A Call to Arms: Book One of the Chronicles of Arden by Shiriluna Nott, SaJa H Read Free Book Online Page A

know. But you’ve shut everyone out for too long. It’s time you learn how to feel again. This will be good for you.”
    “I hope you’re right.”
    “Trust me. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
    Receding footsteps sounded against the marble floor, and a short while later, Joel came back into the room. His face was drawn but as he raised his head in Gib’s direction, the young highborn gave him a half-hearted smile. Gib didn’t know what to make of the conversation he’d overheard, but his mind was such a whirlwind of confusion that it hardly mattered.
    “I’m sorry for the mess,” Joel said as he moved through the room and began to pick up what Gib assumed were the highborn’s belongings. “I was under the impression I wouldn’t be sharing a room.” His voice was flat.
    Gib winced and at last he managed to find his voice. “I—I’m sorry too.”
    The older boy shrugged as he reached to pick up a crate filled with scrolls and unused parchment. “It’s not your fault.”
    Gib bit down on his lip and took advantage of the silence to get a better look at the room. It was of modest size, though bigger than the loft which Gib had shared with his brothers, and crafted from the same white marble as the corridor outside. Two small beds sat on wooden frames, one in each corner of the room, and someone had taken the liberty of laying fresh linens and a wool blanket on the edge of each mattress. In one nook of the room stood a desk and stool for writing, and there was even a large window situated along the back wall. The wooden shutters were pushed open, allowing a breeze to flow through.
    “So, I think I recall Marc saying you’ve never been to the city before.” Joel sat down on one of the beds and began sorting through his things.
    Gib nodded. “That’s right.”
    “So you must be a first-year student.”
    Gib wasn’t sure if the words were meant to be a question or not, but he felt obligated to respond in some way. “I was sent a conscription notice. I’m meant to receive sentinel training here in Silver.”
    Joel pursed his lips but didn’t look up. “I see.”
    Gib could hear the pity dripping from the boy’s words but tried to ignore it. “A–are you a sentinel trainee too?”
    The highborn boy did glance up now. He had a bemused look and the corner of his mouth acted as though it wanted to curl upward. “No. I’m afraid I wouldn’t even know which end of a sword to use if I ever were unfortunate enough to be handed one. I’m a mage trainee.” Gib felt as though he’d missed something that should have been obvious. He probably had. He didn’t know the first thing about magic or magery.
    He’d never met a mage in person before, though he’d seen one from a distance in Willowdale. When the well that supplied water to the entire village was contaminated, a mage was sent from Silver to purify it. Gib and his father happened to be there to see the spectacle while selling that year’s barley crop at market. It would have been hard to miss such a sight, as nearly every resident of the town had gathered to watch as the mage rode in.
    The mage marched up to the well, uttered a few words, and then touched his fingertips to the stone foundation. A moment later, the mage turned to the lord of Willowdale, smiled smugly, and announced the water was purified. Just like that. Gib’s father told him the mage had used magic.
    Studying Joel from beneath thick lashes, Gib swallowed. He wasn’t sure how he felt about magic. Since childhood, he’d been using his own two hands to make his way in the world, and the idea of manipulating some invisible form of energy to complete a task made him wary. It sounded dangerous. Still, Joel was being cordial, so Gib made the decision to reserve judgment as well. After all, he knew nothing about his roommate.
    “I’ve never met a mage before,” Gib offered timidly. “I suppose that makes me sound like an idiot, but I grew up on a farm. I’d never been