian has lodging waiting for me at a place called the Wood Gallery, but I have not actually been here before.”

“It’s a strange town”, Lady Ashbrook noted. “Folks are not as friendly as they are elsewhere. Don’t take it personally.”

I nodded my understanding. It sounded strange, but I had to accept the word of one who had been here versus one who had not.

The City of Nemiston was surrounded by walls made of logs. It was nowhere near as large at Crossroads, or even Gateway for that matter. If I had to guess it was about only one tenth in size. Inside the wall were camping grounds for caravans who stopped for the night.

Sherrod drove the carriage deeper into the city. Soon we started to slow to a stop at a fancy looking Inn. I looked out and saw that it was called the Golden Grove Inn.

“This is Elspeth’s and mine stop,” Lady Ashbrook explained as she stepped out of the carriage. Elspeth followed. “I’ll instruct Sherrod to take you to the Wood Gallery, so you don’t have to find it in the dark.”

“That is most generous of you, Lady Ashbrook,” I told the elder noblewoman. “You have my deepest thanks for all the aid you have given me.”

“Think nothing of it, child,” Lady Ashbrook chided. “I should be thanking you for the pleasant conversation. May Tymora favor you on your journey to magehood.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I answered.

Once Lady Ashbrook and Elspeth were out, the carriage door was closed and the carriage was off once more. I left the curtain open so as to see where I was going as we made our way through town. After a time, I noticed something in the carriage reflecting light from outside sources. I reached down and discovered that Lady Ashbrook’s bracelet had slipped off of her! It was worth a small fortune and it had been, literally, dropped into my hands! This one trinket could be the crown jewel in collection to come.

But no, those foolish thoughts were quickly set aside. I might have been many things, but a thief was not one of them. My parents had raised me better. I would earn my future jewelry collection through my deeds, not from any misdeeds.

Once the carriage came to a complete stop, I grabbed my bag and stepped out into the cold street. The Wood Gallery was before me. The Inn was nothing special to look at. I turned and thanked Sherrod for his efforts.

“Thank you for everything, Sherrod,” I said.

“You’re welcome, miss”, he answered.

“Oh, Lady Ashbrook must have dropped this in the carriage.” I said as I handed the bracelet to Sherrod. “Knowing what it means to her, it would be ashamed to lose it.”

“Thank you,” Sherrod simply said, accepting the bracer and putting it in his pocket. He then snapped the reigns and the carriage was in motion once more. It moved down the street, turned onto another street and was gone from sight.

I watched it drive away and then turned and entered the Wood Gallery. At least I was one day closer to Elcadan and the start of my mage training. It was progress.

[Argent]

Chapter Nine:

I left Nemiston the next morning after securing passage on a caravan bound for Elcadan. It cost me a few gold, but it was still easier then me buying a horse and making the ride by myself. Much like my journey with Master Trevor back to Crossroads, I found myself in a partially filled wagon. There was enough room for me to sit and lay my bags down.

Nemiston wasn’t all that nice of a place to stay. The Wood Gallery had nothing on the Blushing Maiden Inn. I ate my dinner, slept, had breakfast and was off early the next morning. The people weren’t out and out rude, but they were not friendly either. What a strange town.

The days rolled past as the caravan made its way west on the High Road. After Nemiston there was a string of forgettable villages and way stations that only seemed to exist as they were a days journey from each other. There were places for caravans to stop for the night and then continue on the next morning. I was a big city girl, so all these small villages were nothing special to me.

Following the directions that Lady Sallavarian had provided for me, I at least had lodging each night. A warm meal to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. It was superior to sleeping on blankets in the back of a wagon.

After three days of traveling, we left the Barony of Nemiston lands, part of the Duchy of Graystone, and entered into the Barony of Pyris. The change in domains was very noticeable as there was a much stronger military presence in Pyris than in Nemiston. When we arrived at Cruthway our caravan was searched and each unknown passenger questioned. When the guard approached me, I handed him my Letter of Passage from Lady Sallavarian and that satisfied him. I now saw the wisdom of being provided with those papers.

Arriving in Pyrisian lands did bolster my spirits. It was the domain between Graystone and Elcadan, so my journey was getting closer to its conclusion. While I had never been to Pyris before, I had heard tales of their military prowess and that Pyris City was a favorite stop over on the High Road to Elcadan.

Every since leaving Nemiston, we had spent days traveling through forest both light and heavy with hilly and flat terrain. Finally after leaving Hillside and entered into a area of wide open plains. Numerous farms dotted the landscape. To the south I could see the familiar Cruth Mountains, the mountain range that separated the Inner Kingdom from the Outer Kingdom. This was the same mountain range that I could see from my home in Crossroads, except here they were much closer then they had ever been before. Likewise, the skyline to the north was dominated by the Dorwynn Elfholds, the great elfin forest. Its unnaturally tall trees seemed like a kind of mountain to me, just a leafy green one. It was home for most of the elves in this region and outsiders were not welcomed.

I took the caravan a day to transverse the plains of Pyris. At the far end we spent the night at Woods Edge. Past there the caravan traveled through another heavily wooded and hilly region. Spirits of those in the caravan were high as we left Woods Edge. Come the evening, we would be in Pyris City herself. My personal journey would be well more than halfway over with. Near the end of that day, the caravan broke out of the hilly forest and we could see Pyris sitting in a valley below. Forest surrounded the city on three sides. I was surprised how small it was. The stories made it seem much larger than it really was. However, it was larger than Nemiston.

Log walls surrounded the city and guards could be seem moving around the top of them. The caravan pulled into the city and came to a stop in a wide open area just inside the gate. It was used by caravans during the layovers in Pyris. I grabbed my gear and slipped away from the caravan and into the city. One of the first things I noticed was that most of citizens seemed to be happy. There was a strong military presence; there might have been as many guards in Crossroads as there were in Pyris. An exaggeration I am sure, but it did seem that way.

Following the map provided for me by Lady Sallavarian, I made my way to the Green Forest Inn. It was operated by the Pounder family and the mouthwatering smell of roasted chicken reached me as I walked inside. The Inn was crowded this evening and it took me time to weave through the patrons just to reach the Innkeeper. Once there, I produced my letter from Lady Sallavarian. The Innkeeper gave it a quick glance. “Welcome to the Green Forest Inn!”, the Innkeeper said in a loud and booming voice. It surprised me by just how loud it was! “Your room is waiting for you and dinner will be served soon. Enjoy the festivities!”

I thanked the Innkeeper and once more made my way through the thong of patrons to reach the private rooms. I picked up enough snatches of conversation to figure out just what was going on. I had lost track of time on my long journey to Elcadan and today was the last day of the year. It was New Years Eve! At midnight it would be the year 570 by Cynalonian Reckoning. It would be the year where I learned to become a mage.

Once clear of the common room, I made my way up the stairs. My room wasn’t as nice as the one back at the Blushing Maiden, but it was still better then any other Inn I had spent the night at on my trip since leaving Crossroads. It was a large, single room with a huge bed that could sleep three or four if necessary. There was a fire place and it came with a bathing tub. I put my belongings down and changed out of my heavy traveling clothes. The weather had gotten steadily warmer as I continued to travel east. Make no mistake, it was still a bit chilly, but not cold enough to prevent snow from melting during the day. Even with this milder weather, it was still chilly to be out in it all day.

I changed into my casual dress and then made my way back downstairs. The Inn was still crowded and finding an open table was problematic. So instead, I asked the Innkeeper if my meal could be served in my room. He agreed, and I ordered a hot bath as well. I wound my way back through the common area and retreated to the privacy of my room. Normally I would have been happy to get involved in the celebration, but at this point I just wanted to get this long trip over with. From what I had heard, Elcadan was only a few more days away! No need to drag this out any longer than it already has been.

I ate my roasted chicken dinner in my room. The crowd below was a bit loud and rowdy, but they were celebrating after all. My meal was delicious. The chicken just melted in your mouth and I ate more than I normally would have. Once more I just had water with my meal. After dinner the servers started to bring the hot water to fill the tub. I enjoyed a lilac fragrance this time around. The warm water helped melt away all the little aches and pains that I picked up from traveling. I combed my hair out by the fireplace so that it would dry. Not long after that, I turned in for the night. The noise from down below did keep me awake for a time, but eventually sleep did come.

Next morning came and I was off on what now seemed like my daily routine. Get up, wash, put on clothes, grab my belongings, get some breakfast and be out to the caravan before it left. I was honestly getting very tired of this. To think that some people find travel relaxing! It was beginning to get on my nerves. But then again, I wasn’t traveling for pleasure, but with purpose. The caravan departed Elcadan on the first day of the year 570 CR. It continued on its ever westerly path. As what seemed to be the norm for this region, the High Road took us through hilly forest. Near midday, we stopped for lunch at the village of Woodcrest.

At the end of the day we arrived at Timberline. It reminded me as a miniature version of Pyris, complete with log walls. My waiting room was at the Timberline Inn. It was alright, but not as grand as my rooms at the Blushing Maiden or Pyris had been. The next day we finally broke out of the forest for good and in the process left behind the Barony of Pyris and entered in the Duchy of Elcadan lands. The Great Streel Plain lay before us. This was the essentially the ‘bread basket’ for the entire kingdom. Forest could still be seen, but the plains were now the dominant feature. Innumerable farms dotted the landscape as far as the eye could see. Were it not for the time of year, I was sure those fields would be filled with workers.

The night was spent at High Guard, yet another way station on the High Road. The only thing I did notice about it was the relatively weak military presence here that had been some prevalent in Pyris. In hindsight, I actually did feel safer in Pyris then I had anywhere else. I was positively giddy come the morning. By late afternoon I would finally reach Elcadan! This long ordeal was nearly over with! If I ever saw another wagon it would be too soon. The caravan lurched out of High Guard and made its way in a more southwesterly direction across the plains.

With no obstructions between us and Elcadan the city started to come into view long before we arrived there. A tall spire was the first thing I noted and then several smaller ones above the regular sized buildings. I would later learn that what I had seen was the upper levels of the Elcadan Mage Guild Tower with the upper towers of Castle Elcadan behind it. They both towered over the rest of the city.

As the day rolled along more details could be seen. The buildings on the edge of town were mostly made of wood. I found it odd that there was not a wall around the city. The buildings seemed rather close together, almost uncomfortably near to the south. Only the High Road that continued on into the city seemed wide enough. Overall Elcadan seemed to be as large as, if not more than, Crossroads. The caravan slowed as we got closer to Elcadan. Once close enough I could see that the open fields just outside of town were used by the caravans to stop for the night. Another road as wide as the High Road traveled to the north and south in front of Elcadan. This was the Streel Road, as it hugged the Streel River, the main water artery in this area.

I stepped down from the wagon I had been riding and Elcadan stood before me. I recalled that my destination here was a place called the High Road Inn. Fortunately, it was very nearly the first place you saw in town. It sat on the north side of the High Road as it entered Elcadan. The Inn was three stories high and was built of polished stone. A large stable was next to the building.

Gathering my belongings, I made my way to the High Road Inn as fast as my dress would let me move. At this point I was so excited, so relived to finally be here that I just couldn’t wait any longer. A few steps led up to the entry to the High Road Inn. Ornately carved doors lead the way inside. I opened them and entered. I had arrived in Elcadan.

