“Callum,” Willow said, passing the bowl of curry down to the boy, who took it uneasily. “I’m fond of that name. My name is Willow, and I come from the far North. Where are you from?”

Callum looked from Willow and down to the curry, then back up as if he couldn’t decide on something. Willow caught this and laughed, kneeling down to Callum’s level, leaning on his staff.

“Take your time,” he said, nodding towards the bowl. “Have some food. I dare say you look famished.”

Callum was famished, remarkably so, and he tucked into the chicken curry, shoveling spoonful after spoonful into his mouth as Willow watched with mild amusement. When Callum was most of the way done, he swallowed his food.

“You’re the wizard from the market,” Callum said. There was rice stuck to his chin. Willow nodded. “Sorry we stole that bag.”

“I’m sorry I had to send orcs after you,” Willow replied, with a shrug. “But I need it back, and desperately so. Do you know where your friends would have hidden it?”

Callum looked to the side and thought about it for a moment, then he remembered, grimacing.

“My friend threw it away,” he said cautiously, keeping an eye on the staff. “He told the orc….”

Willow closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, and Callum instinctively winced, but instead of shouting, or lashing out at him, Willow let out a long drawn out exhale.

“The orc didn’t tell me,” Willow said. He stood straight and stretched his back. “Well, that leaves me at a certain disadvantage, but not all is lost. Where do you and your little friends hide out? I’ll need to find out where he dumped it.”

Callum didn’t answer the question, and instead took another bite of curry.

“Strong and silent,” Willow replied to the silence. “I suppose even torture wouldn’t work on your nerves of steel. What if I traded you something for the information?”

Callum swallowed and stood up, eyeing the wizard. “What’ve you got?”

Willow let out a bark of laughter and reached into a sleeve, producing Callum’s bear totem, and the boy’s eyes went wide in shock and anger.

“That’s mine!” Callum glared up at the wizard. “You can’t trade that! It belongs to me!”

“Well aren’t we concerned with the concept of personal property all of a sudden!” Willow taunted him, dangling the totem far above his head. “Fair is fair. You want your bear, I want my key.”

Callum held the now empty bowl, glaring at Willow with all his might, as the bear totem swayed back and forth in the air. The tapped the bottom of the bowl with the wooden spoon, and he considered his options.

“I think that key was pretty important,” Callum said slowly. “Worth a fortune?”

Willow’s taunting smile faltered as he caught on.

“Don’t you dare, you filthy little bastard,” the wizard intoned, holding up a finger of warning.

“A lot more valuable than a toy,” Callum continued.

“I could kill you with a word,” Willow said through clenched teeth.

“But then you lose that ‘key’ forever!” Callum pointed a finger back at Willow.

There was a tense pause between the pair before Willow snarled.

“Terms,” he shot at Callum.

“Teach me magic,” Callum shot back.

“Impossible.”

“Why?”

“It takes too long.”

“Because you’re a shitty teacher?”

“Because you probably can’t read!”

“I can read!”

“Likely story.”

“How do you think I learned how to do magic?”

“You must have a Master.”

“Nope. I’m self-taught!”

“Well then clearly you don’t need me to teach you, oh Master of the Arts.”

Callum was floored for a response to that one, at least a response that didn’t make him sound like an idiot. He worked around in his head for a comeback but an answer never came, and he simply glared at Willow.

“Just-just…” he struggled to work out the words through his frustration, and Willow stared at him incredulously.

“Just-just?” the wizard repeated back mockingly.

“Shut up!” Callum snapped at him, throwing the bowl on the ground. “I’m not very good at magic! Okay?”

“Clearly,” Willow remarked, poking him in the gut with the butt of his staff. “A few simple spells and you’re kaput.”

“I know,” Callum said, kicking the bowl across the ground. “But I’ve read about wizards, and sorcerers and all of that. I even managed to steal some spell scrolls. It took me six months to learn the fire spell!”

“Fire spell?” Willow blinked. “What incantation?”

“Flacari,” Callum said, shrugging.

“That’s an advanced spell for your age,” Willow said. “You should try something a bit less intensive but still effective, like foc.”

“What does that one mean?” Callum asked, tilting his head.

“It’s just fire,” Willow said. “Flacari means flames. It implies greater intensity, and tends to draw more of your inner strength.”

“That would have been nice to know,” Callum said grumpily. “I only know a couple of spells. If I were a real wizard, I could have taken those orcs no problem.”

“Hey!” a girlish voice cried from the flaps of the tent. Brunhilde poked her head into the tent and Callum took a step back, and behind the pole, trying to make himself small. “I’d like to see you take me on in the ring!”

