The Choice of Magic - Michael G. Manning Page 0,76
that they were past the magic, he could see his house sitting quietly where it always had. He felt a wave of relief when he saw that it wasn’t on fire, nor were there any soldiers evident. “We’re safe,” he announced.
Sammy was staring behind them at the trees they had just walked through. “They aren’t really there. That was magic?”
Will nodded.
“And that crazy old man did it?” she asked.
He nodded again. “I’m certain of it.” He pulled at her. “Let’s go find Mom.”
Moments later, they were opening the door and Will felt the tension go out of him when he saw his mother and Arrogan arguing and packing in the front room. They looked up as the door opened, both their faces registering shock and relief at his and Sammy’s entrance.
Erisa dropped the pot she was holding and ran toward him. “Are you all right? Oh my god, the blood! Take off your clothes!”
Will smiled. “It’s all right, Mom. It’s not mine. I fought with some soldiers. It’s their blood.” He looked down as he said it and realized his words weren’t true. He had gotten some of the soldiers’ blood on him, but his shirt and pants were now soaked. The cuts on his arm and leg had been bleeding slowly during their journey through the woods. “Oh,” he said lamely. “That blood. Yeah, I think most of that is mine.”
“Don’t worry, Erisa,” said Arrogan. “His body can afford to spare some blood. It doesn’t need the blood it sends to his brain. He never uses it anyway.”
Erisa never looked away. She was busy cutting the cloth away from his arm, so she could dress the wounds. “Shut up,” she barked at the old man. Sammy let out a semi-hysterical giggle at their exchange.
“They look worse than they are,” pronounced his mother after a moment. “I can stitch them up later. For now, we can make do with pressure dressings.”
While his mother wrapped his arm and thigh with clean linen strips, Arrogan interrogated his student, demanding to know what he had seen and what route they had taken to get back to the house. Will had difficulty answering. He relayed the story up until the point where he reached his aunt and uncle’s house, and then stopped. Taking a deep breath, he tried to tell them what he had seen. “Doug was in front of the house, trying to keep the soldiers away, but they were too big…”
“Little Dougie was braver than anyone,” said Sammy, and then her voice broke and she began to cry again.
Haltingly, Will described his fight with the soldiers, though he struggled with telling them about Doreen’s brutal murder. He could feel his mother’s hands tense when he relayed that part, but she said nothing. It was easier explaining his escape with Sammy afterward.
When he had finished, his grandfather sighed. “I’d like to tell you how stupid what you did was,” he said at last, “but I think you already realize that. At the very least you proved me wrong. You managed to get Sammy away safely, and that was no mean feat.”
“He saved my life,” said Will’s cousin quietly.
“Oh, I doubt they’d have killed a girl your age,” said Arrogan. “They’d have—”
“That’s enough,” snapped Erisa harshly.
For the first time Will could remember, his grandfather looked not just chastened, but embarrassed. “Anyway, it’s a good thing you got her away from there,” said the old man. Then he looked at Sammy. “Pardon my rough edges, Sammy. I’m not used to talking to people anymore. I’ve lived alone a long time.”
“I’ve been staying with you for years now,” reminded Will.
Arrogan waved a hand dismissively. “You barely count as people.” Then he addressed Will’s cousin once more. “As I was saying, I’ve been without civilized conversation for longer than I can remember.”
“Why don’t we stick to practical matters for now?” said Will’s mother as she finished tying off the last bandage. “How long do you think we have to pack?”
“We should leave now,” said Arrogan. “I know you want to bring some of your herbs, but they could find us at any time.”
“They can’t find the path here,” said Sammy. “If I hadn’t known the house was here, and Will hadn’t dragged me through whatever it was you did, we wouldn’t have found it.”
“How long will the spell last?” asked Will.
His grandfather shrugged. “Hours. That isn’t the problem. What did you see when you found my illusion?”