Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2016 04:25:45 +0000 (GMT)
From: ovote@unseen.is
Subject: The Magician and the Prince

A tale of magicians, magick and a lost boy. This started off just as a one
off story, but as I was writing ideas kept popping up and by the end of
this first part I could see quite a long saga ahead. It is my very first
time venturing into a realm of fantasy, a much loved genre, and I fear not
doing justice to some of the wonderful writers who's works grace my
bookcases. By saying this is a fantasy I don't really need to stress that
it is a work of fiction. Set in a nameless land, maybe even a nameless
world, our rules and conventions do not apply here. Another story I am
writing (Tony & Rhys) has stuttered to a halt, I know the end and the
things that are going to happen, but as much as I try it keeps coming out
wrong. This story was a hopeful way of trying to knock through the wall
that seems to be blocking Tony & Rhys getting to what makes them happy, but
along the way of this it became another multipart story. (Spellings
appearing strange to you are English (U.K)

As always this free resource needs your donations to keep it alive, so
donate as much or little as you can afford.

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ovote@unseen.is


As evening fell, and the gloom in the cell deepened Jacob mouthed a silent
incantation to warm the stone floor beneath him. He had lain unmoving for
most of the daytime so his goalers paid him no attention. The noises from
the prison slowly reduced as the routines of the day were done and put
behind the guards and prisoners. When all was silent he projected out a
sensing to learn more of the place around him. He had been taken by the
city constables early in the day from the street market, as he had
planned. Carelessly stealing a loaf from a baker's stall he had allowed
himself to be held by angry stallholders and brought to the city goal.

It had been a long and fruitless task searching for the runaway boy, this
was the fifth city he had searched but finally he learnt that a child of
the same description had been rounded up during a recent sweep of beggars
and urchins. For over four months now the boy had been missing from home,
he had never referred to him by name or as the Prince in all that time. His
father the King, along with the King's advisors, believed the boy had been
kidnapped, but as Jacob's search had gone on he found no evidence to
support that view, and now thought it was more likely a simple
runaway. Over the years since he became one of the boy's tutors the thought
had often come to him how unsuitable he was to follow his father and ascend
the throne at some time in the future. A slight and quiet boy, not given to
enjoyment of the martial training, the lessons of battle strategy or
learning about the intrigues necessary to keep the Kingdom safe from it's
enemies.

Jacob's careful probe of the the prison around him led him to sense the
Overseer of the goalers, sitting at his cluttered desk with the remains of
an ample meal spread carelessly upon it. He gently pushed feelings of
tiredness into the Overseer's mind, and was rewarded by feeling the
blurring of senses that come from a comfortable seat and a full belly. Once
the Overseer slipped into a deep sleep Jacob slowly rocked the inkwell at
the top of the desk until it tilted towards the open ledger, written in it
the records of the prisoners brought into the goal. Drop by drop the deep
black ink soaked on to the page, covering the script, and by doing so
hiding the fact that Jacob had been caught thieving, a crime for which he
would lose a hand, or even hang if dealt with by one of the stricter
judges. He felt no remorse for the Overseer who would lose his position
when found sleeping. If such a man took pleasure in cruelty to the poor and
the unfortunate then he brought such punishment upon himself.

Maintaining his prone place on the cell floor Jacob scried further out into
the prison, searching for the spark of life he would recognise as the
boy's. Early in the boy's lessons he had taught the boy to feel the tutor's
call, it had been needed for the boy was a reluctant scholar. Time was on
his side now, when the change of goalers came with the morning he would set
a warding in the corridor outside for them to pass by his cell without
giving it thought, leaving him undisturbed. A sleeping mind was harder to
find and he may need the time once the prisoners were roused. Jacob had the
power to take this prison apart with the power of his magick, but for this
task subtlety was needed. He couldn't risk the chance of his actions being
a cause of suspicion falling on his master's kingdom. It was known that
such magick as his was a rare gift. The mages in this land were of a much
lower level, being not much more than hedge witches and simple healers,
able to hasten the set of broken limbs and cure simple illness. What this
place did have though was a very large and well equipped militia, and a
will to use it whenever chance happened. Until he found the boy, and knew
what the return journey would entail, he dare not risk a hostile act
against his homeland if he was not there to assist in it's defence. It was
some time before he found cages in a far part of the goal that were crowded
with small children. Put together until there was enough of them to make a
cargo of slaves, to be sold at the port he expected. So many small dirty
bodies, the rags they wore gave no help in identifying the girls from the
boys. He called the boy, not quite certain that one of these urchins was
him "Be careful Your Highness. Give me a sign you hear me. Be careful Your
Highness. Give me a sign you hear me" Pausing for a few moments after each
call he kept calling, searching for the smallest move from any of the
children. It was long minutes before he sensed movement as one ragged
bundle turned slowly, and a dirty head was raised from the tangled mass
lying on the cage floor. Reading the question in the boy's mind he answered
that yes, it was he, Jacob. He called him to stay calm, be patient and
wait. Retreating back from his search he allowed himself to slip into a
watchful sleep, nothing would change until the daytime.

