Chapter 19 - Routines

Jadoog and Putt had already built a small campfire by the time Avia returned, a deer slung across her shoulders. She took a moment to observe Jadoog, their newest companion. He was slightly shorter than she was, with a neatly trimmed beard, long, curly dark hair, and a dark green coat that reached down to his black boots. There was something undeniably handsome about him, reminding her of her late husband, Inkus, in his younger days. But Jadoog was too young for her, and she quickly dismissed the thought.
Avia set to work gutting and skinning the deer, arranging the meat over the fire. The three of them worked in companionable silence, each absorbed in their tasks. As the fire crackled and the smell of roasting meat filled the air, Avia found herself considering the possibility that this new arrangement might actually work. If Jadoog truly was a wizard, time would tell if he would take Putt on as his apprentice. For now, there was no reason not to trust him enough to share a camp. After all, she was a warrior, and he didn’t appear to be armed.
From her pack, Avia retrieved a jar of wax, setting it by the fire to soften. Once it was ready, she began to rub it into the wood of her bow, carefully working it into the grain. She loved this bow, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever. No matter how much care she put into maintaining it, the bow would eventually fail her. Perhaps she should start keeping an eye out for suitable wood; who knew where she’d be when she needed a new one?
A movement caught her eye from just beyond the firelight. She was on her feet in an instant, her hands instinctively reaching for her swords, unable to string her bow in time. “Who’s there?” she called out, her voice firm and commanding.
A figure emerged from the shadows, hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “It’s me, Osapi,” a boyish voice replied. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Step into the light!” she ordered.
The young man stepped forward, revealing himself. Recognition dawned on Avia as she remembered where she’d seen him before. “I was sent to kill you once, remember?”
Avia’s gaze narrowed. Of course, she remembered. It was when Oon Barsate had abandoned them in anger with the prisoner. Suddenly, a ball of blue light appeared above them, banishing the shadows. She turned to Jadoog, realizing he was indeed some sort of wizard. Osapi’s face paled in terror.
“Relax,” Jadoog said soothingly. “The light won’t hurt you.”
Avia, still wary, demanded, “What do you want?”
Osapi hesitated, his courage faltering under the eerie blue light. “I… I wanted to ask you to be my master. To take me on as your apprentice.”
Avia stared at him, then slowly sheathed her swords. “You already have a master.”
“Yes. No. I did. But…” Osapi stammered, clearing his throat. “You gave me more training in those few minutes we met than I got from him in a whole year.”
Jadoog burst out laughing. “I believe you.”
Avia shot Jadoog a glare, unsure of what to make of his amusement.
“He’s not dangerous, at least,” Jadoog added, the light returning to his hand before it disappeared entirely.
Avia sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You want me as your master?” she repeated, still processing the request. From being alone just a few months ago, she now found herself leading a group of four. He nodded earnestly, his light-blue eyes dropping shyly to the ground.
This was just too much for one day, she thought. “It’s too late at night to send you away,” she muttered. “You’d just make camp behind the next tree anyway. Sit down, share our meal, and we’ll see about it tomorrow.”
Osapi’s shoulders relaxed, and he sent her a grateful smile. “I haven’t promised you anything else but food and a place by the fire for tonight,” she reminded him sternly. He nodded, understanding.
“Got to start somewhere,” Jadoog encouraged him with a grin. What was going on with him? Avia wondered. She shrugged it off, sitting down beside Putt and giving him a brief hug over the shoulders. Putt responded to the affection, but his attention was on Jadoog. It wasn’t surprising—he had just witnessed magic and heard Jadoog’s thoughts about possibly taking him on as an apprentice.
As they ate, Putt broke the silence to tell her about what Jadoog had said regarding the smelling test. Avia smiled, agreeing that it was promising for him. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling of shame for the hope she harbored—that perhaps someone competent would take care of Putt. She loved the boy dearly, but she worried it wasn’t enough. No matter how she tried to reconcile it in her mind, Putt’s presence made her feel like a caged bird. It wasn’t his fault; it was just who she was. Her fault alone.
And not for the first time, she wondered what kind of mother she had been to Arica. She hadn’t felt caged when Arica was growing up. She had her tough years, as all parents do, with crying, and screaming, and diapers, and falls when Arica started walking. But she had been there. Not all the time as Arica’s father, Inkus, but plenty of it. When Inkus died Arica moved away to get married soon after. Had her daughter left because it was just her mother there? Avia didn’t think so. Arica had never said anything to suggest that, or that Avia had been a bad mother.
