The Apprentice Read online

  “I shall have a messenger tell the king that you have returned. King Alden has been eagerly awaiting your return and will wish to speak with you.”

  “That will not be necessary,” Baird replied quickly. “There are things that I should attend to before I see King Alden. I will not take long, but I would rather not have the king waiting on me. I would very much appreciate it if your man would take these horses to the stables to be fed and watered. I want them to be well taken care of. Have the saddlebags brought to my rooms.”

  “Of course,” the soldier replied, quickly beckoning over another watchman and hurriedly giving the man his instructions. When the sentry was finished talking, the new soldier took the reins of their horses and led them away.

  With the man gone, the sentry returned his attention to Baird and Rowan. “Is the boy with you?”

  “He is.” Baird’s response was kind, but his tone implied that the conversation had ended.

  The soldier gave a quick nod as Baird strode forward through the gates, forcing Rowan to jog to catch up.

  The greenery of the castle grounds struck Rowan. It marked a clear difference between the inner and outer grounds. Outside of the walled castle grounds, the city had little greenery. The streets were stone and dirt and there was little room for plants. The castle grounds were different. A pathway led up the rise and towards the castle, branching off to lead to other buildings. The ground was covered with a short grass that grew no taller than Rowan’s ankle. There were some trees scattered about with other plants and shrubs. The effect was pleasing and gave the grounds a natural feeling, though Rowan could tell that it had been landscaped.

  Rowan followed Baird, feeling out of place in this new environment. He observed the grounds as they walked, looking for people. There were a few walking between buildings in the distance, but none close. That suited him though. He was curious about the people and the grounds, but for the moment he was happy to keep his distance from the nobility, especially given his current state of dress.

  “What business do you have to be about?” Rowan was curious as to what would be important enough to make the king wait. Baird had not mentioned anything to him before.

  “I would like us to take the time to unpack and settle ourselves before seeing King Alden. I have been in a rush to return to Estoria, but now that I am back, I no longer need to hurry.”

  Rowan was stunned that Baird would delay his meeting with the king just because he wanted to settle himself. He had assumed that Baird had some pressing duty to attend to, but that did not seem to be the case. Privately he wondered if his master might be acting improperly. Was Baird truly so important as to make the king wait, or did he simply lack respect? It was true that they had not actually been summoned, but Baird had not even wished to notify the king of his arrival.

  “King Alden will be notified of my return. My return is long overdue and word will spread,” Baird said, causing Rowan to shift his attention. His master had a way of knowing the questions that Rowan did not ask. “I will have an audience with the king, but it is inevitable that it be delayed. I must speak to him privately and it would do me no good to enter the castle dressed as I am, dirtied and travel worn. King Alden will be busy at the moment, but if I wait for word of my arrival to reach him then I will be ready to meet with him when the time comes. Such is the game of courtly politics. I despise it.”

  Rowan followed Baird past several of the outlying buildings, walking off the main pathway and heading towards a building just off the western edge of the castle. It was larger than most Rowan had seen, even when compared to the buildings of the cities. It stood at a height nearing that of the giant trees of the Vale. Rowan noted that although the stone building was not directly connected to the castle, covered walkways ran between the buildings for ease of entrance.

  Baird took Rowan to a room on the second floor that was large and luxurious.

  “This is one of the spare rooms that I sometimes use or loan out while I am staying here in the capitol.” Baird shrugged off his travel pack and removed his cloak. Rowan set his own pack by the wall and stood by idly while Baird paced the length of the room, inspecting it. “Feel free to unpack your belongings, though I will warn you that I am prone to changing rooms. I do not like to remain in one space for too long.”

  “Why move?” Rowan looked about, taking in the size of the room and the extravagance of it all. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to the richness and luxury of Estoria. Having more than one dwelling seemed unnecessary.

  “I have my reasons. Change is good for the mind, and moving keeps me from being found too easily.”

  Rowan wondered who it was that Baird wished to avoid. Likely it was the nobles that he disliked, the lords and ladies of the court. Rowan was curious as to what they were like. He doubted that he would see them, but Baird’s distaste fed his curiosity.

  “Place your bedroll over there for now, seeing as how there is only one bed at the moment.” Baird indicated a space of floor near the bed. There was a lightly worn rug on the floor that would offer some extra padding. “I will have you stay with me for the time being as I settle in and find a place for you.”

  Rowan placed his bedroll and moved his pack next to his sleeping space while Baird rearranged things within the room, setting them in such a way that pleased him. He did not miss Baird’s comment about placing him somewhere. He wondered what Baird meant by that, but did not ask.

  Afterwards, Baird led Rowan to a large room filled with a steaming pool meant for washing. There he left Rowan to himself for privacy.

  Rowan took some time to admire the room. Lighted globes hung along the walls and a window offered extra light, though it gave no view.

  All that could be heard in the silence was the water lapping against the edges of the pool and the occasional drip of water from the ceiling. The water steamed as it let off heat, creating a thin haze in the air just above the surface of the pool.

