Healer's Apprentice

  Larpsen grunted. “Good. Unarmed combat.”

  I tilted my head, looking at him. “Attack me.”

  Larpsen seemed surprised, then he smiled. “Very well, Chance.”

  Without warning, he jumped into the air and spun, his leg lashing out. I swayed back, allowing the blow to pass by harmlessly, then attacked Larpsen as he landed. My fists hit his chest in a quick succession of blows, then I aimed a vicious right hook at his jaw. Larpsen swayed back so the blow only grazed his chin and returned the favor. His fist hit the side of my head, making stars flash in my eyes as I staggered back.

  When I regained my equilibrium, Larpsen was standing a few feet away, watching me. “I will have to help you improve your speed, and teach you the dirty tricks people use when fighting unarmed.” He picked up the practice sword I was using and tossed it to me. “Go and join Evin.”

  *

  Two hours later, Ella was walking along the corridors, lost in thought. She turned a corner and stopped, surprised to see the healer’s apprentice kneeling down to pull on his boot. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps, and she hid a shudder at the sight of his scarred features. He stood, pulling leather gloves over his scarred hands as he watched her.

  “I’m sorry,” Ella said, avoiding his gaze. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” When he didn’t reply, she glanced up and met his intense brown eyes.

  “You didn’t sneak up on me, Lady Ella,” he replied in a soft, toneless voice, then turned to go.

  Ella watched him walk down the corridor, frowning. Something was bothering her about the healer’s apprentice. It was almost as if she already knew him.

  *

  Larpsen was waiting for me back at my room, his nose in the air. Mentally, I sighed. He was back on his high horse again. I stopped in front of him, raising a brow. “Do you need something?”

  Larpsen nodded. “The king requests your presence, and I decided to tell you personally.”

  I stifled a sigh. “All right. Where is he?” Larpsen started walking off down the corridor, not even waiting for me. This time I sighed out loud, then followed.

  Larpsen showed me to a room and opened the door. I entered the room, and Daveen smiled. “Chance! Have a seat. How are you, my friend?”

  I sat warily, watching Daveen. “Well enough. What did you need?”

  Daveen sat back and laced his fingers. “I just wanted to thank you. Because of the note you gave me, the rebel attack ended in failure, and many lives were spared.”

  I shrugged. “I am training to be a healer; I want to preserve as many people as I can. The rebels are savages, and need to be stopped.”

  The king smiled. “My thoughts exactly. You may go, Chance. And any more information you can give me will be welcome.”

  I stood and bowed, then exited the room. I glanced out the windows I passed, calculating how much daylight was left. Already, the sun was sinking, painting the sky with red and gold hues. It was time to pay the rebels another visit.

  “The king knew about our attack,” Randall said, his eyes darting. “We are doomed.”

  Katarina snorted. “Calm down, Randall. It was just one failed mission. Nothing to be concerned about.”

  “The plan isn’t to win,” I said. “It is to draw out his forces so they are scattered. The king will be vulnerable without the soldiers to protect him. Then Katarina can sneak in the castle without any difficulty.”

  Job nodded, folding his arms across his chest. “It is a good plan. Where do we strike next?”

  “In the other direction.” I pointed at a spot on the map on the table. “Daveen’s uncle lives there. Katarina should take him out.”

  Job studied the map, then met my eyes. “You are trying to get rid of the king’s heirs.”

  I nodded. “It is no use getting rid of the king if he has someone who can take his place.” I glanced at everyone in the room, then turned back to Job. “I need to speak with you. Alone.”

  Job nodded, jerking his head at the door. With reluctant grumbles, the rest of the people filtered out, leaving us alone. Raising a brow, Job asked, “What is it?” I glanced around to make sure we were alone, then pulled off the mask. Job recoiled, his eyes narrowing. “You’re the healer’s apprentice. Chance.”

  I nodded. “Chance isn’t my real name, but yes.”