[Argent]

Chapter Ten:

At long last, my journey was over. I had arrived in Elcadan! I almost ran from the caravan that brought me here and quickly made my way to the High Road Inn, the place that I had been directed to go in the material provided to me by Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian. The Inn was three stories high and constructed of polished stone. Ornately carved doors opened into the Inn.

The inside of the High Road Inn was warm and softly lit to highlight the natural woods that composed it. Two staircases on either side of the building lead up to the higher floors. I had to admit that the common area was very nice. I didn’t get too far in before being greeted by the innkeeper.

“Welcome to the High Road Inn,” an older man with thinning and graying hair said as he approached. “I am the Innkeeper, Gottman by name. How can I be of service to you today?”

“Well met, Master Gottman,” I said in response. “I have traveled long and far to reach Elcadan at the request of Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian.”

“You must be Argent then,” Gottman easily answered. “We’ve been expecting you. Please follow me.”

“Oh,“ I said in surprise. It was nice to be expected. “Thank you.”

I followed the Innkeeper deeper into the common area. We moved off to one side and passed through a doorway into what must have been a private dining area. Much to my surprise, seated at the table there reading a book was Lyra! She was wearing a green dress with golden embroidery on it. A matching green ribbon was in her hair.

“Argent!” Lyra called out once she saw me. She put her down her book and rushed to me and we hugged. “So good to see you again!”

“Good to be seen,” I told Lyra after we separated. “I take it you were waiting for me?”

“Yeah,” Lyra answered. “Jallarzi wanted me to greet you here. A friendly face and all that. Sit, will talk a bit and have some dinner. Then we can ride out to the Sallavarian Estate.”

“Sounds good,” I answered as I put my gear down. I removed my coat and took a seat. “After the food I’ve had since I left Pyris, I could use a good meal.”

“I’ll have supper here in two shakes of a lambs tail!” Gottman vowed as he left the private dining area, closing the door behind him.

“How have you been?” Lyra inquired. “How was the trip?”

“Long and painful,” I told my fellow apprentice. “But its now over with and here I am. I’m surprised that Lady Sallavarian isn’t here to greet me personally.”

“Jallarzi tries to keep a low profile here in town,” Lyra explained. “There are those that fall over themselves trying to get her favor. The price of being a noble. It was simpler to just send me.”

“You seem to be her main messenger,” I noted. “First here and then going to Gateway. Which reminds me, how did you get back here so fast? Last I knew you were going in the opposite direction.”

“Lord Sharadin was gracious enough to teleport me back,” Lyra answered. “It beats doing it the hard way by a mile!”

“I bet!’

Looking at the table, I could see that it was set for a meal for two. There were several beverages available, but I still choose water. I could see that Lyra was sipping wine. Gottman returning carrying two plates of food. The main part of the meal was a breaded fish filet.

“What’s this?” I asked curiously.

“Streel River Trout,” Lyra explained. “It’s something of a delicacy around here.”

I took a tentative bite, fish had never been one of my favorite foods before, but I found this fish to be quite tasty. It was nicely seasoned and lacked that regular, nasty fish taste that one encounters so often. I could see why it was so popular around here.

“It’s good,” I noted after swallowing my bite.

“We figured that you’d be arriving here yesterday,” Lyra said as we ate. “Did something happen along the way?”

“In a fashion,” I admitted sheepishly. “I drank too much wine that night in Crossroads and was sick the next day. I ended up spending an extra night there.”

“I did warn you about the wine,” Lyra noted.

“You did.” I agreed. “I didn’t listen and paid the price for it.”

“Sometimes we learn more by failing then we do by succeeding,” Lyra said. “At least that’s what Jallarzi tries to drum into my head!”

We both shared a laugh and continued to talk and eat. Desert was served, some delightful smelling apple tarts, but I was too full to try one. Lyra suggested that I take one with me as it might come in handy later on. I didn’t understand her reasoning, but did as suggested.

Time passed and I lost track just how long we had been chatting. I found Lyra just so easy to talk to. When we finally did get ready to leave the High Road Inn it was already night outside.

“Oh dear,” Lyra said as we stepped outside. “It seems that we lost the daylight already.”

“Too much talking,” I agreed. “Is it a problem?”

“Not completely,” Lyra mused. “More of an inconvenience than anything. The Sallavarian Estate is a good thirty minute ride on horseback in the daytime, longer at night.”

“What do we do?”

“Come on,” Lyra urged after a moment’s thought and we made our way to the stable next to the Inn.

“You have horses here?”

“Not exactly, but I can get some.”

As we rounded the corner, four men stepped out of the shadows between the Inn the stable. I couldn’t help notice that they reeked of lack of bathing and too much ale. They seemed menacing to me and I started to be afraid.

“Well, what do we have here?” The leader of the men taunted. “A pair of lovelies out for a nighttime stroll?”

“Beat it,” Lyra growled, seemingly unafraid of the dangerous men. “You have no idea what you are dealing with.”

“That ones got spunk!” One of the other men called out with a laugh. “It’ll be fun to break her spirit.” The other men laughed, but I wasn’t finding any of this funny.

“Now, now,” the leader said. “We can all have a good time these ‘ladies’. Just don’t break them too fast… they need to last all night long.”

Before I could even realize what she was doing, Lyra cast a spell of some kind. She made a gesture with her hands that I didn’t recognize and spoke a single word. In response, the four men just collapsed to the ground!

“Disgusting”, was Lyra’s comment on the whole thing. She wasn’t afraid, she was angry!

“That was amazing!” I said. “Are they--?”

“Asleep,” Lyra said. “I cast a Sleep spell on these disgusting brutes. Please go get Gottman for me, Argent.”

“Right away”, I answered as moved quickly back to the High Road Inn. I retrieved Gottman and rejoined Lyra with the Innkeeper in tow. Lyra told him what had happened.

“I’ll summon the Free Guard”, Master Gottman stated. “These men will be dealt with appropriately, milady.”

“Thank you, Gottman,” Lyra said thankfully. “They’ll be asleep for some time, so they shouldn’t give you any trouble.“

Turning to me, Lyra said, “What a way to ruin a perfectly fine evening. Come with me, Argent.”

“Of course”, I answered, still a bit dumbfound and more than a little bit impressed at the magical power Lyra had just demonstrated. “Do you have horses at the ready?”

I followed Lyra several dozen steps away from the four thugs to the other side of the stable. She looked around as if to determine if we were alone.

“I don’t feel like a long ride right now. Take my hand.” As she spoke, Lyra offered me her right hand.

“I don’t understand.” I was confused, but I accepted Lyra’s hand. What was she going to do now?”

“I know that you are confused, Argent”, Lyra said solemnly. “I will explain it all shortly. You just have to trust me.”

“Okay…”, I answered but I wasn’t completely convinced. I had no idea what Lyra was going to do.

Lyra then spoke a single magical word and the world around us suddenly changed! The stable was gone in a single instance. We were now standing on a wooden floor somewhere indoors. There were no windows, but the room was brightly lit by what I came know was a variation of a Continual Light spell. This version was more used in households, as it provided bright light, but one that could be better controlled.

Painted on one wall of this roughly twelve foot circular room was an intricate pattern that didn’t make any sense to me. The entire room was empty of any furniture. A single door lead out of the room.

“What?” I stammered out in shock, letting go of Lyra‘s hand. “Where? How?”

“I teleported us,” Lyra said like it was no big deal at all. “It’s a nice and quick way to get home.”

When Lyra said teleported, I patted myself to make sure that nothing was missing. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, even if I was still trying to come to grips with what had just happened.

“As for where, we are now on the Sallavarian Estate.” Lyra continued. “This is what is known as a Teleport Tower. It’s a safe arrival point for incoming mages using Teleport spells. The pattern on the wall is unique and used to home in on this location.”

“When one uses a Teleport spell, your safe arrival is determined by how well you now the location you are traveling too. Only a fool blindly teleports as the results can potentially be fatal. You will arrive in the right spot, but you might come in too high or too low. I am sure that you can see the danger in either of those outcomes, Argent?”

“Teleport Tower?” I managed to repeat, not quite following what Lyra was saying.

“Oh dear,” Lyra said with a smile. “This has all been a huge shock to you, hasn’t it? I might has well get the rest of the shocks out of the way. I had hoped to do this another way, but things did not work out as I had planned this evening.”

As she spoke, Lyra reached up and pulled the ribbon out of her hair. “You see, Argent, Lyra Stinson doesn’t really exist. It’s a disguise I use to get to know people better. “

When the ribbon was completely pulled out, Lyra’s form wavered for a moment and then changed! Standing before me was a woman who was older then I was and taller with long, wavy honey blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was more beautiful than Lyra was and her skin was nicely tanned. When she smiled she revealed pearly white teeth. Her ribbon had been transformed into a plain looking hat.

“Who?” I managed to utter, my mind not fully comprehending what was going on.

“I am Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian”, the woman who used to be Lyra told me. “I welcome you to my home, my new apprentice.”

[Argent]

Chapter Eleven:

I had finally arrived at the estate of Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian, just not in a way that I ever could have imagined! She had teleported us from Elcadan after dealing with some thugs that had been menacing us. After she did that, Jallarzi dropped her Lyra disguise, revealing that it had been my new magic teacher all along. I slumped to the floor in shock over the events of the last few minutes. I was trying to sort all of this out in my head.

“How?” I finally asked after a few minutes contemplation. “Why?”

“Why Lyra?” Jallarzi questioned.

I nodded yes.

“Lyra gives me the chance to get out into the world without all the baggage that Jallarzi has to deal with. People notice when nobles are around, especially ones as attractive as I am. So, Lyra is not a noble, and not as attractive. Thus people are far more open to Lyra than they ever would be to Jallarzi. They might tell Lyra what they really think, but tell Jallarzi what they think she wants to hear. As for the how, I possess a magic item known as a Hat of Disguise. The wearer can use it to alter there form to appear as someone else. Does that make sense?”

“I guess,” I had to agree. “But why trick me like this?”

“I wasn’t really trying to trick you, Argent,” Jallarzi countered. “What you saw with Lyra was my real personality, unshackled from the restraints of having to be a noble. I wasn’t pretending to be someone else to fool you. Nobles have an expected way to act. If anything when Jallarzi is out in public she is far more reserved.”

“You have to look at all of this from our point of view,” Jallarzi continued. “You just showed up at Sharadin’s door step from out of the blue. As I am sure he told you, we keep an eye out for promising adventurers to nurture and even would be mages to train. But you, Argent, you came to us as a surprise. Not only did you score high on the test Sharadin gave you, but you solved his Elder Logic Puzzle. Clearly you have a great intellect, but we had no idea just who you were.”

“You’ve been testing me,” I realized. “Not a test of intellect, but one of character?”

“Exactly. Sharadin handled your tests of intellect, but mine were to learn who you really are and if I wanted to train what I found. You told me things that night we spent in Crossroads that you never would have told me if you knew I was Jallarzi. And that was fine. If you knew who I really was, you never would have been that open with me. You would have probably told me what I wanted to hear. But you considered Lyra an equal, not a superior so our conversation was an open and constructive one.”

“You’re right,” I had to admit. “I would have been on eggshells around you if I had known who you were. I would have been trying to impress you.”

“Precisely,” Jallarzi agreed. “You impressed me by just being yourself, not by being what you thought I wanted you to be.”

I couldn’t fault Lady Sallavarian’s logic on her approach to the situation. In spite on how annoying this had all been, her reasoning did make sense. It seems like Jallarzi and her associates liked to test apprentices, both in obvious and in obscure ways. I had to wonder just how many more of these tests lay ahead of me.

