The Other Apprentice

12-2 | Connections

Leaving the tower, Tenet crossed the bridge that led back to Stillbrook. The sun had set, and the marketplace had closed, but he had plans to see Bria after she finished her work at the Greased Cog. Besides, he needed to get out of that tower for a while.

Becoming Madrigal's apprentice was everything he had dreamed of but was not at all what he expected. His training hadn't been bad. He'd learned many useful things. But there was a part of him that felt he could have learned so much more by now and he was being held back from his true potential.

Madrigal's refusal to answer Tenet's question was just one example. Clearly, the black mantle was from a chapter of Madrigal's history that he wasn't proud of. But Tenet was Madrigal's apprentice. This could be the wizard's chance to set the matter straight, so there would be no doubt. There shouldn't be secrets between a master and an apprentice.

When I become a full wizard, I won't keep any secrets from my apprentices. Tenet meant it. He'd wager his magic on that being an honest statement. Tenet had no desire to hinder an apprentice's learning the way his own was being hindered.

As the Greased Cog came into sight, Tenet reached out with his mage sense. Suddenly, the threads came into view. He could see threads of wood and stone, of a fire crackling in a hearth somewhere. He could see the weavings of light and shadow, the cool night air, leather, metal, and so much more. And he could again see those tendrils of connection. The strongest connection—appearing a dark amber color—led him not into the inn but into the woods beyond it.

Tenet picked up his pace, running into the woods to the other end of that trail. He weaved through thickets and around trees, and then suddenly spun around to find Bria's hiding space behind a wide willow tree. He placed his hands on either side of her against the trunk. "I found you!"

"And so quickly!" Bria looked surprised. Though she did not smile, she did not seem unhappy. Bria never smiled, but Tenet could tell by her eyes when she was truly sad or not. "I thought my hiding space was good enough to keep you looking longer. I shall have to do better next time. Here is your prize." She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him close to her, and kissed him softly on the lips.

Tenet blushed when the kiss was done. "As sweet as those kisses are, I pledge to find you just as quickly the next time."

Bria tilted her head and looked intently at Tenet as she stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "Something's different about you tonight."

Tenet glanced down at the ground and smiled a wolfish grin. "I can use magic now. That's how I found you so quickly."

Bria lowered her hand and quirked an eyebrow. "You cheated! You shall have to return your prize!"

"With pleasure." Tenet leaned in and kissed Bria.

Bria's eyes lit up for half a second. "Strong, sweet, and magical. What a lucky girl I am. I would ask you what happened, but I'm sure it's a great secret of the wizards, and not for a simple serving girl as myself."

Tenet straightened up. "Bria, you know that's not how I see you."

"Of course not, Tenet. The problem is not with you. It's with your master. Now come. I've prepared us a picnic. Breads, cheese and a sweet wine with a blanket where we can lie beneath the moon."

Again, Tenet thought to himself that he felt more at home here with Bria than he did back in the tower with Madrigal. The rare times he got to spend with her were his happiest times, and the two had grown close. Very close.

As delightful as the picnic was, it paled compared to the time that he spent with her afterward, as he held her in his arms until the first rays of dawn.