Chapter 6

At the end of the mornings training, and while they were both seated enjoying breakfast, Brianna quietly asked "Honey, Aric, what circle mage are you?"

"I don't really know," responded Aric "maybe second or third."

He wasn't really listening to her. He was really excited about having a good day today.

Brianna was unable to knock him down or disarm him even once today and they switched hands back and forth easily.

Even though she got in some good shots at him, and his shoulders and arms still smarted from the hits he took, he was still happy she couldn't knock him down or disarm him.

He was finally starting to hold his own. Soon she would even be in trouble when he started using a Bastard sword in each hand.

"Haven't you ever wanted to be tested?" asked Brianna.

"Well I was due to be tested once I returned to the academy, but we both know how that worked out," said Aric with a rueful smile.

"I think you should be tested," said Brianna.

"What brought this on?" asked Aric turning to look at Brianna, suddenly listening very closely to the conversation.

"Is it because my twenty third season is coming up in a couple months and you are worried I'll be too old to use magic?" Aric joked.

"No," said Brianna looking around the clearing nervously, "it's because there is an eighth circle Archmage in the city named Galen, I know you've heard me mention him before in passing, and I kind of let it slip that I knew a self taught mage when I was looking over some of his books that he had under his arm when he went to the market. I asked him if I could ever borrow some of the more advanced ones."

"He got worried and said that a novice practicing advance things would cause one of two problems, either the novice would hurt themselves or others around them, or the guild eventually would find out and come down hard on an untrained mage practicing magic.

"Then he told me it must be you because you are only person I'm close enough to risk getting a book for. Then he said he would like to meet you" finished Brianna still nervous.

She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please don't be mad at me for letting someone know you can do magic. I was only trying to help by getting you more books to read," she said.

Aric reached out and took her chin in his hand so he could look into her eyes. While Brianna wasn't cowering from him she did look worried that she had made him mad at her by giving away his secret.

"You don't ever have to apologize for trying to help me. I love you enough that I'd forgive you for almost anything you might do to and for me. But I think we both know where that boundary of almost lies don't we," said Aric with a sad smiled.

Then he leaned over and kissed her lips.

"So let's go have a talk with Galen. Besides you might break both my arms if I got too mad at you," said Aric with a mischievous grin.

They approached a house in the middle the city. It was a pretty non-descript brown house with a brown picket fence in front of it.

When Brianna knocked on the door, and Galen answered, it was easy to see he was taken with her.

As he greeted her and stepped back to let her walk past him inside, he obviously and very blatantly looked her over from head to toe as she passed by and watched her butt in her leather pants for a bit as she strolled further into the house.

But to be honest what man in this city wasn't taken with her any time they met her. She was easily the most beautiful woman most had seen in that city in seasons. She just never seemed to be aware of it before and apparently still wasn't.

She never thought it was because she was attractive that men wanted her, but she believed that it was because they couldn't mange to control their sexual urges.

After their first kiss, and not for the first time since then, had he not failed to thank his stars she was the one who chased him, and was thankful she wasn't stuck on herself about her beauty or he'd never have caught her.

As Aric watched Galen stare at Brianna, he noticed that he looked about 300 if he was a day. That couldn't be his real age, but he looked like that was how old he really was. He was easily 6'2". He may have been taller, but he had a slight stoop.

And he was thin.

Not unhealthy thin, but thin enough that it was obvious physical strength wasn't his strong point. His face appeared clean shaven, and his hair was cut short, but he had a full head of white hair.

He didn't wear wizard's robes, but a white cotton pull over shirt and what looked to be blue home spun pants.

As Aric stepped up, Galen turned to him and sized him up.

He took in the broad shoulders, the muscled arms, large hands, and his broad back. Aric felt a little uncomfortable with the attention Galen was giving him.

To tell the truth he didn't like the attention most everyone was now giving him either, but he had finally accepted wearing snug short sleeve, or sleeveless, shirts like most of the other residents of Mariners Deep.

Brianna threatened to burn all this clothes and make him go around in his underwear if he didn't quit wearing all those baggy shirts. She enjoyed the look of his arms and being able to hold on to them from time to time when they were out.

But it had the reverse reaction than she expected. She became even more jealous because other women started openly flirting more with Aric now.

Before, the various women liked Aric for his face and pleasant personality. Now they were very much aware he had a well defined body to go with the rest of the package.

But Brianna always told herself long as he didn't take any of them up on their offers, and he remained just her man, she would live with the attention he received.

That and she wouldn't have to hurt any of them either, she always thought as she smiled to herself.

After seating his guest, Galen looked over Aric and he said "I hear you're a budding novice mage," with a neutral expression.

"I have taught myself a little bit of magic over the seasons," said Aric.

"Oh, you have, have you? Do tell. Let me ask you this, how would one go about casting flame on say water?" asked Galen.