I walked into the room to see Nysander
sitting with a stranger garbed in apprentice's robes. Some other
wizard's apprentice, I assumed. Nysander gave me a broad smile.
'Ah, Seregil. You're just in time for a meal. Sit down.'
I felt the stranger's eyes on my back as I dragged a chair over to the table. They weren't exactly friendly, either. A slight sense of competition rose within me. I think it was just my nature; I had no idea who the man was. But it was also in my rather inquisitive nature to find out. I sat down and looked briefly at the stranger. 'So who is that?' I asked.
Nysander spoke. 'That is someone I've been wanting you to meet. Seregil, this is Thero, my new apprentice. Thero, Seregil.'
New apprentice. It took a moment for the meaning of those words to come to me. Then it hit me like a stone. I had, of course, known that someone else would eventually become Nysander's apprentice after I had left. I'd known it since the moment I had removed the robes of a wizard's apprentice. But that didn't change the fact that I had not really expected it to happen, deep down. I felt as if Nysander would always be mine, only mine. But it had happened. And it hurt. It hurt to know that I had been replaced. Replaced by this pale, bearded, scrawny brat. My thoughts were coming in jolts, and that sense of competition soared. I swore to myself that I would be this Thero's nemesis and rival until the end of his days. Which, unfortunately, would be as many as mine.
Aloud, I said, 'I didn't know you had a new apprentice.'
'I haven't had him for very long. And you have been away for a while.' The wizard smiled at me in a certain way of he had. 'I've told Thero quite a bit about you.'
'Really?' I wondered what had been revealed. Hopefully, not too much about my last weeks as an apprentice. Then again, Thero could find that out from any wizard. I looked at Thero. His face betrayed nothing. 'Not too much, I hope.'
'Not at all, dear boy.'
I wasn't too sure about that, but I decided to let the matter lie. 'Mmm.' I settled back and looked at Thero. Bilairy's Balls, but I hated him. Looked like he'd never seen the sun, like some nasty thing just surfaced from the ground. And I enjoyed hating him.
And I could see he wasn't too fond of me, either, though I couldn't fathom the reason. He had what I did not, and could not have. At any rate, it seemed like we would have a lovely little war with each other.
Then he spoke. 'I learned how to light a candle yesterday.' He was watching me closely as he said it. Illior, so the man knew the extent of my ability.
I wondered what Nysander would do to me if I throttled Thero right then.
I felt the stranger's eyes on my back as I dragged a chair over to the table. They weren't exactly friendly, either. A slight sense of competition rose within me. I think it was just my nature; I had no idea who the man was. But it was also in my rather inquisitive nature to find out. I sat down and looked briefly at the stranger. 'So who is that?' I asked.
Nysander spoke. 'That is someone I've been wanting you to meet. Seregil, this is Thero, my new apprentice. Thero, Seregil.'
New apprentice. It took a moment for the meaning of those words to come to me. Then it hit me like a stone. I had, of course, known that someone else would eventually become Nysander's apprentice after I had left. I'd known it since the moment I had removed the robes of a wizard's apprentice. But that didn't change the fact that I had not really expected it to happen, deep down. I felt as if Nysander would always be mine, only mine. But it had happened. And it hurt. It hurt to know that I had been replaced. Replaced by this pale, bearded, scrawny brat. My thoughts were coming in jolts, and that sense of competition soared. I swore to myself that I would be this Thero's nemesis and rival until the end of his days. Which, unfortunately, would be as many as mine.
Aloud, I said, 'I didn't know you had a new apprentice.'
'I haven't had him for very long. And you have been away for a while.' The wizard smiled at me in a certain way of he had. 'I've told Thero quite a bit about you.'
'Really?' I wondered what had been revealed. Hopefully, not too much about my last weeks as an apprentice. Then again, Thero could find that out from any wizard. I looked at Thero. His face betrayed nothing. 'Not too much, I hope.'
'Not at all, dear boy.'
I wasn't too sure about that, but I decided to let the matter lie. 'Mmm.' I settled back and looked at Thero. Bilairy's Balls, but I hated him. Looked like he'd never seen the sun, like some nasty thing just surfaced from the ground. And I enjoyed hating him.
And I could see he wasn't too fond of me, either, though I couldn't fathom the reason. He had what I did not, and could not have. At any rate, it seemed like we would have a lovely little war with each other.
Then he spoke. 'I learned how to light a candle yesterday.' He was watching me closely as he said it. Illior, so the man knew the extent of my ability.
I wondered what Nysander would do to me if I throttled Thero right then.