Nina's Observations 7 - Lord Bryson Stonewood

Every week, I introduce more characters into the story through these posts, and so the length of my Nina's observations project keeps growing as Nina finds more people to observe...

At least I'll have a decent amount to work with when I actually start writing the ACTUAL story...

Journal Entry 31

Master left for Starfall City today.

I woke up, and the Tower was the same as it had always been; experiments bubbling away in my Master’s Lab, books floating about in the library as they returned to their shelves after being abandoned on tables and chairs the night before, the broom wandering about on its own in search of dust to sweep away.

It just lacked my Master’s presence.

I knew he had gone on his trip and had not just gone off to town. I could always feel his magic when he was nearby, could tell how close or how far away he was by the strength of his aura. But it was gone, completely. And there were only two reasons why I wouldn’t be able to sense it.

And I doubted he was dead. He was old, but he wasn’t elderly.

I’m disappointed by the fact that he didn’t let me go with him, and that he didn’t even wake me to say goodbye, but it won’t be for long. He’ll be back soon enough, and life will go on as before. In the meantime, I shall continue my project. He’ll be disappointed in me if I take the opportunity to slack off just because he’s away.

Hmm. A door in the foyer is open. I do not recall it ever being open before. I shall have to investigate later.

Villager Observation 7 - Lord Bryson Stonewood

Continuing on from my last entry, I have continued to observe the Stonewood Siblings. This time, I’ve been spending my time observing the brother, Bryson Stonewood.

Bryson is very much like his sister. He spends much of his time at either the Stonewood or Fairwood Mines. However, where his sister is willing to put her safety and life on the line at times, disappearing deep into the mines to work with their employees, Bryson doesn’t often wander far into the mines, if at all.

He’s usually inspecting the ore that’s brought up from below the surface, or in the mining office. He’s more focused on the business side of the mines and is rarely seen around either mine without the Overseer or the Co-owner at his heels.

However, Bryson is a little different from his sister as well. Where Gloria seems unwilling to commit to courting and betrothal, Bryson has a fiancee. She does not live in Willowdale - not at present - but she does visit frequently. I do not think the woman likes Willowdale very much - I have seen her a few times, and she never looks particularly pleased. I guess the town isn’t up to her standard. Not enough shops, perhaps, or other upper-class families.

I do not know if Bryson’s engagement is one that was arranged, or if he actually courted the woman. While the answer might make all the difference in my final opinion of Bryson, I do not wish to ask.

I have noticed that Bryson doesn’t spend nearly as much time in the town as his sister does. Whether it is because he is too busy - with Gloria running off pretty much every day, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is swamped by the paperwork necessary to run the mine - or if he doesn’t like the place nearly as much as she does, I also do not know. It is hard to get close enough to him to find out anything of real use to me.

He does seem protective of his employees, and their families. The Stonewood Estate, I have discovered, has many small houses built on its land. Many of the miners and their families live in those houses. They are safe within the tall walls of the Stonewood Estate, though the gates stand open most of the day, and only close at a certain time at night.

I learned that it was Bryson who had the houses built and insisted the miners and their families live in them. Prior to that, they lived in small shacks close to the mines, which were unprotected by the greedy former Caretaker. As such, they were exposed to the dangers that lurked outside of Willowdale, far enough away that help wouldn’t reach them immediately.

It gives a bit of insight to Bryson. He would rather have those people safe, and let the mines fall into the hands of bandits if it must than he would allow them to be killed or threatened by bandits, or worse.

I am still not entirely sure how I feel about Bryson Stonewood. Further observation is required, but that will have to wait until I am a little more confident around the townspeople.

And with Master gone, for the time being, that might be sooner than I’d hoped.

For now, however, I shall move on to observing the Fairwood sisters.  

Nina's Observations, Entry 6: Lady Gloria Stonewood

Journal Entry 27

I met the Stonewood family recently.

Well, the Stonewood Siblings, anyway. Master says that only the twins, Gloria and Bryson, live in the area. Their parents live in the city of Fernsworth, with their younger siblings.

I wasn’t really expecting to meet anyone while I was wandering about the forest, setting up the wards around the area I frequent. It had taken a bit of effort, but I had managed to get Jackson Hill’s bow while he was at the Hog and Heifer, and put a spell on it. So long as another mage doesn’t notice the spell in place, he’ll never know it’s there, and I’ll have plenty of warning if he wanders into the area near my Master’s Tower.