  “How do we know we can trust you?” he growled, his hands twitching toward the knife in his belt. “I bet you told the king about the attack that you planned, so it would fail.”

  I smiled. “I did. But I will also feed the king false information. I want the soldiers to be spread out and unable to defend the king. Then we will strike, and end his reign of terror forever. I’m not asking you to trust me; only to help me.”

  “Help you with what?”

  “That question has an obvious answer,” I said. “Why do you think I have these scars? They are from that tyrant. I am asking you to help me to get rid of him.”

  Job’s suspicious look faded a little. “What do you need?”

  “I have found a lord who may be sympathetic to our cause. The king doesn’t like him, so I need your help.” Job nodded, and I explained my plan to him.

  After I finished, Job rubbed his chin. “I can do that. When?”

  “I will let you know when I am ready. Can you tell Katarina to plant an assassination note where Evin will find it? A few days after planting the note, she will need to pretend to assassinate him. Injure him a little, but not seriously. And I need you to tell the rebels in the other villages to cause riots. The king will send soldiers to subdue them, which will leave him undefended.”

  Job nodded as I pulled my mask back on. “She can do that,” he said. Tilting his head, Job said, “Be careful, Max. It is a dangerous game that you are playing.”

  I nodded and exited the house.

  Evin grinned at me after Larpsen’s sword fighting lessons. “Is it just me, or are you going to have some bruises? I think Larpsen likes to cause us pain, which is strange for a healer.”

  I shrugged. “Everyone likes to do different things. He is using pain to teach us what will happen if we don’t learn the correct techniques.”

  Evin made a face. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  I grinned. “No, it certainly doesn’t. Would you like to play chess?”

  Evin groaned.

  *

  From a dark corner, Ella watched the young Lord Evin and the healer’s apprentice play chess. Chance’s expression was neutral, but the lord was scowling as he pondered his next move. From this, Ella deduced that he was losing.

  As if sensing her gaze, Chance looked at her. His intense brown eyes bored into her, his expression unreadable. Shuddering, Ella hurried to her room.

  The queen was in there, embroidering a pillowcase, and looked up when Ella entered. After closing the door, Ella started pacing.

  The queen put aside her embroidery, standing to take Ella’s hands. “What is wrong, dear?”

  Ella shook her head, pulling her hands free to pace again. “The healer’s apprentice. Chance. It is almost as if I already know him. But that is impossible.”

  On an impulse, Ella went to her bed and pulled her family portrait out from under her pillow. Her eyes were drawn to Max, to his twinkling brown eyes, and the realization struck her like a bucket of cold water. “Chance” was Max! He was alive!

  Chapter Seven

  I was walking down a corridor when Ella stepped out in front of me. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started running. When she reached me, I caught her and spun her around to absorb her momentum, then set her on her feet. Ella looked up at me, brushing tears from her eyes. “You’re alive. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I tried to walk past her, but she blocked me, and I sighed. “Because the king would kill me if he knew who I was.” I once again tried to go around her.

  Her eyes filled with confusion. “He wouldn’t d
o that. He is an honorable man.”

  I snorted. “And pigs can fly. He would like to finish what he started four years ago. Now, if you will excuse me.” I brushed past her and walked quickly down the corridor.

  Later that night, I snuck into Evin’s room while he was eating dinner and poked around in his bags. When I found his seal, I smiled, then hunted for a letter he had written. Taking the two items I had stolen to my room, I spent several hours perfecting my forgery of Evin’s handwriting and signature. When I was satisfied, I wrote a letter and stamped it with Evin’s seal. With a smile, I blew out the candle and went to bed.

  *

  “He is almost ready to make his move.”

  “Good. We will be ready. Does he suspect you?”

  The tall man scowled. “No. He still thinks I am an idiot.”

  “Good. Protect him, Larpsen. He will need it.”

  “Yes, Sire.”

  *

  The audience next morning had a subdued, fearful air, and I smiled slightly. The king appeared to be in another rage, and the reason became clear when the king stood.

