Read Online Apprentice by Eric Guindon - Free Book Online Page B

more of such things for the moment. They could see the wizard had finished levitating the various supplies into the tower and had returned inside. Orafin left to see what the wizard was doing, returning a few minutes later with news that he was hard at work in his laboratory.
    “We probably have a few hours. It takes him so long to do these sorts of things,” the rat commented. “He’s very fussy about all the details.”
    Benen didn’t think it was strange to be fussy when it came to magic; his one experience with casting a spell had nearly killed him because he didn’t know enough and couldn’t be fussy about the details.
    Reassured the wizard was preoccupied, the pair left the tower as stealthily as they could manage. Benen ran while still within line of sight of the tower, but slowed to a walk once he had reached the cover of a stand of trees. Orafin, sitting on Benen’s shoulder, pointed out some smoke rising into the sky in the distance and Benen headed in that direction.
    It had felt great to run from the tower. Benen missed his time as a child when he had run everywhere, playing tag and other silly games with his friends. There had been chores then, but nothing like the unrelieved work, toil, and learning of his time since coming to the tower.
    Why don’t I just run away tonight? he thought. I could keep walking, leaving this wizard’s land behind.
    It was no good to fantasize like this though; he knew the wizard would track him down and find him, maybe only so that he could kill him. He couldn’t risk it.
    These hours of freedom will have to do , he told himself.
    The village, once they arrived, looked very much like his own. Some exceptions were obvious though. Where Oster’s Gift had a windmill, this village had a watermill, taking advantage of the river running through it. The river was another big difference, of course. Also, this village had a building that looked like a proper tavern and inn. This was where Benen headed.
    The entrance to the inn led directly into a tap room filled with some of the folks from the village. Mostly it looked to be men having a drink together, all seated at one long table. There seemed to be a separate clique of younger men, really older boys, seated at their own table. Finally, there were two foreigners seated together. The foreigners looked to be a peddler and his guard.
    Benen froze in the door. It was strange seeing people he didn’t know after so long. He found he was oddly afraid of what they might say or do. He considered leaving again, but not seriously so. As much as he might be afraid of the people, he was even more fascinated by them, especially the foreigners.
    With hesitant steps, Benen made his way to an empty table and took a seat. He could feel everyone looking at him; no one was talking anymore. The only noises were kitchen noises. One of the younger men called to Benen.
    “Don’t drink alone, come and join us.”
    His fellows echoed the request. Benen reddened, but went to their table. The stranger having been welcomed and settled in with some of the locals, talk resumed around the room.
    “Hey Glenda, we need some ale here!” yelled another of the youths once Benen was seated.
    “What’s your story then, boy?” asked one of the boys who looked at most two years older than Benen.
    “Story?” said Benen, overwhelmed by the attention he was getting. He’d hoped to blend in, but should have known it would be like this. He imagined all small places were like this; everyone knew each other, and strangers were valued for their novelty. “I’m travelling with my master. We’re camped outside of the village. He’s given me the night to myself.”
    “Camped outside of the village?” said a youth, “That’s not safe, not with the wizard having just come for his bounty.”
    Glenda came to their table with a pitcher of ale then, disrupting the conversation, for which Benen was grateful. The bar wench was a girl about his own age and when Benen saw