The Defence Master
When Luke led him into the workshop the following morning. Will had expected it to be like the one in Harthpoint, or what he’d imagined Hearthfast’s forge to look like. What he got instead, was the cleanest room he’d ever seen.
The Ironoge Forge, the sign that hung outside a pair of pure silver doors had declared was as neat and ordered as Mayor Harth’s home. Everything had its place and not a single item was out of it.
Neat tables stood against the walls. With each tool in its perfect place. Running along seven of the eight walls, were chests with black symbols engraved into each one. The eighth wall’s lack of chests was due to the fact that the door was in the way. Will couldn’t read what they said. But he recognised that it was Dwarfish.
That was confirmed at that exact moment, when the oldest looking dwarf Will had ever seen stepped out from the shadows. He guessed that this must be Ironoge. Luke wasn’t kidding, Will was amazed that the old dwarf could still be alive.
Aside from being old, Ironoge was also really short, even by the standards of his race. He barely reached Will’s hips, even when standing at full height. His beard and hair were chalk white, but his eyes were a pale grey that shone like polished metal.
“Morning Mr Horn and…” Ironoge started, but then suddenly stopped as his steely gaze fell on Will. “Ah. I wondered when I’d be seeing you William Sharp.”
Will just stared but at a nod from Luke, who was now leaning up against the black walls, convinced Will to move forwards slightly. There was something about this dwarf that was unnerving him: It was the way the grey eyes never left him, like they were scanning him for some reason.
“I’m here for my wand sir.” Will said in a timid voice. The Dwarf was freaking him out with the way that he was trying to get him to blink first.
“Ah… Yes.” Ironoge said as he walked over to one of the tall shelves, using a ladder to reach the very top ones. “It seems only yesterday that your mother was here requesting her own wand.” At this Ironoge began fumbling through the shelves taking out boxes, staring at them for a few seconds, then moving onto the next. “Yes. I remember it well, a simple design, but supremely powerful in her hands.” Ironoge returned his grey gaze to Will, who flinched backwards, the dwarf was not unfriendly, but something about the way that they never seemed to blink was starting to scare Will, it was like the Dwarf was sizing him up. “Well. I suppose that you’ll need something with a bit more power, given your inexperience, the wand will have to take up the slack. Now let me see.”
As Ironoge returned to his boxes, Will remained stationary in the room. It seemed to take forever, the dwarf would move between boxes, taking stuff out, putting stuff back in, with Will just standing in the centre of the room, his excitement ebbing away.
“How long is this going to take?” Will asked after what must have been the thirtieth box was shoved crudely back into place.
“Impatient.” Ironoge said as he took out a small hammer. “Just like his mother. Tell me William Sharp. What are your abilities? What do you excel at?”
“Err.” Will said, not entirely sure what to say.
“Target practice.” Luke suggested from where he stood.
“Shut up.” Will replied turning around to see Luke sniggering at him.
“Hmm. Undetermined, maybe the simple is the way to go with this one. Too focussed on one and it could…” Ironoge said trailing off in mid thought; acting as if he couldn’t even hear the brewing argument between the two boys, and picked up a small stick from what Will guessed was the last remaining box in the room. “Ah. Curious, I could have sworn I asked for simple, but what you have given me you dumb box. Kingswood, and a Eldwood handle, ten inches, and…” As Ironoge was handling the wand he stopped, seeming slightly bemused by something, before holding the piece of wood up to his ear. “Dragon heartstring core. Very curious indeed.”
“What’s curious?” Will asked looking at the dwarf.
“Just give it a go. Probably won’t be a fit for you anyways. I told the box that a simpler wand would do, and it gives you that.” Ironoge said as he places the wand into Will’s outstretched hand.
As soon as the wood made contact with his skin, Will felt a sudden warmth rush through him, and raising the wand above his head, he brought it down, watching as silverly light erupted along the walls of the room.
“Very good. Yes very good indeed.” Ironoge cried out, though the smile he was wearing did not reach his beady grey eyes. “Just. Very strange.”
As Will let his wand fall to his side. He watched as Ironoge walked back to his counter still muttering.
“What’s odd sir?” Will asked
“I am an old dwarf, having seen almost fifteen-hundred winters, William. I remember every item that has left these doors, each wand, staff, armour. Not one, has been an exact replica. Except that.” Ironoge said indicating the wand that Will clutched tightly in his hand. “That wand, is the same wood, same length, and same core, as the one that the shop chose for your mother.”
“Is that unusual?” Will asked, wondering what was so odd about that.