Naturally, they didn’t set off the wards I’d already set up, so I did not know they were nearby until I’d finished setting up a ward by a small pond and discovered them watching me with interest.

Master says that I over-reacted, panicking and running away because they hadn’t started yelling or panicking over seeing someone using magic, but I’ve been betrayed too many times by people I trusted with my secret before to immediately think that these two strangers might not be dangerous to me.

The fact that they know about my magic, that they know about me being in the area, makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Master knows this. Master knows my parents feared and hated me, my village tried to kill me. I do this Observation project at his insistence, but only I can decide when I’ll actually interact with anyone in the village itself.

Drunk miners who don’t remember me and travellers I’ll probably never see again are one thing. People who frequent the town, especially people with influence, are another thing entirely.

Villager Observation 6 - Lady Gloria Stonewood

The Stonewood family is one of the more influential families in the town of Willowdale. They were one of the first to settle in the area, after the Dawnstone Family. They established the Stonewood Iron Mine, half an hour’s walk outside of town to the northeast, and they co-own the Fairwood Coal Mine, which is about the same distance outside of town, only to the west.

The majority of the family moved out of Willowdale about three generations ago, according to my Master, but continued to own the estate they left behind and the mines. They simply left the task of running the mines and the care of the estate in the hands of people they trusted.

However, from what I understand, the estate and mine fell into the hands of a greedy man, who stole from the Stonewood Family, cared little for the health and safety of the miners, barely paid them anything for their work, and lived a life of luxury in the Estate.

Since the Fairwood Coal Mine is co-owned by the Fairwood Family, it only went unnoticed until the problem began to spread to the Fairwood’s Mine. Word was sent back to the Stonewood Family, who acted almost immediately, firing the greedy Overseer - who, according to my Master, now resides in the Dawnstone Castle Dungeons for his many counts of theft, and for endangering the lives of many of the miners - and placing family back in the area to take over the task of running the Mine.

The Family that was chosen were the oldest Twins of the Stonewood Family, Gloria and Bryson. The twins are in their mid-twenties, just a few years older than myself, though they apparently weren’t when they first arrived.

Gloria is not what I expected, for a noble. My general understanding of Nobles, especially Noblewomen, is that they are stuck up, very focused on their appearances, and usually married to equally stuck-up, self-absorbed Noblemen.

After observing Gloria for a while, I have come to the conclusion that Gloria is none of these. She can, of course, be a little focused on her appearance at times, but I’ve never known a Noble - especially not a Noblewoman - who willingly dresses in simple mining clothing, and disappears into one of the mines for most of the day, to work alongside her miners, rather than to simply watch over them and make sure everything's running smoothly.

She certainly concerns her mother, who allegedly visited recently - before Master found me and took me in - and was horrified to discover her daughter deep within the Stonewood Mines, filthy as can be and assisting the miners in pushing a cart full of ore, that had broken a wheel on the way up, to the surface.

Her mother thought that if anyone should be working in the mines like a commoner, it should be her brother, not her and that she should be focused on getting married and continuing the family bloodline.

I can tell that Gloria does not take after her mother.

Gloria is also a very social person. If she’s not in the mines, she’s in the town, talking to everyone she meets. She also does most of the purchasing for the estate, though she has a few servants with her, to help carry everything she buys back.

For a Noble, she isn’t one to take advantage of other people. She assists where she can, from what I’ve seen, rather than expecting everyone to do everything for her. She’s not focused on getting married, or on her appearance.

I’ve not been able to tell what her opinion is on magic, though it seems as though she and her brother haven’t told anyone what they saw me doing. I will have to continue observing, and try and get a little more information on her before I decide if I’m going to approach her. In the meantime, I need to see what I can learn about her brother.

Nina's Observations, Entry 5: Serah Gordon

Journal Entry 24

I have continued to hang around the Hog and Heifer for a while. Despite my discomfort about Jackson Hill, I have found it is a quiet place during the day, and not one that my Master seems to venture close to. I assume that has to do with the fact that it sells alcohol, and while my Master does occasionally drink, nothing I have seen the locals drinking is anything like what he prefers.

The Inn sells stuff like mead and ale, some of it brewed by the Innkeeper - or perhaps, Jackson Hill - and some of it bought from the Merchant Caravans. My Master prefers wine, from Starfall City.