“Still, traveling all the way here on my own wasn’t much fun.” I complained. “All alone, like that.”

“No it wasn’t,” Jallarzi agreed. “But it proved that you were determined to get here. It showed me that you had the drive need to become a mage. And you really weren’t all alone the entire trip. We kept an eye on you. You just didn’t realize it.”

I slowly rose to my feet and dusted my dress off. The confusion was beginning to fade as I analyzed what had transpired. With a look of surprise on my face, I turned to face Jallarzi once more.

“You were Lady Ashbrook too!” I accused with a pointing finger.

Jallarzi let out a hardy laugh. “Now that’s the student I look forward to teaching! Yes, I was Lady Ashbrook as well. She was a test of your morals.”

“Who’s this Elspeth then? Another apprentice?”

“Elspeth is a friend of mine,” Jallarzi explained. “She really is a Priestess of Azrella, here in Elcadan. Apart from Lyra, I did not lie to you. Kharyna is currently my only other apprentice, apart from yourself. After you were sick back in Crossroads, I went and got Elspeth to take a look at you. She used her healing magic on you and you were fine once more.”

“I thought I heard voices in my room that day…” I realized.

“You did. You nearly woke up on us, so I used a Sleep spell on you. So I was with you for those two days. The rest of the time we had other agents keeping track of you. You might have felt all alone, but you were never truly alone. We’re not that cruel.”

“But come,” Jallarzi said, gesturing with her hand. “I am sure you have many more questions to ask, but let us do them back at the house. I’ll show you to your room and you can start getting settled in.”

“Yes, milady”, I answered.

“You may call me Jallarzi, Argent,” my new master intoned. “No need to use such cumbersome titles around me. We’re going to have fun, but we are also going to work hard. I have my own method for teaching magic. You may not understand why I am making you do something, but I will have a logical reason for you doing it.”

“Just like all these tests”, I noted.

“Precisely.”

Jallarzi opened the door and there were immediately stairs going both up and down. Jallarzi started down the stairs. I quickly realized that the stairs circled down around the Teleport Tower. We walked for what seemed minutes and there seemed to be no end to there stairs.

“Just how big is this tower?” I wondered.

“The chamber we were just in is about two hundred feet above the ground,” Jallarzi explained. “The danger is that you can arrive hundreds of feet above or below your target. Below the room we appeared in, the tower is empty all the way to the ground. My ancestors placed a Permanent Feather Fall spell in it. Thus, if you come in too low, the magic stops your potentially fatal fall and you land safely on the ground. There is a similar arrange at the top of the tower in case you arrive too high.”

“That seems needlessly complicated,” I noted.

“Magic frequently does not work in the manner we think it should.”

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“It’s a complicated issue that we can more appropriately deal with at a later date. Suffice to say that each mage spell was created by someone to do what they wanted the spell to do. All I was saying was that sometimes we don’t agree with how the spells creator made his spell. They think it should work one way, we another.”

“It still seems needlessly complicated.”

Jallarzi laughed at my remark. Finally, we reached the ground. A door lead us out of the tower and into the night. The sky was dark, but there was enough light in the general area to see. About a two hundred yards away was what must been the main house. It was a huge three story structure. There were numerous lights on inside making it seem bright and cheery.

There were several other structures in sight. Not far from the Teleport Tower was another tower. This second tower was wider, but nowhere as high as the other one. Past this second tower, and far off in the distance was what looked to be a small stable. All of the sudden, a loud screeching sound filled the night air. It sounded like a giant bird of some kind!

“What was that?” I couldn’t help but wonder.

“That’s just Farthon,” Jallarzi easily answered. “She gets annoyed when I don’t pay attention to her.”

“What’s a Farthon?”

“She my griffon,” Jallarzi explained. “Griffon’s are fond of horseflesh, so I have to keep her stabled far away from the horses.”

I just nodded my understanding, but did pick up my pace as I followed Jallarzi towards her home. I had never seen a griffon before, let alone meeting someone who rode them! And if they could eat horses, they certainly could make a meal out of me!

As we walked on, I spotted many other smaller buildings that surrounded the main house. Several of these were full fledge houses that had lights on in them.

“What are those places?” I wondered.

“My families estate is very large,” Jallarzi explained. “Plus it includes a large amount of farm land. Those house are the personal homes for my servants, workers, and their families. That building close to the main house is the kitchen. Food for everyone, from myself to the smallest child is made there. There’s a small army of workers on the estate. I‘ll give you a better tour tomorrow when we have daylight.”

As we neared the main house, I could see that there was a huge garden area in front of it. It must be grand when all the flowers were in bloom. I could see that the entire house was build on a stone platform of some kind. A short flight of steps lead up to the level the house was on. There were trees, shrubs and other things growing back here. There were numerous walkways and two gazebos on either side of the large garden.

All of the sudden, I could hear something flapping in the air close by. It was if a large bird was getting closer. Did the griffon get loose?

“It’s about time you got back!” A gruff, but small voice squeaked off in the distance. The voice didn’t quite sound human. “You’ve got guests and its not my job to entertain them!”

“Who or what is that?” I wondered a loud while trying to spot the speaker.

All of the sudden, a dark shape flew in and settled around Jallarzi’s shoulders like it was a feline of some type. But it wasn’t a cat, it was some kind of tiny reddish lizard with wings. It’s tail ended at a sharp looking stinger.

With a sigh, Jallarzi told me that, “Argent, this is Edwina, my familiar. She’s a pseudo-dragon.”

The little dragon whipped its snake-like head in my direction and eyed me over. It was kind of creepy!

“So this is the novice everyone is so excited about?” Edwina snorted. “Kind of scrawny looking, if you ask me.”

“Hey!” I objected.

“Did you bring me a treat, novice?” Edwina inquired with a toothy grin.

“A treat?” I repeated. Then I realized that I had the apple tart in my bag that Jallarzi, then disguised as Lyra, suggested that I take with me as it would be useful later on. It seemed to be useful at this moment. “Well, I suppose I could give you something.”

I reached into my bag and pulled out the wrapped up tart. Edwina’s eyes grew large and she flew in and snatched the treat away from me as soon as I unwrapped it. The little dragon landed on Jallarzi’s shoulders once more and quickly devoured the sweet.

“I like her!” Edwina proclaimed. Licking her lips. “She can stay.”

“All one has to do is feed you to make you like them,” Jallarzi dryly noted.

“I’m glad I meet your approval,” I told Edwina as we continued to walk along towards the main house of the Sallavarian estate. I certainly didn’t want to get on the bad side of Jallarzi’s familiar!

[Argent]

Chapter Twelve:

After the meeting with Edwina, we continued to walk towards the main house on the Sallavarian Estate. As we drew closer, I realized that we were approaching the rear of the mansion. We passed through the garden and approached a huge atrium. The outside walls were entirely glass and the huge hall could been seen inside. What I guessed to be a outdoor balcony could be seen on top of the atrium roof. Two sets of double doors connected the atrium from the outside garden.

“Edwina, you said we had visitors?” Jallarzi asked of her familiar.

“Old grumpy pants is here with friends,” the familiar chirped.

“Old grumpy pants?” I couldn’t help but wonder what Edwina meant.

“She means my cousin,” Jallarzi explained.

We stepped inside and I stood there a moment in awe of what I saw. The atrium was at least fifty feet wide with polished marble floors. This room alone was almost as big as my parents house! This place spoke of great wealth. Just constructing this room alone must have cost a fortune.

“Wow,” was about all I could say upon seeing the atrium.

“Hmm?” Jallarzi wondered aloud. “Oh, right, you’re not used to anything like this. My home has that affect on first time visitors.”

“This must have taken you years to build!”

“I am sure that it took years to build, but my ancestors were the ones who built most of the estate“, Jallarzi explained. “All that’s new in my lifetime is a few of the outer houses used by the staff. This house is about one hundred and eighty years old.”

There were a pair of archways in the wall opposite the entry doors. They lead into an closed in version of the grand hall we just left. Together they made one huge hallway or perhaps even a ballroom. This room had double doors in each wall. The ones on the left opened and an older man stepped forth. He was smartly dressed and had a dignified air about him.

“Welcome home, Madam,” the older man said. “You’re guests are having dinner.”

“Thank you, Jeffries,” Jallarzi said to the older man. I guessed that he was the butler. Gesturing to me, she told him that, “This is Argent, Jeffries, my new apprentice.”

“Welcome, miss,” Jeffries said to me with a slight bow. “Welcome to the Sallavarian Estate.”

“Hello,” I answered back.

“Jeffries here is in charge of maintaining the house,” Jallarzi explained.

“I you need anything, do not hesitate to ask, Miss Argent.” Jeffries added.

“Thank you, Jeffries.”


Jallarzi walked towards the doors that Jeffries just came out of. I simply followed, as I had no idea where to go on my own. The room beyond the double doors was clearly the dining room. It was about half the size of the inner hallway we had just left. The far wall was bowed outwards and had numerous windows set in it.

A huge dinning table dominated the room. It did remind me of the one I saw back at Lord Sharadin’s residence in Gateway. However, this one was elegantly set up with a table cloth, dishes, glassed and candles. A huge chandelier hung over the middle of the table. More of those special continual lights were placed in sconces around the walls of the room. The whole room was rather fancy and extravagant.

Seated about the table eating and laughing were a motley crew of adventurers. Several serving girls moved behind them refilling drinks and bringing in more food. There were four girls in all, each conservatively dressed in matching uniforms. Edwina launched herself into the air and buzzed the table. She grabbed a piece of meat from the plate of a dwarf and flew off with it.

“Come back here, you overgrown pigeon!” The dwarf yelled at the fleeing Edwina. He grabbed his war hammer and seemed as if he was going to throw it at the pseudo-dragon. Thankfully, he thought better of it and just shook his weapon at the thief.

“To what do I owe this pleasure,” Jallarzi inquired of her guests. It was clear to me that she didn’t expect to find them here.

“Something’s come up,” a man seated at the head of the table said. He stood up and walked towards us. He had brown hair and a matching beard. As he approached, I realized that I had seen this man before.

“You’re Sherrod!” I said. “The carriage driver.”

“The name is Sherwood,” The man corrected me. “And I don’t know how I let Jallarzi talk me into driving that carriage for a day. Especially in the middle of winter. Glad you finally made it here, Argent.”

“Thank you, Sherwood,” I said with a slight bow.

One of the other guests, a woman about my height and age came up and gave Jallarzi a big hug. She was a plain looking girl with reddish hair and green eyes. She wore robes, suggesting that she was a mage.

“Good to see you, Jallarzi,” the girl said. “I’ve missed being here so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, Shaunil,” Jallarzi answered. She then gestured towards me. “Shaunil, this is Argent, my newest apprentice.”

“Hello,” I said to the Shaunil.

“Hi there,” Shaunil said back to me. “Welcome to our exclusive club. I was Jallarzi’s first apprentice a few years back. I guess that means that you are her fourth apprentice?”

“Fifth,” Jallarzi corrected.

“Pleased to meet you, Shaunil.”

“Some quick introductions are in order then,” Jallarzi told me. “These fine folks here are some of the adventurers we work with. You’ve met Shaunil, she is a transmuter.”

I knew that there was a school of magic called Alteration. I could only assume that a transmuter was one who specialized in that particular type of magic, using enchantments that changed things into something else.

