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“Do you not know how to fight with a sword?”Gabriel inquired politely.
“I thought it was a magic sword,” Jadren retorted, drawing himself up, bristling, and at least no longer looking likely to hurl up his breakfast.
“Magic, not autonomous,” Gabriel explained, not above enjoying the arrogant wizard’s embarrassment.“You still have to stick it in your opponent, which requires a modicum of skill.”
“I’m a wizard, not a foot soldier,” Jadren grumbled.
“You’ll be training with Han.”
“A familiar?”Jadren’s scorn was clear.
“A familiar who can fight circles around you,” Gabriel clarified.“That’s an order, by the way.Meanwhile, we’d better get you cleaned up and healed before the next battle.”He jerked his head at the pond.“Take a dip to get the worst off.”
Jadren’s already horrified scowl deepened as he looked at the green water.“Inthat?I’ll get infected!”
“Your wounds are already infected with that rotten meat,” Gabriel replied.“Asa can take care of both at once, but you’re not tracking that shit into his infirmary.”
Grumbling, Jadren tossed down his sword and waded into the water, algae swirling around him as he swiped at the goo, finally ducking his head and coming up sputtering.He clambered out again, still swiping at his hair and clothing.Gabriel gingerly picked up the man’s sword and held it out.“Always clean your weapon first,” he advised.He’d cleaned his own immediately.
Jadren gave him a sour look.“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
As a matter of fact, he was—as much as he could enjoy anything while pretending that worry for Nic wasn’t tearing him apart.Everyone in the Convocation had so scorned his tendency to use his body instead of his wizardry.Even Nic had teased him about the manual chop-chop method.“Growing up without being able to rely on magic teaches certain useful skills,” he said by way of answering.“Let’s get you to Asa.”
Jadren shrugged off his offer of support.“I can walk on my own.”He did, though slowly, trudging along in stoic silence.Gabriel took advantage of the conversational lull to sweep the surrounding landscape with his wizard senses.He’d detected the arrival of hunters before, but only when they’d gotten too close for comfort.Since then, he’d gotten more skilled at using his senses in this capacity, but he wasn’t at all sure of his range.Still, Alise hadn’t sent a recent update, so the trio must not be about to arrive at any moment.
“Why were there three?”Jadren sounded somewhat plaintive, no doubt from pain and blood loss.“You said you locked one in that trunk.I expectedone.”
Gabriel refrained from advising his impromptu student never to make assumptions about the enemy.“I said I locked the pieces of one in the trunk.They must’ve regrown into three individuals.They were smaller than a standard hunter.”
“You’d think it would’ve occurred to you to scatter the pieces,” Jadren observed uncharitably.
“I didn’t care for the idea of multiple points of attack, should they get free.”
Jadren grunted but said nothing more.
Asa wasn’t particularlypleased to have to heal Jadren, or the wound on Gabriel’s thigh he’d already forgotten about.Narlis had remained in the infirmary, seeming to be happy to take care of small tasks, placidly donating magic to replenish Asa.
“You shouldn’t be draining your magic already,” Asa scolded Gabriel.“I might’ve let you out of bed, but you’re far from fully recuperated.”
“I have things to do,” Gabriel replied, keeping his tone mild.It didn’t fool Asa, who gave him a long, unhappy look.
“I know you want to recover Lady Phel,” Asa began, “but—”
“But nothing,” Gabriel said, cutting off the dire predictions he didn’t want to hear.His wizard’s instincts stirred with the distinctive stink of hunters.Still a ways off, but gaining.“Are we done here?The time for our next fight is upon us.”
Jadren lifted his head like a bloodhound.“Is that what I sense?It feels like those things smell.”
Asa stepped back, hands up in a gesture of resignation.“I suppose I should expect you brave idiots back here in even worse condition shortly.”
Jadren grinned and clapped the Refoel healer on the shoulder.“Happy to help you feel indispensable.”
Asa shrugged him off irritably and pointed at Gabriel.“Youneed to restore some of your magic.”
“I won’t need it,” Gabriel replied, tapping his new, enchanted sword.“I have this.”
Asa shook his head firmly.“Wrong.Magic is part of your health and vitality, even if you don’t plan to use it.”
“When we have Iliana and Han safe, I will,” Gabriel promised, mostly to get Asa off his back.Or he’d visit the arcanium again.That had worked beautifully to top him off.
