Everyone gathered in the main foyer. The nervous looks exchanged showing they were not sure whether or not this was going to go well for them. Eileen and Claire had them lined up and took their places at either end of the line. Eldrick approaching Amaryliss stopped about fifteen feet to her right. Adjusting his shields so they were visible to those gathered.
"Lady Amaryliss I think the first thing they need to learn before they can work shields is how to sense magic. I am unsure of how to explain that. I hope you know how to explain so they can learn to manipulate it."
"Good point Ellie," turning to face her students. "Ok you lot, what can you see around Ellie?"
Amy raising her hand, "I see a soft golden glow encasing him, er her. The glow is really close to her body."
"That is true, but she made it visible for a reason. Now watch what happens." Amaryliss sent a force bolt at Eldrick. His shields expanded slightly to meet the force and gently contracted to absorb the shock. With the impact, they brightened slightly before returning to normal. "Now, did any of you see what caused the change in her shields?"
There was a mass of head shakes. All but Caitlin, who was nodding vigorously. Without thinking she fired her own force bolt at Eldrick. Once again his shields responded. She realized what she had just done and that the shields had reacted instinctually, as if he wasn't controlling them but had somehow set them up and forgotten about them. Eldrick sent a mild force bolt back at Caitlin, who ducked instinctively. Eldrick not wishing to waste the energy recalled it to himself. Everyone turned to look at Caitlin because of her sudden movement.
"What just happened?" Yosef asked concerned.
"I, uh, attacked Ellie and she responded in kind." Caitlin looked down chagrined. "I didn't know she could do that without looking or any warning."
"That's because you have no idea what my training in this area has been. When we first arrived there was an assassination attempt on the king. I was there and one of those who helped thwart the attempt."
There was a chorus of "Oohhh."
"That is why you never mess with a druid or one of their apprentices. They have extensive training in magic." Amaryliss glanced over those assembled. "Caitlin since you can sense the magical energies enough to throw a force bolt I think you can go with Ellie and learn how to build shields. The rest of you lot, need to learn how to sense the magical energy before you can learn to manipulate it." She turned away from them and started for the stairs. "Well, are you coming or not?"
With embarrassed smiles, they followed her upstairs. Eldrick turning to Caitlin grinned. His eyes took on a predatory aspect. Caitlin took an involuntary step backwards. Eldrick could sense her sudden unease. This was no longer the person she had befriended but a potential rival and enemy. Eldrick's smile returning to completely friendly beckoned her closer. Swallowing hard she took the few tentative steps to close the distance.
"What caused you to retreat oh mighty hunter?"
"There was something in your aspect that frightened me. I don't understand how that is but you can be very scary."
"One thing about working with magic is that there is the temptation to use it to gain power over others. It is not something I like about it but I had to show that if you have power others will fear you."
"I hadn't thought of that."
"The other lesson is this when facing the unknown never show your fear, it only emboldens your enemies. I thought this was a lesson you would have already learned."
"Blades I can deal with magic is something entirely different."
"The principle is the same. I should tell you about the first battle I was in. We were attacked while we slept. Well attacked isn't the right word. They were trying to rob us. That is how Sebastian received his wound and I just froze. I mean I literally just sat there like an idiot."
"That's awful."
"Yeah, it is I got reamed out pretty good for that by Sergei. So what we need to do is have you learn to build shields." He dismantled his shields bit by bit explaining as he did so. As he began rebuilding his shields he explained the process guiding her through it as he went. Once he figured she had the basics down he rose and walked away. "I am going to throw a few force bolts at you and your shields."
Caitlin rose to her feet and braced for the impacts. With the force bolts impacting her shields, they crumbled. She attempted to rebuild them when another force bolt caught her in the chest.
"You need to be able to raise shields almost instantly. Otherwise, you leave yourself open."
Rubbing her chest, she scowled at him. "You knew my shields were down so why hit me?"
"If you want to get good at shielding you need to know the repercussions. I had the same reaction when Sergei did it to me. Now build your shields and try to hold them."
Once she had her shields rebuilt Eldrick once again attacked with the force bolts. Her shields held a little longer this time. Only this time when her shields fell she was quicker in rebuilding a defence though it was only partial. She sensed that Eldrick wasn't shielded at all and so decided to fire three successive force bolts at him. His shields snapped into place faster than she could blink.
"What, how?"
"I told you I had some severe training in shielding. I am hoping we can train everyone here to shield. At least to get basic shields." He let his senses take in her life energy levels. Seeing they weren't too bad he pressed on. "I am pushing you because, one, you have an aptitude, and two once you get good you can help your fellow students. That means more instructors to work with others."
"What do I know about teaching others?"
"How do you explain things to those of your cadre? You have leadership qualities which means you should know how to instruct others." He glanced at her shields. They looked stronger but not yet strong enough in his opinion. "What happens when a group of hunters comes up against someone who throws magic?"
"I don't think that has ever happened?"
