More fascinating than the three strangers were the creatures hovering above their shoulders. Lord Nerrow and the younger girl both had ghostly flames beside them and when Will let his eyes settle on them briefly, he got the distinct impression that the flames were looking back at him, though they had no eyes that he could discern.
Even more interesting the older girl, Selene, had two spirits hovering beside her, one that seemed fluid and nebulous, and another with sharp, crystalline edges. Will could sense extreme concentrations of turyn within all four of the elementals, particularly the flame that hung beside Lord Nerrow.
While the three visitors were seated, Will’s mother was standing. She shot Will a warning glance as he came in, though he had no idea what she might want to tell him.
No one spoke at first, so Will did the honors. “You called for me, sir?”
The younger girl corrected him, “Daddy should be addressed as ‘Your Lordship’ or ‘my lord.’”
Lord Nerrow frowned and snapped his fingers. “Laina, don’t interrupt if you want me to bring you on any more trips.” He turned his attention back to Will. “Take a seat, young man.”
Will glanced at his mother, who was still standing submissively at one side. “I’d rather not, Your Lordship, since my mother is still on her feet.”
Erisa was alarmed as their attention shifted briefly to her. “I’ll step outside,” she offered.
Selene stood before she could move. “Take my seat, Mrs. Cartwright. My legs are tight from riding in the carriage. Standing would be a relief.”
Laina gave her friend a look of displeasure, muttering to herself, “Both of them should stand in the presence of their betters.”
Will moved closer and held the newly vacated chair for his mother, who radiated embarrassment as she sat, then he took the empty chair. Erisa looked at the girl who had given up her chair and said, “Thank you, Lady Selene. I don’t deserve such treatment.”
“She’s not a—” began Laina, but her father held up his hand and looked a warning at the girl. She closed her mouth, and Will thought he saw a look of mild relief on Selene’s face.
“Let’s get down to business, William,” announced Lord Nerrow. “After my last visit a couple of years ago, I wasn’t sure you would live, but since you did I feel I owe you a debt for saving my daughter’s life.” He gestured toward Laina, whose face soured slightly at the comment.
Will decided he didn’t care much for Laina. She gave every indication of being spoiled beyond redemption, as he would expect from someone born to her station. The older girl, Selene, he wasn’t sure about. She seemed gracious and was more mature. Since she wasn’t one of Lord Nerrow’s children, he wondered what her status was, but he couldn’t very well ask. He guessed she was a well-born playmate kept close by to keep Laina occupied.
If that’s the case, I feel sorry for her, thought Will. “You don’t need to thank me, my lord,” he said at last.
“That’s for me to decide, William,” countered the nobleman. “I will thank you, and I would also like to offer you an opportunity to better yourself.” Lord Nerrow leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together before resting his chin on them. “Erisa tells me that you have studied herbalism with her, but that recently you’ve been taken under your uncle’s guidance to learn the making of carts.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother glance nervously at him, probably worried he would spoil her lie. Will kept his attention on Lord Nerrow, though he was finding it difficult not to stare at the elemental hovering close to the man’s shoulder. “Yes, my lord.”
The Baron reached into a leather case and withdrew a folded sheet of parchment, which he then offered Will. “This is for you.”
Will unfolded it and scanned the page. It was covered in elegant, flowing letters that were so artfully written that it made it difficult for him to decipher, but he did the best he could. His reading skills weren’t good enough for some of the words, but he managed to get the gist of it quick enough.
As he struggled with the words, Lord Nerrow spoke again. “My apologies, I forgot you can’t read. It’s a letter of—”
Will nodded. “Wurthaven? You want me to study to be a wizard?”
“—introduction,” finished the nobleman, who then stopped and arched one brow before glancing at Erisa.
“Pardon, my lord,” said Will. “My uncle has been teaching me letters. I can’t read all of it, but I caught the meaning.”
Lord Nerrow smiled. “You impress me, young man, but then again, I suppose it’s to be expected.” He looked at Erisa once more, but she was keeping her eyes firmly on the table.
Will was thinking furiously, while trying to keep his face calm. While the offer would have been irresistible two years before, he was sure he didn’t want to go there now. His grandfather was cruel and capricious, and he had yet to teach Will even a single spell, but he had come to trust the old man. It went without saying that he didn’t want to leave his mother behind either. Though he saw her only rarely now, living in Cerria would mean he might not see her again until his training was over.
“I don’t think I can be a wizard,” said Will, looking for a decent excuse to refuse.
“Nonsense,” said Lord Nerrow. “Most people have the potential, it’s simply a matter of training and intelligence. You seem bright enough to me.”
Hah! thought Will. If only the old man could hear that. “My uncle says I could make a good living as a wainwright in Cerria,” offered Will weakly.
Laina snickered at that remark and Selene lifted her hand to cover a smile. Lord Nerrow glanced at the two girls then turned back to Will. “I’m sure they make a decent wage, but do you have any idea how much a wizard is paid?”
“No, sir,” Will admitted.
“A journeyman wizard gets sixty gold crowns a year, William,” Lord Nerrow informed him. “And that’s the lower end of what they make. If they’re talented or have good recommendations, they can make double that. It takes six years at Wurthaven to become a journeyman wizard. They only take twenty students a year, and I’m willing to cover your expenses during that time.”
Will gaped slightly in spite of himself. Sixty crowns was a fortune. He could hardly imagine such wealth. And grandfather calls them ‘sanitation workers?’
The nobleman smiled at his reaction. “Once you’ve been a journeyman for ten years, you can demand a trial to be raised to the rank of master wizard. You’re what, fifteen years old now? With hard work and some luck, you could be a master wizard by the time you’re thirty-one. A master commands ten times the money a journeyman can earn.”
“I don’t want to move to Cerria,” Will replied, his tone plaintive.
“I won’t take no for an answer, William,” said Lord Nerrow. “Your future is too important to me.”
Selene spoke up then. “We should make sure he has the basic potential before you push him into it.”
“There’s no doubt of that,” said the nobleman dismissively. “He’s m—” he stopped himself suddenly, then amended his statement. “Go ahead, Selene, examine him. It will be good practice for you.”