Shevren seemed to be thinking about if he should start heading for the ground. I wondered if my tone might be off putting. "Right but that was before you found me my bond, which you didn't have to do at all. Without you my house probably would have died with me, if not my father. With my bond, my house was already looking better before I left. That was just a few short hours. For the first time I am out on a mission and not constantly wondering what is going on at home."
Ravon put her head on her hands turning it to look up at me. She pulled her feet up to cross on the branch behind her. Somehow it made her look more a part of the branch, much like a wild cat. It made sense that their symbol was a cat. Ravon's short sword and bow laid on her back looking almost a part of her fur.
"I am glad for you, now if I could only get the ass to calm down. This might be my best mission yet. Even if I don't get the chance to vanquish that annoying wraith."
"Oh, so you don't know how you feel about Theon."
"That isn't incorrect. I am jealous thinking of you chasing after him before, but that is why I cannot convince myself that finding your bond was for you. I am not foolish enough to think that the council would not have kept trying to put you in Theon's path if I had not found a more permanent solution. Just like I am very sure some of the council still don't think Theon is bonded since it is one sided. They are going to try and put more girls in his path."
Ravon nodded and smiled, "You give yourself away, my lady, if you weren't thinking about him you wouldn't be jealous. Yes the council will probably try such a thing, and maybe with their own young girls. Not all of whom are going to believe Theon when he says no, either. I was born two months after Theon, my father had been trying to use me to get to Theon the moment I took my first breath. If you want to be jealous of me, be jealous that I have spent among the most time with the prince. I knew him before he bonded you and I knew what had happened long before he did. I knew the day after actually, just not to who at first. I couldn't figure that out until Theon had. After I had I tried everything I could think of to keep him away from you. Even making the mistake of threatening him once. Luckily for me, he gets angry about as easy as I have noticed you do. Then again I think he only kept me near after that because he knew I wouldn't do it again and he didn't want to train another courter." I frowned in puzzlement at Ravon.
"You don't get angry, until some else is abused anyway. You let that ass try and wear you down and never said anything. He started that shit with me and you almost handed him his head. Theon is like that, too. He was willing to put up with me telling him every day what I thought the elves needed and having me around. As far as he was concerned I was doing my job, but when I threatened to have you removed from the army if he didnt start acting like a prince and accept the council's superior judgement. Well that was the only time I have ever been worried Theon might break his oath. So, the council will probably try such a trick as well, but if you don't stop him, it probably won't end well for the elves as a whole."
"How could an elf get an islee removed from the army?"
"Many ways, most aren't that hard for an aristocrat. Even the elves have noticed that someone with quite a bit of sway doesn't want you around."
"So much for free will."
"Units tend to try and get your will to go their way. Or they remove you."
"Yeah, I have found that myself. So he beat you up?"
"Not as bad as you did, but he wasn't distracted. He also only had four crystal weapons at the time, and I had been smart enough to issue the threat in private. Not that his unit didn't know something had happened between us."
"Did they think it was just a lovers spat?"
Ravon flinched a little at that question, "Most likely, if it hadn't been easier to keep me close I don't think I would have stayed in Theon's unit. If he had expelled me though, the council would have known I wasn't going to be able to control the prince and they would have taken other steps to at least reign him in. Which would have made it harder for him to find reasons to be near you."
"So he only did that for the bond?"
"The bond doesn't change who you are, I am still me. Theon might not have known he wanted to stay near you but his decisions beyond that are his. I would say the bond is like knowing that you should love someone who wasn't put in your family."
"So, do you think you could choose not to then?"
"Sure, I could choose not to love my father. The likelihood of me choosing that path is low, but I could, and so could Trevon."
"That is the name of the smith right?"
"Yes."
"I am not really sure how I feel about Theon, right now. Right now I am sure what I didn't like wasn't his fault, but then who is he?"
Ravon smiled at me from where she laid on the branch. "I can support that, not that it would matter with you and him." Ravon looked off in thought for a moment before seeing Shevern again, "So since Shevern sat so patiently for me. Do you want to learn magic?"
"Not wanting to learn magic is not the problem I have with tower wizards."
Shevren looked shocked that I could have a problem with wizards. "What problem do you have with wizards?"
"Oh that is easy, I had to lie to pass control. I was glad I wasn't a part of the army yet, for that test. I mainly had to lie because the magic you learned is founded in assumptions that I have found many times to be untrue. So while I can pick up some spells by watching you, the fundamentals that you teach with are flawed so I don't want you to try and explain what you think you are doing. It would be less effective."
