Losian opened his eyes, or rather he pried them open. His headache was as bad as any he had felt and he didn\u2019t think he could move a muscle. He tried to make out where he was, but everything was a blur. He was alive. Most people, he supposed would be happy about that, but not him. He\u2019d gladly take the oblivion of death over the massive headache. He closed his eyes and considered whether he was actually dead. He opened his eyes again and tried to focus. He was lying on the floor of a room looking at the legs of a table. Sturdy legs he thought, yes, sturdy legs indeed. Beyond the legs was a wall. A plain wall. Plastered. He stared at the table legs and the wall for a bit. Nothing happened. His head wasn\u2019t better but it wasn\u2019t as bad as it could be he decided. He rolled over slightly so he could leaver himself up into a sitting position. He paused half way. His head hanging down as everything seemed to spin around him. Once things stilled he managed to sit up and slowly look around. He realised that he was in Gruthwin\u2019s room. As he slowly climbed to his feet he wondered if they been drinking. He shook his head and then realised that was a mistake, a big mistake. His stomach revolted and he clapped his hands over his mouth and swallowed convulsively. He stumbled over to where the chamber pot was and threw up, not that there was anything there. He wretched several times, bile souring his mouth. He finished and sat back. He never drank with Gruthwin. He never drank with anyone. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked towards the bed. Gruthwin\u2019s big body was lying there, fully dressed.<\/p>\n
Losian\u2019s mind started to work. What was he doing in Gruthwin\u2019s room? He\u2019d only visited it twice. Then he remembered the alley. He got up and stumbled over to Gruthwin. He felt the side of his neck and the blood there pulsed against his finger. He shook Gruthwin. \u201cWake up you sodding bastard. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gruthwin muttered something and turned over. Losian shook him harder. \u201cCome on, wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gruthwin finally opened his eyes and stared at him. He sat up suddenly and looked around. \u201cWhat the hell happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alley, gods the mage.\u201d Gruthwin dropped his head into his hands. \u201cOh my head,\u201d he moaned.<\/p>\n
Losian felt around his head. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a cut here and a bump. What do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shield fell and then I was flying. I must of hit my head. How\u2019d you get us out of there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean you didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t get us out of there. Someone else did, a woman I think.\u201d Losian looked around the room again. \u201cWhere\u2019s Notir?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think he made it. When the shield fell, I think he got caught in the break,\u201d Gruthwin said tiredly. \u201cI\u2019ve never felt a force like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell we\u2019d better go back there and see what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a knock on the door and Gruthwin stared at Losian. Losian shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d Gruthwin called.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeryl. Captain want\u2019s you at the dutyhame. He\u2019s some mad. Why\u2019d you leave Notir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave Notir?\u201d Gruthwin asked as he opened the door to Beryl.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s dead and you just left his body there and the body of a mage. He was with you wasn\u2019t he? Mathwin said you were there. Your first kill?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gruthwin shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell you\u2019d better remember something because Captain\u2019s on your case for leaving Notir and not reporting the mage,\u201d Beryl said. \u201cDon\u2019t envy you explaining to the captain and Marthwin.\u201d Beryl turned and clattered down the stairs. Losian, who had come to stand behind Gruthwin could see his partner waiting at the bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess we\u2019d better get to the station,\u201d Gruthwin said. He shut the door and turned back looking at Losian. \u201cYou look like death. Go home. I\u2019ll talk to the captain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll do,\u201d Losian growled.<\/p>\n
\u201cLosian, your eyes are bloody and your face is white.\u201d Gruthwin pushed him into a chair at the table. \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d He picked up a mug and under it was a piece of paper with Drink This written on it. He sniffed it and held it away. \u201cWhew that smells strong.\u201d He considered it and then handed it to Losian. \u201cI think this is for you. It reminds me of a headache remedy that the healer at the school gave me the first time I had a magic backlash.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019d it come from?\u201d Losian asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the woman left it?\u201d Losian frowned at him. \u201cI didn\u2019t get us here and you didn\u2019t so she must have. If she wanted to kill us she wouldn\u2019t have bothered to tuck us in or leave you this,\u201d Gruthwin pointed out. He felt his head. \u201cLooks like she cleaned my head as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Losian\u2019s head was so bad that he was at the point when he\u2019d try anything. He had to talk to the captain, look at the mage\u2019s body and Notir\u2019s. He couldn\u2019t do that if his head wanted to explode. He reached out and took the cup swallowing it\u2019s contents. He gagged but managed to finish it. For a moment he wondered if it would stay put and then his head started to clear. He carefully put the mug down. \u201cI think we need something to eat and then we\u2019ll go talk to the captain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gruthwin nodded but he first picked up the mug and took it over to his work table. \u201cI\u2019ll take a look at this after we get back,\u201d he muttered as he carefully covered it with a cloth, muttering a preservation spell on it.<\/p>\n
Losian got up looking for his cloak. It had been folded up as a pillow for his head. He leaned down, feeling creaky, to pick it up. Walking to the door he dragged it around his shoulders. He knew Gruthwin would follow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Losian opened his eyes, or rather he pried them open. His headache was as bad as any he had felt and he didn\u2019t think he could move a muscle. He tried to make out where he was, but everything was a blur. He was alive. Most people, he supposed would be happy about that, but … Continue reading Chapter 2<\/span>