Matt wasn’t so sure about that. The first figure had certainly made an impression on him. Then again, so had the last.
Lorian gestured to the gold liquid. “The final test, for magic, is the most important.”
Too distracted by the fantastic to be concerned about blood, Matt eagerly squeezed out a last drop. It landed with a clink as if striking solid metal, and there it stuck, still shaped like a droplet. The gold beneath it simmered as if melting, the blood drop smoldering, then oozing out across the now molten surface and sinking. A hooded, robed, golden figure rose from within, carrying a staff topped with a crystal that burst forth with golden light that swirled around the room before settling on Matt as the figure knelt and bowed. It wasn’t as spectacular, but Lorian gasped.
“The master wizard has bowed to you!” The elf’s eyes were wide and he looked from Matt to Eric with what seemed like alarm. “I would not tell even your friends of these results. Even if you trust them with your life, others have means of extracting information from even the most determined captives.”
Matt raised an eyebrow at Eric and received a nod of agreement. The young wizard trusted his opinion above all others. Both leery and eager, Matt asked, “Will you be able to teach me anything between now and the castle?”
“Certainly,” the elf replied, thinking safety had to prevail, more so in Matt’s case than usual. “We must prevent witnesses, however. After all, Soliander is not in need of instruction. Keep this private as well. We must be very careful, not only with the knowledge of your potential, but of your need for training.”
“How dangerous is Matt?” Eric asked, arms folded, and the wizard-to-be looked at him in surprise. A look at Lorian showed the elf wasn’t surprised by the question. He pursed his lips and appeared to choose his words carefully.
“Right now, he is not, and we must ensure that only those he wishes to harm are affected by anything he does.”
Eric nodded and seemed to have heard what he expected.
They returned to the common room long enough for Lorian to suggest everyone retire for the night. As they filed back upstairs, Matt realized they hadn’t divvied up the rooms yet, so he suggested Eric stay with him. He wanted to talk about the test and what it meant. He also felt safer with Eric around than anyone else. He’d always respected his friend, but after that martial arts display when they’d met the elf, this had soared. If they had a leader, it was Eric, who was more decisive than everyone else and more able to handle himself. Then again, after what Matt had learned about his potential, maybe he’d soon be the strongest of them all. He went to bed intending to fantasize his way into sleep and dreams of power.
Chapter 9 – Arundell
Across the hall, Anna couldn’t say the accommodations surprised her. The low, rickety cot was a far cry from the previous night’s lodging. Getting accustomed to the lack of amenities would only worsen once the camping started, as she assumed it would in a day or two. The idea that it was all downhill from here and that she should be pleased right now made her smirk. Ryan had closed the door and dropped a sack of supplies beside his bed.
“Do you need help with your armor?” she asked, moving closer in the dim light.
“Not really, but you can help.”
“Okay, what do I do?”
He showed her how to loosen the straps and unhook pieces, and as she removed the big back plate, she placed it on his bed, across from hers. She hadn’t shared a room with any of the four before but trusted them, maybe Ryan more than the others. Or at least Eric. When a guy flirted with you as much as the rogue, you couldn’t help wondering if there was something to it, even though he did it to every girl. That didn’t necessarily mean it didn’t mean anything.
“I think you can handle the rest. I’m going to change out of this robe. Just don’t turn around.”
“You don’t want me to step outside?”
“No. I trust you. And I don’t think I want to be alone except when using a chamber pot, and even then…”
Anna quickly changed into a sleeping gown with one eye on her companion, who never peeked, as expected. He had the honor part of being a knight down, at least. He busied himself stowing armor pieces in the sack.
“Okay,” she started, “I’m done. Do you need any more help?”
He shook his head. “A man should take care of his own armor.”
She rolled her eyes. “You and your ‘man’s work’. When are you going to join the rest of us in the 21st century?”
Indicating their surroundings, he remarked, “It’s more like 13th century, so maybe I’m just being hip.”
Amused, she said, “Next you’ll tell me that women want a man to take care of them. We can take care of ourselves perfectly fine, you know.”
“Maybe, but women like it when a man takes care of them, whether they admit it or not, and to be honest, I prefer the kind of women who admit it.”
“Would you feel better if this quest was to rescue a princess?”
“Actually yes, I would,” he admitted, closing the sack of armor. “Not only would I not have to kill a dragon, but she’d be grateful instead of resentful or something.”
She teased, “Ah, I see. You just want her to sleep with you after you rescue her.”
“No, though that never hurts,” he joked. “I just like it when a woman lets a man be a man and she can be a woman herself, instead of fighting it.”
“And what does accepting it mean? Being barefoot and pregnant?”
He scowled. “I never said that, and that’s not what I mean.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “Not dressing like a man, and being feminine, for example. Being seen as a woman is not