“That is Neiron, a skilled woodsman and Priest of Ehlonna, the Lady of the Forests.

Jallarzi pointed to an elfin man wearing green clothing. He had the look of a woodsman to him. I noticed that he had a necklace around his neck and at the end of it was what looked like a symbol for a unicorn. It was most likely his holy symbol. He didn’t seem much taller than me. His hair was brown and his eyes were green.

Seated next to him was the dwarf, a black haired warrior by the name of Durkin Trollcrusher. He took a large drink of ale and then belched loudly. His most noticeable feature was his huge, bulbous noise. It seemed like it was a big as my head!

“That is Sharantyr, a woods lady.” Sharantyr was a tall woman, closer to Jallarzi’s age then mine. She had short sandy blonde hair and black eyes. She wasn’t beautiful, but she had her own charm to her.

“Rufus, a halfling finder.“ Beside Sharantyr was a halfling who was almost standing on his char. He had black hair and brown eyes and his nose was also large, but nowhere near as large as the dwarves.

“And last, but most assuredly not least there is I,” a man said as he approached Jallarzi and I. The man was quite handsome and dashing in his own special way. He wore leather armor and I could see him displaying a holy symbol of a four leave clover. He was of average height with brown hair and blue eyes.

“I am Killian Thalamar,” the man said making a grand gesture as he reached down and kissed my hand unexpectedly. “A lovable rogue by nature, a Priest of Tymora by trade. It is indeed my honor and privilege to make you acquaintance, Argent.”

I actually blushed at this point! I will say that this Killian was both suave and charming. I felt like putty in his hands. I had to wonder if this was how I made other men feel?

“That honor is mine, Killian,” I managed to say, blushing uncontrollably. Killian laughed and released my hand. He moved on to Jallarzi.

“A pleasure to see you again, as always, Lady Sallavarian.” The dashing rogue kissed Jallarzi on the cheek and she didn’t seem to mind in the least.

“Hello, Killian,” Jallarzi said. “What new trouble have you stirred up now?”

“You wound me, milady,” Killian said in mock, exaggerated surprise. “There is no trouble chasing me. Maybe a lady or two, but not any trouble. No, dear lady, it was Sherwood we gathered us here for a mission.”

“I see,” Jallarzi answered with a smile. You could sense the chemistry between her and Killian. It was as if they had done this dance many times before and both were enjoying it. It made me wonder if this was the man that Lyra had eluded to back in Crossroads? Was Killian the man Jallarzi was sweet on? If she was, I could certainly understand why!

But before I could find out more, Jallarzi said. “Give me a few minutes to get Argent situated and you can tell me all about it. In the meantime, enjoy your dinner. Argent, accompany me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said as I followed after Jallarzi. I was really curious just what this mission these adventurers were departing on, but clearly I was not going to be involved in it. Someday I would be among adventurers such as those, but not today.

We walked through an large arch in the right hand wall and entered what must have been a sitting room. There was a large fireplace and numerous comfortable cushioned chairs. There were windows in the far wall that looked out into the front yard of the manor house.

Double doors lead us from the sitting room and into a large, circular foyer. Four sets of double doors led into the room, but its grandest feature was two sets of stairs leading up to a second floor balcony. They curved along the edge of the walls. A huge chandelier hung over the center of the room. Much like the atrium, the foyer was two stories high. Clearly this was the main entrance to the house.

At the top of the stairs was a wide balcony. It was not large as the hallway below it. Double doors could be seen on the left hand and right hand walls. Jallarzi lead me to the right hand set of doors. Behind those doors was another sitting room. Stairs could be seen going up in the back left hand corner. Jallarzi took the stairs.

There was a hallway at the top of the stairs. The hallway was ten feet wide and very long. It was as long as the house itself, I had to guess. As we walked down the hallway, I noted several windows and doors on the right hand wall. Looking out I could see a large balcony. I guessed that this area was on top of the atrium that I saw down below.

Opposite of the balcony, a hallway lead off to the left and we went down it. The hallway was short and I could see double doors to the left, to the right and in the far wall.

“Here we are, Argent,” Jallarzi told me. “This will be your room here.”

Jallarzi opened the door on the right hand side of the hallway and stepped inside. I followed and my jaw dropped in awe. The room was beautiful! It was about fifteen feet deep and twenty feet wide. In the far right hand corner was a large privacy screen. Behind it was an elegant canopied bed. In the closer right hand corner were several dressers and wardrobes to store clothes.

There was a dressing table with a mirror beside the privacy stand. Against the left hand wall was a large desk with bookcases on either side of it. A pair of windows looked out into the front of the estate around the top of the ground floor foyer. Each wall had those special continual lights scones in them. You could control the amount of light the magic filled the room with, or close them completely for darkness.

Several tapestries covered the wood paneled walls. The floor was polished wood as well, with several carpets and throw rugs on it. There was a small table in the middle of the room with a single chair on each side. A fancy tablecloth covered the table. The whole thing was extremely luxurious. This was grander than any room I had stayed at during my trip here. I just stared in awe.

“Welcome to your new home, Argent”, Jallarzi said with a smile. “I trust you will find it most pleasant.”

[Argent]

Chapter Thirteen:

Jallarzi had just showed me the room that I was going to be staying in while being trained as a mage. It was luxurious to say the least! The room was large, but clearly was divided up into sections. The far right hand side had the bed and dressers and wardrobes for storing clothes. The left had a desk and book cases for study. The middle had a regular table for general use. The room had basically everything that I was going to need for however long my stay at the Sallavarian Estate was going to last.

“WOW!” was about all I could say when I saw the room. I set my bag down on the table and looked around. I could get used to having luxury like this in my life! I wandered about for a minute taking everything in. I didn’t notice, but Jallarzi had stepped away and knocked on the door across the hall from mine. She returned a moment later and announced, “Argent this is Kharyna, my other apprentice. I’m sure that you’ll get to know each other better in the weeks and months to come.”

A girl around my age stepped out from behind Jallarzi. She was a little taller than me, but slender like I was. She was attractive, but what really set her apart was her snow white hair. It was cut shoulder length and helped offset her emerald green eyes. Kharyna wore fine silk robes that were dark blue in color and signified her as a Priestess of Mystra. “Pleased to meet you,” Kharyna said in an easy going voice as she offered her hand. She had an unusual accent that I couldn’t quite place. I would later learn that she was of Alphatian descent and that Cynalonian Common was not her native tongue.

“Likewise,” I said with a smile and shaking her hand. “Good to be here.”

“It’ll be nice to have someone else to talk to when it comes to magic,” Kharyna added. “Especially when I get stuck on something.”

“I fear it will be I seeking your advice for a while on that sort of thing,” I said with a laugh. “I knew I had a lot to learn, but based on the things I have seen tonight I never imagined just how much.”

“If you ladies will excuse me,” Jallarzi interrupted, “I have guests to entertain. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast.”

“Good night, Jallarzi.” Kharyna said.

“Night,” I added. Jallarzi departed and I began to remove my heavy traveling clothes. It would feel good to get them off after wearing them all day. I was sure that they had an interesting odor after spending days on the road. I laid them over chairs so that they could dry out. I would clean them with cantrips later. “I understand that you are a Priestess of Mystra?” I asked of Kharyna.

“Yes,” she simply answered, as she regarded me.

“I tried to become a priestess myself, but I didn’t meet their qualifications.”

“Not everyone is cut out to serve the Lady of Mysteries as a priest,” Kharyna said offhandedly. “But, like me, you wish to learn mage magic too, so while you may not be a priestess, you are still honoring Mystra in your own way.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way before,” I admitted. I liked that notion.

“And being a member of the Church of Mystra isn’t based on your skill with clerical magic, but rather with all magic,” Kharyna explained. “In fact, Jallarzi is a high ranking member of the Elcadan church.”

“Really? I did not know that.” It was an interesting notion. Being a member of a priesthood without actually being a priest. Kharyna and I chatted for a time about this and that. I moved on to my travel bag and started to sort out the few belongings that I had brought with me. Given my frail body, I only carried a few things with on my long trip from Crossroads. It was clear that I was going to need more clothes just for daily use now that I had arrived at the Sallavarian Estate.

A knock at my still ajar door interrupted our conversation. Standing there was the mage I just meet downstairs Shaunil, Jallarzi’s first apprentice. “Hello,” Shaunil said. “I hope I am not interrupting you.”

“Not at all, Shaunil,” I told her. I could tell that Kharyna didn’t know who she was. “Shaunil was Jallarzi’s first apprentice.”

“Ah,” Kharyna said. “I knew that there were others before me, but I never met them.”

“You must be Kharyna. Pleased to meet you.”

“And to you as well, Shaunil.”

“This used to be my room,” Shaunil said as she entered the room. The woman looked around, as if lost in memories of her time in this chamber. “I spent a lot of time studying here.”

“I don’t doubt that,” I agreed. “This will be home for my foreseeable future.”

“The twins had the room across the hall,” Shaunil said, continuing her trip down memory lane. It was Kharyna‘s room now. “They took some getting used too.”

“I know what you mean,” I answered in agreement. “I met Sherry and Terry in Gateway. They are, shall we say, unique?”

“You were in Gateway?” Shaunil asked. In response to the question, I told my fellow apprentices my tale of traveling to Gateway in an attempt to apprentice myself to Lord Sharadin. I only hit the highlights, not the unnecessary details that they didn’t need to know. Like my encounter with Burant.

“Anyway, I thought it would be nice for us apprentices to get to know each other better,” Shaunil said. “We’re part of a very special group.”

“Almost like a sorority?” I noted.

“That works,” Kharyna said with a nod. “The few who survived Jallarzi’s training!” We all laughed at that.

“So, Shaunil I have a question for you,” I asked after a time. “What’s going on downstairs? I am understandably curious.”

“Sherwood has found a clue to the location of a Thiondar Nightstar,” Shaunil explained. The name meant nothing to me or Kharyna. “Apparently he was a highly skilled elfin mage who disappeared centuries ago. So our mission is to see if we can find him and any of the knowledge he is rumored to have possessed.”

“And magic items, of course,” Kharyna chimed in.

“That too,” Shaunil said with a laugh. “But, Kharyna, as I understand it, you’ve been busy at Gaz’s tower yourself. You must have acquired magic items there?”

“You are correct,” Kharyna answered. “We’ve gone down several levels in the Tower of War thus far.”

“Gaz? Tower of War? I've never heard of these places.” I wondered aloud. “It sounds like you’ve been on many adventures already, Kharyna.”

“I have seen much,” Kharyna agreed. “There is a regular group of adventurers that I travel with. We’re on break right now as I complete my mage training.”

“Gaz was one of the Fellowship of Mages,” Shaunil explained. “There were a group of young Archmages from Alphatia who banded together to do good in the world. They built the original City of Elcadan on the far western shore of Lake Amsorak. They fought and defeated the Lich Lords. They did all of this before Cynalon even existed.”

“But something went wrong with the Fellowship,” Shaunil continued. “Some of them went mad and still others did very strange things. Many became lichs themselves. It is said that they destroyed the very city they built by summoning demons into it. The survivors of the fall of Old Elcadan, relocated and built up New Elcadan, or just plain Elcadan as it is know today. The great mage tower and Castle Elcadan were built by them.”

“Gaz’s madness took the form of building three great towers”, Kharyna explained. “The Tower of War, the Tower of Magic, and the Tower of Power. It was said that he was trying to recreate the fabled Tower of Magic itself, the primary Temple to Mystra in the world. He failed and his towers become ruins. Many still search his fallen towers for magic and wealth.”

