Magistaire Chronicles: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 11

Yarrow sat with his back to the river and his staff in his lap as he watched Elies make an ass of himself. While he was smarter than Ayko, he was still dumb enough not to realize how much he suffered in Ilta's presence.

Elies' freckled face fell as Ilta dug through his pockets, snatching his last cigarette and setting it ablaze. "You could at least share," he groaned, eyeing the smoldering parchment hungrily.

Ilta stepped away from him, leaning against a tree and slouching down. "That's not how our relationship works."

Relationship? Yarrow thought, glaring. He looked at Ashencrane, who sat on her knees beside him, her eyes shut. "What do you think, dear? Demon or not?"

"Pathetic is what she is," Ashencrane replied. "She's just a scared dog showing her teeth." She shook her head. "She doesn't even know how to use them."

"Hmm." Yarrow fixed his gaze on Ilta again. Perhaps Reina was right, then. Better yet, perhaps Elies knew that himself? His eyes darkened as he watched the boy reach for his cigarette, the girl landing a kick on his shin in turn. Yelping in pain, Elies then hobbled away. "Gods almighty, of course, he doesn't know," the old adventurer grumbled.

Ashencrane heaved a sigh. "Wrong priorities, love. What about the boy? Poor taste in women aside, does he tickle your fancy or not?"

Yarrow nodded, eyeing Elies, who rubbed his shin while spewing obscenities. "He's far from a lost cause. Assuming little Haze is still as green as he is?"

"She's still a terrible wizard," Ashencrane said dryly.

"Then Elies will be more than a match for her," Yarrow said.

"Precisely," Ashencrane said. "You've done all you can, so rest. You've earned at least that much."

Yarrow grunted and shut his eye, the sound of Elies and Ilta's bickering fading. "Amarant has found you." Reina had said. The fact that a blade hadn't pricked his ribcage yet meant he still had time, enough to further mold his new apprentice, at least. The old adventurer planted his staff and slowly rose to his feet. "I cannot," he said. "Elies!"

The red-haired wizard ceased his cursing and turned his head, flinching as Yarrow approached. "I'm afraid our training isn't finished yet," the old adventurer said.

Elies slumped his shoulders and eyed Ilta, who smirked. "Bollocks!" he cried.

***********

Ayko jumped for joy when the last ice shards chipped away, turning to mist as Haze's spell cracked them to bits. Her skin burned him when he threw his arms around her, but he ignored the searing pain just this once.

"Love you much!" Ayko exclaimed, patting her shoulders when he pulled away. Upon hearing those words, his friend's face turned an intense shade of red.

"T-thank that girl, too," Hazelmere squeaked, looking away.

"Some other time!" Ayko took her hand in his and whirled around. "Arzen and that Wolfcat come first."

Hazelmere matched his haste, stammering but allowing him to hold onto her. "Just...listen to me this time, please."

Ayko nodded. "You can hex me if I don't."

"Huh?" Hazelmere gasped, flinching away. She swallowed but gave a hesitant nod. "I'll...be your eyes and ears again."

Ayko sprinted ahead, releasing Hazelmere's hand from his grasp. "I hear them!" Hazelmere gasped. "Further ahead!"

Ayko grinned as he hastened ahead, kicking snow into the air and pushing through the low-hanging foliage. Scrapes plastered his skin along with snow and ice from the sky's wintry bombardment, yet he swatted it from his face without a second thought. Blood, snow, ice—none mattered when he felt the ground rumbling beneath his boots.