The green trees turned white, as piles of snow suddenly appeared. Every inch of ground was wet, and the wheels of the carriage slipped and rose out of small potholes of mud.
Brand had suggested taking Lucas on a small adventure, and he agreed happily, wanting to learn more about his mentor. What he didn't expect was for it to be a mission of huge political importance.
"I really shouldn't be here," the young mage thought out loud, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as Brand explained their objective.
"Nonsense! It'll be good for you," Brand chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder, "the others wanted me to take care of this mess, so I will. I was originally from the north, after all," he smiled, "and we need allies if there is as much trouble near the capital as you told me," Brand continued with a tone of concern, "still I'm very proud of you, most people would have stayed in that carriage till a sword came through its sides!"
Lucas thought Brand was laughing, but there was almost pain in it.
"I'm just lucky we survived," Lucas said back.
"No, you weren't lucky, you had good friends, and you were wonderful yourself, remember that. Your own skill is not something worth underestimating," Brand said seriously.
Lucas didn't want to respond, so instead he looked out the window. Along with the snowy terrain he heard the vibrant sounds of running water, and although most rivers had only rickety wooden bridges to cross, the major ones had whole towns around them. With proper stone bridges Lucas had never seen before. And houses made of whole logs bigger than any his village ever had.
Yet, the further they went into the thick forests and snow the fewer of those towns he saw. Hours came and went, and the sun sank below the horizon before Lucas noticed. Not knowing the terrain well enough to find a place to rest during the dark, they made a basic camp. Brand told him to sleep well today, for tomorrow would be important, and the two drivers took turns on watch.
Still, something bothered Lucas, shadows trailed behind him, he was sure, yet Brand told him it was nothing. And he knew nothing of the northern kings they were sent to sway.
*'There must be more to all this… Even I heard stories of the brutality of the northern men, Brand couldn't have possibly brought me alone,'* Lucas wondered to himself as he tried to fall asleep. The mat of grass and hay under him reminded him of home. So despite his worries in a blink the sun came up again, and after a short breakfast they left for the road.
"That was a good change from sleeping in the stuffy academy, don't you think Lucas?" Brand laughed like always.
"Yeah, I agree," the young mage found himself swept along with their trip.
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A week later, they had finally gotten close to their destination. That morning, Brand gave him some advice.
"Now, we will arrive in just a few hours, so be ready. This is a sensitive matter, and the northerners defer to seniority, so do not interrupt their elders as they speak. If you do not wish to say anything, that is fine, you are here to observe and I will happily accept whatever approach you wish to take," Brand spoke in a serious tone, if not almost harsh. Yet Lucas preferred it that way, he knew nothing of their culture or diplomacy, nor how to handle the northerners in particular. He then nodded his head in understanding, and Brand looked back onto the road. Now with a more serious expression, though still with a grin.
An hour passed and the trees slowly turned to stumps and cleared out land, and the muddy road was now well paved. Then a grand village appeared. With wooden and stone huts, and organic organization that only vaguely reminded Lucas of the sprawl of Comet’s Landing that he could see from afar. Surrounding it was a wall of stone and wooden supports, framed by a gate. In the distance was something more familiar, it almost reminded him of the academy, but also of the stories he heard of grand forts and palaces. Almost above the horizon was an imposing keep that had walls taller than two men around it. Gold and crimson didn’t dominate it like the church or the grand academy but its colors of black and gray stone still looked grand.
Outside the wooden gate at the front of the city were two men whose armor had strange engraving on it, and with axes in their hands. They shouted to Brand in a gruff accent and words Lucas didn’t know, yet Brand responded in kind. It was a short conversation, and Brand explained shortly.
“They had asked after who we were,” he said plainly, and led Lucas and the two drivers along with the carriage through the now open doors. Lucas noticed they, like the armor, had carvings. Of vines and branches, symbols he had never seen, and depictions of the moon, the stars, the sun, and animals.
His steps hit the stone bricks on the ground, and soon enough he reached the huge gate to the tower.
“Is that iron?” Lucas pointed at the slightly brown at the edge bars of the gate. Brand nodded in response.
“You’re listening in your material classes, fantastic!” he smiled.