“Wow,” I said. I never paid much attention to history, but clearly some of it was rather interesting! “I think I would like to see these towers someday and their riches!”

“Maybe someday,” Kharyna answered. “Once you are more skilled in magecraft. My friends and I fought many fantastic creatures and even undead so far in our explorations. The Towers of Gaz are not for the meek.”

“There are several other such ruins or dungeons that are said to hold fabulous wealth and terrible danger,” Shaunil added. “There are a lot of places that I want to explore someday.”

“It sounds that way,” I agreed. “The idea of adding powerful magic items and finding wealth do appeal to me. But, as you say, Kharyna, after I have completed my training. I had no idea just how much I have to learn. I thought I all had to learn about was how to be a mage. Now I need to know history as well.”

“History is worth knowing,” Shaunil said. “Jallarzi will teach it to you, if you are interested. Her family has been a part of much of the history of Cynalon. She has access to the first hand descriptions of historical events as recorded by her ancestors.”

“Wow,” I said again. “I had no idea her family was that powerful. I really had only heard of the Sculley family, not the Sallavarian one.”

“They are related to each other,” Shaunil explained. “Jallarzi told me the story once… Now how did it go? Oh yes, her ancestors that built this estate were where the families were joined. A Sallavarian married a Sculley and they built this home for themselves.”

“So that means that Lord Sharadin, Jallarzi and even Sherwood are all related to each other?” I asked.

“In some manner yes,” Shaunil answered. “They are cousins, many generations removed.”

“How interesting,” I said thoughtfully. That did fit with information that I had learned earlier from Burant.

“Well, its been fun girls, but I should be going,” Shaunil said. “We’re leaving at first light tomorrow and I need to get some rest.”

“Yeah, I am starting to feel sleepy myself,” I admitted. We must have been talking for hours now. “Good night, everyone.” The girls said goodnight and excused themselves. I closed the door behind me and took in my room once more for a few minutes. I think turned out the magical lights around the room, leaving the one by the bed for last. I changed into my sleeping clothes and climbed into my new bed. It was very comfortable. I turned out the last light and went to sleep.

[Argent]

Chapter Fourteen:

I was awake early the next morning like I had been many mornings since my departure of Crossroads. I cleaned my casual use dress using cantrips, making it feel clean and smell fresher. I then cleaned my traveling clothes and stored them away. I hoped that I wasn’t going to be doing any more traveling anytime soon! I only put some light make up on, nothing extravagant.

There was a knock at my door and when I opened it I saw that it was my fellow apprentice, Kharyna. She informed me that it was time for breakfast and I followed her. Kharyna was plainly dressed, having changed from the fine robes she wore the night before. Much to my surprise she wore sandals and you could see her feet underneath the folds of her dress. The temperature in the mansion was comfortable, so I didn’t make an issue of it. Clearly she was not from around here. With the light of day I could see more than I did last night when Jallarzi showed me to my room. The outdoor balcony was very large, almost as large as the grand hall underneath it. There were numerous tables and chairs out there. It would be a wonderful place to read and study when the warmer weather came.

Kharyna lead me to the dinning hall using the same route Jallarzi had to take me to my room. We chatted a little bit during our short walk, but of nothing of any great consequence. We walked into the dining hall and I could see that it had already been in use. Numerous used dishes remained on the table. The serving girls were removing them while others were setting up new places. I could only guess that the adventurers that I briefly met last night had already eaten and departed on their mission.

Jallarzi was seated at the head of the dinning table, with Edwina curled up about her shoulders. The little dragon seemed as if it was a asleep. Jallarzi herself was plainly dressed, but did have a radiance to her this morning. I knew that look and it made me wonder if she had enjoyed her time with that charming Killian last night. Jallarzi occasionally sipped her coffee and nibbled on her bread as she chatted. Seated along the sides of the table near Jallarzi were four individuals. One I recognized as Jeffries, the butler I met last night. Beside Jeffries was another man, who was younger than him with short blonde hair. He wore simple worker overalls. The other two were women. Both were older, one had hair that had turned whitish gray, while the other had brown hair streaked with gray.

I followed Kharyna’s lead as we arrived. A buffet had been set up adjacent to the dining table. We helped ourselves to plates and drinks. There were a few types of eggs prepared, some sliced ham, some fresh fruit and hot bread with jam with juice. I took what I felt comfortable in eating and followed Kharyna to the table. She took a seat on the far side of the table, but a few chairs down from Jallarzi and her guests. I did the same. They needed their privacy I guessed. We ate quietly, while Jallarzi went over the days activities with her senior staff members. I knew from last night that Jeffries ran the household. The darker hair woman was named Miriam and it quickly became apparent that she ran the kitchen here on the estate. She and Jallarzi ironed out the dinner menu for the next several days. Once that was done, Miriam excused herself and presumably returned to estate kitchen.

The other woman was Hilda and from what I could tell, she ran much of the estate. The other man was Carlson and he was in charge of the farming and the stables. Hilda was making a list of supplies that were going to be needed from town, while Carlson reported on how various projects around the estate were proceeding. With it being winter, there were no crops to grow, but there was much repairing to do on buildings and preparing for the spring planting. It never occurred to me just how much was involved in maintaining an estate like this. Jallarzi handled all of this what a practiced ease. At this moment she very much reminded my of her Lady Ashbrook guise. She was holding court with her staff and seemed very much in charge, but also comfortable in being so.

Hilda and Carlson finished up their meetings and departed the dining hall. The serving girls moved in with practiced precision and cleaned up the dishes they left behind. Jallarzi conversed with the girls as they worked and they seemed to be at ease when around her. I had heard tales of nobles who were overbearing to deal with. Jallarzi was not one of those types. Her servants loved her and she seemed fond of them. I was nearly finished with my breakfast when Jallarzi was able to turn her attention to me and Kharyna. “Good morning, ladies,” Jallarzi said. “I trust you slept well?”

“Yes, I did.” I answered. “It was nice to have a comfortable bed to sleep in. So when do we begin?”

“Due to my unexpected guests I couldn’t get to what I planned to cover with you last night, Argent. So, I will have to make room for that this afternoon. Since I have two apprentices, and since your both at very different stages in your progress, I shall be instructing you individually. I’ll be teaching Kharyna in the mornings and then Argent in the afternoons. Likewise, you’ll be doing your household work when you are not training. Your evenings are your own.”

“Household work?” I wondered with a bit of dread.

“Work you do around the house,” Jallarzi said as she sipped her coffee. “Since I am teaching you magic, giving you a place to live, providing you food, the least you can do is help out around here. So in the mornings you will have some work to do. Nothing you can’t handle. Call it earning your keep. And who knows? You just might learn something.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I guess there isn’t much for me to complain about.” I noted. Not that it probably would have done any good anyway.

“I thought you’d see it my way,” Jallarzi said with a smile.

“So what is my task for today,” I wondered after a pause.

“This morning we’re going to get your fitted for some clothes,” Jallarzi said. “You’re going to need more than the few you brought with you and clothes to work in. So, my tailors will be sizing you and getting some things ready for you. After lunch, I’ll give the tour I promised last night.” I nodded my understanding. Nothing really more to add at this point. This was going to take some getting used to. I was too used to being independent and now I was going to be on a set schedule. I should have figured that there was going to be a price to be paid for learning to become a mage. Nothing is free after all.

After breakfast was finished, Jallarzi and Kharyna departed the dining hall presumably to wherever Jallarzi did her training. Jeffries escorted me to the tailors for my sizing. We departed the dining hall the same way that had entered and started up the stairs to the second floor. “May I ask you a question, Jeffries?” I inquired of my escort.

“Certainly miss.”

“How long have you worked at the Sallavarian Estate?”

“All my life,” Jeffries answered. I found that to be surprising. “My parents worked for the Sallavarians before I was born. So this estate has been my home all my life, as it has been for many others. I worked my way up from doing simple chores as a small boy for Lady Sallavarian's grandparents.”

“That’s a really long time,” I said.” At the top of the stairs, Jeffries took the doors to the left instead of the right. We were going to a new area of the house. Behind the double doors was a large sitting area, superficially similar to the one behind the doors on the right. Numerous single doors lead to other rooms off this sitting area as did a wide hallway.

Jeffries lead my down the hallway. I could see a set of stairs going up to the third floor here, where my room was. There were more doors along the hallway on the left hand side. At the end of the hallway was another smaller hallway on the right.

Jeffries told me that long ago this section of the house used to be all servants quarters. But with the building of the extra housing these rooms were no longer needed as quarters. The first few rooms were now guest rooms while those farther back down the hallway were used for various everyday needs. I could see the maids were busy cleaning up the guest rooms. I could only assume that the adventurers used them last night. Bedding was changed and fresh linen installed. They cleaned everything, making the room ready for the next guest.

The sewing room actually took up two rooms at the corner of the hallway. One room was used to repair garments. Several girls sat in a circle and they chatted as they worked. They re-sewed torn seams and applied patches to cover up holes. Given the size of this estate, this was probably an everyday occurrence.

The second sewing room was used to fabricate new garments. There were several human shaped tailor dummies that were used to size clothing on. There were ones for men, women, and even children. Jeffries introduced me to the tailor that was going to be working with me. She was an older woman, in her forties I would have guessed, named Selma. “Let’s get to work, shall we?” Selma asked of me once Jeffries had excused himself. Not like I had any choice in the matter.

For the next hour, Selma took my measurements and transferred them to a female shaped tailor dummy. She measured my height to my shoulders and then adjusted the dummy to that height. Selma then proceeded to measure me what seemed everywhere to get all the proper figures she needed. All of these were dutifully transferred to the tailor dummy. Padding was added to the dummy until it started to resemble my natural curvy shape.

We talked about the garments that she was going to be making for me. I was going to be getting some of the uniform dresses much like the serving girls and maids were wearing for general use purposes. I would be getting other clothing to relax in as well as outside weather garments. Pretty much an entire new wardrobe! We discussed colors and patterns for a little bit and Selma let me pick up a few combinations that I liked.

While I was with Selma, a man named Nevis arrived. He was a cobbler on the estate. I would later learn that the cobblers worked in an outer building on the estate. The oils that the used to treat leather to make shoes had a foul smell to it and it would stink up the main house, so they were outside. Nevis measured my foot size and would begin work on making several pairs of shoes and boots for me.

Much to my surprise, the whole process took most of the morning. This certain was not the way I had imagined that my first day here would have gone so far. When the workers started to leave for lunch, I left too and made my way back to the dinning hall to catch up with Jallarzi. At this point I was looking forward to my grand tour. The estate was huge and I was going to have to learn my way around.

[Argent]

Chapter Fifteen:

After my fittings I made my way back downstairs to the dining hall. There the serving girls were just setting up as I arrived. One of the girls motioned for me to sit near the head of the table, to the left of where Jallarzi sat. I did as instructed and chatted with the girls as they worked. I learned that they were named Victoria, Hanna, Samantha and Kathleen. Much like Jeffries, their parents also worked on the estate and they had been born here. This seemed like a very large family that I had been dropped into the midst of.

Hanna was the oldest of the group and was in charge of the others. She had light brown hair and was attractive in her own way. Were I to guess, I would have said Hanna was in her late twenties or early thirties. The other girls were much younger, probably even younger that I was. Victoria had long dark brown hair and matching eyes, while Samantha had sandy brown hair and blue eyes. Kathleen stood out the most from the others as she had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. All the girls chatted and joked as they worked.

