262 Master and Apprentice (Part 1)

“Where do you keep running off to?” Bjorn grumbled as he sat down on a log next to Skalr. “So, you’ve been keeping an eye on me?” Skalr chuckled as he carved a new runestone. “Of course, I have,” Bjorn sighed. “We can’t have you disappearing when we still need you. What if something happens to you?”

“Then that is my fate,” Skalr replied with a shrug as Bjorn groaned in frustration. “Have you been studying the runes?”

“Yes, I’ve memorised the first few pages.” Bjorn eventually replied while glaring at Skalr’s surprised expression. “I’ve got a damn good memory.”

“Hm, is that so? Let’s put it to the test.” Skalr handed Bjorn several smooth stones and a special carving knife. “You can keep that. Think of it as a gift from a master to their apprentice.”

Skalr chuckled as Bjorn’s eyes went wide. He studied the knife carefully before letting out a small gasp.

“This was crafted by the dwarves! How did you get this?” Bjorn asked, surprised that he had never noticed before whenever he saw Skalr carving runes. “My people commissioned them from the dwarves long ago. Their steel can cut stone easily, making it far easier to engrave runestones.” Skalr replied lazily, as he returned to his work. “They are perfect for this delicate work.”

Bjorn studied the old Runelord with curiosity as he turned the knife over in his hand. “I take it you want me to carve every rune I remember?”

“That’s right. Take your time.” Skalr replied with a carefree nod of his head. Bjorn frowned as he placed the pile of smooth stones in the snow at his feet. He carefully selected one before turning the slender blade on it. Moments later, Bjorn cursed when he realised he had engraved his first line wrong. He glanced sideways at Skalr, who let out a chuckle.

“Take it slow I said. You’re new to this. In time, you’ll be able to carve faster.” Skalr smiled without taking his eyes off his own stone. “Slow and deliberate is better than fast and reckless. They won’t work if you get it even slightly wrong. Now, try again.”

Bjorn cursed again as he ruined another stone within minutes. However, Skalr seemed unphased by his failure. The camp around them started to bustle with activity at that point as everyone started their morning routine. Bjorn soon found the noise could easily break his concentration as he failed twice more. He cursed silently as he watched his small pile dwindle further without any success. Before Bjorn knew it, he became engrossed in getting it right. Another stone was thrown aside as he failed halfway through.

By this point, Skalr had finished with his and was now watching Bjorn in silence with a smile on his face. Bjorn cursed loudly as he tossed another stone aside, having failed at the last line. He took several deep breaths before starting again on his final stone.

Skalr nodded when he noticed the noise no longer bothered Bjorn. A grin spread across his face as Bjorn traced the final line of his first rune from the book. Sweat dripped down Bjorn’s brow as he studied the complete runestone in his palm.

“Well done,” Skalr said, breaking the silence. “May I?”

Bjorn handed it over to Skalr reluctantly for his evaluation. He studied the old Runelord as Skalr inspected his work with a frown. Skalr would mumble when something caught his interest and nod when he seemed to approve of something. little too deep in these parts and too shallow here. But it’s a good effort. Why don’t you give it a try and see if it works.”

Bjorn nodded as he took the runestone. ‘He’s right. Now that I really look at it again I’ve failed to keep all the lines at the same depth.’ Bjorn wondered for a moment what kind of effect it would have on the rune’s magic when he activated it. He took a deep breath when he felt Skalr’s gaze boring into him.

A dim light glowed from the small stone as Bjorn wore a disappointed expression. ‘It’s not as bright as the light stones Skalr gave us in the tunnels.’ He sighed as he glanced at Skalr who was already handing him another pile of stones.

“Well, it works. Be patient. You’ll get it right.” Skalr said with a gentle smile as Bjorn took the stones.

‘There’s seven of them again.’ Bjorn frowned for a moment. ‘Wait, did he know how many it would take for me to create one that would work?’ Bjorn’s eyebrows arched as he studied the wrinkled face of Skalr. He felt a chill run down his spine as the Runelord turned his attention to carving another rune.