As morning broke Jacob was roused by the shouts of the new goalers when
they found the Overseer still snoring. The ledger a solid block of black,
pages solidly stuck together with dried ink. Setting a ward on his cell
door would be helped even more with the normal routine disrupted. As a much
greater number of goalers was milling around he saw an opportunity to take
advantage of the confusion. When the inspection of started Jacob saw that
only one goaler was engaged in that task. Collapsing the ward he waited for
the goaler to enter his cell. As soon as the door swung open he pushed hard
into the goalers mind and commanded him to be silent, then placed the
instruction to leave the cell and then return when he had checked all the
other cells. After preparing a different incantation that would prevent the
returning goaler from moving or speaking when re-entering the cell he
silently took off the dirty beggar clothing he had been wearing. The cell
door opened once again shortly afterwards, there was still shouts of anger
and confusion directed to the truculent Overseer, and no attention was
being paid to this end or the cell area, the goaler stepped into the cell
and stood unseeing. Jacob gave him an instruction to undress and then put
on the dirty, discarded clothing which was complied with without thought or
question. Swiftly dressing in the goaler's uniform he caused the goaler to
lie on the floor facing the wall. Leaving and locking the cell after
himself he made his way to the open barred gate leading out of the cell
area.

After spending some time walking around the goal to learn more about the
fate of those children. He learnt that they were to be transported that
very day, the slave ships would sail on the evening tide. Dressed in the
goaler's uniform, he left and made his way to the house he had rented in
the city. Quickly bathing and dressing in finery more in keeping with the
rich Merchant he was posing as he went about the city and procured clothing
for the boy. His intent was that the boy appear to be his apprentice,
finding it humourous that for a short time at least the boy would be
calling him Sire, learning to bow and be servile would be a new experience
for a high born prince. During the return to his house he walked the route
by which the cargo of children would be taken to the docks. For his plan to
work he would have to cause the transport wagons to take a different
approach than than the usual, that being a considerable distance from his
temporary abode. His greatest chance of success was to spirit the boy away
during a time of great confusion. And so he turned his ideas towards a way
of releasing all the children. Having already chosen the best place on his
alternative route to effect the release of the children he now needed to
make the primary route, and any others, impossible for the heavy and
cumbersome wagons to navigate. Sitting in the tea shop, his purchases
neatly stacked at his side he watched the comings and goings from the
timberyard on the corner of the street. His intent was to burn the yard,
the large stacks of wood would take hours to be brought under control. The
chaos would effectively block the whole of this side of the city, and take
up the efforts of a great many of the city constables, leaving little
choice for the prison wagons to be diverted through much narrower and
winding streets near the house he was keeping. Now that the mental link
between himself and the boy had been re-established it was easy to keep,
and so, pushed to the boy the message to be aware, and be ready for things
to happen on the trip to the docks. Sensing that the boy had understood, he
could feel the questions the boy was forming. It was not a perfect form of
communication, the mages had never been allowed to search the mind of a
member of the Royal family, and he had not the power to undo the blocking
put in place long ago by a mage of much greater power than he. There was a
path for a Royal to allow this, but physical contact between the two was
required at the time they both spoke the incantations needed.

The cages used to contain the children were also wheeled, all that was
required was for carthorses to be harnessed to them, and then the large
gates at the end of the building were opened and the journey through the
city to the docks would be underway. The system had been in place for a
long time now, and required only two guards per wagon, and as with every
repetitive exercise, complacency had crept in. There was no outcry from the
citizens at this barbarous treatment of children. Most looked upon them as
beggars and cutpurses, a blight on the well run order of the city. At one
time they had stoned the wagons or thrown buckets of filth, but nowadays
the wagons were so commonplace that the practice had largely ceased, most
didn't even notice the regular transports passing through them. There was
nothing good to be said about a society that treated the poor and
vulnerable with such callous and casual cruelty, Jacob felt no concern for
taking an action that could leave a number of them dead or severely
burnt. His prime concern was that it be looked on as nought more than
accidental, so no hue and cry be raised to find the arsonist. The two
incidents, the fire and the escape of the children, needed to be thought of
as separate.