The Inn is pretty quiet during the day, with only a few people generally in or around it. Most of the guests are travellers, spending a few days resting at the Inn before they move on. The majority of them, I have learned, are heading to the Arena. I have never been to the Arena before, but I do not think I want to; the rumours I have heard about the place make me hesitant to go near it.

The Arena, I have been told, is a huge monstrosity made of stone, about a week’s journey - on horseback - from town. It is beyond the forests I called home, on the Plains of Delair. It is surrounded on all sides by a makeshift town of tents and wooden shelters. The people there aren’t the best people to be around; most are warriors, mercenaries, or soldiers, and everyone is bloodthirsty, whether they’re there to spectate or fight. Even the merchants who peddle their wares there aren’t to be trusted.

But every traveller I see in the Inn speaks of it with reverence and pride. There is gold to be made at the Arena, and glory to be earned if one has the strength to survive. Many of these travellers, I do not expect I’ll see again; anyone can enter the Arena, but not everyone leaves it.

I am not uncomfortable in the Inn, I have realised. At least, not during the day. The people there are ones I likely won’t see again, and very few pay me any mind when I wander in, so I don’t feel like I’m in any danger. I always leave in the afternoon, though. Before the townspeople can start arriving. That’s when I do start feeling in danger.

Villager Observation 5 - Serah Gordon

I do not think Serah Gordon, the Innkeeper, much likes people talking about the Arena when she’s in earshot. She shoots most people glares when they speak of it around her. Travellers will get shushed by townsfolk if she is in earshot. One person got thrown out by Jackson Hill because they refused to stop.

I do not know the exact details, but I get the feelings that Serah lost someone important to her in the Arena. I have been hesitant to ask, in case I get thrown out as well.

There are five people working at the Inn in total; Serah Gordon, Jackson Hill, Melissa Fairwood, Raven Fairwood, and Alexia Moore. Melissa and Raven only work during the day, cleaning the rooms and the common room while it’s quiet. It is understandable; neither of them are adults yet, and from what I have seen - though fortunately, not experienced - the evening patrons - especially the travellers - can get quite drunk, and a little grabby.

They leave as soon as Alexia comes in, which is shortly before the miners finish their work for the day. Alexia is a little older and works the evening with Serah. Both of them are a little more tolerant of drunk patrons, and a little more skilled at avoiding hands that try to grab what they shouldn’t be.

I have listened to people talking during the day, and have a learned a little about Serah Gordon.

Though Serah is the only member of her family who lives in the town and runs the Inn, there used to be more of them living there, and she is not the only Gordon around. The Inn has been around since the town started growing, though it did not originally belong to her family; it only came into her family when her great-grandfather bought it from the owner because he had no one to leave it to.

Serah has a husband, a son, and a daughter, though none of them live nearby, and very rarely visit. From what I understand, her daughter lives in Starfall City, though whether she uses magic is unclear. Her son is married to the daughter of the family who owns the Mad Warrior’s Rest Inn, on the way to the Arena, and he lives and works there with his In-laws. Where her husband is is also not clear, but from what I understand, he is alive.

I am not sure how I feel about approaching Serah Gordon properly. Though her daughter lives in Starfall City, the City of Magic, it is unclear whether she likes or tolerates magic-users, or dislikes them. I will have to see what else I can learn, both in the Inn and away from it, before I can make a decision.

Nina's Observations, Entry 4 - Jackson Hill

Part 4 of Nina's Observations.

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Journal Entry 21

Master tells me he has to go to Starfall City soon. He has some business there. When I asked him if I could accompany him, he started acting a little strange. He told me that he needed me to remain behind and look after the Tower while he was away.

He wouldn’t tell me when he was leaving, or how long he’d be gone for. I suppose I shall find out soon enough. It’s a little unusual, and I’m disappointed that I cannot go with him - I have never seen Starfall City before, and I want to - but I’m sure Master has his reasons for asking me to stay behind.

I am sure I shall see it eventually. It’s likely more crowded than any place I’ve been before so I might not be too comfortable there. Even though the majority of the people who live there have magic, so I wouldn’t be out of place, or in any danger.

In the meantime, Master has been insisting I continue with my project when I’m not practising or studying. I have observed several of the townspeople since I finished observing Arrow-Wood farm, but few of them have caught my attention, or have quickly made me retreat with their rude comments and threats towards my Master.

I have little interest in attempting to befriend a person who thinks the town should kidnap Master from his Tower in the night and burn him at the stake in the centre of town. Not that any of them would get passed Master’s spells on the door and the windows.