  Rowan stripped, setting his clothes against the edge of the wall. He eased himself into the warm water, causing the surface to ripple as he entered. Beneath his feet he could feel the floor sloping downwards as the pool got deeper. He waded further in. The sloping of the floor evened out at his shoulders.

  Rowan sighed and leaned backwards, floating on his back. He stared at the ceiling, searching for answers that were not there. The waves in the pool lapped against his body as he drifted on the surface of the water.

  He felt peaceful. The heat soothed his tired muscles and he had nothing to worry him. He let himself drift off farther into the pool, lost in thought as he relaxed for the first time in ages. Rowan closed his eyes, shutting out the world and providing him with a blissful solitude. He remained like that for a short while as he let his mind wander. Thoughts of home and his family filled his mind. He felt a sadness at their absence. He missed his father and his brother. He longed for the feeling of home. But even now, Rowan did not regret leaving.

  Finding a cloth and a scrubber, Rowan set about cleaning himself of the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the weeks of travel. It was a long time before he felt confident that he had scrubbed it all away.

  When done, Rowan realized that he did not know what he was meant to do. Baird had not instructed him to stay or to return to the room. Would Baird be waiting for him should he return? Glancing towards his soiled clothes and wishing he had known to bring a clean set, Rowan decided he would take his time and continue to enjoy the warm bath. The water was nice and it felt good to be clean again.

  When Rowan was done, he found that his dirty clothes had been replaced with a fresh set and there was a towel waiting for him. He wondered what had happened to his other clothes, hoping that he would be able to get them back at some point.

  Rowan dried himself and dressed. He found the hallway empty and he was just pondering how he would find Baird when the big man turned a corner and greeted him.

  “I hope you enjoyed your bath. You look much more presentable now,” Baird commented
. Rowan noticed that Baird had also washed and donned a more formal change of clothes. The cloth had gold trim, subtle yet clear, and his sword belt had been exchanged for one of polished black leather with a silver buckle. Baird’s sword hung at his waist, the scabbard no longer wrapped in cloth to hide the runes that gave its name.

  “It feels nice to be clean after all the days spent travelling. And that bath was amazing. I didn’t know there were such niceties,” Rowan said. He hoped that he would be allowed to continue to bathe in such a fashion.

  “There are many things that you have not yet been privileged enough to discover,” Baird said. “But your experiences will come in time. For now we will go and meet with King Alden.”

  Baird led Rowan away, speaking of formalities and etiquettes that he should know. It was not expected that he know such things, Baird told him, yet that did not prevent a knot of apprehension from forming in the pit of Rowan’s stomach. He was about to gain an audience with the king of the entire country. What if the king did not approve of him?

  Worries flashed through Rowan’s mind as Baird led him out of the building and across the grounds to the castle entrance.

  They entered through a pair of heavy doors and Rowan let Baird guide him through the hallways. The magnificence of the castle distracted Rowan, and he almost fell behind several times. He kept stopping to stare. Many of the large corridors were lined with hangings and tapestries, all brightly colored. At one point, Rowan was certain that he glimpsed an entire room filled with nothing but books, but then Baird called his name and he had to hurry to keep up, otherwise he chanced getting lost.

  They made their way through the hallways, occasionally passing others. Most people they encountered acknowledged Baird with a bow or a greeting, but Baird never stopped long enough for anyone to speak with him. Many glanced at Rowan curiously.

  Rowan followed his master around a corner and found the setting instantly changed. The hallway widened and became grander. The walls were lined with pillars, in between which were long banners of blue and silver. The floor had an intricate red carpet that was laced with gold thread along the edges that formed a pattern. It ran down the middle of the hallway and stretched all the way to the end where a large pair of ornate double doors were framed on either side by banners displaying a golden emblem and a pair of guards standing watch. The entire hallway was lined by sconces filled with unlit torches.

  Rowan glanced sideways at one of the large banners as he walked past. It was a dark blue with a silver line running just along the inside edge of the border. The center displayed a silver shield that overlapped two crossed swords. On the shield was a curved cross with a circle behind it.

  They approached the doors at the end of the hallway and the guards eyed them with interest.

  “I am here to speak with the king. The boy is with me,” Baird said to the guards as they approached. It seemed that he was known to them, but the pair had been eyeing Rowan with uncertainty and curiosity.

  One of the men stepped up to the doors and knocked loudly, almost banging. He waited a moment, then pushed the doors open and stood aside to allow entrance.

  Rowan followed Baird, walking through the doors and into a great hall. The size and scale of the chamber awed Rowan. To say the room was large was an injustice. His old house could have easily fit inside this single room with space to spare. The ceiling far above was high enough to give the impression that it stretched upwards and into the sky.

  Rowan looked about in wonder, his gaze eventually drawn to the far side of the room, where a raised throne sat upon a dais. The throne was occupied by a man richly dressed and wearing a golden crown upon his brow. Rowan immediately knew him to be the king.