  “Another of my lords has been assassinated. I want you to destroy the rebels! Show them no mercy! This audience is over.”

  I watched, smiling, as the king stormed out.

  At noon, I made my way to the king’s room. The guards posted there glared at me. “No visitors allowed.”

  I smiled. The expression held no trace of amusement. “I have some information the king will want to know.”

  The guards glared at me, then one shrugged and knocked on the door. After an invitation to enter from the king, I opened the door and walked in.

  The king frowned as he saw me. “Chance. Sit, please.”

  I bowed to him, then took my seat. After a brief hesitation, I said, “I am very sorry about your lord.”

  The king’s nostrils flared with fury. “He was my chief advisor.”

  I bowed my head. “My deepest regrets.”

  Daveen nodded, then asked, “What do you need?”

  I smiled and shook my head, pulling the letter I had forged from my pocket. “I don’t need something, but I have something that you might be interested in seeing.”

  The king tilted his head. “What is that?”

  I handed him the letter, which he scanned with a frown. Looking up, he said, “I thought Lord Evin worked with the rebels.”

  I shook my head. “Evin despises the rebels. In his opinion, they are idiots for opposing you.”

  Daveen looked thoughtful. “I was wrong then. Thank you for delivering this. I will be sure to thank him.”

  I nodded, bowed, and left.

  Early the next morning I was doing the handstand push-ups when Evin slipped into my room. After closing the door behind him, Evin turned and gawked at me. Lowering my feet to the ground and standing, I asked, “What do you need?”

  Evin nodded, looking uneasy. “The rebels on my estate are planning to kill me.” He handed me a note.

  I frowned as I read it. Handing it back, I asked, “What do you want me to do about it? I am not a rebel.”

  Evin shook his head. “I don’t know, Chance. I don’t know.” He plopped down on the bed, running a hand through his short brown hair. He was quiet for a moment, then looked at me. “What was it that you said about the chess pieces?”

  I pulled on a shirt and sat next to him. “The king is the weakest. It can only do so much. Next is the bishop. A useful tool, but it also has many weaknesses. The rook is like the bishop; useful, but is has its weaknesses. The knight is useful with its ability to jump over other pieces, but again, it has its flaws. The queen is essentially a rook and a bishop combined. It has the most maneuverability, but since it is always thought of as the strongest piece, people usually want it gone. And then there are the pawns. There are enough of them that the player can sacrifice some without affecting his or her chances of winning. And if the player gets one to the other side of the board, he or she can change it into a knight, rook, bishop, or queen.”

  Evin nodded, frowning. “In a kingdom,” he said slowly, “the people are the pawns. The queen, knights, and rooks are the army, and the bishops are the advisors and nobility. The king is trapped by the fact that there is only one of him and many more pawns. He can only do so much at one time because he has to keep the people’s support. If no one stands by him, he will lose his power and be in danger.” Evin’s eyes widened. “The people hold the power, not the king. That was what you were telling me the other day, wasn’t it?”

  I nodded, looking away. “Yes. And the king knows it, which is why he kills everyone who dares to speak out against him.” My voice broke as the memory of my parents being burned alive flashed before my eyes, and I squeezed them shut.

  “Are you all right?”

  I nodded, forcing my emotions back down. “I’m fine.” Standing, I walked to the door.

  “Chance!” Evin called as I disappeared through the door. He ran to catch up with me. “Chance, wait!”

  I stopped and looked at him. “Yes?”

  Evin glanced around quickly, then leaned close and muttered, “You can trust me.”

  “Good to know, but I am not going to tell you anything. At least, not yet.”

  That night, I went to see the rebels again. After the meeting, I told Job to send Katarina to Evin and another lord in two days, and to botch both assassinations.

  Job looked intrigued. “Why?”

  I smiled. “So Evin doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. It would look really suspicious if he was the only one who wasn’t killed when the assassin was sent after him.” Job nodded, and I said, “Go to the place I told you about in four days.”

