Recruited Mage Read online

  In between the mounds it was like I was miles away from the shore I had just left. They towered over us bleak and plain as we wove between them. Everyone else followed on behind us, staying low between the mounds like we would have to when we have rocks, arrows and other things aimed at us.

  Far away there was a loud, blood-curdling howl that seemed to echo around to our left. Then I realised that is was not echoes but tens of wolfs howling almost in unison. I would have been running back to the ships in terror then if it hadn’t been for the escort confidently going onwards. As I ran the fireshot powder jiggled on my back, threatening to send me off balance at any moment. Suddenly there was a searing unearthly shriek that made everyone stop dead still. I could barely suppress a whimper and I wiped my shaking hands on my waistcoat to remove the sweat that was pooling on them.

  “We need to keep going,” said one of the boys in front and we continued but a lot slower.

  I can’t take much more of this.

  We weaved between two large mounds and there were the woods. The woods were dark and shadowy; very little sunlight pierced the gloomy canopy that creepily rustled in the wind above our heads. The dark shadows looked like they could conceal anything just inside the tree line.

  I can’t go in there, I can’t.

  The rest of the escort stopped. This was where they would wait until the explosives go off. I took a step towards the wood, trying to ignore the sound of my blood roaring through my head that seemed to be overwhelming everything else, echoing to the beat of my heart.

  I could not take another step. I was just too terrified. The escort impatiently waited for me to go as seconds drew by.

  “You to go with him” said a boy behind me and I turned to see a tall boy gesturing to two others who nodded and walked forward, past me. I hesitated then followed, every sense straining for any sign of danger and every muscle tensed ready to flee. The two boys walked forward confidently but they still held their daggers ready in anticipation. I crept after them, jumping every time one of us stood on a twig that avoided our adrenalin pumped gaze.

  The branches of the oaks and pines of the wood seemed to leer in on me as I stepped into their shadows. I quivered as silently as possible, whimpering as I walked forward.

  They can’t see me like this. I won’t let them. I took a few deep breaths and walked on. The boys in front of me had not noticed or they had not reacted. I stopped before entering the woods but remembered the eighteen boys behind me and the fuse I was meant to light in synchronization with the others who had explosives when an explosion down the beach goes off.

  Wait, it must soon be time! I have stopped so many times! I ran forward, my fears momentarily forgotten in a mad dash through the woods, straight past the boys in front of me. I ran forward as fast as I could, dodging around trees and tripping over roots.

  By the end of the few mad seconds that brought me to a large palisade, I stood out of breath as I clutched my painful knees that had been bruised each time I had tripped. The Palisade ran in both directions and I couldn’t see the ends. Quickly I pulled the bag of my back, pausing to sigh in relief as the weight left my shoulders.

  The moment I placed the bag on the ground I started unravelling the real of fuse that was connected to it. I started running back to the safety of the mounds, letting the real ravel its self as I trailed it behind me whilst attempting to light a fire and block I had been given, the exact type as the one we had used in Risina.

  I tripped and fell flat on my front and pain shot through my body. The stick of the fire and block flared up suddenly having lit itself during the fall. I looked forward, and I could have sworn that my heart stopped for a few seconds.

  Stalking along the side of the mound that everyone was standing in front was one of the giant wolves. Standing over two metres tall it seemed to fill everything. I wanted to scream, to yell, and to warn the others.

  No! Don’t shout it will get you. I lay as still as I could on the ground, watching the wolf slink closer and closer to the boys. I have to do something! If I move it will kill me. But I must help!

  The wolf crept closer, almost in sight of the boys

  But it is preparing to pounce and they would not react in time!

  Don’t do anything stay perfectly still…

  I threw the lit stick. I watched it fly through the air, spinning end on end.

  What have I done? What have I done? I closed my eyes at the last second.

  There was the most frightening roar I had ever heard followed by shouts of terror from the boys. I opened my eyes expecting to see the wolf pouncing on to the boys but instead I was met with the cold hard stare of the wolf looking straight at me, a large burn mark on its back.

  Run!

  At that moment I screamed loud and clear, I couldn’t help myself. I was up on my feet and running in a flash, running the hardest I had in my life. I sprinted, pumping my arms, my legs pounding.

  In five huge bounds it caught up with me and in a heartbeat it turned its head horizontal and grabbed me in its massive jaws. The razor sharp teeth ripped through my flesh and I heard screaming, before I realised it was me, screaming in pain and terror as the wolf whipped it’s head back and forth, starting a fountain of blood from the bite marks.

  Suddenly I was falling, falling to the ground where everything started fading. Hitting the ground jerked my wounds and I screamed again. I started spasming in pain, my legs clawing pitifully against the dirt. I coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked up at the wolf above me. It suddenly spun around and started thrashing wildly than suddenly dropped to the ground in front of me. Standing with his arms holding tightly to his dagger that was planted firmly into the neck of the wolf, was Donal.

  He killed it!

