--------
The Secret Journal of an Apprentice Mage of the CircleTower
I found a journal stuffed behind a rock in the wall of the cell one beneath the circle tower. It was in code but I didn’t have much else to do while I was locked up. The following is a transcript of the encoded journal. The code was a similar to a code used by scouts, so it didn’t take me long to decipher it. Anders.
Entry One:
I have a friend here. I’ve never had one before; unless you count a squire who is only a friend to you because he has to be. I wish I was home. Mother must be worried about me. I miss Majestic so much. I keep waking up and expecting to be able to slip my feet under him to warm them. There are no dogs here. My friend says there are cats here to help with mice. I have yet to see a cat.
I have been here for three weeks tomorrow. Today we were reading about fire spells and then they let us try to do it. Nobody could do it. I had to pretend to try because I had this strange feeling that if I really did try I would be able to do it. I thought about showing what I could do to the mages who tested me when I first got here, but I feared that letting them know what I could do would mark me as a special case to them. I may be only twelve, but I know better than to draw attention to myself. The books they are having us read are so childish. I asked my friend about the bigger library but he told me that we can’t go there yet.
We went outside a couple of days ago but I was watched closely by our dorm templar head guard. I think he knows who I really am. He looks a bit familiar but I can’t really place him. I keep trying to think where I would have run into a templar. I want to ask him how I know him but I don’t want to give my identity away. It’s lights out now. Bye
Entry two:
Today we studied more combat magic; Fire was yesterday and today was ice. Again I pretended to try to cast an ice spell. I’m afraid if I try and am successful I might be put in a different class than my friend. I’m already ahead of most my age in knowledge. I think our teacher might be on to me though because he gave me a strange look when I faked trying.
My friend and I snuck into the other dormitory today and I looked through some chests but I didn’t find anything worth taking. I can tell my friend worries about being caught but he seems to enjoy the excitement just as much if not more than he worries. I wonder what would happen if we did get caught. I shouldn’t wonder such things but I can’t help it. Lights out, Bye.
Entry Three:
My worst fear has happened. My instructor confronted me about not really trying and I got pulled into a private room with him. I won’t mention his name here because I don’t want to get him in trouble, but we talked and he said that he was going to change the way he does things so that it will be easier for me to pretend to learn things without giving myself away. When we got back to class he let everybody try to cast a lightning spell and I did things like usual and pretended. He then showed us how it was done a few times before allowing everyone to try again. Some of the apprentices even managed a few sparks. When it came my turn he gave me the sign we had agreed upon and I tried to cast the spell for real this time and it worked! All the students congratulated me and the mage exclaimed that I appeared to be a natural.
I didn’t think anybody would help me here but I was wrong. The templars who were assigned to my classroom didn’t even appear concerned as I cast the spell for a second time at the request of my instructor; so the others could see how it’s done. Maybe things won’t be so bad here. I still miss home. Lights out, Bye.
Entry Four:
Today I got caught in the other dorm rifling through other apprentices’ things. I pretended to be confused; which got me sent to the infirmary. Big mistake, because the mage there wasn’t fooled and she sat me down and told me plainly that if I was brought here again with a made up complaint she would have me locked up in the infirmary for a few days and the second time I would find myself locked up in the cells below the tower. I tried lying to her about really having been confused but she looked at me with a glare and told me not to waste her time.
She must not have told anybody else about my lying because nobody said anything else to me about it. Dang, Lights Out, Bye.
Entry Five:
Today we went back to just studying. I am relieved not to be on the spot to try casting spells. Turns out that was a review of the material that everybody had spent months studying. The assigned reading is a joke. I finished everything early on in class and found myself with nothing to do. As I sat bored out of my skull; I was surprised, pleasantly, at the approach of my instructor. He handed me a very large tomb that wasn’t titled. When I cracked open the book I felt my breath catch as I realized it was the journal of a mage. It was my teacher’s journal and he was sharing it with me. It wasn’t just things like today I did this or that. It was a catalog of trials and errors, accomplishments and failures, it was full of things he had studied. There were pages within that had drawings of things and between pages were crushed treasures; a healing herb here and a flower there. The mage was sharing with me his experience and studies in magic, basically his whole life.
When class ended I brought it back to him and he smiled and handed me a smaller bound book. And he told me I was welcome to read his journal when I was done with my lessons. And that the new book is for me to start my own mages journal. He told me I could use his book to get an idea of what kind of things to put in mine. He told me he expects me to turn my journal into him weekly so that we could discuss it the following week. He then handed me a pass that would allow me access to the upper library.
I can’t help but think of my journal at home that I had written my experiences in and I wish I had it, but I know it would not be a good thing for anybody to see. I hope Father or Fergus finds it and hides or destroys it.
Entry Six:
I have been so busy working on my new mage journal that I haven’t written anything in here in over a month.
Today my best friend and I spent a fair amount of time in the library. I had managed to convince our instructor to add my friend to the pass because I was nervous being there by myself. I have no idea what he does when I’m searching for books, but he never takes anything out of the library. I love bringing the books to read during my downtime in class, but I hate the process of checking out the material.
First I have to write out the book name I want on a form. Then librarian looks at the book and writes out a description for it on the form and then I have to take the form and have my instructor sign to give me permission and then I need signatures from both my dormitory Senior Mage and my dormitory templar head guard. What a pain.
I realized of course who the templar was when I saw his signature. Knight Templar Mason. He’s a distant relative of my mother’s by marriage. My second cousin’s uncle, he had come to visit them on more than one occasion. I don’t ever remember hearing that he was from the CircleTower. He too had a journal that he pulled out and wrote down every title and the description of the books into before signing the form. He hadn’t said much to me other than the occasional. Have a good day and be good. The same salutation he gives everybody.
Senior mage Aaron was keeping track of the books as well and I got a bit impatient with the two of them the other day and they both refused to sign the paper. I hastily apologized to them but it was useless. Knight Templar Mason said I had best ask them again the next evening and not a moment before. People are utterly and annoyingly controlling here! I want my own room again. I want the freedom to read what I want without getting permission from multiple people. Lights out, Bye.
Modifié par DreGregoire, 22 janvier 2011 - 10:49 .
Retour en haut
