The Dragon's Apprentice

CHAPTER TWO

  FACING AGGIE

  Toby knew Aggie would be down in the kitchen at this time of day and he crept past the door that led there. Instead he followed the castle wall around to where deliveries were made. The door stood open and the sounds of several voices drifted out. Obviously today’s healing session was still in progress. He paused at the door as he could hear people beginning to leave.

  “Come on son, we'll go home now,” a mother said soothingly to a small child she carried.

  “Mama, I'm hungry,” the child complained.

  “Tomorrow,” the mother promised. “We'll eat tomorrow.”

  Toby bit his lip in anger. More than likely this poor woman had paid everything she had to have her child healed. Toby reached into his pocket and pulled out his two coins. He pressed them into the women’s hand as she passed by. She stared at the coins and then turned back with tears in her eyes.

  “Thank you, Toby.” Her need was obviously so great that she made no objection to the gift.

  Others followed her out the door and Toby watched them start their long walk home. Snow was falling again and very few of them were warmly dressed. Even less had shoes. Toby wished some of the rich and fancy visitors who marvelled at the great castle could see how the king had become so rich – at the expense of the people.

  Toby walked through into the delivery room and saw an old woman waiting before the small platform where the healer stood. In front of the healer stood a small boy of about nine or ten.

  The healer put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a soft piece of gold material that was paper-thin and the size of his hand. Toby knew this was one of Klel's scales and had to bite back a snort at the pain it would have caused Klel when it was removed. It was a much darker gold than Klel was right now. He had taken a long time to recover after it was removed and he still hadn’t regained the deep golden colour he was before.

  The healer held the scale against the boy's shoulder. He stood silently for a whole minute as if he were concentrating. Toby knew it was an act, the healer had no real power, and it was all done by the golden scale. A monkey could hold it and it would heal just as well. The healer removed the scale and stepped back.

  “You will be better now,” he boomed, as if to an audience.

  “I still feel dizzy,” the boy squeaked in a whisper.

  “Nonsense!” exclaimed the healer but when the lad almost fell over he laid the scale once again on the child’s shoulder.

  “There, that would fix anything,” the healer said abruptly and shoved the golden scale back into his pocket.

  As if to prove the healer wrong, the boy tilted sideways and fell as he stepped off the platform.

  “Try again!” the old woman cried as she helped the child to his feet.

  “If that didn't work, then he can't be healed,” the healer snarled at the old woman. He stepped down from the platform and knocked her to the ground when she got in his way.

  The old woman got up and turned to leave by the door Toby had come in. She was crying and holding the child up to prevent him falling.

  “Beg pardon, Mam,” Toby said politely as he stepped aside to let her pass. But instead of leaving, the old woman and the boy just stared at him.

  “The healer said he couldn't be healed!” The old woman burst into a loud wail. She stopped suddenly and stared hard at Toby. Her eyes narrowed as she poked a bony finger at his chest. “You're Toby ain't you?”

  “Yes,” Toby answered. Most people knew him so he wasn’t surprised.

  “I hear you get to see the dragon.” Her voice had dropped to a conspiratorial whisper and she looked back over her shoulder to check they were alone. “It would be able to heal my grandson if you took him to see it.”

  Toby frowned as he wondered why the healer had told the woman that the boy couldn't be healed. It had never happened before. Surely the scale hadn't lost its power yet? They had only taken it from Klel a few months ago and it should work for at least a year.

  The woman must have misunderstood Toby's frown, for the hope in her eyes faded and she turned to leave.

  “Wait, I'll take him to Klel,” Toby whispered as he put his hand on her shoulder to stop her leaving. He didn't dare speak any louder because he would definitely get in trouble for taking the boy to see Klel. He was relieved when she turned back to him but did not expect what followed.

  “When he's better you can get him work up here in the castle, can't you?” The old woman whispered, and with a brief kiss on the boy's cheek she shuffled quickly out the door.

  “But...” Toby turned to look at the young boy who stood looking expectantly at him. How was he supposed to find a job for this boy when he couldn't even get one for himself? And where was he supposed to live? Toby had intended on moving back in with Aggie, but would she take in this boy too? It was true that Aggie had taken him in as a baby and raised him as her own along with her own son, Nathan, but this was different.

  “I'm Marc,” the boy said quietly. “You don't have to let me stay at the castle. I can go down to the town and sleep at the shelter.”

  “The shelter!” Toby was horrified. Most of the people who lived there were thieves and beggars, forced into such a lifestyle by desperation. “We'll sort something out.”

  “I won't be any bother and I don't eat much,” Marc promised with a huge sigh of relief.

  “First we have to get you to Klel,” Toby said and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I can't take you till after dark, or we’ll be seen.”

  It was several hours before dark and Toby had to think of a place to hide him until then. If Marc was found in the castle he would be cast out into the snow.

  Just at that moment the aleman came into the room with a trolley and began to load up a barrel of ale. Toby knew then that he had the answer to one of his problems, for the moment anyway.

  “How are you, Trec?” Toby asked, pushing Marc back into the shadows.

  “Toby, how’s life down at the stables?” Trec slouched against the barrel for a rest.

  “It didn't work out,” Toby admitted with a shrug.

  “Well I'll make sure I'm not around when you tell Aggie.” He gave Toby a sympathetic look. “Just as well it's my night off. I've just got to put this last barrel in the storeroom and I'm off to town.”