  But Donal was not celebrating; he was looking straight at me and ran towards me the moment the wolf stopped moving. He was shouting something but I couldn’t make it out. I tried to fix my gaze on him but everything went blur and I could barely see. A coolness had started seeping through my body and I relaxed.

  No get up! The soothing coolness was so nice. No get up!

  Vaguely I could see shadows standing over me, all of them shouting and waving their hands.

  Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my face. My vision cleared and my hearing returned. Donal was holding my head up and judging by his stare had I guessed he had just slapped me. Everyone was shouting and crowding around. Donal was saying “you’re gonna be ok, you’re gonna be ok.” Then everyone pulled me to a sitting position, which made me cough blood all down my front.

  I look down at where crimson blood was seeping from my front.

  I’m injured, I’m dying?

  The words ‘you’re gonna be ok’ echoed around my head as everything began to fade again. I was lowered back down on to my back. Someone pushed through the ring of people around me and I recognised the white stripe of the Medic as he looked at me franticly.

  Then I passed out.

  12 Wounded

  Why am I in a bed? This was the first thought I had on waking, still with my eyes closed. I had yet to move a millimetre then I stretched out my stiff legs, wishing to relinquish in the rarely felt comfort of a bed.

  When I stretched I gasped as a searing pain erupted in my chest, the sharp inhalation jarred my chest again, making me whimper in pain. My eyes were wide as I whimpered, every forced breath bringing cutting pain. My eyes darted around the room. All I could see of the room I was in was a high ceiling that that sloped upwards away from me as if the room was on the side of a building and my back was to the outside wall. I tentatively turned my head to look to my left and saw a man next to me on another bed. The man on it was lying still, too still to be alive and blood was dripping from his bed onto the floor where a poodle of it expanded towards me. I turned by head again to look to my right, noticing the plain white tunic I was wearing. There was another bed, empty unlike the other one but stained red. I could just see to the bed beyond it, my vision was hazy so I could only mak
e out the outline of a thrashing man, his screams only just audible to me, I could barely hear a thing. All I could make out was a faint wail over a ringing silence. I looked at the thrashing man; he was being tended to by two men and a woman. I ignored it though, trying to make sense of surroundings, trying to work out where I was.

  Another blood curdling jab of pain made me gasp again and I turned my head back up to the ceiling. Standing over me was a woman with a sad look on her face; she was not looking at me though but at the body to my left. She reached out a hand to touch my face and I flinched as her hands touched my skin. The woman jumped in surprise and looked straight at me, straight into my eyes. She turned away again quickly and shouted something over her shoulder. She seemed frantic and yet madly happy. She lifted my head in her hands, staring into my eyes and I stared back. All the time she was saying things or shouting them, I could not hear a thing. My eyes drifted from the ceiling then back to the woman. There was now a man behind him, holding a bucket and a cloth that he handed to the woman. She dipped the cloth into the blanket and it came out dripping wet. The woman brought it to my forehead and wiped it. The pain in my stomach was no less painful now and all I could do was whimper and close my eyes as she washed my face. The coolness of it refreshed me, I felt relieved. When I opened my eyes my vision was less blurry and I smiled as I spotted a wart on her nose. Then my hearing started to return, first as a low hum then mumbles and finally to faint words I tried to focus on what the woman was saying and slowly it came into focus.

  “We thought you were dead, “ The woman was saying then someone said something to her.

  Who are you? I mouthed, unable to peep a note.

  “We are so happy you are still alive,” she said looking worried.

  She is very kind. I tried to raise my head up to look at myself, what damage did the wolf do?

  “Just try to relax.” The woman said and stopped me. “You will be ok.”

  You should be ok, rang through my heard.

  Diryn? Is that you?

  Of cause, she is telling the truth, you should have the best physicians helping you, as far as I know there are only four of you injured, I can still listen whilst you are asleep. But what about the other two dead ones?

  Well, they were in very bad shape, the first one died the day before yesterday but they have been working hard on you three and have had no time to change the blankets, only they are allowed in, is what the physician said.

  What do you mean the day before yesterday? The training exercise was the day before yesterday.

  I have been asleep for the last two days?

  No, unconscious for most of the time but the rest wide-awake. I can see you can’t remember it, strange. You would want to forget it anyway, you screamed a lot.

  I suddenly realised I was being shaken and that I had closed my eyes.

  “Stay awake, you must not slip away,” said the woman but I did not look at her, instead I looked at the man in black standing behind her.

  That is the physician.

  The man was tall and had long arms, I felt intimidated as he looked over me, his bony fingers twitching. His face was old and kind though and he was smiling.

  “I am glad you are still with us,” said the man in a soft and calm tone, “I am one of the many physicians of the army but may say that I am the best, usually reserved for officers but as only four of you were injured, I have come to lend a hand. I am sorry but you did not have priority in the last two days, due to your age.” He said sadly

  Then why have you left the other man now? I asked silently then realised I could no longer hear any screams. He is dead?