"What? The fundamentals are important, what do you mean you lied to pass?"
"You have been an army wizard for sometime. Have you bothered to find a few wilders and see how they use magic?"
"No, why would I?"
"Right because you were trained by the best wizards in the world. They know all the answers, even though they are also mortal and more likely don't know more then any other mortal of their age."
"Have you been watching Wilders?"
"Of course, they can be more eye opening then anyone else I have found."
"Why?"
"Close your eyes." Shevren looked at Ravon who was now looking out over the river. He looked back at me, shrugged then closed his eyes."Now make a ball of light."
"I cannot with my eyes closed."
"See that is what I was told as well, but if it was true why is part of control not using magic while you are asleep?"
"Your eyes don't have to be closed just because you are asleep. That is one thing I know for sure from the army."
"That is true, but then can a blind man be a wizard?"
"Wizards recover faster then non wizards, so a blind wizard is unlikely."
"But you cannot regrow your eyes, if they were removed and another wizard wouldn't do it for you. Effectively you would no longer be a wizard the same as if you were stilled, correct?"
"Well, yes."
"So then why don't cultures like this one blind boys if they are found to have magic? Why just kill them? It cannot be popular, if blinding would keep them from using magic, and not using magic would keep them sane why don't they do it? Why do the elders worry about us having control while we sleep?"
"Blinding people is dangerous, also most people couldn't survive being blind."
"Right, look at me." Shreven opened his eyes clearly wondering where I was going, "Cast a light." He did a small light that wouldn't be noticed among the trees even if I wasn't shielding the tree. "Now if you close your eyes, will the light go out, assuming you didn't tie it off."
"Well, no."
"But you have to be able to see to do magic, that is what you believe right?"
"It is true. You have to be able to see to do magic. Once it exists you don't have to be able to see it."
"Can you change existing magic without looking at it then?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"How you want to change it."
"Oh, can you give me an example of something you could not do to the light without looking at it?"
"Well," Shevern looked at the small light hovering in the tree branch. "I wouldn't be able to move it without looking at it."
"Really? Then you have never moved a light behind your back?"
"Not and stopped it there."
"Then you shouldn't be out here because localized shielding is a required skill for an army wizard. Unless you are not telling me you couldn't protect the child protecting your back."
"Shielding is different."
"It is still magic. You cannot do magic without looking."
"Shielding is different."
"See and that is part of why I don't care to try and learn from a tower wizard." Shevren gave me a confused look. "Well, I have more tower rules that don't add up for me either. So the first rule is you must look at what you do. The second rule the tower often teaches is you must be calm and the third is you must be still."
"Well yes, if you aren't calm you aren't going to be able to get control of your magic."
"I have yet to meet anyone not born in a magic village that used magic for the first time without having a strong emotional reaction to something first."
"That is true, but they don't always have control over what they do so seems like a trade."
"There is a difference between not being able to do magic at all and not being able to do it well."
"Ok, I will give you that one is more bad wording. You do have to be still though."
"Did you watch the white witch as they were running from the mist?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"She threw a fireball."
"Yes, it was sloppy and weaker."
I tried not to roll my eyes at Shevren, "You should have stayed on the ground then. Also you know that crystal weapons enhance magical abilities. Why do you think the brothers bothered with that?"
"They didn't have an army to watch their backs while they fought."
"So again that rule that should prevent you from using magic is really just deadly worded. What they meant was it is just harder. I don't think that is the case but maybe they know better than me. Go ahead, put out your light."
Shevren looked at me like he was looking for the trick before shrugging and putting the light out. I brought to life a light that matched the one he had been holding in every way. Shevren looked back at me.
I raised my hand and scratched my cheek while looking at the light. "So the only concession I have gotten out of you so far is that the rules might be badly worded. Well, I don't believe your rules anyway." The light moved behind me and stopped over a branch. I couldn't see it without turning my head but Shevren could see it. It then changed shape, color and brightness without me looking away from Shevren. "Which is why I haven't exactly been a good daughter and have a place I can practice on my own. So I don't see the point in even discussing theory with you. It has nothing to do with you wizard, I don't think much of any wizard, right now. Maybe I am wrong though, so since we have a few hours still to kill would you like to spar with me?"