Before too long, Jallarzi and Kharyna arrived. Once Lady Sallavarian was seated, the serving girls began to work and their earlier jovial mood turned more professional. Hanna and Jallarzi chatted as the serving girls worked. It was clear to me that the two of them were friends and probably had been for a long time. A serving trolley was wheeled out from an adjacent room. I later learned that this was a prep room for the dining hall. It had an exit that lead out to the outside kitchen. The serving girls steadily went in and out of this room shuttling food into the dinning room and dishes back out.

A hearty beef stew was poured into bowls and fresh bread for dipping was offered. It was warm and filling. Kharyna and Jallarzi were talking about the day's magic lesson. I could follow parts of it, but much of it was beyond me. For now anyway. Kharyna finished up her lunch and then was off to what I assume was her work here on the estate. Jallarzi and I talked for a time as we finished our lunch.

“Well, shall we begin?” Jallarzi announced as she stood up from her chair.

“No time like the present,” I answered setting my silverware aside. “Where do you begin?”

“As with most things in life,” Jallarzi answered, “at the beginning.” Jallarzi gestured me towards the short hallway that led to the dining hall prep area. Past that door and at the end of the hallway was a single door. Jallarzi opened the door and gestured for me to enter. “This door, like several others on the estate, are magically sealed,” Jallarzi explained. “Wizard Lock is a low skill mage spell that you use to seal things that can be opened. Such as doors, chests, anything that you can shut. The caster of the spell can freely open something that they seal with a Wizard Lock. This door here is sealed with such an enchantment. You would be unable to open it on your own.”

“Are there ways to get around a Wizard Lock?” I wondered.

“Yes, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. My point was that there are places on the estate that you will not be able access on your own. These areas are private for a variety of reasons. You are not to trespass into these areas.”

I simply nodded my understanding. Right now a non-magically locked door would keep me out, let alone an enchanted one!

The room we entered into was huge, about the same size as the atrium I would have guessed. But this room was filled with various forms of artwork. There were paintings on the walls, statues and other things. Still other things could only be described as trophies as they surely were not works of art.

“This is the museum of my family,” Jallarzi explained as she gestured towards the large collection. “The Sallavarian name has a long history to it. There have been numerous mages, adventurers, even priests in my family tree. There are rumors that we have ties to the legendary Fellowship of Mages, but there is no proof of that connection. It does make a nice story however.”

“I have heard that you are related to Lord Sharadin,” I noted. “To the Sculley family.”

“Yes, I am,” Jallarzi answered. “I consider them to be my cousins, although to be technical they are really like fifth or sixth cousins. As I understand it you are from Crossroads, Argent.”

I nodded yes.

“Then are you familiar with the Kingdom War?”

“It was when Crossroads joined Cynalon,” I answered. “Its when all the Outer Kingdom lands came under their rule.”

“You have the basic gist of it,” Jallarzi said as we walked through the museum. “The Outer Kingdom lands used to be belong to the Kingdom of Darokin. At one time Elcadan was called Darokin City and it was the seat of power for their king, ruling his lands from Castle Elcadan. The Sculley’s were famous mages in Cynalon. The Sallavarians were famous mages and priests in Darokin.”

“Back in those days, Crossroads was called Selenica, named after the ruling family. As they frequently do, a horde of orcs and other humanoids swarmed from the north of Selenica and laid waste to the city. The Duke of Selenica begged his king for help, but none came. Selenica was simply too far away to be bothered with.”

“Angry at this betrayal, the Duke of Selenica turned to Cynalon for aid. They always had good relations, since Selenica was the first real city on the road north from the Inner Kingdoms. And so King Tellon the fourth came to the aid of Selenica. Backed by units of elves and dwarves, Selenica was reclaimed and reconstruction began. The rebuilt city would become known as Crossroads and Duke Selenica swore his allegiance to King Tellon.”

“It was King Santhal Darokin who started the Kingdom War in response to Selenica joining Cynalon. The Darokin King was enraged at this, in spite of the fact that it was his own inaction that led to it happening. He was an unpopular king, but he was still the king and so Darokin declared war on Cynalon.”

“The war was fought in multiple fronts. Land troops marched on Crossroads, while the Darokin Navy attacked the Inner Kingdom lands directly. The war waged for several years with neither side making any real progress. Lands were conquered and then reclaimed regularly.”

“While the war raged the orcs and other humanoids formed another horde and attacked Corunglain to the north burning it to the ground. Realizing that he was now trapped between two armies, the King of Darokin sought a solution to his problem. It was my ancestor that suggested that a peace treaty be established between Darokin and Cynalon so that they could join forces to defeat the invading orcs.”

“The two kingdoms united and threw back the orc horde. But once the orcs were defeated, the Darokin King attacked his new allies once more. King Tellon slew the traitorous Darokin King in single combat and by virtue of his victory, claimed the Kingdom of Darokin as his own. Most of the nobles approved of this, some resisted but were overwhelmed. That is how the Kingdom of Darokin become the Outer Kingdom.”

At this point, Jallarzi stopped between two old portraits. One was of a man, the other a woman.

“Spearheading the peace treaty efforts between the two kingdoms were the Archmages Jezak Sallavarian and Regina Sculley. They fell in love and years later, after the war was over, they married. That is how I am related to the Sculley family.”

“With the war over with, Jezak and Regina settled here and built this estate. They started a family and that brings us to today. This was some six generations ago. Since then there has been a long line of Sallavarians who were mages, some even priests, and still others who were both.”

“Impressive,” I said. “I had no idea just how involved all of that was.”

“Most people don’t,” Jallarzi answered. “In a certain sense we live in two worlds. There are those much like you, who grew up not really knowing their history or even the dangers that were around them. Then there is the world that I live in and I will be showing you. My world can be a dangerous place, but my associates and I do much good to help out the common man. We do important, dangerous work. But it can be so rewarding.”

I had to admit that I knew none of this when I left home on my quest to become a mage. I was only acting in my own selfish interests. The world was turning out to be much bigger then I ever could have imagined.

Jallarzi moved on a few more steps and stopped before another painting. “This is Jalazar Sallavarian, my grandfather. He was a member of a famous adventuring band, the Swords of Cynalon. Almost sixty years ago, those adventurers rescued the young Crown Prince Victor the Sixth from an evil cult. It wasn’t long after that the war with Keln started and my grandfather fought in it. He, like some many others, did not return from it.”

“But getting back to your original question, yes I am related to the Sculley family. While we are distant cousins, we are really much closer than that. Sherwood lived here on the estate for many years when we were both children. He’s like a brother to me. Lord Sharadin was my instructor in magic when I was in my late teens. Years later, I returned the favor and taught his daughters magic.”

We wandered about the museum for a time with Jallarzi pointing out notable people and the trophies they accumulated during their adventures. I had to admit that while I didn’t think much of history before, I was now finding it a very fascinating thing.

“I think I would like to learn more about history, Jallarzi.” I said. “I am realizing that there is so much that I didn’t know. Your family history. The Fellowship of Mages. Old Elcadan.”

“Good,” Jallarzi agreed. “There is a lot you can learn. The family library is filled with many books that you might find interesting. I go into more detail about that when we get there. But first there is a matter that we need to discuss.”

“Oh?” I wondered. This sounded serious. “What is that?”

“The matter of just who you really are,” Jallarzi stated. “Argent is not your real name.”

“No, it’s not,” I admitted looking away. “I just find my birth name to be so plain and dull. It’s not who I am or who I want to be. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but I just don’t like my birth name.”

“I am going to need to know just who you really are. If something should happen to you, I should be able to contact them. I promise that it won’t go beyond me. At some point, knowing who you really are might be important.”

I though about it for a minute, but Jallarzi did have a point. If something did happen to me, my parents would never know. I wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing or not. I then told Jallarzi my real name.

“It’s not the worse name I ever heard..”, Jallarzi said diplomatically. “The mental image I get is nothing like you.”

“I know the feeling.”

“I am familiar with your parents store. I‘ve been there several times before as Lyra. As I said, your secret is safe with me. Come Argent, there is so much more to show you.”

[Argent]

Chapter Sixteen:

After my history lesson in the Sallavarian Museum, we retraced our steps and made our way back to the Dinning Hall. There was more of this huge manor house to see. By now the serving girls had cleared away the dishes from lunch and the dinner places were set. The area was deserted.

“The layout to the manor isn’t very complicated,” Jallarzi explained. “The ground floor is mostly for entertaining guests.”

We entered the sitting room that I had passed through several times before. There was an archway opposite of the doors into the foyer. Beyond the archway was a large conservatory filled with numerous indoor plants and flowers. There were several windows that let the sun in.

We then made our way to the elegant foyer that was the main entrance to the house. The double doors opposite the ones in the sitting room lead to another sitting room. The two sitting rooms were nearly identically. While the west sitting room lead to the dining hall, the east sitting room lead into a large hall.

There were double doors set into the left hand wall of the hall, with a single door ahead, also on the left. Another set of double doors were on the right hand wall, which should lead back into the grand hall. It made a huge area for guests and could serve multiple purposes.

“That is the music room,” Jallarzi explained, pointing at the single door.

I had no musical talent whatsoever, so that particular chamber had no great interest to me. However, the lay beyond the double doors would consume many hours of my time here on the Sallavarian Estate. Jallarzi swung the double doors open and beyond lay a room filled with bookcases.

“This it my families library,” Jallarzi proudly announced. “There are thousands of books here covering a wide range of topics.”

We entered the library and I took a few moments to look around at the numerous tomes. Some of them where quite huge in size. I had to wonder if I would be able to even lift them. The bookcases seemed to be arranged into subjects. That would make it easier to find what you were looking for. I browsed the spines to see titles, but some of the books had writing on them that I could not read.

“What language is this?” I asked, pointing to a particular tome.

“That is Alphatian, the language of mages.” Jallarzi explained. “Many of the books here are written in Alphatian. A few others are in elvish, and even a couple in dwarvish.”

“That sounds like a language I need to learn,” I noted. “I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with these Alphatians.”

“I have some tutoring texts on Alphatian that I can lend you. Alphatia is far removed from Cynalon. They are great empire founded by magical might laying thousands of miles away to the east. The Fellowship of Mages were Alphatians. Kharyna is of Alphatian descent as well.”

“That explains her accent.”

Jallarzi nodded her agreement. “I am sure that she would help you learn the language. Most of the more advanced magical texts are written in Alphatian. Learning the language would be of immense help.”

We moved deeper into the library. It was huge chamber that was ‘L’ shaped. Several more doors were also in the library. There were two sets of double doors set across from each other and a single door. Jallarzi led us up to the double doors that led us back towards the front of the house.

“This is the family chapel,” Jallarzi said as she opened the doors and we stepped inside. The far end of the room was circular and set with windows. There was an altar along with benches for setting leading up to it. “As I mentioned before, there have been many priests in my family. This is our personal shrine to Mystra. You may worship here should you so desire.”

Mystra was the Goddess of Magic, so I had a great interest in her. At one time I had even considered becoming a Priestess of Mystra, but I didn’t met their requirements. I never really openly showed great devotion to Mystra, but I honored and respected her in my own way.

“I understand that you are part of the Mystrain Church,” I asked.