"Well, that won't last forever. Eventually, someone is going to attack with magic since other ways seem to fail."
Caitlin considered this. "So what your saying is that our hunters are going to need to become mages as well?"
"Honestly I don't know. But being able to shield might be beneficial."
"Okay, I can understand that. But then we have to teach the other cadres as well. That will take time and we don't usually have the time to spare with the patrols."
"Are the four of you likely to end up in a single cadre? Or would you be split up? Or even all accepted? I will admit I do not know much about how things work in your homeland." Thinking she was distracted he fired off three force bolts in quick succession. Her shields absorbed the impact without failing.
"Well I don't.... Hey that wasn't nice."
"Combat is never nice. But I am happy to see your shields held. Now prepare for stronger bolts."
"Wait, what? You can cast stronger bolts?"
Without answering her he let loose with three bolts at almost his full potential. As they streaked through the air towards her they left a faint shimmer in the air. "I can do much stronger bolts ask Sergei next time you see him."
With the impacts on her shield, it crumbled. Struggling to get a new shield in place she took the third in the thigh. Having been diverted by the edge of the shield some of the energy was absorbed. It struck hard enough to leave a bruise and cause the muscle to spasm. She fell to the floor as her leg gave out. Eldrick walking over to her hand extended helped her back to her feet. He nodded to her with a smile of satisfaction.
"Your shields are getting better and the speed at which you erect new ones is improving. I think this will be all for today." Walking over to the bench he sat. "Come sit and we will discuss tactics," patting the bench beside him.
Caitlin limping, made her way to the bench and sat. "How is it that you can cast so fast?"
"Part of my training is in magic. In fact, a great part of my training was in the use of magic. Some of the lessons were harder for me than others. I am still learning and so I need to practice my skills." Eldrick could feel his energy starting to flag. He couldn't remember the last time his energy levels were this low just from simple spellwork. "I am glad I called it here. My energies are low. How are you feeling?"
"I am actually feeling tired. Is that what you mean by your energies are low?"
"Yeah, it is. If we pushed more one of two things could happen. We could pass out or we could build up a resistance. I do not wish to risk the first." Rising he offered her his hand. "Come let's see what we can do about dinner. I am sure Amaryliss is going to keep the others busy for a while yet."
Taking his hand she rose and followed him into the kitchen. "I am no good at cooking, remember?"
"Yeah, I know but that doesn't mean you can't help. I don't know where everything is and you can gather the supplies I need. Now what to make?" He thought about it and came to the decision that a nice thick stew would probably be the perfect thing. "What do we have for roasts? Also, I could use some vegetables chopped up."
"Cutting vegetables I can do. What types of vegetables and how do you need them chopped?" She glanced into the cold room. "Oh nice, there is a beef roast in here."
"How large is the roast? Carrots, beans and potatoes if you will. Potatoes first and cubed. The carrots medallioned."
Caitlin pulled out the roast. Eldrick seeing it thought he would only need a quarter of it since there were going to be other things to stretch the meat in the stew. Taking the roast he cut off what he needed and returned the rest to the cold room. Finding the skillet and oil he set it on the stove. Getting the fire going he waited for the stove to heat up. Slicing the roast up and cubing he tossed the bits into the skillet. Grabbing a large stewpot, he filled it with water and placed it on the stove as well. After browning the meat he tossed it into the stewpot, gathering the cubed potatoes they too went into the pot. Looking around the pantry he came to the conclusion that dumplings would be a treat as well. While the stew was cooking he prepared the dough for the dumplings. Because his hands were doughy he tasked Caitlin with placing the rest of the vegetables into the pot. He remembered that corn would be a nice addition and asked her to prepare a couple of ears of corn to kernels and throw them in as well. Cleaning his hands he went to the spice cabinet to see what was available. Choosing a few which he knew worked for this type of stew he began the seasoning. Now that everything was in the pot for the stew he took the bowl of dumpling dough and two large spoons and began dropping dough into the pot. Once the bowl was empty he took the lid and placed it on the pot.
"Now all we have to do is wait. So we might as well clean up while it cooks."
"Okay, I'll wash you dry."
As they cleaned up from making dinner they discussed the different aspects of magic and how it could be used. Eldrick was careful not to let slip any druid secrets since he was neither a master nor permitted to teach a girl the druid arts. He didn't know if there was any way for the druids to discern whether or not someone had taught a female and he didn't wish to risk losing his life before he could even make journeyman. Then a crippling thought hit him. What if he wasn't male after all. He began to shake. He felt so comfortable in the gowns and with his hair all done up. Could it be possible? Then he considered just how he reacted to seeing his reflection in the mirror. He was not male but had to continue this charade. Lives were at stake. He wasn't about to risk Sergei that way.
Caitlin noticing Eldrick had stopped drying turned to him. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Well at least nothing I can talk about right now," Eldrick muttered. "I need to discuss something with Sergei."
"Oh ok, well we are pretty much done here now anyway."