I jumped out of the tree before Shevren could answer. I let the light float down after me while I fell. I landed softly on the dirt bending my knees like I had only jumped from a low branch. Cryon and the other elf raised an eyebrow at me from where they were standing below the tree. I looked over at the light as it reached the ground. I extinguished it before it would have touched the soil.
"When both of you are around I get the feeling that someone is hiding something from me. Mind clueing me in?"
"I wouldn't mind your highness, but others think you might do something ill advised if you found out why we got reassigned at breakneck pace."
I looked up at Ravon who was still playing on the tree branch looking at the river. I knew she was listening. Royal guard, family you weren't born into. I growled, "Probably a good guess." I then thought about what else that might mean for me and growled louder, "Guess it is going to be a lot harder to ditch you."
"If the terrain stays like this maybe." Cryon shrugged, "Then again, I don't have any crystal weapons."
"Sadly those are more useful if I am willing to hurt you." I shifted my gaze to Shevren who seemed to be trying to figure out how to get down. Falling fixed that problem. I didn't catch him since he managed to stop his own fall, but it was a close thing.
"That could have been interesting to try and explain." I was talking to myself but the elves laughed.
Shevren blushed a bit. "Well, yes. Anyway, what were the terms you were thinking? You know we have to keep a low profile."
The two elves made a point of not looking at me all the sudden. "Right so, if you want a real fight with me, it will have to wait until we get back to the city. If you can win this sparring match I might accept a challenge in the city. So, I will make the shield, and tie it off. Then I will make a simpler barrier on the inside of that with just me and you, that one I won't tie off. You tear down either shield, or get me to surrender, you win. I win only if you can no longer continue, or you surrender. We are restricted to only natural ability and no weapons."
"Right, only your natural abilities include demon ones."
"Sorry, I have a standing rule that if someone can make me use demonic powers, I lose. I don't normally have to tell people, since you are the first person who I have known to know before I fight them."
"Hum, that is why you surrendered before the fight was over five matches ago with Theon."
I looked up at Ravon who still hadn't moved from the tree. "Yes, he has won five matches against me because I lost control. So far he is the only one to get me to use demonic while fighting. Though you did manage to trigger my wings I didn't use them."
I could see Ravon nod, "This might be more interesting if I was a stronger magic user."
With a smile I looked back at Shevren, "Well, if skill is that important you should be able to win right?"
"Alright then." Shevren dropped his shield that was keeping our presence hidden from the town. I already had mine in place.
Fights among wizards are as common as any other group of the army. Wizards normally use a spotter to call a fight as magic can be much more dangerous than any other weapon. The spotter can step in and stop a spell that would have killed the other. Fighting outside the tower arena is only allowed for army magicians. He must be very confident to take up this challenge outside the tower. Both of my control and his.
I raised an inside shield that kept the elves out of the fight. So it was just me looking at Shevern. "Whenever you are ready then, wizard."
"You aren't going to raise a shield around yourself?"
"Against you? Why?"
Shevren bit his lip and clinched a fist like he wanted to hit me. I saw his hand open just before his magic flashed. A normal wild would have never noticed the flash, but I am not a wilder at all. I struck his hidden spell with the exact right amount of force to break it apart without having to stop my own strike. I tilted my head at Shevren's surprised look. "Like I said whenever you are ready."
That made the wizard frown. He formed three more strikes also hidden the moment they formed, but they had been made in the pattern I had noticed before. So I knew where they were heading. This time I moved, launching myself at the wizard. Shevren took a step back in reaction and I felt his attacks fall apart, before I even dropped into a crouch. Shevren created two more strikes in a hurry, I was so close that if they hit me they would have left a serious mark. Good thing I was faster.
I struck the attacks with my own magic, turning them away from me. I hadn't had time to judge the attacks so this time they broke down into light and sound as they were turned. It was a good thing I had made the shield that was hiding us from the village. Shevren let out a surprised yell as I kicked his feet out from under him. I sprang back being nice by giving him room to get back up. That is what he gets trying to fight me without a shield.
He knows I am naturally much stronger than him in magic so he does have to conserve more than I do, but fighting me without a shield is very dumb. If he had one up I would have had to make an effort to take it down before physically hitting him.
Shevern jumped up moving in a way I would more expect that move from an army fighter than an army wizard. I moved to close the gap between us again. This time Shevern moved to keep it open. So he did know something about fighting.
He struck while moving. The strike was badly imagined, not hidden, and weak. I watched as Sheverns eyes widened as I struck his strike with the same power as his strikes when standing still. He kept moving which from the angle of the strikes should have made him safe. It is much too hard to turn magic that is traveling, it is much easier to just remake it, another rule of magic right. Same as magic should not be created farther away then arms length, even if you can see it, right, Shevren. You know and believe these rules.