But Arica had thought she was a bad grandmother, and a difficult, willful mother who refused to stay with her daughter in her old age. What had Arica thought of the ‘Mamasiente’ title she had earned? Avia pushed the thoughts away. Arica was dead. The only family she had left was Putt.



The next morning, Avia felt a shift within herself, a sense that she was entering a new phase of her life. She now had to evaluate Jadoog’s abilities to care for Putt and to determine whether he could truly guide the boy in becoming a wizard. At the same time, she had to assess Osapi’s potential as her apprentice. The idea of taking on a new apprentice filled her with conflicting emotions. Was it wise, given everything else on her mind? She was old, and the thought of leaving work unfinished gnawed at her. But another part of her, more dominant and insistent, argued that a new student might be exactly what she needed.   Osapi wasn’t a young boy. He had some training already, and if she died before she could complete his training, he would likely manage on his own. After all, he had left his former master to seek her out, fully aware of the risks involved. That kind of determination was something she couldn’t ignore. With a determined breath, she rose and started the fire.
“Osapi!” She shook his shoulder gently. “Go and fill our water bags.” To her satisfaction, he obeyed without a word or complaint, despite having just woken up. It was a promising start. She wasn’t one to demand blind obedience, but the apprentice had to handle the tedious tasks—that was just part of the relationship.
Meanwhile, Putt was already on his feet, trying to rouse Jadoog, who was rolled up in a thick blanket. A disgruntled groan came from the man as he sat up, scratching his head. Avia guessed that outdoor life wasn’t exactly his preference. Osapi returned with the water, and Jadoog quickly grabbed one of the skins, pouring the water into a pot from his luggage and setting it over the fire. Avia watched, puzzled.
“Fine,” she said, her tone firm. “Then go and fill that skin again.” Jadoog stared at her for a moment, but she was the elder, and if he wanted to gain her trust, he’d have to prove himself. Reluctantly, he stood and walked off with the water bag in hand. Avia noted with approval that he didn’t pass the task off to Putt.
Turning her attention back to Osapi, she asked, “What weapons have you learned to use?”
“Sword, knife, bow, spear, ax, and throwing star,” he replied confidently. Not bad, she thought.
“In what ways do you use the knife?”
“Throwing, cutting, stabbing, slicing. Even chopping firewood if needed,” he added with a grin. “Though throwing knives aren’t much good for that.”
“Favorite weapon?”
“Anything airborne.”
“Show me,” she instructed. They moved away from the fire, and Osapi pulled out a knife. It was sleek and elegant, without a traditional handle—just a flat piece of metal with one sharp end and a grip on the other. He took aim.
“Wait!” she stopped him. “What are you aiming at? Mark it out for me.” He hesitated, then walked over to a tree and fixed a leaf to the bark at eye level.
“This tree.”
“Where on the tree?” she pressed.
“I’m not that good,” he admitted, biting his lip.
“Point it out,” she insisted, and he did as she asked, placing the leaf exactly where he intended to aim. He returned to his spot just as Jadoog came back with the water.
“Your water’s getting hot—” Osapi started to say, but Avia interrupted him sharply.
“Focus!”
“Yes, Master.”
“I’m not your master. Not yet. Now focus and show me what you can do.” She watched as he took a deep breath, his shoulders lowering as he exhaled. In one swift motion, the knife left his hand and buried itself in the tree, just shy of the leaf. Impressive, but not perfect.
“Do it again,” she commanded. He pulled out a second knife and repeated the action, again landing close to the mark. Avia then handed him her bow and quiver. He took them, and in quick succession, placed three arrows in a tight grouping on the leaf.
“Alright, get your knifes and my arrows back. It’s time to break camp and move on.”
“Wait,” Jadoog protested. “What about my tea?”
“What?” Avia asked, puzzled.
Jadoog retrieved the now boiling pot of water and added herbs, a calming aroma filling the air. “Is that something magic?” Putt asked, his curiosity piqued.
Jadoog shook his head. “Just tea.” He must have realized that neither Avia nor Putt knew much about it. “I’ll show you.”
After a short while, he poured the brew into their cups, distributing what little he had made. Avia sniffed at the cup, finding the scent rather pleasant. She took a cautious sip, the bitterness mingling with the warmth spreading through her body. She nodded in approval.
“We’d better start boiling the water earlier tomorrow.”