"Yeah, I just need to watch the stew to make sure it doesn't burn. Oh shoot, I added the dumplings too soon." Lifting the lid he carefully inserted the long-handled wooden spoon to give the stew a stir. "Okay, it seems fine I just need to be gentle stirring."
"I would probably burn it."
"I think stew would be something you could make without too much trouble as it is mostly waiting and stirring occasionally."
Eldrick walked over to the table and sat on one of the stools. "I think we could go over some more complex shield forms in theory."
"Theory is boring."
"I find theory fascinating. I mean it gives you time to think about how a shield works and how you can alter it for a given situation" Eldrick sat there rubbing his hands together. "For instance, the fact that there are things a shield could do like return the force bolt or other spell back on the caster. I haven't tried it yet but I think it has merit. Most casters from what I know don't defend against their own magic."
"You know, I hadn't thought of that. Can a shield protect from all types of magic?"
"There are different types of shields for different types of magic. The basic shields we are teaching you are for direct attack and to prevent you from draining too much of your energies in a circle." Running his hand through his hair, "they can also prevent someone else from draining you if applied correctly."
Hearing the others entering the dining room Eldrick rose. Checking on the stew once more to see if the flavours had blended properly. Seeing that they had, he lifted the pot off of the stove. "Can you get a potholder and the door for me please"
Caitlin nodding grabbed a potholder and moved to open the door. Once the door opened there was a groan from the assembled students.
"Great, what are we going to be trying to eat tonight?"
"Oh no Caitlin was cooking."
"Wait is that Ellie, oh good, we are saved."
"I wouldn't go that far, Cait helped me make this," a mischievous grin played across his face.
Settling the pot on the table he went back to fetch a ladel. Dishing out for every one he took a seat with his own bowl of stew. They sat in companionable silence eating and just relaxing overall. From the looks on the faces, Ekldrick could tell they had been worked hard. Some had made an improvement and others were still struggling. He considered the repercussions. There was going to be the need to work on shields before attempting a circle working on the morrow.
"Eileen, I think we are going to need bread baked tonight. And who is the farthest along in Lady Amaryliss training? Who is struggling?"
"Well, Lugh just can't seem to grasp it, Amy is struggling really badly with the concepts. Why are you asking?" Her brow raised in concern.
"I am thinking about having the ones who are struggling to remain out of the circle work tomorrow and make dinner," Eldrick rubbed his shoulder. "We could be doing that later in the day and someone is going to need to make dinner."
With dinner complete, they all rose to prepare for bed. Eldrick began tidying up the dishes. When Jane caught his attention.
"The castle servants come in at night to do our dishes." Jane had a concerned smile. "You worked hard today then made dinner. Tomorrow will be just as hard I would presume."
"I need to get back into the habit of cleaning up after a meal or I will get soft and fail my testing," Eldrick's face was a mask of worry. "It is my responsibility to tend to my master's needs when travelling. I am not going to risk failure because I have gotten soft here."
"You get soft? Ellie, you work harder than anyone here and you don't give yourself enough time for proper rest," she scowled. "I don't know how you find the energy to keep going."
"I do what I have to. I just can't let myself rest if there is something that needs to be done. I am likely not going to be the only one teaching shields to those who have mastered Amaryliss' lesson today. Give me a hand with the dishes and then we can go to bed."
"You just don't understand, do you? You don't have to do this."
"I beg to differ. The dirty dishes are a breeding ground for infection from what I have read. And the fact that Amarna hasn't made it part of the duties to make sure they are cleaned right away, baffles me."
"Ellie is quite correct. I thought I taught her better. I will help you youngling. We have a few things to discuss anyway." Amaryliss looked concerned at the thought of dishes waiting for others to come to take care of them. "Jane, when on patrols do the hunters wait for someone else to wash their dishes or do they clean them themselves?"
"I, uh, well that is I have never thought about it. But we would have to clean our own dishes no matter how hard a day we have had." Rolling up her sleeves, "Okay, let's get these dishes done." Her face became a mask of surprise when she entered the kitchen. "There are less than I expected."
"That is because Ellie and Caitlin cleaned up as they went while making dinner." Amaryliss smiled, her eyes glinting with pride. "I should have known. Sergei may be an old curmudgeon but when he trains an apprentice he doesn't slack in discipline."
"Do you know where he has gone?"
"I do not, just that he had a very important errand he needed to attend to before you could continue on your travels. This also gives us time to see what can be done about Amarna and Sebastian."
"Oh, I may have to leave Sebastian behind," his face fell at the thought. "He would think I have abandoned him."
"Now don't be silly. He'll understand. He knows it's something you have been training your whole life for. You not making it because of him would cause him mental trauma."
Eldrick couldn't find a response to this and so, focused on the dishes. With the three of them, the cleaning of the dishes was quickly completed. Once done Amaryliss sent them off to their beds. Eldrick watched her head into Sebastian's room as he headed up the stairs. Now he began worrying about Sebastian all over again.
