CHAPTER 10
The next time Tobin woke, there was a hot spoon on his tongue, and scalding liquid was being poured down his throat. He sputtered, thrashing wildly, and sat up, coughing furiously. Darcie sat cross legged on the bed with the spoon in hand, a wooden bowl balanced precariously on her knee, and a very cross expression on her face. Her left arm was bound with bandages and set in a sling.
“When you’ve finished with the theatrics, you can finish this entire bowl, and get straight back into bed, mister,” she said sternly.
Tobin swallowed several times, and then took a deep breath before replying. “No thank-you Darcie. I’m quite all right, and I’ve been in bed long enough.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes, you have been. Two whole days it took you to wake up, and you are not getting out of bed until Dr. Wentworth says you may!” she shouted loudly. Darcie set the bowl and spoon on the bedside table rather more vigourously than was strictly necessary; the soup sloshed over one side. She stood staring at him intently for a moment before leaving; slamming the door shut so hard it rattled on its hinges.
Tobin did eat the rest of the soup, an excellent beef barely with large chunks of tender meat, and a very savoury broth, and then, despite his attempts to stay awake, he succumbed to a deep sleep.
The next time he woke on his own, to the sun dancing through a window, and the sounds of a busy street. Tobin sat up slowly, and took in his surroundings. He was in a small room, with a narrow, but serviceable bed, a wash basin, and a worn desk in the corner by the window, which looked out over a bustling market street. Tobin crawled out of bed, and slowly shrugged into the trousers and tunic he found on the chair. Still weak, it took him ten minutes longer than usual to dress himself because he needed to rest before putting on each individual item. He had never experienced exhaustion like this. It seemed to have sapped every extra ounce of energy he possessed. Despite having slept for days, every movement cost him dearly.
He was lacing up his boots when a rotund, white haired man entered the room with a cheery smile on his face, and with Darcie close on his heels.
“Well well, Tobin! Welcome to our little town of Cumbleton. Feeling better are you? There now, Miss Darcie, I told you – a strong young man! Back to himself in no time!”
Darcie snorted and rolled her eyes, but looked considerably relieved.
“Now Miss. Darcie, you need to wait outside while I give Tobin a final examination,” Dr. Wentworth proclaimed. Darcie frowned at Tobin as though he had been the one to dismiss her, and left the room again.
“Darcie seems really angry with me,” Tobin said, as Dr. Wentworth listened to his chest.
“She’s not angry. Just a very worried young lady,” the doctor told him kindly. “You gave her quite a scare.”
“Is her arm okay?” Tobin asked, remembering Darcie’s terrible fall into the pit, and the sling he had seen around her arm.
“She’ll be fine. She was lucky she didn’t break the arm, just a bad sprain,” Dr. Wentworth replied. The doctor’s strong fingers probed along Tobin’s collar bone. “Has anything like this ever happened to you before?” Dr. Wentworth asked Tobin. “Is this the first time you’ve fainted?”
“I did not faint!” Tobin exclaimed indignantly.
Dr. Wentworth looked down at Tobin sternly. “You most certainly did. Now, has this ever happened before?”
“No,” Tobin replied somewhat sulkily.
“Well then, I would suggest that you get as much rest as possible. Start eating some big, healthy meals, and try not to over exert yourself,” Dr. Wentworth said. “Maybe you’ll even be able to get out and enjoy our Twilling Festival celebrations, before you leave.”
“Thank-you,” Tobin replied, buttoning his shirt back up.
“I wouldn’t be too hard on your young lady,” Dr. Wentworth said, smiling at Tobin. “It’s nice that you have someone who cares so much for you.”
Dr. Wentworth’s shook Tobin’s hand, and then left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Tobin could hear the murmur of voices from the hall, unable to identify any exact words. There was a pause in the murmuring, followed by a hesitant tap on the door.
“Come in,” Tobin called. Darcie cautiously opened the door, shutting it again behind her.
“I’m sorry I was so angry,” she said, looking questioningly at him, trying to gauge his response.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, shifting over on the bed, so she could sit on the end of it. “Dr Wentworth seems to think I fainted,” he told her, searching her eyes. “He seems to think I overexerted myself; that I’m just exhausted from all of the travelling we’ve been doing.
Nodding seriously, Darcie seemed to be considering what else to say. “And what do you think?” she asked him finally.
“That’s not what happened,” he replied quietly, thinking of the giant glowing sphere he had touched seconds before he had collapsed.
“I know,” she said simply. “So let’s figure it out.”
She made sure that the door was locked before kneeling beside her rucksack and pulling out a notebook. “All right,” she said intently, “Now tell me everything.”
It was some time later when Tobin had finished telling Darcie all about his experience with the massive sphere of light. She extracted every possible detail of the event, especially his description of the globe of luminous liquid, which apparently she had not been able to see. Then, she moved on to odd questions about his childhood. She rounded out her interrogation with questions regarding his physical reaction to touching the sphere.
Finally she finished, and they lapsed into silence. Tobin slumped back on the bed, exhausted and Darcie did the same. Her face was drawn, and she looked tired.
“Well?” Tobin asked quietly. Darcie looked up resolutely.
“No doubt about it,” she said firmly. “You’re a magician.”