“Very. It isn’t the one your mother used, that wand would have been destroyed when The Witchfinders caught her, so yours is unique in that regard. But to have the same properties in a second is something that I have never seen, even within families, there are similarities of course, the core might be different, or the wood might come from a different tree. But yours William, is a complete copy.” Ironoge explained as he looked at the wand like it was a bomb that was about to go off. “I think we can expect great things from you. After all, whilst she was here, your mother did great things.”
These words still in his head, Will finally walked through the doors to the Great Room. Five long tables ran the length of the room, with a sixth at the far end under a large window. Above them were the same blue lights that lit the rest of the school. On the tables were littered with plates.
Sitting at the top table were what Will guessed were the teachers. On the other five, were everyone else, a collection of students, dwarves, other sorcerers who resided at the school, and sitting at the fifth, and furthest table, were a collection of weird creatures. What looked like a group of the bull like creatures that he had come to realise were a group of Minotaurs were in discussion about something that Will couldn’t make out due to the way they were communicating in grunts, Goblins were counting piles of strange bronze coloured coins, and a cloaked figure was sitting alone, eating what looked like raw meat given the blood that was pouring out of it.
“Werewolf. Stay away from him.” Luke said after seeing Will staring at the hooded man.
Will chose to stop staring at the creatures then.
Sitting down at the furthest table from the creatures, Will sat down next to Luke, looking around at the room. Despite its impressive size, it was half full.
“Erm. Why is it so empty?” Will asked looking around.
“Cause of The Witchfinders.” Luke replied and picked up goblet nearest him. “This place was crammed. But after The Witchfinders started hunting us, fewer and fewer people get here. Grapewine.”
The goblet in Luke’s hand instantly filled with a light, greenish liquid.
“What?” Will asked staring at the now full goblet.
“Just tell the cup and plate what you want.” Luke said after taking a gulp of the liquid; realising what Will was going on about. “The castle will provide it.”
Will took hold of the nearest goblet and stared at it. Despite the fact that he had just seen this work with Luke, he still felt foolish. Then an idea came to him, if any drink was available then he might be able to finally drink liquor. He had tried to get some back at Harthpoint, and had received nothing but a beating for his attempts. But now.
“Black-walk.” Will said hesitantly.
Immediately Will knew he had made a mistake, as the goblet began to shake violently. Then a bunch of black liquid splurged out of the goblet, and hit him directly in the face. It was black-walk, but clearly it was never going to be that simple to get hard alcohol.
A loud silence came across the room as everyone stared over, trying to see who had just tried to order alcohol. A few people started to laugh before they returned to their previous conversations.
“Yeah that happens if you try to order alcohol.” Evie said as she sat down across from them.
Will began to wipe the black-walk from his face. Turning around to see Luke sniggering over at him.
“And when were you going to bring that up?” Will asked, finally managing to get the last of the drink out of his hair.
“When you’d attempted it.” Luke said as he took his plate and proceeded to order food. “It’s a rite of passage. Just didn’t think you’d attempt it so soon.”
Will was about to throw his now empty goblet at Luke’s head, but stopped at the look that Elevyn was giving him.
“Don’t beat him up. Everyone’s tried what you just did at some point.” Evie said as she spoke to her own goblet and began drinking. Will just stared at her, unsure what to say. So, he turned his attention to the top table.
About a dozen adults sat at the high table, talking with one another in hushed tones. That was until he saw a thirteenth empty seat, right at the centre.
“Whose is that?” Will asked staring at the empty chair.
Luke and Evie turned to see what Will was talking about, then a strange look passed between them.
“That’s the Magi’s.” Luke said as he returned to his plate full of food.
“He hardly comes down here anymore.” Evie said taking up where Luke had left off. “Most of the time he spends it with Master Thothson and Master Barrows in his study. No idea what they talk about.”
Will continued to stare at the empty chair for a long while after the others had returned to their food.
“Mr Sharp. Are you listening to me?”
Will turned around to see an elderly woman standing over him like an overgrown vulture, down to wobbly bit under her chin and all.
“Sorry.” Will replied looking wide eyed at the woman who was casting him into shadow. Luke also looked wearily at her.
“As I was saying.” The woman said as she handed Will a sheet of parchment. Next to each was a list of subjects and their corresponding rooms. “As you’re new here. This is a list of your subjects that all students are required to attend. There is no excuse for tardiness, something that I hope you’ll impart to Mr Horn here once I leave.” The elderly woman gave Luke a sharp look, that he met with the best innocent look he could give. “You’ll be sharing his classes as well, so I expect you to help your roommate, Horn.”
“Yes, Master Vera.” Luke said, before returning to his food.