“Keep eavesdropping and I’ll turn you into a toad,” Willow said, placing the butt of the staff against her forehead. He shoved her out of the tent and she let out a pained whine.

“Owww-uuh!”

“Don’t mind Hildie,” Willow said, turning back to Callum. “She’s just curious-- are you alright?”

Callum was staring at the entrance to the tent uneasily, his eyes narrowed like a prey animal devising a hasty escape. He gave a start when Willow addressed him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Callum said, his eyes still on the tent flap. “We’re, uh… we’re not supposed to play with girls.”

“Not supposed to?” Willow asked, raising an eyebrow. “You have a guardian then? You’re not some urchin out on the streets?”

Callum looked up at Willow, startled, and nodded slowly.

“We all stay in the same house,” he said. “We have a ‘Mother’, but…”

“But…?” Willow asked, his interest piqued.

Callum huffed and leaned against the pole. He was still tired from his encounter with Dur-uk and the orcs.

“All the orphans and unwanted kids in the city have to live in a house with Mother,” he said. “When we get old enough, we join the army. We steal so she can sell the stuff we find and she gives us food.”

Willow’s eyebrows shot up and he covered his mouth, his expression becoming one of deep concern. He recalled Shaba’s comment after their brief skirmish. In my heart, I have always been a mother.”

“This Mother,” he said quickly, snapping his fingers. “Is she named Shaba? The Vizir?”

Callum nodded wordlessly, his expression one of surprise.

“God damn it all!” Willow cursed, stamping his staff in the dirt. “If your friend tells her where he dropped the key…!”

“What?” Callum urged, blinking. Willow glared down at him.

“I will have wasted my entire life!” he said gravely. He leaned in, grabbing Callum firmly by the shoulder. “Listen well boy, and answer my questions.”

“I’m listening,” Callum replied, his eyes intense, and almost excited.

“You want to be a wizard?” Willow demanded, locking eyes with the boy.

Callum nodded.

“How badly? How hard are you willing to work for it?”

“I want it more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life,” Callum said, his expression hardening. “I’ll study until I go blind if I have to.”

“Why?”

“Because I hate it here,” Callum said, his breath quickening, his heart rate rising. “I hate Aljana. I hate Mother. I hate the fucking Crown!”

“You want to leave?” Willow asked, searching Callum’s eyes for the truth. “Why not steal enough money to book passage with a caravan? Why do you have to learn magic for that?”

“Because she’ll find me,” Callum whispered. “She always does. I have to learn magic, so when she finds me again…”

“You would destroy her if you could,” Willow finished for him. “What of the other children? Would you leave them behind?”

Callum didn’t answer, and Willow nodded in understanding.

“You can’t save everyone,” Willow said.

“But if Mother is gone,” Callum insisted. “Then she can’t hurt them anymore.”

“To commit oneself to murder at such a young age does not bode well for your future as a wizard.”

“It’s not murder,” Callum said in a hushed voice. “Not if she comes for me.”

Willow stood straight, and regarded Callum with an uneasy stare.

“You have put a lot of thought into this,” he said. “I cannot imagine the terrors that vile woman has forced you to endure. Have you seen her magic firsthand?”

Callum nodded, saying nothing.

“If you were to leave here, and she did not come for you, would you regret it?”

Callum thought for a moment, and he nodded his head.

“I love Raafi and Sallah,” Callum said. “She would probably kill them just to get back at me.”

“Have you seen her kill other children?”

Callum nodded. “With her magic.”

“God,” Willow sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “What have I involved myself in?”

“Involved?” Callum inquired, looking up at Willow.

“Unfortunately, my business here requires that I be on friendly terms with Shaba, or I will have wasted my time.”

“Oh…”

Willow tossed the small bear statue in his hand, thinking to himself. Callum watched it rise in the air and fall with a jealous gaze. Willow seemed to take notice, and with a chuckle, threw it at him. Callum caught it with surprise.

“I have a proposition for you Callum,” Willow said. “If you help me find my key I will broker with Shaba for the lives of you and your friends. If you help me, I will take you far from Aljana, and I will teach you magic as my apprentice.”

Callum’s eyes lit up with excitement and emotion, and he gripped the bear totem so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He struggled for a way to express gratitude and his agreement, but before he could speak, another head poked into the tent, pulling Callum out of his reverie.

“Willow.” It was Elia, the blonde elf who had been guiding the camel in the market. “Can you come to Dermot’s tent please? Bring your friend.”

