The Breath -Sixth Whale Book 1

*4*

Shae looked around the cabin in surprise. The space was light and airy, free from mess and overall felt warm and homely it was nothing like the derelict pit that Ofrin had described. If she was being honest it was nicer than her own home by some considerable margin. It smelt like fresh pine and an open fire. In the window, herbs hung drying above a chest filled with filled empty jars and in the centre of the room was a large table made of real oak, acorns and leaves had been carefully etched into its legs. It was a calm space, with pans hung from the ceiling, an assortment of mugs lining the shelves. It felt safe too, Shae had forgotten what that was like. Her arm ached and she looked down at her ruined tunic. Five little red dots stood out from the pale blue and she cursed herself from upsetting Ofrin. It would only be worse when he found out she'd ruined a new tunic. She sighed as she rolled up the sleeve to look at the angry red crescents on her arm, they were surrounded by mottled bruising. Under the table, she found the crate but rather than herbs it was filled with pots of finished poultice and salves, each one labelled in a rushed scribble. She decided to go by smell because although Shae could probably still read somewhat it was only in Xan. Eventually, she found a salve that smelt like calendula and applied it carefully to the area. The marks had stopped bleeding so she let her sleeve fall back over it.

She could hear someone crying outside. Was the Witchfather really so cruel to those he was rejecting? Shae knew she should go back outside but her feet felt heavy with reluctance. What if it was a mistake. There was nothing that good about her. Offy loved her but only because they grew up together, eventually he would notice other Witches were smarter and prettier. If she was honest she didn't understand how candidates were being narrowed down. He was just looking at them. Was he only picking girls? There weren't many warlocks but Ofrin had always said to be careful of men looking for pretty female apprentices. Her fingers clutched at her skirt. Being here was a bad idea. She bit the inside of her cheek and steeled herself. She had to set The Witchfather right, she didn't belong to be chosen, Ofrin did.

When she came back out there were perhaps twenty candidates left. Mostly witches but there were at least two warlocks, she felt some of the tension ease. " Your back. Good, we're going to the garden for the next bit. Not enough space out here." Shae was surprised to see the garden was nothing more than a large patch of dirt with a few sickly patches of grass. She had imagined something more like her mothers garden where they grew food and some medicinal plants. Nobody noticed Thandre's embarrassment as he surveyed the space, he should have done some work out here as well. " Um..." Shae started but Thandre just clapped his hands together. " Right. You were all chosen because you have strong affinities with wild magic. Some of you have surprised me somewhat in that regard." His eyes drifted over the whole group but Shae felt they settled for just a moment on her. " Wild magic doesn't thrive in cities. It needs space to grow like trees or grass. Near her ankles tiny blades of grass began to grow, brushing softly against her skin. Many of the other candidates jumped a little having never seen it before. The sweet smell drifted up and Shae remembered what it was like before they fled Xan- Darkut. They had lived in a village overlooking vibrant green rolling valleys. If she climbed to the roof with Mae they could see the edge of the island where the rolling pink clouds brushed against the shore at dawn. She was so lost in thought that she nearly missed what the witchfather was saying. " You will each step up in turn and I shall give you some dirt and a seed. You will tell it to grow using magic. Those who get it to sprout stay." If you cannot get it to sprout by the end of the next hour, you leave." 

The group lined up. Thandre cast a quick seal on the majority of the girls magic. He wanted a sprout, not a forest, actually, a forest would be nice, just not in the Halves. He wondered how anyone could be so oblivious she didn't even seem to notice. Had she never tried to use her magic before? Within the next hour, only five managed to get a sprout, six if he ignored the fact the girl had bypassed sprout and gone straight to a sapling.  He looked over the remaining group as the rejected hopefuls left the garden, with nothing more than muddy hands. He counted five witches and a warlock. Next was the real test, making barriers. He needed whoever he chose as his second apprentice to at least a fraction of talent for them. They would be a leader and a guardian in a new land, they wouldn't have warriors or an army to protect their new home. It would just be them alone, well for a time at least. The girl was the only one with enough power to maintain his barrier over the Halves, he hoped she had a gift for it too. If not she could certainly grow a thick forest around the Halves. He rather like the idea of a magical first suddenly surrounding his section of the city, it would annoy the wizards. He had seen a couple in the queue but even the untrained eye can feel the difference between tame magic and wild magic. They had sent spies! it was almost laughable.