Morning Run-In with the Common Folks

It had been a long night of studying. Sitting by the candle, studying, and worrying; he didn’t know if he was ready. And yet, he also knew that he wasn’t being objective, that he was only letting his chronic worry get the better of him; a run before going to sleep for the day, he thought, would help him clear his mind. Show him the objective truth. Just like his mother always told him: he had to strive for a general point of view, not let his involvement in a situation make him biased… too positively or too negatively. 

He tip-hooved on his way out. With the sun rising, he knew that his family was sound asleep and he didn’t want to wake them up… partly because it would be rude, but also because he still wanted to hide how unrestful he was. Thankfully, the cushioned carpet of his home was enough to mute his steps, and when he reached the door it had the decency not to creak for him. 

He slipped through and was outside.

The dawn was gorgeous, with the sunrise reaching its final stages where the sky turned this ice-grey shade of blue behind some lingering clouds; it had been raining all right, so he was greeted with its smell and the feeling of soft earth beneath his cloven hooves. He shook his young mane, as if to rid himself of the worry that clung to him, and got started on a slow trot. Moving already seemed to ease his mind. 

Lute was the only son of a powerful mage, his mother, and a father that had passed away when he was young. He knew that he was expected to become a mage like his mother… and he also wanted to succeed to her, live up to her legacy. And that was why he was now staring down the barrel of entrance exams for the most prestigious school in all of Eniv; and why it scared him. 

After all, if he failed, he was only going to fail his entire plan at life. 

And there it was, the crux of everything he feared. As if to get away from it, he started to run in any given direction, down the dirt road. His family home, where it was just his mother and him, was situated at the top of the hill so that she might observe the stars in her telescope with no hindrance, and it was a little bit outside of town. So, naturally, he felt the urge to direct his steps in that direction; after a night of parchment by candlelight, he craved the sight of other Enivi. 

And he was not denied that for long. One of the first souls he met on that path were a couple of Ortusi farmers, making their way to the fields early in the morning so that they would get an early start while the weather was still fresh. He wasn’t sure that he knew their names, but they certainly knew him

“Hey, Lute,” said one. “Where are you going so early?” 

“Oh, I’m just going for a walk,” he answered. 

“It’s late for him,” said the second one to her companion. “He should be sleeping, I recon.” 

“Yeah,” said the first one. “You should be sleeping soon, Lute, if you want to grow big and strong.” 

“Ha-ha—” said Lute, unamused. 

Every Ortusi had to make this joke at least once per meeting another herd. Everyone got it… they were the tallest and the strongest of the herd. But did they have to bring it up constantly? It was so annoying. Lute was even of the opinion - although his mother had made it clear that he shouldn’t ever say it out loud, even among other Lunaesi - that being as strong and powerful as Ortusi predestined them to be stupid brutes. Because when one had strength, was it really worth studying the fine arts of magic? And even though he was not that old - barely old enough to be sent away from home for his studies - he had encountered nothing in his life that had predisposed him to believe the contrary. 

What Lute did not quite grasp was how truly young he was. Having grown without a father and a mother that was away - both in body and in mind - for a good portion of the time, he hadn’t had many occasions to expand his view of the world through interactions at home. And, with no true incentive to leave the house except for attending school, having few close friends, he had remained inside reading and studying his lessons. Which had been great for expanding his knowledge, but not so much for expanding his heart; his mind was full of information, but his chest was empty. And while it ached, he didn’t really know what was that pain, didn’t feel it after years of being alone, but could still spit it out at those that inconvenienced him at a moment’s notice. 

And he was quite tempted to give a piece of his mind to the insolent Ortusi, except that he knew that his mother would disapprove of it if she knew. Instead, he scoffed and turned his head, pretending that he hadn’t heard, and trotted off. And as the two farmers had better things to do than chase after him for further teasing, they let him go without another comment. 

Despite his chance encounter with the farmers, it was still early for most other members of the other herds. When he crossed the town square, a few moments later, he only spotted the innkeeper setting his tables for the day on the lawn in front of the inn. Clients would lay on said lawn and would have their drinks or their lunch on the tables next to them; it was quite the social hub, but Lute often felt like he was not quite old enough to dine there. And she was a Lunaesi like him, meaning that when she called out to him he stopped with a little more enthusiasm than before. 

“Hi, Lute,” she said. “You’re up late.” 