“What’s the matter?” Willow asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

“There are some women here,” she said. She indicated Callum. “They’re looking for him.”

Willow looked down at Callum, and saw that the boy had a look of pure shock and terror on his face.

“Callum,” Willow said, and Callum snapped to attention. “Don’t worry, son. It will be alright.”

Callum didn’t respond, as the knot in his throat was tight with distress. Still, when Willow stepped out of the tent and held the flap open for him, Callum followed, fidgeting with the bear totem in his fingers. Brunhilde was standing outside, and she appeared fascinated with the presence of Callum, her red hair swaying in the nighttime breeze as she cocked her head to get a good look at him.

“Hi!” she said, following alongside Callum as Willow led the way towards the center of the encampment. They were guided by Elia, who gave Callum a sympathetic smile as the little orcess began to chatter.

“My name’s Brunhilde, but you should call me Hildie, I don’t like it when people call me Brunhilde. What’s your name? Wait, it’s Callum, right, I… um, overheard it when you were having a private conversation in the tent. So you’re an apprentice wizard, right? Do you know magic? Are you going to learn from Willow? That means you’re coming with us, right? I hope you come with us, I’m the only kid in the whole caravan! My cousin is Dur-uk. He’s an orc too. My dad’s an orc but my mom’s a human and she has red hair like me, I’m taller than her, but my dad is HUGE he’s the biggest orc in our tribe but he doesn’t live in the village, he’s a farmer--”

“Hildie!” Elia shouted, clapping her hands next to Hildie’s ear, and the young orc jumped, spinning to glare at the elf. “Leave him alone! You’re stressing him out!”

Hildie looked around to see that Callum wasn’t looking at her, and he was shivering slightly, his little totem held to his chest as he struggled to breath. It probably didn’t help that she stood a head taller than Callum.

“Are you afraid of me because I’m an orc?” she asked with a grin, punching him in the arm, and Callum reeled on her.

“Don’t touch me!” he shouted at her, his eyes bright with anger. “I don’t like… I don’t like it when girls touch me!”

“Sorry,” Hildie said quietly, turning her eyes towards the ground. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

Willow had stopped to look at the exchange, his brow furrowed in concern, watching Callum struggle to keep his anxiety under control, as Hildie struggled not to cry at the sudden outburst.

“Elia,” Willow said. “Take Hildie to her tent. I don’t think now is the best time to be making friends.”

Elia nodded, and placed a hand on Hildie’s back, leading her away from Callum and Willow as the young orc muttered, “I didn’t mean to…” and Elia whispered words of comfort.

“Do not take her eagerness as aggression,” Willow said, pulling his robes more securely over his chest. Callum appeared to be visibly calming. “Brunhilde is strong, and smart. You would be wise to accept her friendship.”

“As long as she doesn’t touch me,” Callum muttered, glaring after the girls as they went.

“What do you have against women?” Willow asked, placing a hand on Callum’s shoulder as they resumed walking among the sea of tents and supplies. Callum did not answer.

“I suppose it has to do with Shaba’s unique style of parenting?” Willow prodded, watching for a reaction, but Callum only seemed to retreat further into himself. “I see. I won’t pry. Let’s just see what these ladies want so we can return to our business.”

The two walked in an uneasy silence, and Callum became aware of just how huge a caravan could be as they finally reached the center of the camp. Dermot’s tent was massive compared to the rest, a multi-room monstrosity with mesh windows and a hole at the top for smoke to escape from his private fire pit.

Della the camel was tied to a hitching post alongside it, with her own water trough and feeding pail, which she munched in happily. Callum saw that her rump was still bandaged thanks to Raafi’s scheme from that afternoon.

Dermot the merchant dwarf stood outside, stroking his bejeweled beard as he conversed with a pair of tall, dark skinned women. They were not wearing traditional clothing of any kind, rather, they wore form fitting outfits of dark leather with gold trimming about their wrists, ankles and joints. They wore gold rings about their necks like Shaba, and each wore a wing with an inlaid red gemstone.

“We are not interested in purchasing jewelry,” said one of the women. Her hair was long, and braided, reaching down to her lower back, while her companions tight curly hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head. “Leave us, dwarf, while we wait for the boy.”

“The boy is here,” Willow said, his tone clear, friendly and bright. “As am I. Greetings ladies, my name is Willow, and I am the wizard that accompanies this caravan. With whom do I have the pleasure of making my acquaintance?”