I pivoted on my step and closed the gap faster than Shevren could widen it again. At the same time I turned the strikes that I had used to break Shreven's attack, I hadn't let go of them and I could see Shevren's surprise and a bit of fear. He managed to raise a shield before my strike hit him and the shield kept me from hitting him again. I let my strike go as it broke against the shield to prevent feedback. If I had tried to hold onto it as it broke apart it would have given me a major headache, probably bad enough to drop even me.
So that was one rule of the tower that I have found to be true, the only way around it is to let go of the spell just before it breaks apart, you can either tie it off or just let go. Most wizards tie their strikes which is why they lose control of a strike when they send it off. They do this because spells that are not tied off start to evaporate and lose power within milliseconds. The strikes I am using are a risk but all fighting is a risk.
I didn't turn as I continued past Shevren but he kept his eyes on me. As my foot hit the ground I cast six new strikes behind me heading at myself from slightly different directions, including up and down. He isn't going to be able to move out of the way and since he turned to watch me shielding from the strikes will be even harder if he reacts fast enough. I pushed off the ground to move to the side.
Shevren didn't see the spells and created his own while I was still within his arms reach. At least this time he was smart enough to create them right on top of me which was dangerous. If I tear them apart before he can tie them off he would suffer feedback. Damn, I have no choice.
I created a shield in front of the strikes, it was just above the surface of my skin. There was only enough room because I was still moving away from the point the Shevren was creating the strikes. The first of my strikes hit his back as his strike hit my shield.
Shevren cried out as I spun to face him again. His strikes broke against my shield having no effect on me. Shevern started to fall from the attack and that is when I finally noticed the attack that he hadn't aimed at me. Fuck!
That was why Shevren's attacks had been so weak he was saving up to attack the inner shield. So he hadn't forgotten about it while I attacked him. How hadn't I felt him testing the barrier while we fought? His strike was too perfect for him not to have known where to hit.
There wasn't anything I could do to keep the inner shield from falling. Shevren was hit by all six strikes and was going down but my shield was going down with him. I tried not to believe it and held onto the shield even as the strike hit the weak point in my magic. I grunted in pain as the shield broke apart before I could stabilize it again.
Shevren hit the ground a moment before I did. Luckily I wasn't putting much power into the inner shield, so it's collapse didn't knock me out. Not that it mattered. I sat up and shook my head. I was going to have a headache for a while.
I checked the only remaining shield making sure it was still capable of blocking any stray magic before checking on Shevren. "So I am confused, who won?"
Ravon jumped down from the tree and landed softly next to Cryon who was watching me and Shevren from her spot by the trunk of the tree. "You will have to ask her highness, I don't know for sure."
I rolled Shevren over and made sure he was still breathing. "We both lost, at the same time. Sadly he proved that he does know something I might find worth learning."
"You are strange, why is that a sad thing?"
I looked at Ravon "It doesn't change how I feel about the tower, so it is sad."
"I don't see why it should, sounds like we are all asses. Not sure why you keep bothering at all, if people had treated me like they do you I would have left a long time ago."
I smiled as I checked Shevren's vitals. He would be fine in a couple of days with some strong tea. I couldn't let my unit be tied here that long. I used my magic to stimulate his skin. It would have felt a lot like being thrown into an ice cold river. I might have been taking out my annoyance at losing on him. "And go where?"
Shevren sat up with a gasp. "What the hell did you do!?"
I tilted my head and shrugged, "Woke you up so the unit would be protected while I run off and find something to drink. I really should hunt more than I do. See you."
I teleported away before any of the members of my unit could react. I found what I needed and returned before the sun was high. The elves frowned at me when I reappeared and I got the feeling I had angered them. Ravon and Shevren had been talking but I took up position back in the tree watching for the boat without speaking to either of them.
After that the mission was as boring as any other. It seemed like the heroes might have lost the part of the shadow army that had been following them. Which while pleasantly boring was rather odd. There must be something else going on but I couldn't figure it out.
Not from this far away anyway. The group made it to the city, that is where my unit's mission ended. I found it more then a little annoying that the army cannot enter cities. The next unit will pick up the heroes as they leave but unless the city is fighting shadow spawn and distracted it was just too much of a risk being around that many people. So our intrepid ass ordered us home.