had been talking about planking the floor for as long as
Garrick had been coming here, it was still hard-packed dirt.
Garrick had first come to the Ladle because
it was a favorite of Alistair’s, and because he liked the bread.
But Arianna’s arrival changed everything. After seeing her, Garrick
had lobbied Alistair to send him to Dorfort at every turn. Alistair
would grumble and speak gruff sentences, but would then find he
needed something important. Today, for example, he was in town to
retrieve venison and salt, which they would use during their trip
to Caledena next week, and a collection of spices, which Alistair
always needed to augment his sorcery.
Garrick had taken to escorting Arianna home
in the evenings, and last week they had shared a kiss. That kiss
filled his mind constantly. It encompassed his entire sense of
being throughout every minute of every day he had been away from
her.
That kiss was his, and no weak-chinned
Koradictine could take it away.
Garrick’s stomach curdled as the Koradictine
wizard leered at Arianna. His eyes narrowed as the Koradictine
glanced out the window and drank from his mug. The mage seemed
anxious, like he was waiting for someone. It gave the man an air of
arrogance that Garrick nearly choked on.
He felt Arianna’s focus from the other side
of the counter. She was waiting to see what he would do, wondering
if he would rise to her bait. Or, was she perhaps wishing he
would?
“He’s Koradictine,” Garrick finally replied.
“He deserves whatever he gets.”
“Evo will kill you if you chase his coin
away.”
Garrick chewed his bread. It tasted like
sand. “He looks like a crimson buffoon.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous of a Koradictine,
and a grimy one at that?”
“He’s fair enough.”
“He’s too old for you.”
“That just means he knows the world. Perhaps
he’ll sweep me off my feet.”
“Not likely.”
The Koradictine waved Arianna over. She
wiped her hands down her apron and moved to attend to him.
Garrick grabbed her arm.
“I’m serious, Arianna. If he keeps talking
to you I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Zap him with one of Alistair’s
lightning bolts?”
He sized the mage up.
“Maybe.”
Arianna arched an eyebrow and removed his
hand from her elbow.
“I’ve got to go to work.”
She went to the Koradictine then, leaving
Garrick to daydream of raking the mage with his own high magic.
What a stir that would cause—him, a Torean apprentice, taking down
a Koradictine.
He would be able to do it someday.
Someday soon, too.
And now that Alistair was also bringing
Garrick into his business dealings—his superior taking him
to visit Caledena’s Viceroy next week being just one
example—Garrick was feeling, perhaps for the first time, a sense of
true confidence. He knew the basic structure of spell work, he had
cast smaller cleaning magics and mending cantrips so often that his
gates and the pathways to the plane of magic had scoured themselves
into his mind. It felt good to actually have a future.
It gave him a swagger bold enough he was
actually able to talk to a girl like Arianna. It was just a matter
of time before he would be able to address this situation in the
manner the Koradictine deserved. He hoped Arianna would not be
fooled by this fop’s advances. Or, to be precise, he hoped Arianna
would not be swayed by the lure of a full mage. At least not
yet.
It could happen.
What did he know of her, after all?
They had talked often, and they had shared
that one kiss. But who really was Arianna, daughter of Helene,
floor maid of the Ladle? Certainly she was beautiful and quick
witted, but was she trustworthy? Was she the kind of woman who
could fall for a swarthy Koradictine?
These questions flashed through Garrick’s
mind as Arianna approached the Koradictine.
The mage gestured out the window as she came
to his table. Both of them laughed. She smiled at him, and put her
hand on his shoulder as he
Garrick had been coming here, it was still hard-packed dirt.
Garrick had first come to the Ladle because
it was a favorite of Alistair’s, and because he liked the bread.
But Arianna’s arrival changed everything. After seeing her, Garrick
had lobbied Alistair to send him to Dorfort at every turn. Alistair
would grumble and speak gruff sentences, but would then find he
needed something important. Today, for example, he was in town to
retrieve venison and salt, which they would use during their trip
to Caledena next week, and a collection of spices, which Alistair
always needed to augment his sorcery.
Garrick had taken to escorting Arianna home
in the evenings, and last week they had shared a kiss. That kiss
filled his mind constantly. It encompassed his entire sense of
being throughout every minute of every day he had been away from
her.
That kiss was his, and no weak-chinned
Koradictine could take it away.
Garrick’s stomach curdled as the Koradictine
wizard leered at Arianna. His eyes narrowed as the Koradictine
glanced out the window and drank from his mug. The mage seemed
anxious, like he was waiting for someone. It gave the man an air of
arrogance that Garrick nearly choked on.
He felt Arianna’s focus from the other side
of the counter. She was waiting to see what he would do, wondering
if he would rise to her bait. Or, was she perhaps wishing he
would?
“He’s Koradictine,” Garrick finally replied.
“He deserves whatever he gets.”
“Evo will kill you if you chase his coin
away.”
Garrick chewed his bread. It tasted like
sand. “He looks like a crimson buffoon.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous of a Koradictine,
and a grimy one at that?”
“He’s fair enough.”
“He’s too old for you.”
“That just means he knows the world. Perhaps
he’ll sweep me off my feet.”
“Not likely.”
The Koradictine waved Arianna over. She
wiped her hands down her apron and moved to attend to him.
Garrick grabbed her arm.
“I’m serious, Arianna. If he keeps talking
to you I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Zap him with one of Alistair’s
lightning bolts?”
He sized the mage up.
“Maybe.”
Arianna arched an eyebrow and removed his
hand from her elbow.
“I’ve got to go to work.”
She went to the Koradictine then, leaving
Garrick to daydream of raking the mage with his own high magic.
What a stir that would cause—him, a Torean apprentice, taking down
a Koradictine.
He would be able to do it someday.
Someday soon, too.
And now that Alistair was also bringing
Garrick into his business dealings—his superior taking him
to visit Caledena’s Viceroy next week being just one
example—Garrick was feeling, perhaps for the first time, a sense of
true confidence. He knew the basic structure of spell work, he had
cast smaller cleaning magics and mending cantrips so often that his
gates and the pathways to the plane of magic had scoured themselves
into his mind. It felt good to actually have a future.
It gave him a swagger bold enough he was
actually able to talk to a girl like Arianna. It was just a matter
of time before he would be able to address this situation in the
manner the Koradictine deserved. He hoped Arianna would not be
fooled by this fop’s advances. Or, to be precise, he hoped Arianna
would not be swayed by the lure of a full mage. At least not
yet.
It could happen.
What did he know of her, after all?
They had talked often, and they had shared
that one kiss. But who really was Arianna, daughter of Helene,
floor maid of the Ladle? Certainly she was beautiful and quick
witted, but was she trustworthy? Was she the kind of woman who
could fall for a swarthy Koradictine?
These questions flashed through Garrick’s
mind as Arianna approached the Koradictine.
The mage gestured out the window as she came
to his table. Both of them laughed. She smiled at him, and put her
hand on his shoulder as he
Similar Books