“Yes,” Jallarzi answered. “When it comes to serving Mystra, all that matters is the ability to cast magical spells. My family has always had strong ties to Mystrain Church.”

We retraced our steps and headed towards the other set of double doors.

“Much like the Wizard Locked doors, there are other types of protections in place here in the library,” Jallarzi stated. “You cannot remove books from the library. You can take them in here and study them in private.”

Behind the double doors was a wider than it was deep study. There were comfortable chairs for reading, even a few desks. The room was brightly lit to make reading easier.

“I’m going to be spending a lot of time here,” I noted. Even thought I said that, even I was surprised just how much time I ended up in this room reading.

Leaving the study, Jallarzi led us back into the library and to the single door we had passed earlier. Behind it was stairs leading up to the second floor of the mansion. At the top of the stairs was the other end of the hallway where the tailors were set up in.

“Much of this area was servants quarters back when manor was first built,” Jallarzi stated. “Over time, we built the outer houses as many of the family servants had families and children of their own. It gave them some sense of privacy and opened these rooms up for other purposes. Most are extra guest rooms while others have dedicated purposes.”

“The large balcony at the top of the grand stairs in the foyer divides this floor into east and west wings. We’re in the west wing now. The east wing was all guest rooms along with the common sitting room.”

We walked down the hallway, passing other workers as they went about their business. All were polite to Jallarzi and she said hello to each, calling them by name. In time we reached the stairs I spotted earlier this morning going up to the third floor. Using the stairs we reached the far end of the long hallway on the top level of the mansion.

“The third floor was reserved for family members,” Jallarzi explained as we continued the tour. “There are two large suites and then private rooms for children, such as your room.”

Jallarzi stopped before a single door on the side of the hallway with the outdoor balcony on it. She opened it to reveal a fine bathing area. The floor was set with marble and there was a luxurious tub set into it.

“This is the west bath, there is another at the east end of the hallway.” Jallarzi stated. “You are free to use the eastern one. These are magically enhanced bathing tubs. Hot water is stored and ready to be used when you are. There are stoppers in the bottom of the tub that drains the water way when you are finished.”

“This is amazing”, I said in awe. Somehow it made the places I bathed on my trip here seem very plain and ordinary. Again, this was another room that I was going to be spending time in.

We moved a little further down the hallway. There was a short corridor on the right that ended at double doors.

“My personnel chambers are beyond those doors,” Jallarzi said with a gesture. “You’ll see those at a later date.”

A little further along was another set of doors on the right, and the wide open balcony was on our right. The doors on the right led to another of the children rooms, but it didn’t have a regular occupant in it. I would later learn that Sherwood used that room when he stated at the estate. It was the same room he occupied when he was here as a child.

Moving on, we came to familiar territory. The hallway that held the doors to my room and Kharyna‘s room. That only left the doors at the far end as being a mystery.

“The doors at the end of the hallway are Wizard Locked. Behind them are the suite of rooms that used to belong to my parents. They are off limits to all.” There was a noticeable emotional strain in Jallarzi’s voice as she said that.

It hit me in that moment that there was no sign of Jallarzi’s parents here in the estate. Based on Jallarzi’s emotional reaction, I had to guess that they were now dead. It was clearly a painful memory, so I didn’t ask any questions on the subject. If I was to learn the full story of Jallarzi’s missing parents, it would be at a time and place of her choosing and not from my pestering.

“Anyway,” Jallarzi said, shaking off her bleak emotions, “grab your coat as we’ll be going out on the grounds now.”

I did as instructed, ducking into my room and grabbing my coat. We then made our way down the stairs and exited through the front door of the manor. There were neatly trimmed hedges that lined the walkway and wide steps lead down from the platform the house was built on to the ground. It was noticeable colder out here, but nothing like I had experienced during my long travels.

A wide stone road lead up to the front door and away from it. It circled around a small garden set in front of the manor house. Looking to the east, I could see the road lead up to a wide set of gates that lead into the manor grounds. The manor itself was surrounded by a ten foot high stone wall. This wasn’t a defensive wall, rather was one to keep wild animals out.

Not far away to the east was a barn on the other side of the road and further along to the west was a second barn. Set further back behind the barns were several houses.

“The first barn is for storing guest mounts when they come to the Estate,” Jallarzi explained. “The one further west holds my horses and the family carriage. Further back are some of the family homes used by the servants and their families.

We walked along the road leading west. The further we moved along the stronger the sound of rushing water was heard. We were not far away from the Streel River now. On the banks of the river were several buildings. There was a boat house with a private dock. Another building was strictly dedicated to the estate laundry and a common bathhouse close to it. Yet another was a small mill where grain was milled into flour and grain. Near it were several silo’s where the grains were stored until needed. More worker housing was seen.

We turned to the north and walked in that direction. I could see the tall teleportation tower that I arrived in last night. A bit further west from it was a ornate stone building.

“That’s the Sallavarian Family Crypt,” Jallarzi explained. “As you might expect the doors are Wizard Locked.”

Now we turned east and were walking behind the manor house. We passed the teleport tower. A smaller and wider tower came up on our left, but Jallarzi passed it by for now. She pointed out the estate kitchen which was its own building behind and off to the east of the main house. The inviting smell of food came from the building. While I didn’t realize it at this point, it would be another place on the estate where I would be spending a lot of time.

Jallarzi lead me up to the remote stable at the far northeast corner of the estate. From what she said last night, this was the stable of her griffon, Farthon. I could hear the beast screeching as we drew closer. Oddly, the doors to the stable were open as we approached. I was growing concerned, but Jallarzi seemed completely at ease.

Suddenly a giant shape emerged from the stable and I found myself staring at a massive bird-like face covered in golden feathers! It was as tall as I was and its beak as big as my head! The beast was after me!

[Argent]

Chapter Seventeen:

I cried out in shock to be face to face with Farthon, Jallarzi’s griffon! The stable door was strangely open and the beast came out after me! I backed away from the monster as fast as I could. My feet became tangled and I fell backwards. I hit the ground hard all the while starting at the face of my impending doom! The griffon was huge! It was easily as tall as I was. Its head was like that a giant bird and I had no trouble believing that my own head could fit inside its beak with room to spare. Its front legs ended in razor sharp talons that tore chunks of earth away as it moved forward.

“WHOA!” a voice suddenly called out and in turn the beast stopped moving towards me. At that moment that I realized that there was a riding harness on the griffon, serving a similar function as if on a horse. Then I saw Jallarzi stepping up beside the griffon

“There, there, Farthon,” Jallarzi said in a soothing voice as she scratched the griffon's neck. It was clear that the griffon was enjoying the attention she was giving him. “Argent didn't mean to scare you.”

“Scare him!” I said incredulously. “What about me?” Jallarzi stepped towards me and offered her hand to me. As she did so, I now spotted Kharyna on the griffon's back. She's the one who cried out and stopped the beast from advancing on me. Kharyna slipped off the griffon's back and also came towards me.

“I am so sorry,” Kharyna sheepishly admitted. “I didn't see you there.”

“No harm done,” Jallarzi simply stated. “It was just an accident.” Jallarzi and Kharyna helped me back to my feet, but I still couldn't take my eyes off of the griffon. It was much larger and longer than any horse that I had seen before. When they were stretched out, its wings were over twenty-five feet wide. I couldn't help but shake in the presence of such a fearsome beast.

“One of my jobs is taking Farthon out for rides when Jallarzi doesn't have the time to pay attention to him,” Kharyna explained. “I enjoy the freedom of flying with him.”

“You can have that job,” I shot back. “I have no desire to be anywhere near this beast!”

“You won't have to do anything in regards to Farthon,” Jallarzi reassured me with a smile. “Your tasks will be a bit more mundane and down to earth. Come, let us get back to our tour. Carry on, Kharyna.”

“I'll see you at dinner,” Kharyna vowed.

I dusted myself off as Jallarzi put her arm around me, like I was her younger sister, and tried to calm me. Together, we started to walk off towards the smaller tower we had bypassed earlier. Behind us, Kharyna climbed on the back of Farthon once more. The mighty griffon dashed forward and then leaped into the air. Farthon squawked in pleasure as the pair quickly flew from sight. I had mostly regained my composure by the time we reached the tower. That was my first real encounter with Farthon and I stayed well aware from the beast from there on out. There were a few others, like Kharyna, who would enjoyed the pleasure of riding the beast, but I was never one of them.

“Here we are,” Jallarzi announced as we reached entry door to the tower. She had let me go once I had started stop shaking. “This is where I train mages. We'll be spending our afternoons here. It's far away from the rest of the estate to give us privacy and to prevent the estate staff from being harmed should something go wrong.”

I had to wonder just how often did something go wrong here?

The door was made of plain looking wood and iron bands. It was well weathered and most likely this tower was built many years ago. There was no window in the door and I didn't notice any windows in the tower at all.

“Go ahead and open it,” Jallarzi urged.

I did was I was instructed. I reached out with my right hand, grabbed the pull handled and pulled with all my feeble might. The door didn't budge. Just to make sure I used both hands but got the same result.

“I can't even move it,” I sighed. “I just don't have the strength.”

“Even if you were stronger, you could not open this door. It is Wizard Locked.”

I shot Jallarzi a puzzled glance. “Then what was point of all this?” She fumbled in her coat pocket for a moment and then handed something to me. As she opened her hand up I saw a plain looking stone on a small chain like it was a necklace of some kind.

“Try it with this,” Jallarzi urged.

“It's not very fashionable,” I critically noted. I accepted the necklace and placed it around my neck. The chain was cool to the touch but quickly warmed next to my skin.

“Try the door now.” Once more I reached out with both hands, grabbed the door handle and gave a mighty heave. Much to my surprise, the door opened with great ease!

“How?” I asked in wide-mouthed surprise.

“Magic,” Jallarzi simply said with her dazzling smile as she swept into the tower. I chased after her once I regained my composure.

The ground floor of the tower superficially reminded me of the classroom that I encountered back at Lord Sharadin’s estate. Against one wall was a large desk that faced the center of the tower. In front of that desk were three smaller desks. Obviously these were the student desks facing the teachers desk. Three chalk boards were present as well. Two of them held copious notes that currently eluded me at first glance. The last was blank.

Around the edge of the room were numerous tables and cases filled with items I could not identify and other nick-knacks. The chamber was well lite as it had a continual light spell on the ceiling. Circular stairs ringed the outer wall of the tower. A door blocked the stairs going down the basement of the tower, but the stairs going up were open with just a railing for safety. Were I to guess, there was only one more floor above.

“I figured that,” I retorted after I took in the ground floor of the tower. “But that doesn't really explain anything.”

“That is true,” Jallarzi agreed. “Since your parents are shopkeepers, I assume that they both can read and write to a certain degree?”

“Yes, they can,” I managed to respond, slightly surprised at the seemingly odd question.

“If one of your parents left you a note, could you tell who wrote it even if it wasn't signed?”

“Well, yes,” I answered. “My mother writing is more fluid than my fathers.”

“That's the basic principle behind the stone I gave you,” Jallarzi stated. “It's your 'key' to this tower.”

“I understand the concept, but I can't see how it applies to this circumstance.” By now Jallarzi had reached her desk and one corner of it was clear of papers. She turned and sat there on the edge of the desk like she must of done a million times before. Jallarzi directed me to take a seat at one of the three desks. It was easy to see which one Kharyna was using, so I took one of the open two.