‘That’s a terrifying thought.’ Bjorn grumbled. ‘I should continue with the Light rune until I get it right. I have a feeling that’s what he expects me to do rather than start a new rune.’ As Bjorn started carving the same rune again, he noticed Skalr nodding approvingly in his peripheral vision.

Bjorn quickly completed another two copies of the Light rune but remained unsatisfied with the result. He picked out his failures on his own before asking Skalr for his opinion. When he tested them, he noticed that each one was slightly brighter than his first.

‘They’re still a long way from Skalr’s.’ Bjorn sighed as he started work on another one. He slowed down as he paid more attention to the depth of his lines. Three more runestones later, he discovered that although he had succeeded at carving all the lines at the same depth, the result was not much better.

“What am I doing wrong?” Bjorn asked aloud as he studied his latest rune.

“This line here isn’t quite right.” Skalr chuckled as he pointed to it with the tip of his knife. “The curve isn’t steep enough.”

“It seems right to me,” Bjorn grumbled with a frown as he pulled the book from a pouch.

When he opened it to the first page and compared the two runes he cursed. ‘It’s barely any different! It’s only a slight bit off!’ Bjorn struggled to suppress his frustration as he glared at the two runes. Most people would not notice the difference. That was how small the mistake he had made was.

‘How did he notice it with just a glance?’ Bjorn wondered as he continued to compare them. ‘Is it his experience?’ Bjorn had no other explanation for it. He knew blacksmiths that could tell if a blade was not right, even if nothing appeared to be wrong. However, that thought just instilled in his mind that it was a craft worth learning. He quickly picked up a fresh stone and left the book open on his lap. Bjorn took his time carving the following stones, discarding them the moment he made even the slightest mistake. Before he knew it, he was on his final stone again.

Bjorn could only shake his head when he carved his best Light rune yet on it. As far as he could see, he had not made even the tiniest of mistakes with it. He immediately activated it, and a bright light lit up the area around the strange pair despite it being daylight.

“You’ve finally got it.” Skalr chuckled. “Congratulations.”

Skalr slowly handed Bjorn another ten stones. “Now, make ten more just like it without wasting a single stone. If you fail once, you’ll start over again.”

Bjorn’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at Skalr. ‘Blasted old coot!’ He thought as he took the stones. ‘And where’s he getting all these stones from anyway?’ Bjorn frowned as he prepared to start carving again. ‘He’s got to be running out!’

“Lady Ania, should I tell them to pack up?” Fjora asked as she stared at Bjorn and Skalr from beside Ania’s tent.

Ania watched the pair of them with a thoughtful expression for a moment. “No, tell everyone we’ll take a full day’s rest here before moving on. It seems Bjorn is making some progress with his studies. We can’t let it slip away.”

“Yes, Princess,” Fjora replied as she bowed her head before moving off to let the captains know.

Ania sighed as she stepped back inside her tent. ‘Exile hasn’t visited since that night.’ Ania’s face turned red as she recalled what happened. ‘I guess I should be grateful he accepted my kiss. I can’t believe he left after that without doing anything else!’

Ania did not know whether to be mad or grateful that nothing happened beyond the kiss. She had acted impatiently, spurred on by Allyce’s actions. ‘Maybe it’s because I can’t give him a child. Or perhaps he’s just being considerate.’ Ania sighed as she tried to unravel the hidden meanings behind that night.

‘Since he accepted my advances, I ‘m allowed to hope, right?’ Ania chewed on her lower lip as she rubbed the symbol at her neck. ‘He wouldn’t have kissed me back if he wasn’t interested.’ She sighed at the thought of how complicated her relationship with Exile had become. ‘Should I just ask him what he wants?’ She groaned as she imagined him turning him down despite the recent events. ‘What if he’s interested in Allyce?’ Ania clenched her fists as she remembered the stunning woman with the wings. ‘No, I haven’t lost to her. I can make this work!’ Ania silently decided to be more forward with her feelings the next time she was alone with Exile.