Cinda Williams Chima - Flamecaster

Compared to the freezing weather outside, the stable was warm and steamy and alive with the sleepy murmurings of horses.

Adrian sulHan pulled off his fleece-lined gloves and stuffed them into his pockets. He went first to see if his fathers pony, the latest in a long line of Raggers, was still in his stall.

He was, poking his head over the stall door, looking for a handout as usual. So his father hadnt left the city. Not yet, anyway. Adrian needed to talk to him before he did.

He walked on down the line of stalls to look in on the piebald mare. She came forward to meet him, lipping hopefully at his hand. Adrian studied her critically. Her eyes were bright, ears pricked forward, and when he ran his hand over her shoulder, he could tell that the muscles of her withers were filling in.

Sliding his free hand under his coat, he gripped his amulet and sent a tendril of power into the mare, looking for trouble. To his relief, the white-hot focus of infection was nearly gone.

Youll be all right, he murmured, stroking her head, proud that it was true.

He heard Mancys step-and-drag footsteps behind him. I thought that was you, boy, she said, coming up next to him. Here to see my Priscilly? Its amazing, what youve done. I thought I had lost her, and now shes like a brand-new horse.

Actually, Im looking for my da, and I thought Id look in on Priscilly while Im here, Adrian said. Have you seen him?

She shook her head. Not today, no. Worry flickered across her face. You dont think the High Wizard will come here, do you? See, Im moving slow this morning, and I only just got the front stalls mucked out. I need to

Dont worry, Adrian said, raising both hands. I just thought he might have stopped by.

Mancy was a soldier whod been assigned to the stables while she recovered from a nasty leg wound courtesy of one of the kingdom of Ardens collared mages. Now her wound drew Adrians attention like a poke in the eye. It wasnt healing properly, he could tell, and he wanted to know why.

In fact, Mancy had the smell of death on her.

Hey! Did you hear me?

That was when Adrian realized that Mancy had asked a question. Im sorry, he said, wrenching his attention back to the conversation. What was that?

I said, is it all right if I put her back on her regular feed? Mancy said, a little huffily.

Oh. Ah. Two more days of the mash, and then she can go back, he said. Grain was hard to find after a quarter century of war. Nobody was getting fat in Fellsmarch these days.

I was telling Hughes at West Gate about you, Mancy said. I told him you was just a ltling, but you can work miracles with horses.

Im not a ltling, Adrian thought. Maybe I dont have my growth, but Im already thirteen.

Hes got a moonblind horse that ant getting any better, and he asked me to ask you if you might come by and take a look.

The West Gate was two days ride away. And Adrian was hoping to leave town in a week.

I cant go out there right now, but Ill send over an ointment that might help, he said. He paused, clearing his throat. A ltling healer might be good enough for horses, but... Hows the leg?

Mancy grimaced. Its all right, I guess. Its closed over, but its still giving me a lot of pain. Plus, I cant seem to get my strength back. I been back to the healing halls three different times, but they dont want to see me.

Mancys collarbones stuck out more than before, and Adrian noticed that she leaned on the stall door for support. Mind if I take a look?

Mancy blinked at him. At me? You do people, too?

Adrian bit back the first response that came to mind. Sometimes.

All right then. Be my guest. Mancy sat down on an overturned bucket, and rolled back her uniform breeches. When he went to touch her leg, though, she flinched back. You ant going todo anything, are you?

Like?

Hex it or something? Valefolk were wary of wizards, for good reason.

Im just going to take a look, all right? The wound was closed, the skin tight and hot, the leg puffy all the way into the ankle. Adrian brushed his fingers over it, murmuring a charm, and saw that the infection had gone into the bone. Hed seen it before, in horses, and they always had to be put down.

Adrian looked up at Mancy, chewing his lower lip. The leg would have to come off, but he knew she wouldnt take that verdict from a thirteen-year-old untrained wizard.

Mancy, he said, your leg needs to be seen right away. Go back to the healing halls, and ask for Titus Gryphon. Dont get shuffled off to anyone else, and dont take no for an answer. Tell him I sent you, that he needs to look at your leg. Do it now.

Mancy blinked at him, her brow furrowed. Now? But right now I need to muck out the

That can keep, Adrian said. If you want, Ill put in a word with Jarrett. The stable master owed him a favor.

You dont need to do that, Mancy said. She swallowed hard. Ill just let him know where I am. If you really think I need to go now.

You do. Adrian put a hand on her shoulder, soothing her. Youll be all right.

With Mancy on her way to Gryphon, Adrian continued his search for his father. Outside again, it seemed even colder than before. The wind howled down from the Spirits, sending bits of greenery from the recent Solstice celebration spinning down the street.

He really, really needed to get a yes from his father before his mother the queen found out what he was up to. His father, the High Wizard, was a little more flexible when it came to rules. Like the one that said that wizards werent supposed to receive their amulets until they turned sixteen.

Adrian reached for his amulet now, as he did a dozen times a day, feeling the usual flow of energy from wizard to amulet. Wizards continually produced flash, a magical energy. Amulets stored flash until enough accumulated to do something worthwhile. Without an amulet, flash leaked away, and was of no use to anyone.

His father had given him this hand-me-down amulet two years ago, on his eleventh name day, along with a lecture on all the bad things that would happen if he abused or misused it.

Adrian had worn the amuletcarved in the shape of a hunteron a chain around his neck ever since. Hed trained hard in the use of magicmost often with his father, when he was home; elsewise with some of his fathers handpicked friends. Yet it had made no difference. His older sister, Hana, was dead, and his little sister, Lyss, was heartbroken. And Adrian needed to get out of town.

If his da wasnt in the castle close, and if he hadnt ridden out, hed be somewhere in the city. Likely Ragmarket or Southbridge. Adrian headed for the markets.

To call them markets these days was being generous. With Solstice just over, the shelves had been cleared of what little food there was. There was nothing on offer but some tired-looking root vegetables that had been held back till now so as to fetch the best prices. His father said it reminded him of the hard times during the reign of Queen Marianna, when there was never enough to eat. Or during Ardens siege of Fellsmarch Castle, when they had contests to come up with new recipes for barley.

Hard times are back, Adrian thought, if they ever left. For Solstice, the royal family had dined on venison, courtesy of their upland clan relations. Otherwise, it would have been ham and barley pies (light on ham, heavy on barley).