“I'll walk you through the thought process,” Jallarzi announced. “You've established that you can tell who wrote a note based on your parents writing style. The concept is similar among mages. Each mage has his own 'style' when it comes to their magic. What does that tell you?”

After a moment's thought, I said, “You told me earlier that a Wizard Lock spell would allow its caster to freely open what they locked with the enchantment. Therefore, there must be some method to differentiate who cast the spell. Who can pass through and who cannot. That stone you gave me made the locked door think I was you?”

“Very good deductions,” Jallarzi complimented. “You have the gist of the situation. One of my distant ancestors, Renee Sculley devised a series of spells around this concept. She called the ability of spells to sense who cast it their 'signature'. Among these spells is one called Copy Signature. With it, the casting wizard can share his personal signature with others. Its commonly used with apprentices so that they can access otherwise restricted areas.”

“That's pretty clever,” I had to admit. “So this necklace will allow me to past through any door you have wizard locked?”

“It could, provided the stone had my personal signature on it, which it does not. The locked doors I showed you earlier will remain sealed to you.”

“Then whose signature is this?” I wondered. The question caught Jallarzi off guard. She reached down to reveal that she was also wearing a stone necklace much like mine. The stone was concealed under her dress this whole time.

“You know, I don't really know,” Jallarzi admitted. “This tower and these keys are generations old. Suffice to say it was one of my ancestors.”

“Come,” Jallarzi said after a moments reflection. “There is one last stop on our grand tour.” She gestured for me to go up the steps and I complied. As I neared the top of the steps I confirmed my earlier assumption. This was the top floor to the tower. The walls of the chamber were lined with bookcases. Again there were no windows, but a Continual Light was cast on the ceiling. In the center of the room was a table and chairs along with a few more comfortable chairs for reading.

“This is a smaller, more private library,” Jallarzi explained as she searched the bookcases. “Unlike the one in the house, this one is strictly concerned with magic and magical texts. There are a few books I need to start you out with. Things that you will need for your studies.” Jallarzi began to pull books of various colors and sizes from the cases forming a small pile. There was five books in all and I was beginning to wonder just how I was going to carry of all them as they looked heavy. Once she had found all the books she was looking for, Jallarzi presented them to me one at a time.

The first book she handed me was about two inches thick and a little smaller than a standard piece of paper. The cover was brown leather and the book itself looked fairly new. The book had no title that I could see. “This is your personal spell book,” Jallarzi explained. “As you learn spells, you'll record them in this tome for your own personal reference. A mages spell book is their prized possession.”

“I can imagine,” I said in agreement.

“Its not uncommon for mages to put magical traps on their spell books to thwart thieves. Or even a clasp so that they can secure it with a Wizard Lock. Store it in a safe place and always know where it is.”

I ran my hand over the cover of the book. It was nothing special to look at, but it was going to be my first spell book. That made it special to me. It meant that the dream I had when I left Crossroads for Gateway was one step closer to becoming a reality.

[Argent]

Chapter Eighteen:

On the top floor of Jallarzi mage training tower, I had just receive my first personal spell book. The tome was nothing special to look at, but it meant the world to me. I ran my hand over the brown leather cover. I opened the book and found all the pages inside blank. “That book is yours to keep,” Jallarzi explained. “The others are to be returned once you are done with them.

“What are they about?” I wondered.

“This book here is the one you are going to be spending the most time with at the start. Its the book all apprentices start with.” Jallarzi handed me a long, thin tome. It was bound in green leather of some kind. It was only a inch thick, but was nearly twice as big as my spell book. The title of the book was written on its cover in Cynalonian Common. It read, “The Art of Reading and Comprehending Magic”.

“In the days and weeks to come, we are going to be talking a lot about magic. But the very first step to becoming a mage is yours and yours alone.”

“That sounds very ominous,” I noted warily.

“It can be,” Jallarzi agreed. “This is Mystra's personal test for you. If you can comprehend what this tome explains, then you will be able to wield magic. If not--, well I am sure you know what failure means.”

“It can't be that hard,” I said defensively. This personal test of Mystra was beginning to frighten me. “I can cast Cantrips.”

“Cantrips are child's play,” Jallarzi corrected me in a serious tone. “Many can tap into the magical energies that Mystra grants us to perform minor feats. Only a true mage can wield the kind of magic you are here to learn. Those are simply parlor tricks to impress the unknowing. Your ability to make use of Cantrips simply means that you have an aptitude for magic. This test will prove if you have the skill to make use of real spells.”

“When you learn a new spell you record it in your personal spell book. But you don't record it in the common tongue. It is recorded in a magical script. In a sense spells are written in their own unique language.” Jallarzi took the next book off of her small pile and handed it to me. “Take a look at this,” she instructed.

I set the heavy book down on the table. This one was older than the others and was dusty. The pages were starting to yellow. I opened up the book to a random page and was startled to see that what was written made no sense to me whatsoever. It was like it was in some language that I had never seen before. “This is-- this is just all gibberish to me,” I said in a disheartened voice.

“Its one of my beginners spell books,” Jallarzi explained. “It holds the simplest of spells for apprentices to study and learn.”

“Just a beginners....?” I whispered, my heart sinking. “So this is where the green book comes in?”

“Precisely. That book will teach you how to read the magical script all mages use. Once you have mastered that task, then you will be able to comprehend other mage spells, learn them, and add them to your own spell book.” I closed the spell book and turned my attention back to The Art of Reading and Comprehending Magic. I opened this book and much to my dismay, it was written in the same incomprehensible text! “This is gibberish too!”

“Right now it is, but with careful study you should be able to understand it. You're a very bright girl, Argent. You can do this.”

“How long does it usually take to learn this?” I asked curiously.

“It varies.” Jallarzi said offhandedly. “It depends on the gifts of those trying to learn it. In my own experience its not unusual for this step to take many days, even weeks.”

“Great,” I mouthed. And here I thought all my testing was over with. “So, I have a book to put spells into, a book to teach me how to understand the magical script, and lastly a book to learn spells from.”

“Correct,” Jallarzi agreed. “Much like each person's handwriting is unique to them, so is their magical script. When you learn a new spell, you take what you've read and make it your own. Then you can record your version of the spell into your own private book. Don't be surprised if your version of a particular spell is shorter or even longer than the copy you learned it from. When you record the spell you write down everything you think is important. What is important can vary from individual to individual. It's even possible to learn one mage's version of a spell while still being unable to comprehend another version of the same spell. You'll be able to read your own spells without the assistance of magic. That's the main reason you record your own version of a spell.”

“That sounds very complicated,” I noted.

Jallarzi just shrugged. “If it was easy, everyone could do it.” I couldn't argue with that point. I knew my road to learning magic was not going to be easy, but I never realized just how difficult it was going to be. I was used to picking things up pretty quickly, but this seemed incredibly daunting to me.

“What's in the last two books?”

Jallarzi picked up a dusty brown leather covered book. It was bigger than my own spell book. “Sharadin told me that you had an interest in evocation magic. This book deals specifically with this type of magic. It's a teaching guide and written in the common tongue. It'll give you some of the basics of the field.”

And that just left the last book. It was easily the thickest of all the books. It was at least five inches thick! The spine was cracked in many places showing that it had seen much use in the past. “This is a primer on understanding the Alphatian language. You wished to learn the language of mages, this is where you start.” Jallarzi handed me the book and I could see that it was an effort for even her. I doubt that I could even lift the book!

“This great and all,” I said critically eyeing the pile of books, “but I doubt I can even lift some of these books let alone carry them.”

“I have already taken that into consideration,” Jallarzi said. She fished through her pockets once more and pulled out a small, plain looking bag. There was a thin rope at the top of the bag that could be pulled to tighten the opening. Jallarzi then handed me the bag. “Try using this.”

“I don't see what difference that will make,” I noted critically. “I still won't be able to lift all those books at once.”

“Just try it,” Jallarzi urged. I did as instructed unsure if this was another test of hers like how the door to the training tower opened. I started to put the books into the bag one at a time, confident that they could not all fit inside. Much to my surprise, they all did fit and there even seemed to be room for more items to be placed inside!

“This isn't possible,” I muttered in surprise. Then a thought hit me. “It's magical?”

“Its called a Bag of Holding,” Jallarzi explained. “As you might expect, the bag can hold far more than it appears it should. But that's isn't all that it does. Pick it up.” I grasped the bag expecting to struggle to move it, but found that it was very easy for me to pick up. Not only could the bag hold far more than it should, but the items inside seemed to have no weight. I wouldn't have any trouble carry my collection of books in this bag. This Bag of Holding was my first magic item and one that I still use to this day.

With my bag of books in tow, we returned to the ground floor of the training tower. We chatted for several more hours that afternoon about this and that. The real instruction would begin tomorrow, so the rest of today would be for light and pleasant conversation. Jallarzi did turn serious at one point. “There is one last thing that we should discuss.”

“That sounds ominous,” I replied.

“It can be a serious subject”, Jallarzi admitted. “But I hope that it doesn't become one. You're an attractive girl and there are many young men who work on my estate. I don't want any complications or romantic entanglements if you understand my meaning.”

“I get what you mean”, I answered. “I am here to learn, not to engage in romance. There is a time and a place for everything and here is neither the time nor the place.”

“Good”, Jallarzi answered with her usual dazzling smile. “Then we understand each other.” We talked a while longer, before donning our winter coats once more and covering the short walk back to the main house. The evening meal was ready for us, and as she promised earlier, Kharyna was there. We talked and laughed as we ate. I realized that I could become accustomed to living the lifestyle that Jallarzi enjoyed.

After dinner, I excused myself and retired to my to my room to study. I put my books on my table and began to dive into them. I set my spellbook in the bookcase. I wouldn't be using it until I actually could learn spells. Likewise the beginners spellbook was also placed alongside. I wasn't going to need it tonight.

I took a good hard look at The Art of Reading and Comprehending Magic, but as I earlier noted it was just gibberish to me. I studied the tome for a few hours until I finally just had to push it away in frustration. I always found that if I got away from a problem for a time I could make more sense of it later. I was hoping that this was the case. I was starting to feel tired from the events of the day. So I decided that a nice hot bath was in order. I undressed and slipped in my robe. I then made my way to the eastern bathing area. The room was empty and I enjoyed the first of my many baths to come during my stay at the estate.

When I returned to my room, there was a package sitting outside my door. I picked it up curiously and took it inside my room. I didn't know what it was at first, but should have realized what it was once I saw what it contained. Inside was a working dress much like that worn by the severing girls in the dining hall. It was the first garment that the tailor made for me. Well, it was a start and at least something different to wear tomorrow.

I set the dress aside and slipped into an comfortable chair to look over the two books I could read while waiting for my hair to dry. I glanced over the Alphatian text, but had no real desire to try and learn a new language this evening. Instead I read about what Invocation magic was about. I found it to be to my liking. In short an Invoker uses magical energy to create specific effects or to summon different types of destructive energy. According to the text an Invoker had the widest range of destructive magic of any type of specialized mage. Given my small and frail body, the notion of tossing powerful spells about appealed to me.

I was yawning by the time my hair was dry, so I put my books away and slipped into my sleeping clothes. I dimmed the lights in my room and went to bed. My long journey was finally over. I had left my parents home in Crossroads with the idea of learning to be a mage. I had traveled to Gateway and then across the kingdom itself to find a teacher. Now I was ready to begin to learn how to wield magic. Come the morning my life as an apprentice would begin.


Thus concludes Book 1 of Argent's Adventures