didn’t have
to slice him up so,” she scolded.
“Actually, I
did,” Erik replied with a shrug. “He meant to kill me, I couldn’t just stand
there.”
The young woman
huffed and concentrated on her work. Her face was flush and her shoulders rose
and fell angrily with each breath. “My father meant well, he didn’t know about
Baltezer. None of us did. You ought not to have treated him like that.”
“Be thankful that
young Erik showed mercy, girl,” Dimwater chided as she strode up behind Erik.
“I would not have been so kind.”
The young woman
seethed with anger. Her hands shook and she had to stop bandaging her father.
Her father finally broke from his trance and placed a hand over his daughter’s
hands.
“We owe them our
thanks,” he whispered. “I acted foolishly.”
“Well, Erik, it
is your choice whether we arrest this man for treason against the crown,”
Dimwater said.
Erik looked to
Lady Dimwater questioningly. He didn’t know what to say, or what to do. The man
had attacked Erik, but Erik could understand his motives. Furthermore, Erik
remembered Master Lepkin’s words about killing another and the effect it would
have on others. Treason was a crime punishable by death. “I think this village
has suffered enough. I don’t want to arrest him.”
“So be it,”
Dimwater replied. “We must go.” The sorceress turned and left. Erik turned to
follow but the man reached out and grabbed his arm.
“I won’t forget
your mercy, Sir Erik,” he said with a bow of his head.
“Thank you,” the
young woman added. The anger was gone from her face.
Erik nodded and
then caught up with Lady Dimwater. “Did I disappoint you?” Erik asked.
“No, why would
you ask that?” Dimwater replied.
“I wasn’t sure
if you approved of my decision,” Erik said.
“I think it was
wise,” Dimwater said. “He will remember your mercy long after the sting of his
wounds has faded.” Lady Dimwater snapped her fingers and the magic mirror
appeared before them. “I was impressed with your swordsmanship,” she added. “It
is a rare thing for an apprentice of your age to defeat a full-grown man. You
also showed wisdom in disarming him. Things would have gone far differently if
you had killed him.”
Erik smiled and
was about to thank her when she grabbed his arm and pulled him through the
magic portal.
“I really don’t
like that,” Erik said as he hunched over, clutching his stomach.
“It takes some
practice to get used to it,” Lady Dimwater replied knowingly. “If it means
anything, you handle it quite well for a first-timer.” She bent down, reached
an arm under Erik’s left arm and pulled him up straight. “Come, the castle is
just up this hill.”
“Why didn’t the
portal take us all the way to the castle?” Erik asked. “It took us right where
we needed to be the first time.”
“It is forbidden
to teleport directly into the castle of a lord,” Dimwater replied. “Times being
as troubled as they are now, no one much likes the idea of wizards popping into
their homes uninvited.”
“I never
realized we lived in so much danger,” Erik commented.
“Children should
not have to know war,” Dimwater said soberly. “But, for good or for ill, you
will learn of it soon enough.”
Erik grew silent
then as his thoughts drifted off. He did his best to follow Lady Dimwater as he
imagined archers lurking in the lush pine forest on his right, or orcs spying
on him from the field of boulders to his left. Like the events at Spiekery, it
was hard for Erik to fully comprehend war and all of its woes. All he knew of
war came from history books and the songs of bards. Soon his mind wandered and
thought of other things as he followed Dimwater on the road.
As the two of
them began hiking upward, Erik stopped and took a good look around. The road
switched back and forth as it climbed up toward the castle. The front wall of
the castle was crude, made of stone with a wooden drawbridge, two
to slice him up so,” she scolded.
“Actually, I
did,” Erik replied with a shrug. “He meant to kill me, I couldn’t just stand
there.”
The young woman
huffed and concentrated on her work. Her face was flush and her shoulders rose
and fell angrily with each breath. “My father meant well, he didn’t know about
Baltezer. None of us did. You ought not to have treated him like that.”
“Be thankful that
young Erik showed mercy, girl,” Dimwater chided as she strode up behind Erik.
“I would not have been so kind.”
The young woman
seethed with anger. Her hands shook and she had to stop bandaging her father.
Her father finally broke from his trance and placed a hand over his daughter’s
hands.
“We owe them our
thanks,” he whispered. “I acted foolishly.”
“Well, Erik, it
is your choice whether we arrest this man for treason against the crown,”
Dimwater said.
Erik looked to
Lady Dimwater questioningly. He didn’t know what to say, or what to do. The man
had attacked Erik, but Erik could understand his motives. Furthermore, Erik
remembered Master Lepkin’s words about killing another and the effect it would
have on others. Treason was a crime punishable by death. “I think this village
has suffered enough. I don’t want to arrest him.”
“So be it,”
Dimwater replied. “We must go.” The sorceress turned and left. Erik turned to
follow but the man reached out and grabbed his arm.
“I won’t forget
your mercy, Sir Erik,” he said with a bow of his head.
“Thank you,” the
young woman added. The anger was gone from her face.
Erik nodded and
then caught up with Lady Dimwater. “Did I disappoint you?” Erik asked.
“No, why would
you ask that?” Dimwater replied.
“I wasn’t sure
if you approved of my decision,” Erik said.
“I think it was
wise,” Dimwater said. “He will remember your mercy long after the sting of his
wounds has faded.” Lady Dimwater snapped her fingers and the magic mirror
appeared before them. “I was impressed with your swordsmanship,” she added. “It
is a rare thing for an apprentice of your age to defeat a full-grown man. You
also showed wisdom in disarming him. Things would have gone far differently if
you had killed him.”
Erik smiled and
was about to thank her when she grabbed his arm and pulled him through the
magic portal.
“I really don’t
like that,” Erik said as he hunched over, clutching his stomach.
“It takes some
practice to get used to it,” Lady Dimwater replied knowingly. “If it means
anything, you handle it quite well for a first-timer.” She bent down, reached
an arm under Erik’s left arm and pulled him up straight. “Come, the castle is
just up this hill.”
“Why didn’t the
portal take us all the way to the castle?” Erik asked. “It took us right where
we needed to be the first time.”
“It is forbidden
to teleport directly into the castle of a lord,” Dimwater replied. “Times being
as troubled as they are now, no one much likes the idea of wizards popping into
their homes uninvited.”
“I never
realized we lived in so much danger,” Erik commented.
“Children should
not have to know war,” Dimwater said soberly. “But, for good or for ill, you
will learn of it soon enough.”
Erik grew silent
then as his thoughts drifted off. He did his best to follow Lady Dimwater as he
imagined archers lurking in the lush pine forest on his right, or orcs spying
on him from the field of boulders to his left. Like the events at Spiekery, it
was hard for Erik to fully comprehend war and all of its woes. All he knew of
war came from history books and the songs of bards. Soon his mind wandered and
thought of other things as he followed Dimwater on the road.
As the two of
them began hiking upward, Erik stopped and took a good look around. The road
switched back and forth as it climbed up toward the castle. The front wall of
the castle was crude, made of stone with a wooden drawbridge, two
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