“Good. And remember Mr Sharp, your recent arrival is no excuse for tardiness.” Master Vera said before returning to the high table, sitting down and engaging a dark skinned, thin woman in conversation.
“She’s a fun one.” Will said turning to Luke, who was no longer paying attention, his face was full of the food he’d summoned.
“She’s one of the more serious ones.” Elevyn conceded.
“Serious.” Luke said, before forcing the food down his throat so that he could continue. “You mean boring.” Elevyn gave him a disapproving look, but Luke ignored her. “She teaches Histories and Law. Trust me Will, if you want to catch up on some sleep. That is the class to do it in.”
Being the newbie in a place that Will guessed didn’t get that many new faces. He found his first full week at Bergtrost to be a stressful one. People would point at him, muttering under their breaths as he past.
What they were saying, Will didn’t have time to worry about. He was, anyway, too busy trying to navigate a castle that seemed to be doing everything its power to trick and mislead him. Corridors that would change where they led on different days of the week. Doors that weren’t really doors, and walls that weren’t really walls. Stairs that if you walked up them, you’d find yourself on the floor below, and vice versa. He’d eventually tried to resort to navigating by the suits of armour that lined a lot of the walls. That plan had a fatal floor however, as the scraps of metal liked to move about when they thought nobody was watching them.
And then, once Will eventually succeeded to find them, then there was the lessons’ themselves. It quickly became obvious to him that living and studying at Bergtrost was not going to be as easy as he had first thought.
Will had thought that he might have been shown some leniency, given the fact that he had only been here a day, and only known he was a sorcerer less than a week. But no. All the Masters expected him to be able to catch up with ease.
There was also the matter that there was a lot more to mastering magic than mumbling a few nonsense words and hoping for the best.
All of them had to study the skies at night, mapping where the stars were under the watchful gaze of the Master of Prophecy: Master Dristi, a woman who wore glasses that magnified her eyes to the size of dinner plates. Every other day, they were shunted outside into the balcony gardens, in order to learn Ecology from Master Ash, the thin, dark-skinned teacher who Will had seen talking to Master Vera on his first morning. Will had not made the best first impression it had to be said who after overhearing Will ask what the point of this was, had responded by threatening to plant a seed in his brain that would drive him mad, or to allow the vines of the rampart plant to throttle him in his sleep, if he ever asked that kind of question again. Will had just remained silent at that, whilst making a note to make Luke pay for the way he smirked at him after the comment.
Also outside, was where they studied under Master Orson, a man who was missing serval of his body parts, including his right ear, his left arm, and a chunk out of his jaw. It soon became apparent as to why; Orson was the Master of Beasts and Monsters, and had spent his life trying to tame the various creatures that inhabited the world, with varying degrees of success. Will’s time with Hunter at least gave him an edge in this class, and he left feeling that he hadn’t made as much of a fool out of himself as he had with all of the others.
Back inside Bergtrost, they were taught Charms by Master Gale, who after the sternness of the previous Masters, had come as a surprise to Will as someone who was jovial, almost childlike in the way of teaching. He seemed to also be the most forgiving of mistakes, after Will had mispronounced the repairing charm, setting the desk, and Luke’s eyebrows on fire. At which the Master had quickly extinguished the fire, and after assuring Luke that his eyebrows would indeed grow back, had not even punished Will for the mistake, instead choosing to encourage him to continue practicing in his free time, but probably on his own. Will had considered his setting fire to Luke’s eyebrows as payback for the smugness during Ecology.
Compared to the fun way that the Charms class was taught, the exact of opposite happened in Law and Histories, where the elderly Master Vera droned on and on; somehow making bloody uprisings and magical wars as uninteresting as one of Mayor Harth's less interesting daily speeches. Will could understand why Luke had told him that this was the lesson to catch up on some sleep if he needed to. Though he did try not to, at least on his first lesson.
The class that had excited Will the most when he heard it on his first night was Defence and Combat. And had arrived at that room the earliest of anyone, even managing to find a seat near the front of the classroom. Which was why he was surprised when a grey bearded man with mismatched eyes, one blue, the other bright red, had come out of the door to what Will guessed was his office. Master Barrows looked like one of the few travellers who had come Harthpoint, in fact the way the aged Master was looking at Will, gave him the impression that he had seen him before.
At first, Will had assumed that he was in for another lesson like the one he had witnessed with Master Vera. But that was dispelled within the first few words.
“You can put that book away Sharp.” Master Barrows said in a gruff voice. “The day you have a book in this class is the day that I have failed as a Master.” Will slowly returned the book to the underside of the chair, and waited as Master Barrows took out his own wand. “Now. If I’m right in thinking. You lot should have mastered the shield charm that I showed you last week.”