  Job smiled. “Will do.”

  The next morning, I went to see the king. A different pair of guards stood in front of the door and they crossed their spears, scowling. “Who are you?” one demanded.

  I eyed him. “I need to see the king.”

  The guard snorted, saying sarcastically, “Right.”

  I scowled. “Let me pass.”

  “No.”

  The king opened the door and smiled at me. “Chance! Come in, come in.”

  I followed the king into his room and sat on the chair that he indicated. He sat across from me and smiled. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “I know who will be assassinated next.”

  The king became intent. “Who?”

  “Lord Evin and Lord Vost.”

  The king looked surprised. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Those two lords are some of the rebels’ most dangerous enemies. The rebels are planning to eliminate them.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I have a spy within the rebel forces. You can never be too cautious”

  “How would I stop them? I do not want to lose more lords.”

  I shrugged helplessly. “There really isn’t much you can do, other than placing guards around them and in their rooms.”

  The king nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “One other thing,” I said. The king indicated that I should continue. I hesitated, then said, “The rebels might cause riots.”

  The king’s face flushed with rage. “These rebels are like rats. Filthy vermin that go where they aren’t supposed to and spread sickness and disease. They spread like wildfire.”

  I nodded. “I hate what the rebels are doing. They are jeopardizing the peace of your kingdom. I will continue to help you.” I smiled slyly. “Exterminate the vermin, so to speak.”

  Daveen smiled, his fury draining away. “Is there anything else?”

  Shaking my head, I stood, but the king held up a hand. I froze, sitting back down. “Yes?”

  Daveen’s eyes grew distant. “The lord who was assassinated was my chief advisor. You know this.” Again, I nodded. The king met my gaze. “I will take a chance and appoint you as my chief advi
sor. You seem like a good man, one who will do the best thing for the kingdom.”

  I bowed my head. “Thank you, Sire. I will do everything in my power to avenge those who have died in this revolution, and I will ensure that those who are responsible pay, preferably in blood.”

  The king smiled. “Thank you, Chance. You may go.”

  I stood, bowed to the king, and exited, shooting the guards a smug look as I passed them.

  Three days later, Evin came to the castle in the fastest coach available. He was deposited in a sick room, where I went to see him. Evin moaned when I entered, clutching his head as he sat on a bed. “It hurts.”

  I chuckled as I dipped a rag in a bowl of cold water and walked over to his bed after wringing the water from the rag. “Yes, I imagine it does. Here.”

  Evin took the rag and clasped it to his brow with another moan. “Why did that assassin have to hit me so hard?”

  “He was trying to kill you, what did you expect? Luckily, your guards came just in time.” I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him down. “Lay down.” He laid down with a groan and pressed the cloth to his forehead again. After glancing around to make sure we were alone, I leaned closer and whispered, “I know who sent the assassin.”

  Evin’s eyes brightened. “Who?”

  “Me.”

  Betrayal filled his expression. “Why would you do that? I thought we were friends!”

  I smiled. “For precisely that reason. Now the king thinks you are one of his allies. You should be grateful; those who the king finds inconvenient tend to disappear.”

  “I will be grateful when there isn’t a troll trying to pound its way out of my head,” Evin said with a groan.

  I laughed, going to the door. Before I exited the room, I said, “You should stay down. The headache will go away eventually, and moving will only make it worse.”

  Evin’s only answer was another moan.

  The next day, Evin was able to sit up and move without too much pain, so I escorted him to a spare room. As we were walking down a corridor, the king stepped out of a room in front of us, reading a report. He glanced up, seeing Evin. A broad smile stretched across his face. “Evin! It is so good to see you on your feet again. I regret you got hurt for helping me.”

  I had made my way behind the king, so I saw Evin’s eyes fill with confusion. Before he could say anything, I frantically signaled for silence. Evin frowned, but replied, “It’s all right. Whatever I can do to help you is worth a little pain.”