Free Recruited Mage by David Fredric Page A

rider turned his horse towards him. “You are surrounded and we will kill you.” The rider started laughing, loud and deep and slow.
    “You are all doomed! You will all die by the swords of my people.” The rider shouted. “There is no beating the true Emperor. He has the God of War and Wisdom on his side! He was chosen to choose and he chose her and she is behind him. He is unstoppable.” As he said the last word he turned toward Commander Beasley and drew the bowstring back and then he span his horse around to face Commander Beasley but before the rider could fire his bow, there was a twang and an arrow flew from just to my right. I saw it fly and before I knew what was happening ,with a low thud the bolt struck the man in the centre of his chest. The man flew backwards off his horse onto the road, landing with a thump. Blood started pooling around his body and he didn’t move. I looked to my right and saw Donal, now sitting up with no arrow in his spring bow. Donal swore loudly, I noticed he was deathly pale and was covered in sweat. I sat up next to him and wiped my brow as it was as covered in sweat as his.
    Donal shot him!
    Most of the Town Watch was crowded around the dead rider but a few were looking with weird expressions at Donal. Donal started sobbing then slowly the sobbing turned into to crying. I stood up and put my arm around him. All around us everyone was moving on; the Town Watch started carrying the body away and the rest of us started packing up to move on again. Before Donal could cry much more I helped him down from the top of the wagon and into our wagon. I sat next to Donal as he cried, eventually he just stopped and sat in silence. No one wanted to talk to him and everyone kept their distance and it was well into the afternoon before everyone got in and we were off again.
    The rest of the day was solemn and we bar ely talked. It started raining as the sun set; cold and relentless it kept me awake and it did not stop until late at night. I was too tired to practice magic and the water seemed to be making the inside of the wagon damp.
    The next morning the sky was clear blue and there was no wind. The wagons were now sitting in a huge puddle of water and mud that came up to my ankles. With the help of a passing m erchant, we managed to pull out the wagons. Very soon we were off again along the road. We had some bread and an apple each for our breakfast but nothing else. Gannon got some beef and even some milk in a wooden jug.
    At about midday we stopped in a small offset from the road. We clambered out and I jogged up and down the road a bit the stretch my legs and remove the cramp that had built up in my legs all morning. Donal still hadn’t recovered and did not join us when we sat talking about yesterday. All the men were shocked and explained that he was the first recruit to kill someone on the way to training and that it was usual to cry after killing for the first time. We then talked about how much an explosion certain amounts of fireshot powder can make, how a cart full of fireshot powder can easily flatten a medium sized city hall and how a barrel full can blow apart a reasonably sized stone wall. I was fascinated and listened carefully to everything they had to say. When we were on our way again Gannon talked about how to get those explosives to wherever they are needed. He then explained that of course it was our job apart from some rare occasions when they use a ballista or catapult to throw them over walls and other large buildings.
    We passed a market in the afternoon but we didn’t stop. Late in the afternoon we came to the stop at a bridge that spanned a river that crossed paths with the road. We all climbed out apart from Donal who hung back. I turned back to get him.
    “Come on, let’s go.” I said to him and the only answer I got was a no. We didn’t even know what we were doing. “Come,” I pleaded “ please!” Donal looked at me then grumbled something spiteful and