Free Renegade Wizards by Lucien Soulban

thought she might forget that particular part of her life as she’d almost forgotten the incident involving Elisa, but out there, in the absolute darkness of the wild, surrounded by familiar echoes that plied the strings of all her senses, the memories returned. Hunting, Desmora, the magic, her parents, her flirtation with Elisa … all of them rose to the surface again with surprising clarity.
    Her muscles remembered as well, and she continued advancing slowly, making as little sound as possible. Her eyes were well adapted to the darkness, and she could make out the tan Heartlund hare. Tythonnia raised her dagger to throw it as her father had taught her; years of training remembered in a rush of memories.
    The hare bolted upright. Tythonnia heard it a second later; the heavy scrape of boot against earth. The hare bolted.
    “Sihir anak!”
a woman’s voice cried from behind Tythonnia.
    Tythonnia yelped as four darts of light trailing glowing streamers appeared from over her shoulders, zipping around her body. Their glow temporarily blinded her night-accustomed eyes before they slammed into the hare. The four bolts shredded their target, blasting it apart, scattering two of its limbs and splattering its entrails on the tree. It didn’t even have time to scream. From the underbrush, more noise rose as other animals scattered.
    Tythonnia whipped about to find a startled Ladonna behind her. “What’re you doing?” Tythonnia said, practically screaming.
    “Helping you hunt,” Ladonna said. A surprised chuckle escaped her mouth. “But I wasn’t expecting
that!”
    “I told you to collect firewood!”
    “No need … I cast an Unseen Servant to take care of that for us. We have more than enough now. In fact, why are weeven hunting? Can’t you just use a spell to stun—”
    “No!” Tythonnia said. She could feel her temper slip, her voice rise in pitch, and her anger provoking the better of her. Another part of her, however, was content to let that happen. “Is everything magic with you? Can’t you survive without it?”
    “Better than any of you know,” Ladonna said, her voice chilled.
    “Really? Or maybe you just can’t let anyone else prove their worth? It has to be about you and what you can do.”
    “Or maybe,” Ladonna said, “I was trying to help you.”
    “You can help me by staying out of my way. I know what I’m doing.”
    “Oh yes, skulking about in the darkness like a beast, that’s a fine talent. Maybe it’s not me who’s desperately trying to prove her worth.”
    “I’m doing this for you!” Tythonnia protested. “The both of you!”
    “I don’t need your help,” Ladonna said.
    “What’s going on?” a voice asked. Par-Salian stood in the shadow of a tree, his gaze curious but cautious.
    Without a word of explanation, however, Ladonna turned and brushed past him as though he were nothing more than another branch. He turned to ask Tythonnia, but she was too upset to respond. She simply waved him off and shook her head. Don’t ask.
    Par-Salian shrugged and followed Ladonna, leaving Tythonnia alone. A moment later, their footfalls faded Tythonnia took the quiet moment to regain her thoughts before creeping forward again, hunting for another meal. She listened intently, but the copse was silent, its denizens scared away by the intruders and the strange scent of magic. The red wizard could sense the change as well; even her memories refused to return. They were gone, as were her feelings of contentment. It was nothing like home anymore.
    Tythonnia spit a curse that would have shocked her father, who always swore a blue streak, and headed back to her camp. There would be no cooked meal to warm the bones and fill their sleep with happy thoughts. It would be rations—salted beef, pickled carrots, and perhaps a candied fig to wash down the taste.
    Maybe their hunger tomorrow would instill Ladonna with some regret. Tythonnia doubted it, however.

    “Where are you going?”
    Ladonna