"We've got to help Irun," I said, catching my breath. The three of us rushed over to where he had landed, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where the hell did he go?" Edryd asked. "I saw him land right here," I said with no small amount of confusion in my voice.
"I'm over here," a voice came from a pile of dead creatures. "Irun," I said, rushing over to him. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," Irun grinned, but I grimaced. "I thought he had crushed your ribcage," I said, looking him up and down. "He did, which is why I didn't return to help you," Irun grunted as he shifted uncomfortably.
"I stayed here casting what spells I could to patch them up, while you three took it down," he continued. "Well, at least you're not dead," Roburn said, slowly walking over to the three of us, prompting Irun to chuckle lightly, but instantly regretted it. "Right now, I kind of wish I were," he groaned.
"You've all done well," the Master said, after looking around and noticing the battle was nearly over. "Not as well as you, Master," I replied, hearing the bowcasters strike down stragglers as they attempted to flee. "Well, what were you expecting me to do? Let it have at me and then take it down all beaten and broken?" he asked with a grin.
Was that a joke about my fight in the cave? I thought with a curt chuckle.
"Of course not, Master. I've just never seen you actually fight. Actually, now that I think about it, I've never seen anyone fight the way you did," I replied. "Of course, you haven't. If you had, I wouldn't be the master at Codrean, would I be, Thoma?" he gave me a wry grin, making me flush with embarrassment. "Although I did see you do something quite impressive yourself, did I not?" he asked, tilting his head a little.
The fuck? He was impressed? I thought, feeling my face flush with even more color as I nodded my head.
The Master smiled and turned to Irun. "Can you walk?" he asked. "I can, Master, though it feels like I've been run through by a tree trunk," Irun wheezed as Roburn and Ed helped him to his feet. "And you, Roburn? You seem pretty tattered and torn," the Master continued. "I can still walk, though this gash in my forehead will leave a handsome scar," Roburn replied, gesturing at the wound he was searing shut with mana.
"Very well, then. You two ride back to the fortress with the other wounded," the Master gestured to Irun and Roburn, who nodded, and walked past him, whistling for their horses. Irun mounted with some of Ed's and my help and was off with Roburn following close behind.
"He's a strong boy. Well, stronger than he looks, anyway," I heard Anwill mutter behind me. "Remind you of anyone?" the Master asked wryly. "Unfortunately, yes. He's a little odd, no doubt, but definitely a strong boy," Anwill said as he watched Irun and Roburn ride off, while the Master turned to face the two of us who remained.
I could hardly contain my embarrassment, but tried my best anyway.
"As I've said before, you've all done well. You and the others worked as a team without having pulled an every man for himself situation. Well, at least until you pulled that little aerial stunt of yours," he said lightly. "I didn't feel like I had a choice, Master," I defended myself.
"Choice or not, that was extremely dangerous, Thoma. You could have been turned into little more than a bloodied chunk if you had missed," Anwill stepped forward, spreading his arms. "Still, it got the job done, and I must congratulate you for your courage, and for effectively using the second stage of mana in mid-combat," he continued with a relenting sigh.
"Thank you, Anwill, but that was not the first time I've managed to use it," I replied sheepishly. "Oh? When was the first?" he asked with a small amount of curiosity and worry in his tone that caused my brother to chuckle lightly.
"During my fight with the pair of ochelons, which I believe you've heard about from my brother," I grinned wryly. " But like this battle, I felt I was out of options and somehow… unlocked it? I'm not sure how else to describe it," I explained, unsure of my own words.
The Master looked at Anwill with the same look he gave my brother whenever they seemed to communicate wordlessly. The elf gave him a nod and took a step forward. "That's because the second stage is normally unlocked through extenuating circumstances, but it can also be controlled through one's intent," Anwill explained.
I looked at him, even more confused than before. "If you ever find yourself in Caegwen, I would love to teach you more about the various stages, young one, or at least point you in the right direction until someone else decides they want to take over," he said cheerfully.
He knows how to unlock the other stages? Is that how Bernar knows him? Who is this someone else he's talking about? I felt the thoughts rush through my mind, but quickly realized I was still mid-conversation. "I would love to receive your instruction, Anwill," I said with a bow. "That's Master Anwill to you, shit-bird," Bernar retorted.
"Waaait, what the fu-…?" I began, more confused than ever, but was immediately cut off by Anwill's waving hand. "Oh, shut it, Bernar. He's your brother, and seeing as how I'm no longer the master of the Sionaer Synners, there's no reason for him to call me that. In addition, he already has his Master," he said playfully. "Neither of those reasons makes a whole lot of sense to me, but if you say so," Bernar shrugged.
The Master observed Garett and his archers removing life from the bodies of the remaining creatures and sighed with relief when he realized all was going well. "That finishing blow you did," he began, turning to Anwill. "What about it, Master?" Anwill struggled with the name again.
"I assume they didn't teach you that at Sionaer," the Master said. "They did not, Master," Anwill replied. "That I learned from a young Synner a few centuries ago. I never got his first name, only that I was supposed to call him Pelantyr," he continued, making the Master's eyes flare momentarily. "You're sure that's the name he used?" he asked curiously.
"Y-Yes. He was young, probably no older than about seventeen at the time," Anwill replied awkwardly as the Master was taken aback. "You'll have to tell me about that later," the Master said, trying to hide the shift in his features. "Of course," Anwill bowed.
There's something Anwill knows that the Master doesn't? I wonder why the name Pelantyr had such an effect on him. He showed no sign of anything the time I asked him about it, I thought.
"We still have much to discuss," Anwill continued while Bernar was making his way over to our small group on his horse, bringing Celer along with him.
"That was one hell of a flashy kill, shitstain," Bernar said, dismounting his horse, handing me the reins to my own. "So was yours, but I had help," I said, gesturing to Edryd. "All I really did was blind him. Thoma did all the slicing and dicing, not to mention the other damage Roburn and Irun dealt," he shrugged.
"Well, you helped nevertheless," Bernar said with a smile. "Eh, It was the least I could do," Ed shrugged again, making my brother chuckle. "Master, the monsters have been slain, and we'd best be off to the fortress," Bernar said, turning to the Master who nodded and immediately signaled for the others to return. Ed whistled for his horse, hoping it hadn't met some horrible fate, but luckily, it quickly appeared from the neighboring treeline.
However, some of the other Synners or their horses had fallen in battle, and as a result, most had to walk home after having given their horses to aid the wounded.
The sun was already setting as we began our short trip back to the fortress, and it stung my eyes as its final rays beamed from behind the distant mountains.
"Anwill," the Master began. "You would like me to continue telling you about the young Synner, wouldn't you?" Anwill replied as if already knowing what he was going to ask. "If it's not too much trouble," he replied briefly.
"It is not, after all, it's the other reason why I've come all this way to Codrean; one I did not wish to disclose with the others present," Anwill said, getting a nod of understanding from the Master.
I later heard from Bernar that they spoke through the night until the early hours of the morning, going through a few bottles of ale, as well as a few kettles of tea.
Later that night, I lay awake in bed, reviewing the information presented throughout the day. There was almost too much to process, and I decided that while sacrificing sleep was never a good thing, it was necessary after everything.
This isn't going to end well, is it? I thought as my mind began to race.