The Missing Mage by Robyn Wideman

spoke “I think we will be going outside for today’s lessons.”
    Ava was intrigued, they had never gone outside for a lesson before, she gave Nathan a glance but he was sitting there quietly, his facial expression revealed nothing.
    Once outside they walked away from the other houses towards a small grove of trees right before the city wall, which marked the edge of the city. Balthazar looked at Nathan.
    Nathan nodded and handed Ava a small, plain-looking rock the size of a small egg. “Throw this rock at that big willow tree.”
    Ava smiled, she’d always been able to out-throw anyone in their old village. She threw hard and accurate. Ava stretched her shoulders and focused on the big willow Nathan had pointed out, it was a large older tree that had a big knot just below eye level. She used this knot as her target. She flung the rock at the tree, hitting the knot right in the middle. Bull’s eye she thought as the rock bounced off of the tree. She smiled, proud of her accuracy.
    Nathan smiled back, handed her another rock of a similar size, and said, “Do it again.”
    Ava looked at Balthazar who was quietly watching, he simply nodded his head and flicked his hand at her, indicating she should continue. Ava wound up and hurled the second rock at the tree. Like the first one, the second rock found its mark, hitting the knot. Unlike the first rock, which had harmlessly bounced off, this one caused a huge crash. Ava watched in awe as the sturdy old willow was crushed by the rock. Where the knot had once been was a mess of torn wood. The small rock had caused enormous damage.
    As the tree started to crack and sway, Nathan spoke. “Perhaps we should move back just a bit.”
    “Yes. That would be prudent,” Balthazar agreed.
    They quickly backed up, moving a a safe distance away as the tree fell over with a loud crash. Ava could not believe it, a rock the size of an egg had brought down a tree bigger around than a full-grown man. She turned to Nathan. “How did you do that?”
    “It was one of the first things I learned how to do when Adamen Bleh, the northern mage, taught me about magic. He had me make a small rock heavy. I don’t think this was what he had in mind, but it sure is effective.”
    Ava thought about the damage done to the tree. She shuddered when she imagined what it might do to a man. “Why make me throw the rock?”
    “Because you throw more accurately than anyone I know. These rocks are light for you or me, but anyone else who tried to lift them would fail. Now you have a weapon to protect yourself with.”
    Ava frowned, she hated violence.
    Balthazar interjected at this point. “Nathan is correct, you need to be able to protect yourself. You live with one of the most important people in the kingdom, you are a possible target for attacks, and you want to be an herbalist, which often means going out into the forest alone. Nathan will not always be there to accompany you. He, along with the rest of your family, will much more comfortable with your chosen profession knowing you are capable of defending yourself against any foe.”
    Ava thought about it for a minute, what they were saying was all true and if she had to be armed, carrying around rocks was better than using a dagger or a sword. Grudgingly she acknowledged that the rocks were a good idea. She looked at Nathan, “Got any more?”
    Nathan lifted a leather satchel off his shoulder, and gave it to her. The satchel was incredibly light. She put it over her shoulder then looked inside. She was surprised to see a dozen rocks in the bag. She looked at Nathan.
    The satchel was another bloodstone-imbued project, she could add as many rocks as she wanted and it wouldn’t grow any heavier. “Better find that first rock out of the tree, making more stones is not easy.”
    “You should have told me that before I threw it,” Ava groaned.
    When they finally found the rock it was ten feet past the stump of the now-destroyed willow. It had gone right