Free The Wheelwright's Apprentice by James Burnett Page A

have been attracting stares because of what you did. After last week, it became common knowledge that there was a new young Willed healer at the Temple, who was hard working, dedicated and, how can I put it? Unpredictable. There might be a dozen or so people in the whole city who can wield their Will as effectively as you can, and you’ve only just found it. I’ve watched you work a few times, but you have always been far too busy to notice me. You have been worked like a dog as Grammon badly needed a break. I can see why all this is a bit bewildering for you. You haven’t been given much time to yourself yet.”
    Art replied drily, “I am beginning to get the feeling that they want to wear me out so much that I can’t even think!”
    A little bit later, as they passed a coffee shop, Faran had an idea and told Art, “A group of my friends often goes to a teashop to talk, meet, and sometimes even drink tea. If we are lucky some of them may be there.” A few minutes later they arrived at a teashop called “The Porcelain Kettle”.
    Faran pulled Art in behind him and waved at a large group of boys and girls all about the same age as them. Spaces were made and chairs pushed around to make room for the newcomers. Faran and everyone else in the group all seemed to have the familiarity that came with knowing each other all their lives, something that Art recognized from his own childhood. Nevertheless he was welcomed and made to feel comfortable. Faran just intro Flives, somduced him as “a fellow apprentice” at the Temple of Healing.
    There was a good buzz of conversation going on around the group and Art was very happy just to listen to all the sorts of things that city folk his age talked about. It was a lot different to the things that he and his friends in Dane’s Hamlet had talked about when they had had the time. In fact he found out that he couldn’t even follow the conversations when they started talking about the Truthreaders or the market. They all appeared to be apprentices of one sort or another, and all were bound up in their own little concerns.
    One of the girls, whose name Art recalled was Amia, and who was sitting next to Faran, asked him, “Do you know the new Willed healer we are hearing about, and what do you know of him?”
    Faran paused, leaned over to Art and quietly asked him, “What shall I say?”
    Art’s reply was a non-committal wave of his hands and a whispered, “Tell them.”
    So Faran looked over at the girl and said, “He is fifteen, like me. He has been working very hard, so much so that we hardly ever see him except when we are helping with the healing.” He turned towards Art and said, “I am sure you will tell Amia more, Art, won’t you?”
    Amia became more animated and asked, “Do you know him any better than Faran then?”
    Art smiled at her, and replied, “I suppose you could...” Just then there was a resounding crash followed by some choice and very unladylike words pitched in a girlish voice. Everyone stopped talking and looked in the direction of the noise. One of the waitresses had fallen down, breaking a teapot and some of the cups she had been carrying. There was blood coming from a gash in her calf, which had obviously been caused by her falling on a broken piece of teapot. Two men close by were vying to be the one to help her up.
    Art stood up followed by Faran. They walked over to the waitress who by now had been seated in a spare chair. Art volunteered, “We are from the Temple, and perhaps I can help.”
    The waitress, who was still slightly in shock, asked rather rudely, “Aren’t you a bit young?”
    Art put on his best reassuring smile, one he had recently learned, and which he knew to be effective, and replied, “I may be young, but I am quite competent, you’ll see.” He then confidently pulled her leg up, rested it on a stool and had a look. “Can someone pass me a clean cloth and some warm water?” he called out in the direction of the