Chapter 10

I turn to Lynn and point to the smoke rising in the sky. “That’s our next stop. We will spend the night and heal all in need. This will give you some practical experience you badly need.”

When we arrive, I wave one of the gate guards over. “Good afternoon, I’m restoration mage Tia’tha, and this is my apprentice Lynn. Please inform the Mayor of our arrival. We will be available for healing at the tavern.” I allow a small smile to show as the excited guardsman runs off to seek the Mayor.

I turn to Lynn and explain, “I let the Mayor know that we would be coming by, and that healing would be available when we arrive.”

She thinks about it and then asks “What about people too sick to come to the inn? Surely not everyone is up to the trip?” Surge of pride for my brilliant and caring apprentice warms me as I tell her “The Mayor has promised to send an escort to take us to anyone unable to make the trip”

After a hot meal and several hours spent watching Lynn heal her way through a long line of sick and injured, I spot a few guards waiting nearby. “Are you here to escort us to a few homes?” I ask.

The young officer salutes me, and says “Yes, Lady Mage. My name is Abbard I’m to escort you my father’s house. He has been sick for months, and I had almost given up all hope.” Waving Lynn over I introduce her to Abbard, and we follow him to the home.

The old shack stinks of sickness and unwashed bodies. I turn to Lynn, wanting to see her reaction. Wrinkling her nose, she comes in, and heads for the only bed in this one room shack. After examining the old man, she turns to me and angrily whispers, “It was just rockjoint, and a priest could have taken care of him in minutes! Now he has rockjoint and a nasty infection. There is no excuse for leaving him like this!”

Nodding agreement, I whisper back, “Some priests are not willing to visit places like this. Others insist on a hefty donation before providing healing.” Lynn turns away and stalks back to the old man, muttering a spell.

I watch as she casts a simple healing spell, but exhaustion must be pulling at her. For the first time I see her make a mistake when casting a spell. Her second spell isn’t any better, and I move up to help. The flawed spells suddenly twist into each other. What? Why? Lynn’s next cast, another simple and flawed healing spell snaps into the twisted chain. Eyes widening, I watch as her mana flows from one spell into the next through the apparent flaws.

Every cast is a simple spell, but each triggers all the previous spells twisting through the old man again and again. None of the spells are new, but the slight modifications she adds to each cause her mana to flow through the entire chain as though it was one unit.

The pain leaves the old man’s face, and he gasps, staring in awe at the healing magic trailing over his body.

He reaches out a trembling hand, saying something as he grabs Lynn’s arm. Moving closer, I hear him saying “Bless you” over and over. As his son runs to their side, I slip outside. Eventually Lynn and Abbard join me. We head back to the inn. “Thank you, I owe you so much. If I can ever do anything to repay you, please let me know!” he says.

“Thank you.” I reply, “We need to rest now. It’s been a long and tiring day, and we still have several more towns to stop at before returning home.”

I ask the innkeeper to heat two private tubs for us and guide my exhausted apprentice to the washroom.