  “You have still had another physician work for a few hours on you, you should really thank your Assault Group Captain, he is the only reason you received any treatment at all. You were in a terrible condition and a Commander said you weren’t worth the time. I had to follow orders I am afraid but now I am free to help you. I am now going to re-dress your bandages and check your wounds, they are pretty bad, and I am very surprised you are still living. This might hurt.” I winced as he moved out of my line of sight and went to lift my head to watch him but the woman put her arm out to stop me.

  “Just relax,” she said, “it will help him." I yelled for the first time since waking. The bandages, which had supported my stomach, had been cut and suddenly my wounds had to hold the normal amount. The woman cringed when I yelled, so I tried to make her feel better by gritting my teeth, but I couldn’t stop myself from letting out short sharp breaths every time my stomach was touched.

  I felt my wounds being dabbed and wiped with a wet cloth. As they were being washed the wounds felt very sticky and I could start to feel them more. I felt eight wounds in total, two lines of three large cuts going from right to left and ending in an even larger fourth cut.

  It really did bite me hard.

  All bar the furthest bottom wound, the bottom big wound were on my ribcage and so were barely deep at all, however a few of the opposite ones on my back hpierced through gaps in my back ribs and were a few centimetres deep. The largest tooth marks were deeper, at least an inch and a half each.

  I felt the physician check the wounds. They were very sore. Then I felt him take something off my chest. They were small and sticky and I realised they were herb leaves.

  “W-what are they?” I stuttered to the physician.

  “Just some Volorem Sanitatum,” he said.

  What? He has that? I thought it was unobtainable!

  “How did you get that?” I asked, straining to sit up. The pain my chest stopped me and I was left with raising my head, the woman did not try to stop me. The physician looked at me suddenly with interest. He walked over, all the time looking at me. He dismissed the woman and pulled over a stool from the far side of the room to the bed and sat on it.

  “How do you know of this?” he asked.

  “I…read about it in a book that was being written for a man.” I replied calmly.

  “You read about it?”

  “Well, yes. Why?”

  “You can read?”

  “Naturally, I had to.” I replied cautions, now.

  “But, hardly anyone can read! Where did you learn it?”

  “At the Guild where I lived.” I said, my voice wavering. Will I ever return?

  “Amazing! But what Guild?”

  “The Scribes Guild. The one in Almon. Why?”

  “I had a manuscript written there, I will go and get it!” he said and suddenly stood up and walked out, his stride brisk and exited.

  For a minute I had thought he had left me there, my wounds open and venerable but quickly he returned, carrying a large book and a small handful of leaves.

  “Here it is.” He said holding the book up and I nodded, amazed at him.

  I recognise that! It is the one that I read whilst Mr Morrin was writing it!

  “You read this while it was being made! This is the book that made the herb and that may be the reason you are still alive and in less pain, you screamed so much and lost so much blood.” I stared at the handful of leaves in his palm.

  They saved my life?

  “C-can I have some seeds?” I asked cautiously. “I know the seeds are almost impossible to germinate but can I try?”

  “But of course boy! I have so many, they won’t grow, and I have nothing to do with them. I thought you would never ask! I hardly ever find anyone into herbs!” But then he looked back at me. “First however I will put new bandages and leaves on you.”

  The physician did so and then left and retuned with a small bag the side of my hand, full of seeds. I felt very tired and fell slowly to sleep.

  13 Recovering

  The next morning passed quickly, I was asleep for most of it and the rest I just lay, doing nothing, trying not to move and trying eat a meal; a thick stew with bread and an apple. It felt like the best meal I had ever had. I hurt a lot to swallow though and it was a struggle to eat. The room had been cleared up in the night and I woke to find t
he room empty and clean. I found a note by my side, the first writing I had seen since leaving the Guild. I read it quickly; it was only a few sentences.

  Goodbye boy, I am sorry I did not get your name. I have been called to prepare for the upcoming invasion. You will probably know everyone will be leaving for it the day after tomorrow. Unfortunately there will be no more Volorem Sanitatum as I am taking the plant with me. Your wounds will hurt a lot. Good luck.

  In the afternoon the Assault Group Captain visited me. The pain had steadily increased so I found it trouble talking.

  “I have come to see how you are getting on,” said the captain, smiling.

  “Well, I am doing ok I guess.”

  “Good! I heard from the physician that you managed to survive what would have killed most people. I also heard that you saved at least five others from being pounced on unaware by the wolf that would have ended in a lot of deaths. I congratulate you, we can’t have people dying before the invasion, and we need every man we can get. You however obviously can’t fight and will not be able to for weeks. I have to go and oversee another training exercise now and I will not be able to come again until after the invasion. Good luck.” At that he turned and left. That was brief! I spent the rest of the day moaning in pain, the pain slowly got worse and worse.

  The woman came to redress my bandages but barely said anything. I once tried sitting up but it put pressure on my stomach and I lay down again instantly, gasping n pain.

  I had no idea of passing time inside and I could do nothing but sleep until what I guessed was noon when the woman came again with a meal and asked how I was getting on. I said I was ok and feeling better. I was really hungry though and ate all the food that she brought, ignoring the pain. She redressed my bandages once more and I was happy that I had eaten already as the sight of the stitches and cuts would have put me off eating.