Prologue
Prologue
‘I never wanted to be a mage’, Anne told herself for perhaps the fifth time.
“I’ll never master this spell.” She muttered as the flame flicked briefly on her hand before blinking back out of existence.
Anne was quite young for most second year apprentices being only in her sixteenth year. Her Father had arranged her apprenticeship, she suspected just to get her out of his hair, as he took her brother with him on the merchant’s caravan teaching him the family business. Her father had old fashioned ideals about woman and business and had barely hid his disappointment that she was not another boy. Being a successful merchant as well as an important figure in town it had been surprisingly difficult for him to find someone he could trust to take her in while he was away.
He then heard that Thelban the mage was looking for an apprentice, he went to make a deal straight away. Thelban upon meeting Anne agreed somewhat out of pity for the unwanted girl but finding her a willing and hard working student never regretted his decision.
Her figure as she stood in the room was still boyish but showed promise of the beautiful woman she would become. Her blonde hair glistened with sweat and stuck to her head. She continued to try, even though she had truly lost hope of learning the spell half an hour ago. Again the flame briefly in her hand for a moment and then was gone. She swore.
The door open and in the doorway appeared a middle aged man, with a closely cropped beard that had long turned to grey, Thelban smiled at his apprentice then motioned for her to continue.
Observing yet another failed attempt, he motioned for her to stop and come to him.
“The problem you are having is both in your concentration and in your application. You gather the energy and focus it into the flame, but then you must maintain the image in your mind until you are ready to modify it.” He held out his hand palm upwards and a flame appeared.
“focus on the flame.” He said staring deeply in the magical flame.
“Then change it slowly.” He slowly turned his hand so that the flame was burning downwards with his palm.
“And once you have mastered that you can begin doing more with the flame.“
Suddenly and identical flame burst to life in his other hand. They both started moving in circles that reminded Anne of a dog chasing its tail, as the magician started juggling the balls of fire, throwing them high in the air before dismissing them midair.
“Now think on this as you eat, it is time for a break, you can resume after lunch.”
“Yes Master.” She replied.
* * *
Anne anxiously knocked on the door to Thelban’s study. Now a young woman of twenty, she was nearing the end of her apprenticeship and was scared of what she would do when it is over. She opened the door when his voice bade her to enter.
The room was richly furnished unlike the rest of his place. The large desk which he sat behind looked old but well cared for. The chair that sat in front of the desk was intricately made and a plush cushion that matched the green pattern on the arms. The room was lit magically from two clear spheres that glowed as red as embers in the fire, but from Anne’s experience were cool to touch. The light reflected strangely on the strange bindings on the books covering the walls. This was Thelban’s personal library she knew, even though she had only seen it on a couple of occasions.
Thelban looked up as she entered.
“Ahh Anne, I suppose you are wondering why I have called you here.” THelban said, a small smile upon his face.
“Yes, Master” she said shyly sucking on a curl of her blonde hair as she often did when nervous.
“Well, I called you here because as you know your apprenticeship is near it’s end. There is however one last task an apprentice is required to complete before becoming a mage. Your spellbooks.” He said
“But, master, I have already a spellbook.”
“Yes but that is an apprentice’s spellbook, one that is left behind. As snake sheds it’s skin, so must you. The final task is to scribe your own spellbooks. The first part is your main spellbook, this is the one you keep at home, It will contain all the spells you have mastered and will grow to many volumes.” He said gesturing to the many books lining the walls. “Then you will make two others: your travel book and your scribe copy.”
“Your travel book is the book you will always carry and must have at hand always. The binding of the book must be weather proofed as well as the coverings you will design for it. Your scribe copy, is you back up, in case anything happens to your other two. The scribe copy you will not do alone, I will hire a scribe to help you. The scribe will show you how to make it mundane and unusuable for studying magic from. Basically it contains instructions for you and a scribe to reconstruct your spellbooks. This last task will take you many months but is a rewarding expence.”
“yes master, how shall I begin?” She replied
* * *
The scribe that came to work with her on her spell book appeared quite old to her, even though in reality he was only twenty five. He was going bald, the hair retreating along the side of his hair and thinning on the top. His skin was pale as if not used to the sun, but showed lines or wrinkles that showed that his life had not been an easy one. There was something about him however that drew Anne’s eye, he had a way about him, that was hard for her to explain. She was attracted to his calm and gentle way, the way his hand moved so gracefully across the page.
As the task progressed she found it harder to concentrate on her work, and often found herself making excuses just to watch him. She prolonged the task somewhat frightened that once the book was finished, that she would not see him again.
“Alfred.” She said
“Yes?” he said not looking up from the parchment in front of him
“Nevermind.” She replied embarrassed.
“No, what is it?”
“Well, it’s just that… um… I was wondering… would you like to go out to dinner with me?” she asked nervously
“Hmm, let me see.” Said Alfred placing the quill into the inkwell and looking over to her.
“Have dinner with a beautiful woman? Hang on, I’ll have to think about it.” He said with a smile.
“I’d love to have dinner with you. Say at The Lion, or would you like to go somewhere a bit classier?” he asked
“The Lion would be fine.” She replied smiling.
* * *
Their romance progressed and Anne had never thought she could feel so great. They had finished making her Spell book months ago, and with that complete so was her apprenticeship. Thelban had asked her to stay on to help him with his research, and she was happy that she would not have to find work elsewhere, she would help him by cataloguing his personal library and preparing spell components in return for a room and access to the lab to continue her own experiments and research.
It was not long before Alfred asked Anne to marry him and she accepted. It would be some months until their wedding however as a great number of things had to be sorted out, she would continue to work with Thelban, but live with Alfred above the new shop he had just bought. It was nothing flash, but being two story rather than his current place it would give him a larger work area.
She looked over to him and smiled, he smiled back
“Ok, I give in, you can have that priest of the Mistress at the wedding but I still want Madoc, It wouldn’t feel right not to have a representative of Oghma there. What’s that priests name again? Galeb? Goolbleb?” Alfred asked
“Galen.” Anne replied laughing “You know you can say Mystra. All that Mistress stuff is just Superstition.”
His mouth moved as if he was going to say it, then he frowned.
“Better not risk it.”
Anne laughed
“I love you.”
* * *
The day of the wedding came. It was a beautiful day, the sun high in the sky, the roses in full bloom in the garden, and the birds in the trees were singing, it was indeed a magical day.
Alfred stirred nervously, doubts running through his mind, he looked down at his hands that shook almost violently. Would she come? Was he a fool for thinking such a beautiful woman could possibly love a bald, gangly scribe? He had little money to his name surely she could have any number of suitors. Then she arrived and all his doubts disappeared as he watched her walk slowly up to meet him.
Her dress was a gown of deep blue traced with a deep purple flowers flowing over the garment. Her blonde hair trailed across her shoulders and down her back in curls that never failed to mesmerise him. Her enchanting blue eyes
“I will never stop loving her” he swore in his heart. She came beside him and the ceremony started in earnest. High in the heavens a goddess watched, and smiled…