Villager Observation 4 - Jackson Hill

I came across an Inn, not far outside of town recently. It is called the Hog and Heifer. I didn’t know it was there before. It seems popular amongst the townspeople. Master says it the only Inn in the area; the next closest Inn is a place called The Mad Warrior’s Rest, about a three-day journey away.

I’ve found it’s a good place to observe the townspeople - most of them anyway. A number of them are the types I don’t want to interact with - suspicious, distrustful, judgemental. One of the people who is there frequently - I have come to discover he works there - is a man named Jackson Hill.

Jackson Hill is not the friendliest of people. He is a big guy - very muscular. His attitude is surly, irritable. He doesn’t talk to people much, and when he does, he has very little to say, and most of the time, he just grunts. After a little while of observation, I have learned how to differentiate between his grunts.

Out of curiosity, I followed him one evening, after he’d finished working at the Inn for the day - after he’d chased out the last of the miners and farm hands who drank away most of their wages at the Inn, and the Innkeeper had insisted she could manage the rabble that remained. It appears he lives alone in a small cabin not far from the Inn, away from the town. Much like Master and myself, in the Tower on the far side, though his home is a lot more ominous looking than Master’s Tower is.

During the day, he works at the Inn, chopping wood, cleaning out the stables, and just, in general, doing the harder or messier tasks that the Innkeeper won’t do. If he minds, he doesn’t seem to say anything about it. Or perhaps he gets paid enough for the work that he doesn’t care.

During the evening, and late at night, he seems to do other things. In one of my late night wanders - when I couldn’t sleep due to nightmares - I spotted him roaming the forest with a bow and a quiver of arrows. The next morning, when I arrived at the Inn to continue my observation of the place and the people who frequented it, I noticed two deer, and a few rabbits waiting to be butchered.

I do not think that Jackson Hill is the kind of person I feel safe approaching. Everything about him just screams dangerous. I have an odd feeling that he knows I am lingering near the Inn; every now and then, while he is working outside, I notice him stop what he is doing, and look in my direction.

I know he cannot see me, hiding in the trees, but I get the oddest feeling that it doesn’t matter to him. If he had his bow, I am certain he would shoot me.

I am quite glad that Master was the one to find me wandering the woods when he did. I do not think I would fancy meeting Jackson Hill out in the forest, and now that I know he is out there, especially at night, I shall make an effort to avoid him as much as possible. I intend to set up simple detection spells out in the forest, to try and get a feel of where he hunts, but to do so, I need to get something to ensure the spells only detect him.

It would be of no use to me if a deer or a rabbit set off the spells, after all.

Nina's Observations, Entry 3: The Arrow Family

Part 3 of the ever-growing Nina's Observations Series.

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Journal Entry 15

I have continued to linger near the Arrow-Wood Farm after I finished observing the Wood Family. I remained to observe the Arrow Family next since I’d only have to come back at a later time to observe them if I moved on to somewhere else.

Master stops by on occasion, to check on me. He says it is to make sure I am alright, but I think he does it to make sure I’m doing the Observation Project, and not just hiding out in the forest during the day.

I understand his reasoning for all of this, of course. He wants me to be able to interact with people; I won’t be able to get very far if I can’t. And he won’t be around forever; one day, I’m going to be on my own, whether because my apprenticeship is over, or because Master has passed away.

But while I think that getting to know the people of the town a little before I try and actually enter the town is a good thing for me, and gets me out of the Tower and the forest, I do not think it is going to be as simple as Master believes.

Still, I shall keep at it. Because I want to make Master proud, and I will do whatever I have to in order to make that happen.

Villager Observation 3 - The Arrow Family

The Arrow Family of the Arrow-Wood Farm focuses on farming. They grow fruits and vegetables in the fields around their house, and they even tend to an Orchard not too far from the property.

There are four members of the Arrow Family. The eldest is Marian Arrow. She is the mother of Sandra Arrow, who is an adult woman with two children - Scott Arrow and Jenna Arrow. Marian’s husband, Gunnar, passed away some time ago. Sandra’s husband Andrew, on the other hand, just up and left without saying anything - no one knows where he went, or why he left.

It left Sandra and Marian to raise the little ones. They seem to have managed quite well, though as the only boy in the family, Scott seems to think he can get away with more, which is not true; his grandmother appears to be quite strict, while his mother appears a little more lenient - though she still doesn’t let him get away with things.

