Walking Mage

Ch4: Whispering Dark

A room had been preset up for just this instance. Both women had no desire to draw too much attention and the odd serving girl was causing alarms for both mages.

Lynn lit the candles on the wall mounts with a word and the elder Mage cast a silence spell on the room. They both knew that it was useless if the room had a pre-listening spell on it but sometimes one just had to trust.

"What exactly are you involved in Walker?  You were sent out seven moons hence and your already embroiled in politics of Houses." The Mage said with a wry grin.

Breathing to steady herself she responded as truthfully as she could, "It was never my intent but I can feel that the master of this house is in terrible danger from his own head mistress.  What I don't understand is why.  Why not be content to be the head girl?"

Shrugging the Mage went to the window and tried to see if anyone was outside. The window opened to a inner courtyard that had a lot of foliage and a big fountain so that all the windows were blocked.

"Your actually fine, as long as your being hired on to heal the master of the house and to do odd jobs.  Once it becomes a magic muscle for rent agreement than you'll be in gray waters." She cautioned sternly.

"But do I allow the master to die?" Lynn asked.

"A Mage is only to meddle from the shadows, like whispers in the dark."

The concept was lost on Lynn who was direct in how she handled life. The whispering dark was a teaching that taught that Mages had to control things and people without them knowing that they were being controlled.

It was so much easier to hit a problem before it even became a problem. If someone had warned the Lady Flower off when she first showed signs of craving power than much of this would be pointless. That was Lynn thinking anyway.

As if reading her mind, "The Lady Flower is no different then most women in her position. Too much power and a ring of ego stokers make a weak women believe that she is a demi-god.  The head lady of the Tusk is a viper, but no more or less than any other power thirsty female."

She walked to Lynn and pulled out a simple bag from a hidden pocket. Handing it to the Wanderer she turned away to go back to the window.

Not sure what else to do she opened the bag slowly.

"Whispering dark is a hard concept, like the sound of silence."  The Mage said aloud.  "Once a mage masters it they will no longer be lost walking. Then they will become an adapt."

It was the biggest clue that the women could have ever given Lynn. No one had ever explained to her why she was Walking in the first place.  Not fully or to her liking, anyways.

Inside the bag was round object the size of a babies fist.  Made of one piece of bone the round object looked harmless enough but Lynn could sense the power eminating from it.

"What is this and why give it to me?" Lynn asked.

"Whispering Dark, that is what you need to keep firmly in your mind."  The Mage said still looking out the window.  "That and the sound of silence, I have said enough."

Not sure what the women was meaning Lynn closed up the bag and it felt as if the sun went behind a cloud.

"So I just continue to heal Master Awl, but from the shadows and alcoves I have to somehow keep the Lady Flower from seizing control?  Is that it?!"

"You are a direct women who does not like to play games, but Mages play the very game of life every day."  The Lady Mage turned back to Lynn and was smiling a fake smile.  "Life is a game that is won or lost.  There is no in between, except for the fools and ignorant."

This Lynn understood for it was taught by her father and grandmama.
Her family had adapted the direct approach to life.  Now that she thought about it her family was not much liked by all the people of the area they lived in.

No one liked blunt truth all the time.  Sometimes they wanted to be lied to.  Lynn's father called them fools and for much of her life so did Lynn. 
Holding the bone sphere in its leather bag Lynn had to face a sad reality, her father was the fool for alienating the bulk of the village for the sake of what he thought of as truth.

"I have given you much to think on, I see.  So you should go."  The Lady Mage walked towered the door.
 
"Wait, please," Lynn said.

"Yes, daughter?"

"Whispering Dark, does it have to be as passive as it sounds?" Lynn asked.

"Is the sound of silence really that silent?"  The Mage said with a wry grin and then opened the door for Lynn.

Standing near the door but not too close was a pretty but plain looking Lady of the House with light colored hair like the sun in the morning.  Lynn pulled her hood further over her face and walked past without looking back.

It would be a very long time before Lynn realized that she had been called daughter by the high Mage.  This was her way of offering Lynn an escape from the whole drama.  When a high Mage calls a Walking Mage son or daughter they are allowed back into the Mage school but as a direct student to them for the rest of thier Walk.

She could have avoided it all and become a servent of sorts to High Mage Corla.  Lynn would never regret it her decision to ignore the easy way out.  she would also come to realize that the Lady Mage knew this as well.

Thank you reading and the comments.  Stay with me and find out how Lynn continues to try and figure out how to expose the Lady Flower.