The Sorcerer's Legacy by Brock Deskins

the boy’s fear. Being small, he probably has had many things taken from him.
    “Do not worry, you are still in charge of the horses,” Azerick reassured Peck. “I just want to make sure you have enough time to succeed at both tasks. There is no shame in getting help. I have hired many people, like you, to help me fix up and run this place.”
    “I’ll do you proud, milord, you’ll see,” Peck promised.
    “I am sure you will, Peck. Let me show you where you can stay.”
    Azerick led him to the large tack room that sported several saddle racks bearing saddles, horse blankets, and bridles for each of the horses that had been brought in.
    “There is a small room in the back you can have. I will have some carpenters build you a bed, bring in a chest for your belongings, and get a mattress stuffed before tonight. Before winter comes, I will also get you a small stove. Store Horse’s gear in the tack room and give him a good brushing. I will call you when it is time to eat.”
    Azerick left Peck to take care of Horse and store his new clothes in the room until the workers brought him a chest and put a bed together. Azerick returned to the keep hoping to relax away the day’s bustle with a glass of wine but as soon as he entered, Ellyssa came running down the stairs.
    “Azerick, there is another man here to see you. He looks old but he is nice. I told him how you make me squish rats with Grick and he showed me how to make a really neat dart that I can throw at the rats and kill them without getting guts on my shoes!”
    Azerick sighed deeply. So much for relaxing, he thought to himself. “Take a breath, Ellyssa. What is his name?”
    Ellyssa chewed her bottom lip and looked up as if she were trying to see her own eyebrows. “Um, I forgot.”
    Azerick knew that she forgot very few things, especially when it came to reading. It was more likely that she simply had not listened when the man had told her.
    “Where is he now?” Azerick asked.
    “Upstairs in the library ,” she answered, putting a mocking emphasis on library, obviously still peeved at having been sent away earlier that day.
    Azerick ascended the stairs in no hurry, unlike his apprentice who practically bounced her way to the fourth floor far ahead of him. The double doors that had been built were like most everything in the keep, simple but made of the highest quality. He pushed the brass handle down and entered the room.
    “Ewen, you made it up here I see,” Azerick greeted his old instructor warmly upon recognizing the man sitting next to Ellyssa who was sitting on the chair on her knees and leaning on the table with her elbows examining a piece of parchment.
    “His name is Ewen and he drew a picture showing me how to make darts. Not little darts like they play with in taverns but real ones that’ll kill a rat!” Ellyssa beamed.
    “I am not sure sharp metal objects are such a good thing for you to have,” Azerick said slowly.
    “Ewen said you played with knives, swords, and bows and arrows when you were my age and those are sharp! You tell me I have to kill rats and I find a better way to kill them that doesn’t get guts on my shoes and you don’t want to let me. You always say anything I do I should try and do my best, but if you don’t let me use darts to kill rats I’ll be nothing but a second rate rat smasher with guts on my shoes!”
    “I think she has you there, lad,” Ewen piped up.
    Ellyssa jumped up from the table clutching the drawing. “I’m going to go see if the blacksmith will make me some darts!”
    Before Azerick had time to speak any words of dissention, Ellyssa darted through the door and out of the keep in search of a blacksmith.
    “Congratulations, Master Ewen, you just put a lit torch and a jug of lamp oil in the hands of an arsonist,” Azerick told the weapons master.
    Ewen waved a calloused hand at Azerick. “Bah, she’s no worse than you at that age. So, it looks like you got quite an operation going