radiant steel to notice them. Instead, the apprentice came running over to meet them.
‘Watch these for a few moments, will you?’ Master Glim asked. ‘We’ll be back in a moment to speak with the smithy.’ And, with that, they walked off.
They took the quieter streets and alleys, always winding down towards the sea. As they were crossing one particular street, Samuel looked to his left and almost choked when he saw a group of soldiers marching towards them. Black cloth could be seen amongst them.
‘I’d say we’ve been noted,’ Master Glim remarked without even a turn of his head and they crossed over into the opposite narrow street. ‘Hurry.’
They quickened their pace and began to run down the paved street. As they turned another bend, Samuel could hear shouts and the sound of hurrying boots following behind.
‘We’ll head towards the southern quarter,’ Master Glim said. ‘Once we lose them, we’ll make back for the inn.’
‘This way,’ Samuel said and they squeezed into a narrow gap between two buildings. It opened onto a bare yard and Samuel and his teacher darted through, opening a weather-stained, wooden gate, loose on its squeaky hinges, and stepping out into another busy street. Samuel could feel his heart inside his chest, beating loudly and quickly. He was operating on his last bare shreds of energy.
‘I think this must be Cherry Street,’ Master Glim mentioned.
They continued on at a brisk pace, with Samuel taking the occasional glance over his shoulder to peer through the crowd, but he could see no sign of their pursuers.
‘In here!’ Samuel called as they passed a series of cloth merchants and he led the way into a tailor’s store.
‘What are we doing in here?’ Master Glim asked, eyeing the racks of clothing along the walls. The place smelled like all tailors. Moth-fluid cups sat in the corners, giving off a bitter smell that kept all the ravenous insects away from the precious fabrics.
‘Getting a disguise,’ Samuel told him. ‘It’s something I learned from Eric. We need to get out of these magician’s clothes.’
‘Good idea,’ Master Glim replied, looking nervously to the door, ‘but we may not have much time.’
The tailor emerged from the back room with a needle and length of thread still in his hands. ‘May I help you, My Lords?’ the man asked.
Samuel quickly snatched up two long tunics from beside him. ‘These will do.’
‘Ah,’ the tailor remarked. ‘Very fashionable. Perhaps you would like something similar with a sturdy black dye suitable for the Order?’
‘No, thank you,’ Samuel replied. ‘We’ll take these.’
Samuel pushed by the man and went behind a tall divider. Master Glim followed closely. They both stripped to their undergarments and began to pull the tunics over their heads.
‘If I may be of assistance?’ the tailor inquired and came over, helping them both adjust their new clothes and tie the drawstrings at their waists. ‘The fitting is
‘No need,’ Master Glim insisted and he pressed a handful of coins into the tailor’s palms. The man could only bow deeply and smile.
Samuel’s outfit was a pale blue, while Master Glim’s was a grassy green. They both looked rather strange and Samuel felt half-naked, as he had not worn clothes that revealed his legs since he was a small boy.
‘I hope you enjoy your new clothes,’ the tailor expressed with a grand smile.
‘Well,’ Master Glim mentioned as they went to the door, ‘we certainly look…unusual. No one will certainly be picking us for magicians in a hurry.’
Samuel managed a smile as they exited the tailor’s store. ‘I think we look rather fetching.’
Peeking outside, they saw no sign of any guards or magicians, so they began again down the street, this time at a much more leisurely pace. The street here led directly to the central market and so was bustling with activity.
After they were jostled and bumped too many times, Master Glim turned to Samuel. ‘I think we should find a quieter route.’
They pushed their way to the side of the street towards a quiet laneway. They could take some back streets for a while and avoid the crowds.
As they squeezed through the people, Samuel noticed an extremely short man, barely reaching to his waist, jostling tightly at his side. Samuel gave the little man a questioning glance and the fellow looked back at him, baring a puckish smile. Samuel turned to Master Glim to say something, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Master Glim’s eyes opened wide. The crowd around them seemed to act as one and fell in upon the two colourful magicians. Someone had Samuel around the legs and he toppled over. As he struggled on the ground, something hard and heavy struck him fair on the head, and the last thing Samuel saw was the sky spinning up and around him and a big, mischievous grin.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Samuel looked out through the iron bars and sighed. He surveyed the world outside with his chin cupped in his hands and with his elbows set upon the dusty windowsill. Through the small opening he could not see very much, but the shadows upon the ground far below were stretching longer under the late afternoon sun. Tiny people were moving in the courtyards and gardens beneath them-dark splashes of magicians strolling, glinting soldiers striding, and coloured officials and servants scurrying, going about their duties.
‘We have to get out of here,’ Samuel said. ‘I can’t stand it any more.’ The words caught in his dry throat. He could feel the magic surge and beckon just beyond his reach, but he could not touch it. He felt hollow inside- empty-as if his innards had been torn out and just a dry husky shell was all that was left for him to inhabit.
‘Try not to think about it,’ Master Glim said, sitting up against the wall on the floor. He did not bother to look up, but kept tracing letters on the dusty cell floor with his finger. ‘We can depend on the others to help us. They should come up with some plan to save us soon, assuming they even know we’re here, of course.’
‘It’s been two days already. They could have been caught by now or worse. It’s probably all over by now, anyway.’
‘Calm now, Samuel,’ the level-headed teacher told him. ‘That’s not like you. I’m sure the others are fine and I’m sure nothing has happened yet or we would know about it.’
‘Well, there’s
‘But they’re not running and screaming. That’s what we should be worried about most. Until that happens, we know we still have some time to act.’
‘You’re right,’ Samuel said, and turned away from the window with a sigh.
For the second time in his life, he had awoken to find himself locked in the Mage Cell. Master Glim had been sitting beside him, chewing on an old crust of bread that had been thrust under the door. They were both still dressed in their coloured tunics, but they were considerably scuffed and dirtied all over. The last couple of nights had not been kind to them and Samuel just hoped he did not look as bad as Master Glim.
‘I feel so terrible,’ he moaned plaintively.
After a few empty moments, Master Glim responded. ‘I know. Don’t dwell on it. It will only make it worse. Just be glad we’ve had time to rest. You certainly needed it. I’ve had to stop the guards from taking you away twice. You slept so long that I think they thought you were dead. It was only your infernal snoring that finally convinced them otherwise.’
‘I can certainly think of other places I would have preferred to stay,’ Samuel stated. ‘And I would have slept
