made only one bed and thought, well, we slept in the same bed before. He climbed under the blanket behind her, unfolding the blanket over them, and then put one arm around her. He justified it in his head—its more comfortable this way. Mariah did not say anything; her last thought before falling asleep was that her body fit perfectly in his.
Anwar woke to the sound of something moving in the dark. He put his hand over Mariah’s mouth and nudged her awake. “Shhh, stay here! Don’t move and be quiet.”
She did not know what was going on but she trusted him, and did what he said. He stepped out of their shelter, taking up his staff. The noise was only about ten feet away now. He made a fifteen-foot ring of light and there it was—a huge black cat. It must weigh nearly two hundred pounds, he thought. He thought of the first attack he was studying in his book, a basic magic bolt. He had not mastered it, but he knew it well enough to do it once. He willed the magic, said the word and a bolt that looked like an arrow shot from the end of his staff into the back of the huge cat’s neck at the base of its head. The bolt impacted, jolted and the beast was dead before its body could even register the pain of the impact. Anwar walked to the animal, closed its eyelids, and told Mariah she could come out. He flicked a finger and walked to Mariah’s gear. She looked at the beast. “By the gods, what is that?”
“That cat is called a panther.”
He walked back with Mariah’s sword and removed the huge cat’s head. He skinned the panther, carried the carcass away from their camp and then went to the stream to wash the panther hide. It took at least an hour before he was finished and then he returned to the camp and hung it next to the rabbit’s hide. Then he made sure there was no blood trail from where he had carried the body and threw all the bloodied dirt from the ground were the beast had died into the fire. When he was finally done he looked at Mariah, who was smiling at him.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You just seem to know everything.”
“I read a lot of books.”
She laughed.
“No, I used to go camping with my father; he taught me a lot.”
Then they lay back down the same way they had before.
“Anwar, you are amazing. I am glad you are with me.”
The next day was rather uneventful. They sparred, studied and talked. Mariah killed another rabbit and fried it in her pan this time. It wasn’t as good, but he wasn’t telling her that, and they slept again. The next morning they got up early and packed up their camp. Anwar stuffed the panther fur and the two rabbit furs in his pack and knew what he was getting Mariah for her birthday, which was still two months away.
Chapter Six
The Gift
A nwar took a short nap before going to see Master Gabriel. As he lay in his bed, he was already missing having Mariah in his arms. He woke a short time later, dressed, took his book and headed to see his mentor.
“So how was your trip?”
“It went well. I finished reading the book but will need to spend some more time with it. I killed a panther with a magic bolt, and I think that Mariah and I are nearly ready for the Dual Duelz,” he said in a completely non-committal tone, as if he was relaying the weather.
“What was that second part?”
“I’m going to need some more time with the book. I finished reading it but there are quite a few spells in here I will have to copy. There are also a few subjects that I will need some more time studying and compare with some of my previous notes to come to a more certain conclusion of how to interpret them.”
“Anwar, I often forget how young you are. Your appearance makes you seem nearer eighteen and our conversations often would make you my equal. But, as interesting as it is to see how well you are mastering diversion, I believe I would like to hear more about the next part of your story.”
Anwar nodded. “A panther came into our camp in the
Anwar woke to the sound of something moving in the dark. He put his hand over Mariah’s mouth and nudged her awake. “Shhh, stay here! Don’t move and be quiet.”
She did not know what was going on but she trusted him, and did what he said. He stepped out of their shelter, taking up his staff. The noise was only about ten feet away now. He made a fifteen-foot ring of light and there it was—a huge black cat. It must weigh nearly two hundred pounds, he thought. He thought of the first attack he was studying in his book, a basic magic bolt. He had not mastered it, but he knew it well enough to do it once. He willed the magic, said the word and a bolt that looked like an arrow shot from the end of his staff into the back of the huge cat’s neck at the base of its head. The bolt impacted, jolted and the beast was dead before its body could even register the pain of the impact. Anwar walked to the animal, closed its eyelids, and told Mariah she could come out. He flicked a finger and walked to Mariah’s gear. She looked at the beast. “By the gods, what is that?”
“That cat is called a panther.”
He walked back with Mariah’s sword and removed the huge cat’s head. He skinned the panther, carried the carcass away from their camp and then went to the stream to wash the panther hide. It took at least an hour before he was finished and then he returned to the camp and hung it next to the rabbit’s hide. Then he made sure there was no blood trail from where he had carried the body and threw all the bloodied dirt from the ground were the beast had died into the fire. When he was finally done he looked at Mariah, who was smiling at him.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You just seem to know everything.”
“I read a lot of books.”
She laughed.
“No, I used to go camping with my father; he taught me a lot.”
Then they lay back down the same way they had before.
“Anwar, you are amazing. I am glad you are with me.”
The next day was rather uneventful. They sparred, studied and talked. Mariah killed another rabbit and fried it in her pan this time. It wasn’t as good, but he wasn’t telling her that, and they slept again. The next morning they got up early and packed up their camp. Anwar stuffed the panther fur and the two rabbit furs in his pack and knew what he was getting Mariah for her birthday, which was still two months away.
Chapter Six
The Gift
A nwar took a short nap before going to see Master Gabriel. As he lay in his bed, he was already missing having Mariah in his arms. He woke a short time later, dressed, took his book and headed to see his mentor.
“So how was your trip?”
“It went well. I finished reading the book but will need to spend some more time with it. I killed a panther with a magic bolt, and I think that Mariah and I are nearly ready for the Dual Duelz,” he said in a completely non-committal tone, as if he was relaying the weather.
“What was that second part?”
“I’m going to need some more time with the book. I finished reading it but there are quite a few spells in here I will have to copy. There are also a few subjects that I will need some more time studying and compare with some of my previous notes to come to a more certain conclusion of how to interpret them.”
“Anwar, I often forget how young you are. Your appearance makes you seem nearer eighteen and our conversations often would make you my equal. But, as interesting as it is to see how well you are mastering diversion, I believe I would like to hear more about the next part of your story.”
Anwar nodded. “A panther came into our camp in the
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