A magician. At first, Tobin had been politely incredulous at Darcie’s suggestion. Then he had moved to open disbelief, as she continued trying to convince him that he was a magician. Pacing the small room, Tobin realized it was stifling, and opened the window to let in some cool air. The sound of laughing people, and faint music drifted in through the window. Tobin could smell the sweet aroma of freshly baking bread. It reminded him that he had not yet eaten today.
“Darcie, this is insane,” he repeated for the tenth time. She sighed in irritation, lying sprawled across his bed. Her head was hidden in the deep pillow; a repose of frustration.
“What’s insane is your refusal to believe me,” she replied, her voice muffled by the pillow. Sitting up, she frowned at him. “How much more proof could you want? The sphere of light you described to me is almost certainly a particularly large concentration of magic, which is troublesome enough on its own, but the fact that you could manipulate that much magic is astounding!” she told him.
He turned to the window. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be a magician. It was one of the most venerated positions in Elden Forest, and he certainly found magic to be a fascinating study. But accepting that he was a magician would mean that his entire life would turn upside down.
“More and more, I’m beginning to think that you being a magician explains everything,” Darcie said forcefully. “It’s true, usually magicians Expose much earlier, but if you are an incredibly powerful magician, you would Expose later... I mean, my grandmother only tested true at the age of twenty-two! That’s almost unheard of.”
Tobin turned to look at Darcie. It seemed as though she were talking to herself now, instead of him. Tobin seriously questioned his experience, running it through his mind, over and over; searching for any missed detail that might help him to understand. It still did not make any logical sense to him.
“Well, there is something we could do to be absolutely certain,” Tobin said loudly, trying to interrupt Darcie’s mutterings.
She looked up at him, surprised.“What’s that?”
“Well I could try to do something magic-y,” he sai
d.
She gave him a withering look. “That is a terrible idea. First of all, magic-y is not a word, and second, it would be extremely dangerous for you to even try,” she replied, sternly.
“Well according to you, I already used magic to bring us here,” he replied, testily.
“Yes, and let’s just be thankful that you didn’t translocate us into the middle of a tree, or Extinguish yourself completely!”
“Extinguish?” Tobin asked.
“Yes. Sometimes magicians pull too much magic, or they lose control of the magic they’re wielding. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s as if their connection to magic has been completely extinguished. It cannot be reignited, and it is the greatest fear of any magician,” she told him solemnly.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he told her, feeling helpless. “I could feel this force building up inside of me, begging to be used. I was exhausted, and angry, and you were hurt, and I just didn’t know what to do.”
“I’ve heard that’s what it feels like for almost every magician,” Darcie told him. “Celeste told me that the first time she pulled magic, she had fallen into a deep river, and was being swept away by the strong current. She was sure she was going to drown, and she reached out with her mind, in desperation. She said it felt as though she was appealing to the very earth itself. And it answered. Ahead of her was a massive tree branch hanging out over the river. She was certain it hadn’t been there before. She clung to it for a long time, before she was able to pull herself out of the river. The next day she went to the castle, and presented herself for testing as a magician.”
“That’s how I felt,” Tobin replied. “Desperate. I remember reaching out...”
“When all of this is over, you should be tested at the castle,” Darcie said. Tobin nodded dully. It seemed that his entire life had shifted drastically in the last couple of hours. At first he had felt rather apprehensive about the whole ordeal. He had always assumed he would lead a quiet and fairly simple life in Belvedon. After being thrown into this adventure with Darcie, he had pondered making some serious changes in his life. Never had Tobin imagined himself as a magician.
If he tested true, he would move to the castle to begin his training. Once his training was finished, there would be all manner of positions he could fill; all of which would be prestigious and exciting.
“I need to walk, to clear my head,” he told Darcie.
She smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. You should get out and enjoy the festival. That will do you some good,” she encouraged.
Tobin stayed out and about in the town for the rest of the day. He stopped at the bakery across the street, whose sweet aromas made his mouth water. Deciding to forgo the usual muffins, which he was quickly tiring of, he bought himself a nice pasty. Filled with the sounds of happy chattering and laughter, the streets buzzed with excitement. Townspeople were dressed in multicoloured suits and dresses; the vibrant hues made the streets come alive. All around, there were little carts set up selling food, and trinkets. Tobin bought a striped candy stick from one vendor and a little silver pendant for Darcie from another. The pendant was a tiny intricate, carved orb, and it reminded Tobin of the mysterious copper orbs they kept finding. He didn’t know if Darcie wore a lot of jewellery, but he hoped the orb would remind her of their adventure together. Whatever happened, he was glad to have met her.
Tobin spoke to a number of different people as he walked around town. Apparently the Twilling Festival was an annual celebration of the success of the town’s textile industry. Which explained the bright colours Tobin had seen everywhere.
As dusk arrived, musicians moved into the town square and set up their instruments. Before long half the town was dancing. Tobin was content to stand on the side and watch, until a vivacious girl with blonde curls, and flushed cheeks, grabbed his hand and forcibly pulled him onto the impromptu dance floor. He didn’t know the steps, but he caught on quickly, and enjoyed several dances with her.
Tired, happy, and full of a final pasty from the bakery, Tobin headed back to the inn. First, he climbed the stairs to his room, and then went over to Darcie’s room to check on her. She looked up sleepily from her notebook and smiled as he came in.
“Did you have fun?” she asked.
“It was great!” Tobin replied, enthusiastically.
“Good. Do you think you’ll be ready to leave again in the morning?”
Tobin looked at her questioningly.
“The signal’s back,” she answered, pointing to her compass.