24
Art was sitting on a rough bench spooning up what was quite a fair stew. Surrounding him were a dozen or more other apprentices having their evening meal and speculating about what was going to happen. They were in a temporary tent city where the support units of the army were being assembled. There was an enormous amount of comings and goings and one thing they had all learned rather quickly was to keep a very low profile. Apprentices were traditionally fair game for any master or journeyman to conscript if they weren’t working.
It was relaxing. Art had spent three hectic days with Arch having his head crammed with so many spells and ideas that all he had wanted to do was sleep. Now that he was with the craft apprentices he felt normal, even though he knew it would only be for a bit.