A murmur went around the room. Will could only sit there silently. He wondered if he would be expected to perform at the same level, he had only been here less than a week. And his only practice had been with a borrowed wand in an old storage room.
“Master Barrows.” Will said, a lot more respectfully than he usually was with adults.
“The same goes for you Mr Sharp.” Master Barrows said, not even looking at him. It was as if the Master had been anticipating exactly what Will had been thinking, and filling him with dread at the same time. “I expect you to be at my standards, a family legacy, and an ambition for extra adventure such as yours, demands that much I hate to say.”
Will just stared, not sure what to say to that. It was as if the Master knew about what he and the group had talked about on his first night here. He looked over at Luke, to see if he was as shocked as he was, but either his roommate was a lot better at hiding his emotions than Will was, or that he knew that Master Barrows would already know.
“Don’t worry we’ll help the newbie get into shape.” Rosa said, a sneer crossing her face. Will guessed that she had never forgiven him for putting her on her back during that first night. And now, the look that she was giving him told Will that he was going to pay for it.
“Excellent. Divide into pairs, and assume the positions.” Master Barrows said flicking his wand, and the chairs and tables flew to either side of the room.
Will looked around, he had hoped to be with Luke, or even Evelyn, they would at the very least treat him fairly. But they were already together. Leaving Will to be grabbed by Rosa.
“Looks like it’s my lucky day, Sharp.” Rosa said as she half dragged him to the centre of the classroom. Will gulped, this was it, this was when he was going to be blasted into a thousand pieces, for nothing more than a fluke back on that night.
“Horn and Serpen. You go first. Horn you will cast a curse, and Serpen, you will attempt to deflect. And then vice-versa” Master Barrows instructed as both Luke and Evie reached a long strip of blue wood that Will could have sworn hadn’t been there before. “The victor will be the one who doesn’t fall off.” And with another flick of his wand, Master Barrows sent the blue wooden platform two meters into the air. “Three. Two. One. Begin.”
In truth, it wasn’t a fair fight. Evie managed to block Luke’s spell with such ease, that she seemed almost bored by it. Then she sent her own curse back, and Luke who hadn’t been expecting it to come so soon, had only managed to get the first syllable of the shield charm out when he was flipped over in mid-air, and crashed onto one of the tables.
A few groans went across the room as the platform descends to the ground, allowing Evelyn to jump off and go over to help Luke back to his feet.
“You could have gone easy on me.” Luke grumbled, his pride clearly hurt from the humiliation he had just endured.
“Now where’s the fun in that.” Evie responded.
Will would have laughed at this, but then he remembered who he had as a partner. Evie had only sent Luke into the tables. Rosa would most likely try to blow his head off.
“Now. Sharp and Locket. You’re next.” Master Barrows said. And with that Rosa dragged Will to the platform, deposited him on one side, and then moved to the other. “Locket, you will attack first, Sharp you will deflect, and the make your move.” Master Barrows looked at them both, and despite how they nodded, a look of concern flashed across the old man’s face for the briefest of moments. Will thought that he might force the two of them apart, and insist on both finding different partners. But then the moment was gone, and the platform was rising upwards, stopping when the ground seemed a very long way off. “Three. Two. One. Begin.”
Will raised his wand, hoping that what he had done with the one he had borrowed would now work with his own.
But Rosa had gone on ‘two’.
“Flippini!” Rosa shouted, pointing her wand straight at Will, who found himself flying into the air like Luke had done, and then falling.
Unlike Luke though, Will had fallen closer to the platform, and as he fell, he had been able to get a finger on it.
As Will struggled to raise himself back onto the platform, the collective air had seemed to have gone out of the room. Will guessed that everyone had expected him to be blasted into the wall. No-one though, was as surprised as Rosa, who stared at him with a mixture of hatred and what seemed like a little fear.
“Locket go again!” Master Barrows said once Will had gotten to his feet.
“But?” Will started, it was his turn to hex the brat.
“You did not attempt the shield charm Mr Sharp.” Master Barrows said with a finality in his tone. “The contest stands.”
Will wanted to argue back, but knew it would do him no good. He instead, resolved himself to fight the way that Rosa was doing, dirty.
“Repellit!” Will shouted once Master Barrows had uttered the word ‘three’. It was a good thing too, as Rosa had also gone on the same number.
The curse that Rosa had sent Will’s way, ricocheted off the newly created invisible barrier directly in front of him, and hit the wall. Where the spell hit, a huge chunk of stonework fell broken to the floor.