  Surrounding the king were several men conversing in loud tones. At the sound of the doors the men halted their conversation, their attention drawn towards the disturbance. Towards Baird and Rowan.

  “Greetings, Your Majesty.” Baird bowed at the waist and Rowan did his best to mimic him. The action was simple and short, but he had to resist watching his master to make sure that he bowed deeply enough and did not rise too early.

  A moment of silence followed until the king spoke.

  “Baird, you have returned!” The king rose from his seat. Rowan studied the man as he descended the stairs from the throne. The king was not quite what Rowan had expected, though it was not necessarily a bad difference.

  Rowan had expected the king of Atlea to be something great, something transcendent. The man who approached them was just that—a man. He was average in height and he wore fine clothing. He seemed overly animated and lacked the imposing presence that Baird had. He held himself with poise and looked regal, but he did not seem to have the strength that Rowan would have expected.

  Rowan thought that in contrast to Baird, the king seemed weaker and less commanding.

  “Welcome,” the king said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He immediately began to cross the room, ignoring the other men present.

  “Greetings, King Alden,” Baird said with another bow. Unsure of his place and wondering what he should do, Rowan kept silent and followed Baird’s example by bowing.

  “Come now, Baird. There is no need for such formalities.”

  “Majesty?” Baird gave the king a pointed stare and then glanced in the direction of the three men still standing across the room, looking very annoyed.

  Two of them wore brightly colored clothing. Their expressions indicated that they took offense to being ignored, and both seemed to struggle against protesting. The larger of the two was turning red in the face.

  The third man drew Rowan’s gaze. Unlike the others, he was not dressed in colorful fineries. His clothing was fine, but it was meant to be practical rather than showy. He wore a sword at his waist and a short cape was clasped to his shoulders. While the other two men seemed indignant at being ignored, he appeared surprised. The expression quickly left his face as he stared across the room at Baird with a look of malice. Unlike the others, he seemed bothered by Baird’s presence rather than the king’s inattention.

  “Ah, yes,” King Alden said quietly. Then, in a much louder voice, he said, “You three may leave us. I have important matters to discuss.”

  “Your Majesty,” the one man protested, “surely you can attend to such matters after we have finished our own business.”

  “No. I was beginning to tire of those affairs anyways. They can wait until later. At the moment, I wish to speak with Baird. He has just returned from his trip abroad and I am most anxious to hear the news concerning his travels.”

  “But Your Majesty, if Baird’s news is indeed important then surely I, at least, should hear of it as well.”

  “Gannon, I wish to speak with Baird alone.” The king's tone cautioned Gannon against overstepping his position. His voice was hard and in his face Rowan saw the strength and will that he had expected of a ruler.

  Annoyance flashed across Gannon’s face, but the expression was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by a false calm. The man—Gannon—seemed as though he might protest, but instead bowed and said, “As you wish.” He spun around and left the room, following the other two men who had already gone.

  “They give me such a headache,” the king said when the room had emptied. He spoke less formally than before. “All day long they do nothing but quarrel, debating this and that, never giving me any peace. Especially Gannon. He has become even more difficult during your absence.” He paused, still facing away.

  “I am glad that you have returned, Baird. I can trust you to help me handle the more tedious affairs of state. Now tell me, what news do you bring?”

  The king turned back around and suddenly seemed to notice Rowan for the first time. Rowan shifted under the gaze of the king.

  “Who would this be?” the king asked.

  “This boy convinced me to adopt him as my apprentice. His name is Rowan.” Baird introduced Rowan with a gesture.

  “Fascinating.” The king now eyed R
owan with even more curiosity than he had before. “It is hard to believe that you of all people have taken on an apprentice. You've always rejected the idea. Remember that one lord and his son—what was his name? I honestly thought that lord would have offered you his lady wife just to have you accept his son. And that was not the best offer that you have turned down.

  “Yet now you return with an apprentice who does not appear to have come from a noble house and who you seem fond of. My goodness, you have been gone for a long time. I never would have thought that you would take on a pupil, Baird.”

  The king turned to address Rowan. “You must be a very interesting young man if Baird was willing to accept you as his pupil. I would very much enjoy hearing about how you two met, but unfortunately, the present is not the time for that. There are more pressing issues to deal with.”

  The king was about to say something more when the chamber doors were thrown open behind them, admitting into the room a beautiful young girl. She wore a fine dress that trailed behind her as she strode inside. She was closely followed by the guards who had been outside of the doors, but the king waved them away with a simple gesture.

  The girl’s eyes locked on the three of them and she quickly crossed the room, golden curls bouncing as she hurried.

  “Baird!” The girl’s voice carried loudly with her displeasure. Baird flinched, something Rowan had never seen. For the briefest of moments, Rowan thought he saw a look of fear on his master’s face, but it was replaced by a look of annoyed resignation.

  Baird cursed. “How does she do it? I swear that she is more informed than she has any right to be.”

  At this, the king chuckled with amusement.

  “It would appear that my daughter has found us more quickly than you expected.”