The Fuller's Apprentice (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 1) by Angela Holder Read Free Book Online

as much as we should. But our familiars—”
    He broke off. Josiah looked at him, puzzled. “What?”
    “Our familiars need to eat and rest, too. Even if a wizard won’t think of himself or the Law, he’ll usually stop for his familiar’s sake.”
    Josiah was sure that was true, but he didn’t think it was what Tivon had originally intended to say.
    The aroma coming from the dining hall was so delicious he didn’t see how anyone could find it hard to stop working once they caught a whiff of it. Elkan joined them, and they stood in line to receive trays of food. They took them to a round table near a wall where a net full of hay hung. Sar joined two sheep, a goat, and a deer who were eagerly munching.
    Josiah looked around the room and saw other familiars with their wizards. Cats and dogs ate from bowls on the floor or sat curled in their wizard’s laps. Birds perched on shoulders and took seeds or bits of meat from their wizards’ hands. There were rats, mice, and squirrels on tables, and a horse at another hay net farther along the wall.
    Josiah dug into the simple meal of bread, roast beef, and vegetables. Tivon turned to Elkan. “We’re certainly going to miss you after you leave. This is the first Sixthday in months we’ve been able to eat the midday meal on time. We’ve been shorthanded ever since Fluffy died last autumn and I retired from bonded service. We’ve appealed to the Hall in Elathir to send us help, but they don’t have anyone to spare. Any chance you’d consider relocating here after you earn your mastery, Elkan?”
    “That’s for the Guildmaster to decide,” Elkan said. “Though I’d welcome the opportunity to serve with you. My condolences on the loss of your familiar; I hadn’t realized it was so recent.”
    “Not quite half a year, now. We served many long years together.” He smiled, his eyes distant. “I’ll never forget the day Fluffy came prancing through the main doors in the middle of a Restday service, a half-grown kitten. She jumped into my lap and started purring. It was so obvious she was Mother-touched, I didn’t even bother to look for the mark. I’d just lost Clover and didn’t feel old enough to retire, but I couldn’t quite face starting over. Fluffy didn’t leave me much choice in the matter. We bonded that day, and for twenty-six years she was the best partner a wizard could ask for.” He lapsed into silence.
    Josiah had never realized how strong the bond of affection between wizard and familiar was, though he wasn’t really surprised after seeing how Elkan and Sar interacted. “I’m sorry.”
    Tivon smiled reassuringly at him. “It’s the Mother’s way. She was very old for a cat, more than ready to go home.”
    Something in Master Tivon’s story pricked Josiah’s curiosity. “What was that about not looking for a mark?”
    Master Tivon nodded. “All Mother-touched animals bear her mark somewhere on their body.”
    “I’ll show you,” added Elkan. “Sar, come here, please?” The donkey left off browsing and ambled over to Josiah. “Look there, on his chest, to the side.”
    Josiah peered closely. A handspan above where the donkey’s left foreleg met his body was a small white patch, oval shaped, like a fingerprint.
    “The touch of the Mother’s finger,” Master Tivon confirmed. “That’s how we recognize a potential familiar when we find them—or they find us.” He pushed back from the table. “Patients are waiting. Time to get back to work.”
    * * *
    Midway through the afternoon, Josiah reported back to Elkan’s cubicle without a patient in tow. “Master Tivon says things are under control, and we should go help out at the court. They had a case run longer than expected this morning, so they’re backed up.”
    “That will make a nice change of pace. And you’ll get to see the other major aspect of our work.” Elkan picked up his record book and left the cubicle, Sar at his side.
    Josiah followed them across the large room