A scholar who reveres wizards and a street rat who despises them both find themselves apprenticed to a mage with a dark storied past and discover he is not what either of them expected. They may end up learning more from each other than they do from...
Despite the comfortable accommodations, he woke in regular fits, troubled by a restless mind. Getting up to pace the room and still his mind, he realized his problem was Quinn.
What to do about her? The woman was being exiled at his own request. Had he involuntarily sentenced her to a worse fate than the one he'd spared her from? Most considered the lands south of Lytgard to be unsafe for foreigners.
But what more could he do for her? And did she even want his help? So far, it seemed the answer to that tended toward the negative. Yet perhaps she needed his help more than she wanted to admit.
He refused to accept the idea that he was powerless to help her. The wizards of old relied on more than magical ability. They also knew how to think outside of the box and coming up with surprising solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems. If Tenet was going to prove to the world that he had what it takes to be a competent wizard, he needed to find a solution to this problem.
But it hadn't come to him yet.
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"Thank you for your hospitality, Captain. We will take our leave now."
"You're sure you will not need an escort, Seeker? The roads can be dangerous."
"They would not dare attack the Regency coach. We will be fine, Captain. Stillbrook is only a further day's travel."
"And what about the exile traveling with you?"
"I am in no danger from her. I will see her safely beyond the border."
"See that you do, Seeker. Dump her off in the first village that you see. Muirwood isn't far. Just don't let her out too close to the garrison."
"Thank you, Captain. I will take your suggestion under advisement. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a full day's journey ahead of me."
"Of course, Seeker. May the light guide you on your journey."
Tenet nodded to the captain. "And may Lytgard's colors always fly from your walls." He turned to board the coach, where Quinn was already waiting. She gave him a quiet nod and avoided saying anything condescending. A definite improvement.
As the outer gates opened, soldiers took their position to see the coach off on its journey and prepare for the rare but not uncommon trader arriving via the southern road. South of the garrison, the reality set in that they were beyond the border of Lytgard.
Quinn spoke up. "I overheard the conversation you were having with the captain. You can just drop me off anywhere."
"I don't think that would be a good idea," Tenet answered. "This isn't hospitable country. This area has been ravaged by war time and time again. There's a reason most trade won't pass through here. The villages are remote. The people are unfriendly to outsiders. You don't have many good options out here. The broken kingdoms fight each other so often for what little they have so often, cartographers won't even draw their borders on a map."