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Lucas and Brand had been brought to a dining hall almost as big as the Academy’s, but with only a single long table. There were ten chairs on each side, and one at the head, and on each side of the room there were two doors. Despite only a single man sitting, four servants were in the room each standing at a side. On the other side on a chair decorated with shining silver and gems was a man that looked quite old, with a beard that was well groomed but half gray and that fell down to the man’s chest. He chewed politely, just like Aaron did, yet every one of his movements felt more rough. As if he had learned it.
“Your majesty! It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but I’m glad to see you are still well,” Brand said, a smile on his face. The large man stood up in response with a smile of his own, and Lucas saw he was taller than Brand and himself by almost half a head. Still, he wasn’t imposing, and he came to shake his mentor’s hand eagerly.
“Truly has been too long, old friend,” he spoke in the common tongue, Lucas immediately knew, but it was hard to understand him with his rough and dominant accent, “what do I owe this pleasure to?”
“Well, I would like to say it’s just for the sake of a visit, but that isn’t true…” Brand sat down at the table with a serious expression. He signaled Lucas to follow, and they both were served chicken roast and wine almost immediately. After sighing, he spoke again, “something is happening near the eastern province of the kingdom, and the council believes a rebellion is coming. Of course, I don’t expect you to assist us in quashing it, I am not the king’s diplomat and it’s an internal matter-”
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“But you have a favor to ask?” the northern king laughed wearily, his face now taking on a serious expression, and several scars were revealed.
“Unfortunately. We’re afraid the church will get involved, and though I know you don’t believe in our god, we must protect the young mages and our traditions. We would like to send them to stay here, safe, if anything was to happen,” Brand now also looked serious, and stared at Lucas for a second.
“Aye, we don’t believe your gods, but every man and woman in this kingdom has seen what mages can do. We will consider this, as a favor to an old friend, but we will not allow you to bring forces into here, only the young and the old,” the man responded almost immediately. His eyes staring past Brand and at Lucas, “is this your new apprentice?”
“Yes, he has great potential, and I am sure you’ll like him. He reminds me much of myself in our younger days,” Brand chuckled, breaking the tension.
“Then it’s a sad accident that you’ve got him involved, Brand,” he put up his hand as he spoke, and before Brand or Lucas could react ten men had rushed out of three of the doors around the hall. Eight had spears almost touching Brand’s skin, and the other two flanked Lucas from both sides with their weapons slightly further away.
“What is the meaning of this Ulrik?” Brand’s tone and eyes were aflame, and he held no regard. Even standing up despite the blades right on his skin. Small cuts appeared on him, but he didn’t flinch.
“I’m sorry Brand, this is not your responsibility, but your kingdom has been a threat to ours for many millennia. A hundred years ago, before either of our parents was born, almost every one of us was annihilated protecting this land from your foolish kingdom of soothsayers controlling true power. None of my people are willing to make that mistake again, or ever trust an empire who betrayed us. WE DO NOT FORGET,” he shouted, spit was thrown onto the table.
“Do you think capturing me and a single apprentice will let you win a war? It will only start a war you can not win, Ulrik…” Brand’s tone was neutral again, maybe even sad. Lucas was just shocked, all of this was happening far too fast, and he didn’t know how to handle any of it.
‘A war?’ he thought, ‘that really can’t be…’ nothing about it made any sense.
“Huh, you say that like you are not the only wizard with a head on his shoulder in that wretched place. And that you think you can win against a rebellion fuelled by every village in the Empire is a mistake I wouldn’t make, my friend. Neither of you will be harmed if you merely stay calm. When this war is over and the church is dismantled, you both can go back,” Ulrik said, in an almost friendly voice, “move them to the other room.”
All at once the soldiers told them to get up, and started pushing them towards one of the doors. Brand told Lucas curtly not to resist, and so he didn’t, unsure if his mentor had a plan, or he just wanted to save both their lives.
‘Do I really care if the church gets destroyed?’ he asked himself for a second. Maybe then he could go back to his family. Yet the thought that crept into his head, the image of Aaron and Evellyn, bloody and beaten. Dead or close to it. And seeing them only after he couldn’t do anything about it anymore.