“Oh, Willow!” Dermot said, looking from the wizard to Callum, his expression odd. “May I introduce to you our honored visitors, Mistresses Kanzi and Chiku. They represent the Royal Vizir!”

The women regarded Willow silently for a moment, and the one with braids, Kanzi as indicated by Dermot, turned to Callum.

“Mother Shaba summoned you today, and you were not there,” she said coldly. “Raafi had to answer for you. Did you know that?”

“I'm sorry,” Callum muttered, his gaze directed towards the ground.

“Not as sorry as Raafi is,” Kanzi said. “Come, boy.”

Callum hesitated for a moment, but without looking away from the ground, made to follow after the pair, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him cold.

“Let’s not be hasty,” Willow said, his voice firm. “Young Callum is my personal guest, and I have not yet finished visiting with him.”

“Your visit is over,” Chiku said. “The Vizir has commanded it.”

“The Vizir does not command me,” Willow replied, pulling up the sleeves of his robes slightly, positioning his staff at his side. “Callum will return when I deem it necessary for him to return.”

“You would defy Mother Shaba?” Chiku demanded, but she fell silent at the raised finger of Kanzi.

“Do not make us take our property by force, Master Willow,” Kanzi warned, raising a fist level with Willow’s face. The gemstone on her ring was pulsing with magic. “The dwarf would not appreciate his caravan being burned to the ground as a result of your hubris.”

“Master Willow,” Dermot said, wringing his beard in his hands. “I think you may want to listen to them--”

Dermot stopped, and Callum watched with quiet astonishment as Willow spread his arms, the cracked blue stone in his staff began to glow, and the air began to ripple with the radiance of the wizard’s magic.

“Sentient beings are not property,” Willow said in a commanding tone, lifting his staff from the ground. “I have met your Vizir and seen her magic, and I was not impressed. I will tell you now as I told her. I will not be intimidated by the likes of you! Indepartati-va de acest loc!”

With the last word Willow stamped his staff in the sand, and there was a deafening boom as the women were lifted off of their feet and cast away from Willow at remarkable speed. Chiku smashed through Della’s hitching post, sending the camel into a roaring panic as she fled from the tent, Dermot chasing after her and screaming her name. Kanzi ripped through a nearby tent, crashing painfully into the ground, entangled in canvas and rope.

“First lesson!” Willow barked at Callum, keeping his staff aloft. Callum was still in shock at the might of the spell that had been cast, but came to his senses and approached Willow. “Stay behind me! When an enemy wizard casts a spell at you, what is your greatest defense?!”

“I-I-I don’t know!” Callum stammered. “I’ve never fought a wizard before!”

“Then I’ll show you!” Willow said, his voice dancing on a playful grin. The canvas entrapping Kanzi began to smolder and burn as she used her magic to free herself, and Chiku was standing up and brushing herself off, nursing a bruise on her hip. “Repeat after me Callum!”

Chiku stepped forward, and drew her fist back, sucking in a deep breath before thrusting forward, crying out a spell.

“Foc!”

A bolt of fire burst from her ring and sped towards Willow, but the spell of defense had already left his lips.

“Garda vrajilor!”

As the bolt of fire reached Willow’s chest, the air around him seemed to warp and ripple, and the flames fizzled out before they could touch him. Chiku cursed, and drew her fist back defensively. Willow laughed.

“Try it boy!” He shouted. “Concentrate on your focus and cast the spell, and no one can harm you unless they can overpower your own magical might! Remember, the incantation is Garda vrajilor! It means 'Spell Guard'! Absorb its meaning! Understand the words and speak them into reality!”

Callum looked at his bear totem, and closed his eyes, concentrating on it, and pouring himself into it.

“Not too much power now,” Willow said, deflecting another fire bolt, this one coming from Kanzi. “You’ll exhaust yourself, rending you defenseless against your enemies.”

Callum stopped his concentration for a moment, and took a deep breath, opening his hand to see the bear glowing softly. He closed his hand and thrust his fist up, speaking the words of power.

“Garda vrajilor!”

There was a sound like a muffled snap of breaking glass, and Callum felt the magical energy burst from his totem and coalesce in a bubble around his body, and he suddenly felt as if he were swaddled in a protective blanket, like no harm could come to him.

“Keep feeding the spell,” Willow said. “Let it shield you, but don’t overdo it. Find Dur-uk, the orc who brought you here! Find your friends, and find my key! I believe in you!”

Willow lifted his staff and stamped it down again. There was a crackle of flashing lights and noise between himself and the apprentices, and they shielded their eyes with cries of rage, while Callum turned and ran away.

End of Chapter 5

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