“And you’re up early,” he said right back. 

“I got to. Work’s not going to do itself.” She snorted. “I’d like it to. Bet there is a spell for that, eh?” 

“There is,” said Lute. “It’s a recall spot spell, very useful.” 

“See?” she said. “And what does it do?” 

He didn’t show it, but he found it aphauling that she wouldn’t know even that. She was a Lunaesi, and she didn’t even know such a simple spell? But he was also eager to enlighten her… After all, even though she was older than him, he thought that she was quite pretty, and while he wasn’t fooling enough to hope that he would impress her, it certainly made conversation with her a little more interesting than with brutish Ostusi farmers (for example). 

“Well,” he said before he paused. Cleared his throat, and stood a little taller. “It’s an air spell that memories the places of things, and then when you reactivate it the things go back to their place. It’s extremely useful. My mother uses it—” 

She laughed, interrupting his little speech. “Hah! I don’t think that I got the power to know that!” 

“What?” he said. “But anyone can learn that spell - it’s a bit complex to set up at first, because you can’t have items get in the way of each other, but—” 

She laughed, interrupting him. “You say that, but you had magic being taught to you since you were young, and all the specialised stuff… I’m just happy to know the magic that I really need, and know enough to earn my coin day by day… which isn’t by working as a mage, but as an innkeeper. I’d rather keep putting the tables outside and set them all up myself then start getting all confused with a spell. I change their position a little bit every day, you know? And there are some days where there are special events, and either I put more out or I put less out— and I would have to do it all my hand anyway. No, it’s just simpler that way.” 

Lute was a little upset upon hearing that. This sounded like a coward’s way if one asked him; there was no way she could be entirely happy with doing all that effort while knowing she could get it all done - effortlessly - in a tap of a hoof! It seemed almost inconceivable to him that she was doing anything but giving up. 

But he didn’t say that. He didn’t want to upset her, and he was aware that if he spoke the bottom of his mind he would come across as rude. And he didn’t want that, even less than with the Ortusi from before. So he just bowed his head once, quickly, to hide his expression, and said, 

“Well, that is shame that I don’t know how to do it myself. But I’ll know soon.” 

“Oh?” she chuckled. “That’s right, you’re preparing to enter that academy of yours. Sweet Watchful Eyes, does time fly. Seems that just yesterday you were a little kid cavorting after your mother when she would drop by for a drink. Do you remember how you would splash around the fountain?” 

More like get humiliated as other kids dunked his head in the water, thought Lute bitterly. He wasn’t sure he wanted to talk with the female Lunaesi anymore. 

“I do,” he said with a false smile.

“Good old days…” said the innkeeper, still lost down memory lane. “Your mother also had more time to listen to us common folk, you know. But I guess that with time, and becoming more and more famous and all that… it’s just normal to be a bit more busy with age. I miss having her around, but I don’t blame her for it. Oh, will you say hi to her for me?” 

“I will,” said Lute. 

“That’s wonderful. Now, it was nice having that chat, and learning about that wonderful spell you think would be useful to me, but there’s no point getting up this early if I’m just going to spend that time rambling with you.” She shook her head, chasing him along. “Get off my lawn, will you? I need to place down some more tables.” 

“A good day to you,” he said, before skittering off. 

It didn’t take him long for his thoughts to return to his troubles, but he now had a different perspective on them, and he found it most curious how it had changed. 

Firstly, he had been reminded of why he wanted to be a mage, and it wasn’t because his mother was also a mage - not just that at least. If he didn’t venture down that path, if he failed, he would find himself stuck with all the same people he had met today: ignorant, brutish, and bland. And to think that he would be stuck with them his entire life! 

But he also had some glimmer of hope. He could now see that his mother, the Goddess guard her heart, had taken care that he would not remain defenceless against the rigours of the entrance examination. He had an innate understanding of magic and how it worked; he knew many of the possibilities that laid before him in the shadows of his future, and he was aware of the basics he needed to uncover more. Really, he already had the map of the road ahead, even if he didn’t have the strength to perform all the spells he knew about. But it would come; he was certain of it. 

In short, when Lute tip-hooved back in his home a moment later, he was convinced that he was meant for great things, and while he still felt apprehensive about the roadblocks ahead, he knew that he was meant for great things… memorable things. 

He went to sleep with a smile, dreaming of a glorious future surrounded by extraordinary people.