"We must go after them," Gunnar ordered.
There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in that decision.
The mages had been an integral part of the knighthood for the past couple of years. A sense of the world healing itself as prejudices disappeared, and a willingness to work with each other took over. It was a mutually beneficial relationship that none of the knights or apprentices understood why they would want to sever.
The group of knights and apprentices rushed out of the back entrance of the highest tower, and they saw that the mages were in the stables seeking the horses they had brought with them in the first place. Not all mages were comfortable in the stable, so many were outside, patiently waiting for their transportation to be given to them.
Gunnar took the lead with Irene close behind.
"Stanley!" the knight shouted. "What is the meaning of this?"
The younger mages made way for the knight and practically cowered as they pressed themselves against the outside of the stable, hoping to avoid the knight’s wrath. After everything they had been through, they still didn’t trust man and chose to stick with their own.
Irene always felt terrible whenever they behaved in such a way. She had gone to great lengths to try and make the mages feel as if they belonged, but then something would happen and their confidence would be broken.
They reminded her of cats in that way.
As they made it to the stable’s entrance, Stanley walked forward slowly with his white horse being gently pulled forth. The large animal’s jaw gently rested on his shoulder as they walked forward. They were clearly very in tune with one another.
"The meaning of what, knight?" he asked flippantly.
"You and the others are leaving," Gunnar explained. "The mages who aren’t required to pay a single coin to stay in the tower. Perhaps the only place in Peroda where you will not be persecuted for simply being mages."
Stanley didn’t stop until he was out of the large stable door, and he turned to face the knight more directly.
"That is no longer enough."
"Then what more can we do?" Gunnar asked in disbelief. "If I’m not mistaken, this deal is pretty damned good. The Commander’s death doesn’t mean you will be kicked—"
"It has nothing to do with that," the old mage persisted, waving his hands that were mostly obscured by his sleeves. "I have a group of mages positively sick after setting foot in the room where the Duke had died. A mage has certainly been there before. If not a mage, a black magic practitioner."
Irene couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips at this.
Perhaps it was the fault of all the material she had been reading about mages, but she read over and over many times that black magic was the ultimate death sentence. Anyone found participating in something so sinister was tortured within an inch of their life and then tortured some more. There was no one in the history of the kingdom who had escaped unscathed after a black magic accusation.
She hoped that there were none who were falsely accused.
This was beyond Gunnar’s realm of knowledge. His understanding was lost when it came to magic. He merely thought it was enough that they benefited one another and nothing more than that.
He persisted, however.
"Then what can we do to ensure that you stay for longer?" Gunnar asked.
"We will only postpone our departure date, nothing more than that," Stanley explained. "Unless you have a place outside of that tower where we can stay, we will take our leave today. There isn’t a mage who will step foot inside again."
Since most of Sir Gunnar’s worries lay in not being able to send the letters to the far sides of the kingdom, he relented by letting out a slow, even sigh. The most update n0vels are published on novel[f]ire.net
The responsibilities were piling high, but he supposed there was no other choice for him.
"Yes," he responded weakly. "That is fine. There are plenty of barracks that are without knights or apprentices. We will move beds so that you can stay together." He then turned towards the other knights and apprentices who were looking on with uncertainty. "Go get maids who are available and help them move around furniture for the mages. Make sure the fires in the rooms are warm."
Stanley stared on suspiciously, as if he was uncomfortable with being so cared for. Even if their leave was only prolonged due to the knights needing to use them for their abilities, it would be nice to leave when the weather was slightly warmer.
"What is it you need, knight?" Stanley wondered outright, not feeling like deferring the true reason for much longer.
"I am required to send the news to His Majesty and the late Duke’s aides," Gunnar admitted. "I will pay whoever does it handsomely."
Stanley let out the quietest of scoffs, but he still gestured towards the mages and handed his horse off to the squire working in the stables that day.
"You will need more than one," Stanley insisted. "You, you, me. Go."
Irene wasn’t able to see what transpired beyond that because she went inside with the rest of them and found maids who were willing to help with the sudden situation—as if they weren’t already dealing with more than enough considering their leader had just passed away.
Meanwhile, Gunnar led Stanley and the few other mages to the other end of the barracks because they insisted they needed to be far from the Duke’s Tower in order to feel out a mana pillar in the capital. It was a great distance away, after all, and only Stanley had the mana pool required to send the letter so far.
The entire time, the mage grimaced as he conjured the mana circle required for the delivery of the letter.
When he was finished, he brushed his hands together as if to wipe something unappealing off them.
"A lot of mana in this area," he muttered, "working against mine and trying to choke me. We will be rid of this place soon enough."
"As long as I can solicit a bit more help from all of you, I have no choice but to be grateful for what you have given us this far."