My blood chilled, and I blinked, "What? How is that possible? He was improving, right? How did—"

I cut myself off before I could ask something ridiculous and make a fool of myself. Rambling off a half-dozen silly questions was not the sort of thing that would make me look good, and Lysandra would tell me just as much as she felt I should know.

Master Lysandra seemed not to notice my almost embarrassed reaction, responding, "His condition was stable and improving, but he took a turn late last night. His body stopped responding to the treatments, and in just a few hours, well..."

The woman trailed off, sighing as she shook her head. Her eyes were half-focused, and there was something strange in her demeanor. She looked confused and frustrated, which was to be expected, but there was something else. Something that I could not quite place.

I took a step closer, trying to decipher the look on Lysandra's face, but the woman turned to me before I could and continued, "I'll learn more once I get a chance to examine his body more closely."

"Can I assist you in any way?" I asked.

Lysandra nodded, "You can, yes. I want you to escort this ship back to Aranth while I finish here."

It took me a second to process her command. I assumed we would leave together, but it appeared I was wrong.

"Apologies if this is an overstep, but I believe my time is best spent here. Surely, I can assist you in some way."

Lysandra smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder, "You can. By returning to Aranth and helping Selene. She's got some experience, but she's certainly not ready to handle the entire city for another week by herself. I want you to assist her while I tie up a few loose ends here. Can you do that?"

I wanted to protest, but after a few seconds, I could not think of one. So, I nodded and responded, "Yes, master."

"Fantastic," Lysandra nodded, stepping away and folding her arms across her chest.

We stood there for another few seconds, both lost in thought. Lysandra suddenly shook her head, seeming to come to her senses as she continued, "Ah, but I couldn't possibly send you away without a few things to do. I've taken the liberty of selecting some notes for you to read on the way home, along with some light reading if your studies grow a little too tedious and you need a break."

The woman picked up two books from her table and held them out to me. One was a simple one bound in fine leather, while the second had a scratched and worn cover with bits of paper sticking out from between the pages.

I took both from her and inclined my head, responding, "I can have them both read by the time I reach Aranth, master."

"You do know you can take a break, right?" Lysandra commented, "You don't need to read them as fast as humanly possible."

I had to stop myself from glancing back towards the door—and the fortress that lay in that direction. One version of me had possibly fought and died in this place. Had he taken breaks?

"No," I shook my head and smiled, "I cannot."

***

The feeling around the fortress was a bizarre mixture of relief and mournful tension. It was well-known that Lord Sinnett was an unpopular man, biting, demanding, and wholly sure of his own superiority. The guards and servants followed his commands thanks to fear and duty, not respect or admiration. His death had led some of them to walk with their heads a little higher, their bodies more relaxed, and a touch more bounce in their steps.

Yet there was also a strange, almost melancholy feeling in the air. For all his faults, Sinnett had lived a life worthy of at least some respect. He was cruel, yes, but a talented mage with more accomplishments in one decade than most would achieve in a lifetime. I doubted the guards, or anyone else for that matter, would miss him, but there was something sad about his passing regardless.

Selfishly, I wondered then if anyone would miss me if I had died instead. My friends, maybe? Or rather, my former friends. I had not seen them in over half a year, not written them a letter or gone to visit them in Volaris. Part of that was because I was busy, but there was something else to it.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I was afraid of how they would react.

It took me more effort than I cared to admit to push past that depressing thought. Instead, I made the most of my last day at the coastal fortress. I managed to speak with the guards, who continued their martial training as usual and took the opportunity to learn a few of their techniques to practice later.

I almost dug further into Sinnett's death, but the truth was that I did not want to know more. Niccolo's theory could be true. It could not. But either way, investigating further gained me nothing and risked everything.

If Niccolo was right, all I would do by digging and asking too many questions is put a target on my back. The assassin would know there was a loose end to be tied off, track me down, and either coerce my silence or kill me.

On the other hand, I was an apprentice healer with a reputation as untrustworthy, to put a fine point on it. It was not outside the realm of possibility for a paranoid mage to consider me suspicious. Digging too deeply could strike some as a guilty conscience, and there were plenty of people who might want someone to blame for Sinnett's death.

So, I got what I could from the guards, then returned to the ship and locked myself in my quarters. Niccolo and the other apprentices could sort out their little power squabbles amongst themselves and leave me out of it.

We left the following day, early in the morning before sunrise. Master Lysandra had left me with a letter for Selene with an express command to hand it only to my fellow apprentice. I had to assume they were directions until the healer returned to Aranth, but my curiosity had, for once, been sated.