Still, both children help out on the farm and do their share of the daily chores. They know better than to try and run off without doing their share - Scott attempted to do that one day, and one of the farm hands that help with the fields was sent off to fetch him back. I do not know what his mother or grandmother did to punish him for trying to leave his sister to do his share of the chores, but judging from the miserable expression on his face, and the way he kept rubbing his backside, I feel it safe to assume that one of them gave him a hiding.

The only day, it appears, that either of the children can get away with not doing some of their chores is their birthdays. Jenna’s fourteenth birthday fell during my Observation of the Arrow Family, and I noticed that Jenna only did about half of her normal chores before her grandmother came and took over, letting her go off early to play with her cousin, Erik, and some of the other children. Her brother, on the other hand, had to remain until he’d completed all of his chores before he could go and join his sister, cousin, and friends.

The children of the Arrow Family are quite difficult to observe during the daytime, as they tend to play inside of the town, where I do not feel comfortable going. Their mother and Grandmother remain of the farm most of the time, though, so I have been able to observe them with relative ease.

Their grandmother is an older woman, getting on in her years. She is still quite active, though, and keeps the farm hands on their toes. She is a bit set in her ways, though, and I do not think she is someone I feel safe talking to, in case she realises I am a Witch.

Sandra, on the other hand, seems a little more lenient than her mother. I am still not entirely sure she’s safe to approach either, but she seems a little more of an open-minded, accepting person - at least when compared to her mother and her cousins.

It is Jenna, though, that intrigues me. There is something about the fourteen-year-old - something that reminds me of myself when I was her age. I would not mind the opportunity to observe her a little more closely, to confirm if my suspicions are true, or if I am just being overly hopeful. But that will have to wait until I feel a little more comfortable entering the town. That is the only way I can get the opportunity.

Nina's Observations, Entry 2: The Wood Family

Part 2 of Nina's Observations

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Journal Entry 7

Master shooed me out of the Tower today. He has noticed that, while I have indeed been doing the Observation Project he told me to do, I have only been doing it in one place; done by the road out of town that passes near the Tower. Very few of the townspeople themselves actually use that particular road, as they don’t like passing by the Tower if they can avoid it. The road is mostly used by travellers and merchant caravans - No one, he says, I am likely to see again.

He ordered me to start my Observation Project properly. He told me I don’t have to go down into the town proper, not yet; there are plenty of places on the outskirts where I can sit and observe from a distance.

I have settled on observing at the Farm by the edge of town. It is small, and I don’t have to get very close to observe, as the place I have settled it on the top of a hill just off the borders of the Farm itself, next to a tree I can easily hide behind if I think someone might see me.

Master called the Farm the Arrow-Wood Farm when he was telling me about the town. It is the home of two families - the Arrow Family, and the Wood Family. The land originally belonged to just the Arrow Family, but it was split between the two sons of one of the farmers in the past, rather than going to the eldest. They built a second house on the property when their respective families got too big to manage in the one house, but their families still tend the land together.

Villager Observation 2 - The Wood Family

The two families of the Arrow-Wood Farm split the responsibilities of the land between them. The Wood Family focuses on the animals. They have pigs, sheep, cows, horses, and chickens. They also have two dogs and a cat. I have had a couple of close calls with the dogs - I have been chased away from the Farm a few times by them over the course of my Observation - but the cat is alright. I don’t move around a whole lot while I’m observing, so it is quite content to settle in my lap and sleep.

There are five members of the Wood family; three men, and two women - though one of those men is actually still only a boy. It took me a while, but I learned the names of each member.

The oldest man in the family is also the “head” of the family. His name is Jacob Wood. The older of the two women is his wife, Ella Wood. The other three are their children; Joshua Wood, their eldest boy, Andrea Wood, his twin sister and their only daughter, and Erik Wood, their youngest son.

There are several farm hands on the Arrow-Wood farm. Most of them seem to work for the Arrow Family but help out the Wood Family when they need the extra hands. There are a few that work for the Wood Family, though. I do not know their names, unfortunately.

The easiest of the family to observe are Andrea and Erik. Erik doesn’t have many chores to do yet, being still quite young, so he spends a lot of his free time playing in the garden near the house, where his mother can keep an eye on him.

Andrea, on the other hand, has to tend the sheep and keep the wolves away. So she spends most of her time out in the fields with them, watching them with one or both of the family’s dogs. She always looks so bored though; like she’d rather be anywhere but there. Sometimes she practices fighting against invisible enemies with her shepherd’s crook.

