The Black Mage: Apprentice Read Online Free

was
the privies and wash chambers, the second the squire/apprentice
mage barracks (depending on whose year it was to field train – we
were never in the same city together), the third was the dining
commons, and the fourth for regiment meetings. It wasn't as grand
as the Academy – but it was still impressive.
    "Is Ian staying behind to do extra mentoring
with Darren today?" Lynn joined me as I found us a seat. The room
was smaller than the one we'd had at the Academy – and there were
only three rows to choose from. Before there had been over a
hundred of us – now there were only sixty, well, sixty-one since
the exception the Colored Robes had made for me last year. Twenty
apprentices from each faction – five for each year.
    "I doubt it." The troublemaker was far more
likely to be trying to talk his way out of the chore Byron had just
assigned. I repeated what Ian had told me on our walk to the
infirmary. "Wish I could see him do it," I added.
    Ella picked at her plate, avoiding a curry
she had deemed too spicy for her liking. "I'm surprised he would
try."
    "What are you talking about?" I stared at my
friend.
    Ella did not reply – suddenly too busy
chewing to answer. Lynn, meanwhile, seemed unusually upset. My
mentor hid it quickly though, masking her discomfort with a bunch
of questions about my arm instead. I quickly forgot my own as the
girl barraged me for answers. Would I still be able to train
with her? Did I think it would affect my castings? Was I sure Byron
wouldn't let the Restoration apprentices cast a healing for
it?
    "Ladies. Loren. I hope you didn't mourn for
me while I was away."
    Glancing up I saw that Ian had returned,
looking no worse for wear than usual.
    "Did you even talk to Byron?" I asked
suspiciously. The third-year seemed too cheery to have just come
from a chat with our training master.
    Ian took the seat opposite mine as he slid in
next to Loren. "Nah. I decided it was a wasted effort."
    Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Ella
and Loren exchange meaningful looks.
    "So did anyone else notice how Commander Ama
keeps avoiding divulging where those tunnels are?" I asked, finally
breaking the awkward silence.
    Lynn shrugged. "It doesn't matter much. I
don't see Jerar going to war anytime soon." She turned to Ian.
"What do you think?" she teased. "Are we ready for war?"
    Ian's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Why don't
we ask our very own royal since it will be his father signing those
summons?" He stood up and pretended to scan the row of Combat
apprentices for the non-heir who was, as usual, missing from the
table. "What a shame, my charming mentee is absent. Again ."
    Darren hadn't taken a lunch with the rest of
our faction since we had started. Instead, he spent the hour
drilling with Byron personally in the training grounds. I
wasn't sure whose idea it had initially been – the man
hero-worshipped the prince - but I understood Ian's irritation. No
one else got exclusive training with the master; Byron was grooming
Darren for success and leaving the rest of us – particularly the
ones he didn't like - to rot.
    I had confronted Darren about the injustice a
couple weeks back and the prince had just laughed in my face. "What did you expect, Ryiah? Not everyone is going to treat us
like equals. You got lucky with the first-year masters at the
Academy but you are going to have to learn to accept the injustice
now - it's always going to be here. Especially while I'm around."
    He'd made a good point – even if I hadn't
liked what it meant.
    Since Ian was Darren's mentor he took the
prince's absence more personally than the rest of us. The
third-year didn't trust Darren. I think the prince's aloof nature
unsettled him. And Darren's competitive drive only made things
worse.
    I sympathized. More than anyone else at our
table, I understood Ian's plight. I had gone through the same thing
the first time I'd met the non-heir - and it had taken me ten long
months to stop second-guessing Darren's