Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [74]
"Teach how to create spells? I doubt the boy has the aptitude for it!"
"You taught me how to cast minor cantrips didn't you?"
"Yes, but you can only use minor elemental ones, like lighting a torch or blowing out one. You can conjure a drink of water to splash someone in the face at most but thats it."
"I did scare that troll off by lighting my hand on fire."
"Faerie fire which isn't real. Trolls aren't always that stupid."
"What else was I supposed to do? Wrestle him with my bare hands?"
"It would have been an interesting fight to watch."
"Nevertheless, you're stuck with the kid."
Draque snorted smoke out his nose like a dragon. "Indeed."
Nicole stopped at the main doors and looked about the Academy. It was near dusk and the air was humid within the walls. The sun's power still warmed the grounds and yet outside in Waterdeep there was several inches of snow that hadn't melted during the day. Tomorrow there would be even more snow on the ground. She couldn't help but wonder how long this Rambertz could hold winter at bay.
She decided to take a quick walk around the grounds and try to find the druid. She doubted that Pierce would mind if she was late for their date. It wasn't uncommon for a noble to be deliberately late so as to make a more illustrious entrance.
As she walked, she swore the place felt more like late summer than early winter. iT was muggy and had that feeling in the air that excited the pulse and made you feel so much more alive. Perhaps that was a magically induced feeling, but she doubted it as she passed a row of orange rose bushes.
A solid hoof print before her in the ground made her smile. Following the tracks she found the huge stallion hidden behind a row of red maples chewing on a grape vine that hung down from the trees.
"Bartholomew," she scolded with a smile to which the horse snorted in response and continued to chew lazily. She leapt atop the horse and dug her heals into his flanks, using his mane to steer him back to the stables as he started out at a gallop.
"I'm surprised Pierce lets you get away with this. I don't understand why you could like flowers and leaves better than oats. Every horse knows its a treat to have oats, let alone all the time!"
"Well, not exactly."
Nicole reined in the horse and for a moment thought that Bartholomew was the one who had spoke. Looking up at the huge maple overhead, she saw a dark torso hidden between the limbs looking down at her.
"Bart knows that the best foods are out here in the sun. Especially with a little magically tweaking from myself and Marque Draque, these gardens are probably the best tasting ones in all of Waterdeep."
"You are Rambertz right?"
"How much do you know of me?"
"Not much other than you're a gardener of sorts."
"A druid. The sun has an enormous power to provide life once properly harnessed. The plants you see around you have all been tweaked magically so they do several things."
"Like?"
"Well, for starters they taste better. They're immune to disease, and they absorb and release heat in a fashion that prevents the frost from harming them during this time of year."
"And the reason you're up in the tree is so you can watch the sunset better?"
"Yes and no."
"No?"
"I have other reasons, but I'll leave those up to Pierce to tell you."
Nicole shrugged and dug her heals into Bartholomew's flanks. She was suddenly anxious to be near her date and away from this strange druid.
Pierce watched her go and came out from behind the limbs and sat down across from the drider. "She knows about my abilities but I don't know what she'd think if I told her you were a drider. I don't know if I should even tell her about Draque."
"The mage has his own problems so I hear from the birds in the trees," the drider grunted.
"A bad case of hero worship I'm afraid. The boy thinks of Draque as many others think of Drizzt. He's going to be a bit disappointed when he finds out that Draque works for money and