  “I'll take it down for you,” Toby offered, trying not to look too eager.

  “S'fine by me.” Trec didn't think about it for more than a second. “I know I can trust you with the key to the storeroom.”

  Trec pulled a big brass key from his pocket and threw it to Toby. “I'll be back about midday tomorrow.”

  “No problems, Trec,” Toby said as Trec headed out into the snow.

  Marc, too weak to walk, sat on top of the barrel as Toby pushed it down into the depths of the castle to the ale storeroom. They didn’t meet anybody on the way for which Toby was grateful.

  “You can stay in here until dark and then I'll come and get you,” Toby said as he lit a candle from the flame of an oil pot and handed it to Marc. “Sorry but I'll have to lock the door.”

  “That's okay,” Marc said bravely and sat down in a corner.

  Toby locked the door and walked slowly up the corridor. Now he had to go and tell Aggie he was back!

  He found her in the kitchen, overseeing the preparation of the evening meal. She ruled the kitchen as she ruled the rest of the domestic areas of the castle, with an iron fist. Nobody, not even the head cook, would dare to question one of her orders. Toby watched from the doorway as her tall, slim body worked its way around the hearths. He decided to wait until she finished her inspection of the kitchen before he spoke to her. He didn't really want an audience when she gave him a lecture.

  “Toby, over here.” Aggie spotted him hovering at the door and Toby sighed as he went over to her. “Since you're here you can make yourself useful. Do you have to be back at the stables soon?”

  “No, I can take as long as I want,” Toby replied truthfully.

&
nbsp; “Good, then you can turn this spit.” Aggie stopped turning it and Toby took over. Aggie had to bend to reach the handle of the spit but for Toby it was just the right height. Anyone who was told that Aggie was his mother would laugh. Aggie was over six feet tall with jet-black hair, pale skin and blue eyes whereas Toby was well under five feet with sandy brown hair, darkly tanned skin and deep violet eyes. People often accused him of having too much time on his hands if he could be so well-tanned, but it was just his natural colouring and it didn’t even fade in the depths of winter.

  “Can you stay to help serve the banquet?” Aggie asked as she moved to stir a pot of soup with a large wooden spoon.

  “I guess so.” Toby didn't see how he could refuse. Maybe if he helped out she wouldn't take his news so badly, but would make it hard to get Marc out to see Klel. The heat from the spit had already thawed out Toby's feet and legs and he was getting too hot. He removed some of his extra clothes and was just putting them into his carrysack when Aggie turned back his way.

  “Why did you bring all your clothes with you?” she asked loudly from across the kitchen. To Aggie there was nothing secret, she disliked whispering or gossip.

  “I… umm… I was cold,” Toby said lamely.

  “You are still apprenticed down at the stables aren't you?” Aggie came closer and Toby cringed as he saw that she brought the large wooden spoon with her.

  “I… well… I guess I'm not too good with animals.” Toby tensed, ready to listen to her yell at him.

  “And what do you intend to do now?” Aggie stopped right next to him and a flash of her blue eyes showed her anger.

  “I don't know,” Toby admitted quietly. “Perhaps it's time I left the castle altogether. Maybe I'll head north and look for my father.” Toby wasn't sure why he said that. Until that very moment the thought of going to look for his father hadn't even occurred to him. All he knew about him was that he was a travelling musician and that his birth-mother had met him in the North Kingdom. That was before she came here to the West Kingdom and died when he was born.

  “But when would I see you?” Aggie's voice had lowered so that only he could hear her. Toby looked up at her, surprised to see a tear run down her cheek.

  “I can’t stay here. I've been kicked out of every trade in the castle and there are no jobs in the town.” Toby realised that half the kitchen staff were listening. By the time dinner was served his sacking would be common knowledge around the entire castle. Aggie may disapprove of gossip but she couldn't stop it.

  “But it’s so cold this time of year. Surely you can wait until spring?” Aggie was as close to begging as Toby had ever seen her. This was nothing like the telling off he had expected.

  “I guess I should wait for better weather,” Toby agreed.

  “Good, you can take Rane's place here in the kitchen until then.” Aggie was instantly back to her confident and controlled self as she turned the spit that he had forgotten all about. “Rane has been moved up to be a page for Prince Rory.”

  Him, a kitchen hand and serving lad? Toby didn't like the idea one bit but what choice did he have? At least it would only be for a few weeks until spring came, then he would be off.

  The banquet was well under way before Toby found time to slip away to fetch Marc. He raced down the corridors as fast as he could. The poor boy had been locked up for far too long considering he was already ill.

  He reached the ale storeroom and quickly unlocked the door. Marc was slumped in the corner and didn't look to have moved since Toby left him there. He looked pale and half-asleep and when Toby shook him gently he didn't rouse at all. Toby picked him up and carried him up the corridor. Had he left it too late? Marc looked dreadful now.

  Toby kept to the shadows until he reached the door to the courtyard. He slipped quietly out the heavy wooden door and scanned the walls for guards but saw none. The chilly air bit at his skin and the snow-covered stones were numbing his feet but he didn't dare move yet. Still no guards, they must be tucked up in the guardroom drinking mulled wine or sleeping. It hadn't taken long for them to go back to their lazy ways.

  Slowly Toby moved around the edge of the courtyard until he could see Klel's shelter. Trying to ignore the biting cold that had now numbed his nose, as well as his feet, Toby carried Marc over to the shelter and went inside.