The Magician’s Apprentice

His eyes had misted over at the memory, and Stara felt a pang of longing. Would she ever roam beyond the city again? Was her journey from Elyne the last taste of travel she would ever have?

Looking down, she sought and found the letters that spelled out “Elyne”. They were drawn sideways, along a red line that followed the mountains at the top left of the map. The red line must be the border, she realised. And if a blue line meant a river, did this thick black line roaming through the mountains from the Elyne border to Arvice indicate the road? She looked at the mountains again and suddenly the map looked as if it had gained depth.

“Ah,” she said. “I see the illusion now. It’s just as if we are looking at the land from above. The centre point where the mountain lines meet is the peak.”

“Yes!” Chavori turned to Kachiro. “You were right: you have an exceptionally clever wife.”

Kachiro smiled broadly. “I have, haven’t I?” he replied smugly.

Chavori glanced at Stara, then back at Kachiro. “What else can I show you?”

Kachiro considered the map thoughtfully. “Did you bring any maps of Kyralia?”

The triumphant smile on Chavori’s face fell away, turning into a tolerant grimace. “Of course. Everyone wants maps of Kyralia these days.”

“We are at war with them,” Kachiro pointed out.

“I know, I know.” Chavori sighed and picked up the roll again. Peeling off several more maps like the last, he finally spread out another of the beautifully decorated ones, with drawings of cities and mountains.

Kachiro pointed at the pass then spread his hand over the mountains that split Kyralia from Elyne. “From what I’ve been told, the ichani gathered under the leadership of Ashaki Takado around here. When there were enough of them to form an army, they moved into the northern rural areas and took control of the villages and towns.”

Chavori shook his head. “The reports I’ve heard said that they don’t bother staying to control the people. Instead they’ve been destroying the towns and driving the people out.”

“I doubt they’re driving them out,” Kachiro said. “They’re probably killing them and taking their strength. Driving them towards the Kyralian army will just give their adversary more people to take strength from. Why give them more strength, when you can take it for yourself?”

“Yes, they’d have to be.” Chavori made a sweeping gesture from the mountains to the cluster of buildings labelled “Imardin’. “They’ll be heading for the capital. But I can’t help wondering...” He looked up at Kachiro. “Do you remember I said I passed Nomako’s army on my way back to Arvice?”

Kachiro nodded. “Yes.”

“I noticed at the time that the army was split into three. Nomako at the head of the first group, and two others leading smaller groups.” Chavori looked back down at the map. “It was almost as if he planned to split the army up once it crossed the border.”

“Why would he do that?” Kachiro asked.

Chavori shrugged. “If you are right, so they can sweep through different parts of Kyralia and take strength from the people as they go. The Kyralians will not want to split their forces into three – or four if none of the groups join Takado’s – in order to tackle them.”

“Then all groups will arrive at Imardin at the same time.”

“Those who haven’t met any resistance still strong and ready for battle.”

“Hmm,” Kachiro narrowed his eyes at the map. “And which group is most likely to have met resistance?”

Chavori’s eyes went wide. “Takado’s! He was there first and, if Nomako times things right, will have been the target of the Kyralians. By the time he joins with Nomako’s armies, his will be the weakest.”

“So Nomako will conquer Imardin and ride home the hero instead of Takado. Emperor Vochira will be admired for outsmarting Takado.” He looked up at Chavori, admiration in his gaze. “You have a good head for battle strategy. Perhaps you should be leading the army!”

The young man blushed again. For a second the two looked at each other, then both dropped their gaze to the map again.

Stara frowned. She felt as if she had just missed something. But then, she was no expert on warfare. Though she felt sure she’d understood everything Chavori had said, she might have missed some nuance that they had both appreciated.

“Can I ask a question about the war?” she asked.

“Of course,” Kachiro replied.

“Why are neither you nor your friends part of the army?” Kachiro’s face fell. “I am relieved that you are not risking your life,” she assured him. “I’d much rather you were here. But I suspect it is political and I wish to understand Sachakan politics better.”

Kachiro nodded. “Some of the reasons are political, some are not. My father was unable to fulfil an order taken out by the emperor many years ago, due to a fire, and spent years paying back the debt. He died soon after he made the final payment. So my family has been out of favour for some time, though rebuilding trade connections has grown easier with time.”

His expression was so sad, Stara regretted asking the question.

“Others of my friends are similarly out of favour, though Chavori’s family has good standing,” he continued. Then he smiled. “The advantage is that if we have no family honour or respect, we do not need to join the army to protect it, though I expect our help would have been accepted if we had volunteered.”

Chavori nodded. “I told my father that if he won’t give me the respect I deserve, there’s nothing to risk my life to protect. He called me a coward.” He shrugged. “I suspect he hoped I’d go and be killed, and he’d be rid of me.”

Stara felt a stab of sympathy for this young man, so talented but clearly as unappreciated by his father as she was by hers.

“Can I buy this map off you?” Kachiro asked.

Chavori’s mouth dropped open. “Buy it?”

“Yes. Or do you need it?”

“No,” Chavori said quickly. “I make these to sell. I sell them all the time. Well, not all the time – maybe a few each year.”

“Then can I buy it?” Kachiro looked up at the far wall of the room. “I think I will buy more, too. Perhaps one of every country, to put up on that wall. It would be good for starting conversations with guests, especially if Sachaka continues to reclaim the lands it used to rule. How much do you want for it?”

Stara felt a chill run down her back, and did not hear the price Chavori asked, or how much extra Kachiro offered. Does he mean Elyne? Well, of course he does. It was part of the empire, just as Kyralia was. They both were given independence at the same time. The thought of Elyne at war made her heart sink. So many of the wonderful things about Elyne rely on the freedom of her people.

Kachiro rose. “I’ll get it now.” He strode to the door. Pausing in the opening, he looked back at Stara and smiled at her, before disappearing.

The smile left her both amused and uncomfortable. It had a hint of mischief in it. A hint of challenge. Was he hoping she’d seduce Chavori right there and then?

I’m not that stupid, she thought. She turned to the young man.

“When will you be taking your maps to the emperor?” she asked.

He grimaced. “Just as soon as he grants me an audience. I’ve been trying to see him for weeks. I guess the war is taking all his attention. But the war is why he needs to see them.”

“Why is that?”

His expression became serious. “Because there are places in the mountains where an enemy could easily hide and live. Caves and valleys where they could grow crops and raise animals for food, and live independently of the rest of us. They could attack the Sachakan people, then disappear again. If the ichani found those places . . .” He shivered. “Once the war with Kyralia is over Emperor Vochira will be too busy establishing his rule over that country to deal with attacks from the mountains.”

Stara frowned. “That is a frightening thought. But if these places exist, why isn’t anyone living there already? Why haven’t the ichani already established themselves there?”

Chavori’s expression was grave. “Access is through a cave through which a river flows. I suspect the river path changed recently – I found signs of a dry bed where a landslide blocked the river some years back. The water must have created or widened the cave...”

“Here you go.” Kachiro strode into the room, carrying a small pouch that clinked in his hand. Chavori rose and