Deep in the centre of the largest lumber stack the temperature rose, unseen
by the toiling labourers the first wisps of smoke were carried away on the
wind. The wood, dried by the long summer months, was eager fuel for the
flame and yielded swiftly. Once reaching the outside of the stacked timber
there was little anyone could do to combat the flames, and it took only
minutes before the fire spread to adjacent stacks of wood, some piled
against the yard's buildings. Obeying the calls to move to safety Jacob
quickly gathered his purchases and left the tea shop. As he did so a part
of the burning building's roof fell to the street, blocking the way
completely. No wagons were passing here now, that was a certainty, even
after the fire was beaten it would be many days before the debris would be
able to be cleared from the streets. News of the fire reached the prison,
and instructions were given to leave for the docks earlier, the only route
left to the wagons being longer. Too much profit was made from the sale of
these children to consider delaying the transport, and the head of the
prison was one who lived a luxurious life with the gold slave trading
brought him. The three wagons pulled away from the prison yard with the hot
summer sun beating mercilessly down on the cages. The journey was a greater
hardship than usual on the horses, and before too long there was a need to
pause to allow them to drink from a horse trough in one of the larger
piazzas. Focussing on the wagon that was in the lead Jacob gently
manipulated the joints in one of the back wheels. As the wagons started
their journey once more the stresses on those joints grew ever
greater. Before too long the wheel was showing signs that it woul soon
fail, and sure enough, part way up one of the long uphill streets two of
the wheel's spokes sheared. The pressure put on the remaining spokes being
too great they quickly followed and the wheel collapsed, throwing the wagon
downwards on the rear corner. The guards from the other wagons went forward
to see what had happened, leaving the children unsupervised but still
locked in the cages. To release the locks securing those cages was
something Jacob was able to do without effort. Once again sending out the
mental message to the boy he attracted his attention, positioning himself
where he needed the boy to head for he then released the locks and made the
cage doors swing open. When the children saw the chance, being quick witted
and used to surviving on the streets they lost no time in scrambling from
the wagons and scattering in all directions. Even if the guards, older and
slower than nimble children used to being chased if caught cutting purses,
managed to seize hold of any, many of the others would be gone in an
instant. When Jacob saw the boy jump down from the middle of the three
wagons and head his way he turned and made his way off the piazza into one
of the smaller walkways. The boy quickly caught level with him in the
walkway and Jacob quickly passed to him a scrap of paper with a diagram
showing the way to the yard of Jacob's house. Telling the boy to go ahead
and don't be seen entering the yard he made his way, without showing any
haste, towards his temporary home. Looking carefully around him when he
arrived, he opened the door and motioned for the boy, hidden in the bushes,
to come swiftly into the house. Closing the door behind them both he
relaxed for the first time that day. The boy was safe -- for now!

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The first tasks for Jacob to was to get the boy clean, fed, and to ensure
he carried no disease from the hardships of the last few months. He had
left the house earlier having prepared the bathing pools with an
incantation keeping the waters warm during the time he was absent. Showing
the boy to the bathing room he left the packaged clothing for him to choose
from and went to prepare food. One of the few good things he had discovered
in this hostile land was their practices with regard to bathing, the custom
being was for the houses to have three different baths, the first being of
hot soap infused water. When finished in that bath you then moved to the
second where the water was clean, and left you with none of the dirty,
soapy residue on your body. The final bath contained sweetly scented water,
leaving the bather fragrant and ready to dress in clean robes. It was an
idea he intended to take with him to his home Kingdom, where they used more
of a running shower arrangement.

In due course the boy appeared, looking more like the student he had
taught, casting a critical eye up and down the boy he said; "The primary
thing we need to do is ensure your appearance bears little resemblance to
how you have been seen by any visiting dignitaries to our home lands, many
will have seen you around the palace and even though your disappearance has
been kept a closely guarded secret we don't want rumours to start"

He went on "I am a merchant, here to buy jewellery, glassware and
decorative trinkets for ladies. You are my sister's boy, apprenticed to me
and your name is Tancred. During the time we travel you will need to call
me Uncle, or Sire if we are in a place where I am conducting trade. I think
we need to lose that head of blonde hair, so when it has been cut short we
will make it brown, or ginger if you prefer" Keeping a straight face he
watched the emotions pass across the boy's face as he thought of himself as
a ginger apprentice, the last part being intended to lighten the boy's
feelings as much as a truth he needed to hear. Once they had finished a
hearty meal, the boy eating enough to show he had had little during his
time in the cages, they set to changing his appearance. The beautiful
shoulder length blonde locks that Jacob liked so much were shorn and burnt
in the room's fireplace, as were the filthy urchin's rags he had been
wearing. Turning the boy's hair to a mousey brown colour and dressed as a
merchant's clerk he looked much different from a prince of a powerful
land. By now the hour was late, and the sounds from outside the house could
still be heard. Shouts of constables could be heard as they continued the
search for the long gone children. Hopefully most were well hidden in
places they knew to be safe refuges from the cities night watch. Jacob
decided to allow a little time to elapse before delving into the reasons
for the boy's flight from his home, so showing the boy to the bedroom he
had made ready they settled for the night. Closing the door on the boy he
carefully warded the door and window, he was taking no chance on losing his
new 'nephew' before the morning.


In Chapter 2: Jacob finds the reasons for the Prince leaving his home and
learns some of the things that the boy went through during his journeys.
They make plans for returning to their home kingdom, and Tancred (for that
will be his name from now on) surprises Jacob with an audacious plan.

And what you may have been waiting for, sex, gives you a little teaser.