The trip north would take at least a day or two longer, owing to prevailing winds and some quirk of the currents. Aiden had not been happy to lose Lysandra, but he was not one to complain too loudly. I knew he was worried that they were in danger without the healer's presence, and so, just one day into our trio, I decided to try and assuage some of his fears.

"Excuse me," I said, approaching the captain around midday.

Aiden glanced over from his position at the ship's helm, and I caught the brief flicker of frustration in his eyes before he nodded towards me, "Yes, honored mage?"

I wanted to deny the honorifics, but mentally shook my head and carried on, "What can I do to help?"

Aiden's face twisted, and he shook his head. I knew right away he was going to refuse, making a big show about how I, as a mage and a healer, did not need to help with anything. He would insist my sole duty was to sit in my room, waiting until I was necessary, and that it would be improper to allow otherwise.

But none of that mattered. Someday, I might need to cross the ocean, and this was as good a chance as any to get some experience now while I had little else to do with my time.

So, I held up my hand before the man could speak and said, "I understand that I am a mage and that it might be a breach of norms to allow me to serve as a typical sailor. I also do not care in the slightest. Crew members help, yes?"

Aiden hesitated, then nodded, "Yes."

"Excellent. And until we reach Aranth, I am a member of your crew, correct?"

"Yes, lord mage."

"Fantastic. Now, how can I help?"

Aiden stared at me, then sighed under his breath before forcing a smile onto his face.

"I'm sure we can find something to do."

***

It took Aiden some time to find a job he felt comfortable sticking a teenage mage and the apprentice of a respected healer onto that would not cause too many problems. Some jobs, such as checking ropes and sails, required more skill and precision than I could gain in a short time. Others, such as cleaning the ship's deck or scraping barnacles off the ship's side, he seemed to regard as too "lowly" for my status.

I wondered how he would react if he knew I had spent time working in Aresford as a miner.

Finally, Aiden had pawned me off onto his navigator, an older man in his sixties with dark, wrinkled skin, a mostly bald head, and lines around his face that suggested a tendency to smile. The man, Perri, had worked with Aiden's grandfather and remained on the crew to help the new captain adjust to his position.

Perri had taken me in without protest, and soon I realized why. The position of the navigator was among the most important for most trips. They had to plot the fastest, safest way to another destination, using charts, compasses, knowledge of the stars, and simple experience to maximize speed while avoiding hazards.

None of that mattered much for a trip such as this. Sure, Perri had to help to some extent, as hidden rocks and the like under the waterline sometimes forced us out into deeper waters, but it was never far enough from the coast to pose a problem.

I asked questions regardless, trying to soak up as much as possible from the man while I had the chance. It was impossible to learn even one-one hundredth of what I needed to know in such a short time, but the more I absorbed, the better. And Perri seemed eager to talk to someone rather than sit in his room alone.

Four days into our trip home, I sat with Perri as he reviewed how to read a nautical chart. It was akin to learning a new language, but I did not recall having quite so much trouble with Old Ferren. Precision mattered, and though this particular ship did not have much use for a navigator, Perri did not seem to care.

"So, you can determine the depth of water and distance here and here," I said, pointing to a few spots on the map, "And you use a compass and physical landmarks to place yourself on the chart, right?"

Perri nodded, "Yes. With time, you'll learn to navigate using the stars as well, but charts are more...simple? Yes, simple. Less risk of making mistakes."

The man's voice was clear and pleasant, with the faintest hint of an accent slipping into his speech every now and then. That, along with his complexion, suggested to me that he hailed from the borderlands between Ferris and the Tinkerers, but I had not found an opportunity to sate my curiosity. The people who lived there tended to have more insight into our neighbors than any other, after all.

"While you are an excellent teacher, I doubt I can pick up celestial navigation in...what, four days? Five?" I asked, smiling as I pushed away from the table.

Perri placed a hand against his chest and laughed, "Ah, you doubt my abilities? I'll make you into the greatest navigator this kingdom has ever seen and still have a day left to spare!"

I snorted, "I applaud the ambition, but I think I have my plate full trying to become a healer and a better mage."

"Bah," Perri waved both hands, "Tomorrow evening, we'll get started."

"If you insist," I smiled, "Now, I wanted to ask more about how to plot with an older chart. You said that sometimes these are out of date, right? What do—"

A sound came from outside, which struck me as bizarre. Night had fallen, and though some still worked to keep the ship moving, it should have been quiet. It took me a second to recognize the clanging noise. I looked back to Perri and watched as his easy smile was replaced by a focused, determined glare.

That clear, loud, metallic sound could only come from one source. It was one of the warning bells mounted in several places on the ship for use by the lookouts in case of danger. And that could mean just one thing.

We were under attack.