“Gods.” Luke said, looking at the broken wall.
Angered by this attempt to probably kill him, Will shouted the first word to come into his head.
“Hisseretourner!” Will shouted, and aimed his wand directly at Rosa.
The spell hit the girl full in the stomach, and Will watched as, just like he had been on his first night, she was lurched into the air by her feet, finally stopping when she reached the high sealing.
“Reversa.” Master Barrows said, aiming his wand up at the now struggling and red-faced Rosa, who slowly began to descend to the ground, glowering daggers at Will as the platform descended at the same rate.
Will stood as far away from Rosa as he could whilst he watched the rest of the class perform the same exercise. He knew that in humiliating her like that, he was now in deep trouble. But under the watchful eyes of Master Barrows at least, she didn’t attempt to do anything.
Not yet anyway.
After the clocktower chimed, informing the castle that the lessons were over. Will watched as the class filed out. Rosa was amongst them, and whilst he normally would have wanted to get out in front of the vengeful brat, he had a bone to pick with Master Barrows.
“Sir.” Will said as he approached the Master, who was packing up the wooden platform into a metal case.
“Ah. Mr Sharp.” Master Barrows said as he looked up from his case. “I wondered whether or not you’d still be here. Well, what can I do for you?”
“What can you do for me?” Will asked in amazement, it was like the man in front of him had no idea what he had allowed to happen on that platform. “You can start by telling me why you allowed Rosa to try and kill me, sir.”
“I am a teacher of Combat and Defence, William.” Master Barrows said as he returned to his case. “The best way to learn that, boy. Is for you to practice when in the defence of your life.”
“She went on two.” Will said, sounding a lot more whinny than he had intended too.
“And then you both went on three. When you are defending yourself in the world outside of this one. You will not be granted the niceties of an enemy waiting patiently for you to be ready.” Master Barrows replied curtly, though sounding like he was getting tired of this conversation real fast. “When you are out on your little adventures with your friends. Do you think that The Witchfinders, or any other of the monsters that lurks in the dark places of this world, will go on ‘one’, William.”
Will stood there, not entirely sure what to say to that. The Master was right about that. He just wished that he didn’t almost have to die to prove that point.
“Why are you being so hard on me?” Will finally asked. He wanted to know why this man was expecting him to fight like he had been using magic all his life.
“Because I have high expectations of your Mr Sharp. Your mother was an accomplished Sorcerer. I expect nothing less from her son.” Master Barrows said, finally giving Will his full attention. “I also know of your little nighttime meeting with that group you’ve joined. And I know what you’re planning. I go hard on you because you require it if you attempt half of what I know you plan to.” Master Barrows then fixed his gaze on Will, both mismatched eyes were on him now, and Will began feeling slightly uncomfortable, like the man reading him in a way that nobody had before. Then the moment was over. “Now if you don’t mind Mr Sharp, I have a class to prepare for.”
Will stared, on the verge of opening up about everything that had occurred the previous night. Not only the duel between him and Rosa, and the way she seemed to actively hate him, but what he had heard on his way back to his dorm with Luke.
“Professor?” Will said tentatively, teetering on the edge.
“Yes William.” Master Barrows said, sounding like he knew exactly what Will was about to come out with.
“Nothing sir.” Will responded, and before the elderly master could do anything, Will ran out of the classroom.
“What took you so damn long?” Luke asked as Will finally managed to catch up to them.
Will didn’t immediately response, not entirely sure how much he wanted to spill. If it had just been Luke, he would have talked. But Elevyn was also with them now. And he didn’t think that the overly logical girl would be much help in convincing him that he wasn’t going insane.
“Nothing.” Will said, looking at anything but Elevyn’s curious face.
Back in their shared room. Will lay down on his bed, his new wand resting on his thin stomach.
“You didn’t say anything to Barrows did you Will?” Luke asked, his usual light-hearted demeanour gone. Replaced by a serious look that seemed so odd.
“I didn’t.” Will replied. He hadn’t ended up telling anything. Though he was still unsure if that was the correct decision. “Do you think I should have?”
“No.” Luke said quickly, so quickly that Will looked up at him. “Hearing voices that only you can hear, isn’t a good sign, even in this place.”
Something in Luke’s voice annoyed Will.
“You do believe me don’t you?” Will asked, sitting up.
“Course I do. This place has its own ghosts. But you gotta admit, it’s weird.” Luke replied.
“I know it’s weird.” Will said. He got what Luke was telling him. If anyone outside this place came to him and said they were hearing voices in their heads. Then Will probably would have had the same reaction as Luke had.