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“I had a backup,” Brand whispered to him when they were finally left alone in that dark room. It stunk of hay and dirt, and it reminded him far too much of home. That same feeling of comfort he had the day before had crept into sheer horror, “it won’t take them long to get here,” when he saw the shocked look on Lucas’ face, he kept going, “just in case, ten more mages were a day behind us when we came through the border, disguised as some merchants. They’re camped right outside the city, and will rescue us if I don’t report back,” he paused and looked at the light entering the room from various holes with a thoughtful expression, “about now I think.”
A sound broke the noise of the guards chatting outside. One crash louder than anything Lucas thought possible. Then, the wall in front of him was ripped into pieces. He saw the outside world, and guards and soldiers rushed in every direction but theirs. In a second, another came, destroying the wall to their right as well. FIrst he wasn’t even sure what had done this, then he saw Brand pick up something with his hands still tied behind his back. What looked like a single arrow small enough to hold in one’s hand.
“Get to me!” Brand shouted to Lucas, and he rushed to his side, the rope binding his hands was quickly cut by the arrows blade. Seconds before Lucas could do the same for his mentor a roar came through his ears. A mass of men breached through the one door still left standing, Ulrik at their head. Each had weapons drawn, and was looking all around.
The moment their gaze found Lucas and Brand, they were rushing towards both of them. Luckily, the young mage was quick on his feet, and his mentor was now released. With a swift movement Brand took the arrow from his hands and threw it. A terrible sound appeared, and three men dropped to the floor in succession.
“It’s not a crossbow but it works, now run!” Brand shouted, making for the courtyard in front of them. It was huge, and filled with soldiers, but they were all in a panic, and there was a breach in the stone wall almost right in front of them.
“After them, all of you!” Ulrik shouted, his voice ringing out in the courtyard, but despite them gathering for a second, another volley broke their ranks. Two dozen corpses littered the ground in a second, and panic set in again. Yet among the screams Lucas heard something else, the sounds of fighting. Metal hit metal, over and over again, and it came from just ahead of the wall, where they still couldn’t see.
His feet hit the ground faster and faster as Brand picked up his speed, he noticed it as well, Lucas was sure. When they got through the breach, they saw the source of it, two mages were fighting a group of soldiers who surrounded them, barely holding them back with swords in their hands. Even moving faster than human hands reasonably could, it was a lost fight.
Somehow, Lucas moved to action before Brand, taking a rock out of his bag and throwing it at one of the soldiers. He fell, and the circle broke, letting his mentor pick up the dead man’s axe and slash him with it. One more fell, and brought another to the ground with him.
“It’s good to see you two,” one of the mages shouted as he had a second to breathe, “but move, we can handle ourselves,” his expression was grim, and for a second Lucas thought he grunted in pain. Wanting to take the man’s advice and leave, he looked to Brand, but his mentor was not so quick to move.
“We don’t leave anyone behind!” he shouted back.
In another insanely quick stroke of the axe, another soldier fell down, and the two mages were almost freed. But Lucas heard Ulrik shout from behind the wall, they were close.
“Brand, we have to go, it’s Ulrik!” he said, throwing another stone at the last soldier still up. He didn’t fall, though, and with Brand distracted he stabbed a dagger right into his torso. Brand grunted in pain, but kicked the soldier.
“Fine, we’ll move now,” he signaled to the mages too, and they rushed to hide among the streets of the city. Brand led them, but he was slower than before, the wound in his stomach leaving a trail of red on the snowy ground. Soon enough they reached the wooden wall at the edge of the village. All that was left between them and relative safety.
Lucas’ rocks were repelled by it, and Brand had dropped his axe in his haste. The other two mages were almost out of energy. In a last ditch effort one of the swords was stuffed in the young mage’s hands. He focused on the sword, feeling the energy of moving it over and over again.
It felt like an eternity passed before he knew he was ready, but that was far too late. Ulrik and a group of soldiers had closed in, following Brand’s trail, Lucas guessed. And as he slashed the bottom of the wall with all the magic he could muster, bringing down the tall logs onto the other side, they surrounded them.
“I’ll hold them off,” Brand shouted commandingly at the rest, but none of them listened to him. The injured mage grabbed Brand with what force he had left and threw him outside the wall. Lucas and the other mage soon ran as well, grabbing Brand’s body and fleeing as fast as they could.
The last thing Lucas remembered was the screams of the mage before a haze overwhelmed him.