It is obvious she has something else she wants to do with her life. I have seen her away from the farm on the odd occasion, standing on the road near the Tower. She usually has a pack over her shoulder and her Crook in hand. It always looks as though she’s about to leave, but she never actually does; she always ends up turning around and heading back home instead.

Maybe when little Erik is older and can take over her chores and shepherding, Andrea will leave, to find whatever it is out there that is pulling on her. For the time being, though, she stays, fighting invisible enemies, and the occasional hungry wolf.

Master said I should decide who amongst the townspeople I think I could talk to, and whom I think I should avoid. For the most part, the Wood Family strikes me as people I should avoid. I cannot tell with Andrea though, and Erik is too young to be as judgemental as everyone else. I shall have to continue observing them.

Nina's Observations, Entry 1: The Great Wizard, Master Edwin Ebonheart.

Today's post is the first in a series, called Nina's Observations. I'm writing these to get a feel for the character of Nina, the Main Character of a novel I'm working on, and to give a little insight to others about who she is, and why.

So, without further ado, here's the first entry in Nina's Observations.

~~~

Journal Entry 1

I have received this journal from my Master as a gift. He has noticed my hesitation to go into town and interact with the people there, despite having lived with him on the edge of town for some time now. He is aware that I do not go because I am afraid they will not like or accept me because I am a Witch.

He says I should watch the people of the town, and write down what I learn about them that way so I can learn which ones might be accepting of me, and which ones might not be. He thinks it might help me feel better about going into the town if I know who I can interact with, and who I should avoid.

It is not the only thing he says I should use this journal for, but it was one of the things he put emphasis on when he gave it to me. I suppose I shall start with Master so I can get the hang of this Observation project he wants me to do.

Villager Observation 1 - The Great Wizard, Master Edwin Ebonheart.

At first glance, Master Ebonheart is a bit intimidating. His dark robes and wide-brimmed hat give him a tall, powerful look, one that many seem to fear. I remember being afraid of him, the first time I met him. Many people are suspicious of those with Magic, and I had experience far too much rejection in my life already to be anything but afraid of this intimidating stranger that caught me playing with magic out in the forest.

But beneath the intimidating look and serious face, he is kind. His eyes are kind, and he beneath his beard, he smiles more often than one would think. He did not yell at me, like my father would, or scream like my mother had. He didn’t throw rocks at me or chase me away, like the villagers in my hometown had. Instead, he extended his hand and offered me the opportunity to learn how to use and control my magic properly.

Master Ebonheart can be a bit strict in his teachings. He has repeatedly told me that magic is not for playing games or putting on light shows, pretty as they may be. But he only gets exasperated when I do it anyway; he doesn’t yell at me to stop, or start throwing things at me from across the room. It took a while for me to get used to; I was too accustomed to the negative reactions that my family and my village had to my magic.

But he is an excellent teacher. He often seemed uncertain about what he was telling me, and how he was instructing me when he first took me in. I have since learned that I am the first apprentice he has ever taken on; in his younger years, he had been too arrogant, too prideful of his power, to want to take on just any apprentice. He had turned away many hopeful, budding Witches and Wizards, seeking the strongest he could so he could one day claim that he had trained one of the most powerful Witches or Wizards in the world.

But he had never found one; no one had ever been good enough for him, back then. And time had a way of creeping up, and he had suddenly realised he was getting old and had nothing to show for it.

He’d been quick to assure me, however, that he was not settling for what he could find in the time he had left when he took me on as his apprentice. He took me on because I didn’t look at him with contempt. He had long given up on finding an apprentice; all his years of rejecting hopefuls had come back on him, and he had long since stopped receiving apprentices as stories and rumours passed from person to person.

He regretted his actions, regretted the sadness of the people he had hurt, that he had turned away. He regretted the lives he had ruined, the dreams he had crushed, with his self-absorbed attitude. But he was working to make up for his mistakes before his age made it impossible for him to.

I have come to the conclusion about Master, as I watch him work in his study, that once upon a time, I may not have liked him. I may not have accepted his offer to take me on as his Apprentice. But my Master is not the same as he once was. He took me in when no one else would, and has made efforts and sacrifices for my sake, that I do not think many others would make for their Apprentices.

I may be his first, and most likely only, Apprentice, but I will do my best to make him proud. I will do my best to make sure that one day in the future if he is still around, he can tell people that he was the Wizard who trained me.

This much, I promise.