Kingdom of Spades
Aron
Aron thumbed through the book that his friend had tossed on his bed before looking back at the other man and arching an eyebrow. "Since when have I ever cared about books?" he asked.
Gavin shrugged in reply before waving a hand back at the book. Aron growled darkly. Only Gavin could get away with doing a thing like that. It was probably because they had been fighting together since Aron had been given his spurs and made a knight almost ten years before. Looking carefully at the writing on the pages Aron frowned.
"I can't read that," he said shaking his head.
"You can read at all?"
A dark look allowed his friend a soft chuckle before he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I digress. I actually would have been surprised if you could read it. It's an old mage language that's primarily used by the War Mages of Ior these days."
Aron arched an eyebrow in question. "And what has that to do with me?" he demanded. "I'm a knight and one who has a troublesome page to deal with as you will well recall." He took a particular point of pride in seeing the dark look that passed over Gavin's face. It probably had something to do with the fact that Aron's young apprentice, Luke, had the bad habit of getting Gavin's own apprentice, Kassidy, in trouble.
"What if I told you that this said they were amassing a fighting force?" Gavin grit out.
Aron paused. "I would say you have my attention." Aron leaned against the wall and held up a hand to silence Gavin a moment before the door tumbled inward smacking his mage friend in the face. Aron winced in sympathy before he turned and sighed at the sight of fifteen year old Luke who seemed rather breathless.
It took all the older male had not to simply rest his head on his hand as he waited for Gavin to come out from behind the door. "I'll deal with him Gavin. You go along and worry about your apprentice. She should be out of her lessons by now and knowing the masters and boys like I do..." he trailed off and watched Gavin contemplate that for a moment before storming out of the room.
"Oops?" Luke offered as an apology.
Aron sighed and did press his face against his palm this time. "Luke. Do you remember that discussion we had, oh three years ago now, about you knocking before you came in?" he asked.
The boy shuffled his feet from side to side biting his lip and muttering his reply.
"Speak up," Aron snapped. He had to be forceful. It was his job as a proper master for his young apprentice.
"Yes sir," Luke muttered moving from foot to foot. "I'm really sorry! I didn't know that Mage Gavin would be inside and-"
Aron held up a hand to silence his young apprentice. "Be more careful in the future Luke, but until then...."
The boy sighed and bowed his head. He hated being punished. What the boy would likely never realize was that Aron hated punishing him even more than Luke hated to receive it.
Gavin shrugged in reply before waving a hand back at the book. Aron growled darkly. Only Gavin could get away with doing a thing like that. It was probably because they had been fighting together since Aron had been given his spurs and made a knight almost ten years before. Looking carefully at the writing on the pages Aron frowned.
"I can't read that," he said shaking his head.
"You can read at all?"
A dark look allowed his friend a soft chuckle before he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I digress. I actually would have been surprised if you could read it. It's an old mage language that's primarily used by the War Mages of Ior these days."
Aron arched an eyebrow in question. "And what has that to do with me?" he demanded. "I'm a knight and one who has a troublesome page to deal with as you will well recall." He took a particular point of pride in seeing the dark look that passed over Gavin's face. It probably had something to do with the fact that Aron's young apprentice, Luke, had the bad habit of getting Gavin's own apprentice, Kassidy, in trouble.
"What if I told you that this said they were amassing a fighting force?" Gavin grit out.
Aron paused. "I would say you have my attention." Aron leaned against the wall and held up a hand to silence Gavin a moment before the door tumbled inward smacking his mage friend in the face. Aron winced in sympathy before he turned and sighed at the sight of fifteen year old Luke who seemed rather breathless.
It took all the older male had not to simply rest his head on his hand as he waited for Gavin to come out from behind the door. "I'll deal with him Gavin. You go along and worry about your apprentice. She should be out of her lessons by now and knowing the masters and boys like I do..." he trailed off and watched Gavin contemplate that for a moment before storming out of the room.
"Oops?" Luke offered as an apology.
Aron sighed and did press his face against his palm this time. "Luke. Do you remember that discussion we had, oh three years ago now, about you knocking before you came in?" he asked.
The boy shuffled his feet from side to side biting his lip and muttering his reply.
"Speak up," Aron snapped. He had to be forceful. It was his job as a proper master for his young apprentice.
"Yes sir," Luke muttered moving from foot to foot. "I'm really sorry! I didn't know that Mage Gavin would be inside and-"
Aron held up a hand to silence his young apprentice. "Be more careful in the future Luke, but until then...."
The boy sighed and bowed his head. He hated being punished. What the boy would likely never realize was that Aron hated punishing him even more than Luke hated to receive it.