Enchanter Evariste instructedAngelique to wait in the trees while he entered the small village to check onsomething.
Angelique leaned against a tree and shut her eyes as she listened to the familiar bleats and snorts of livestock and the tolls of the bells that hung from leather collars on theirnecks.
“What excellent fortune!” Enchanter Evariste declared when he finally rejoined her. “I have found the perfect assignment for you. Thisway.”
They skirted around the village until they were south of it, where a large meadow stretched between the buildings and thetrees.
A little boy who couldn’t have been older than ten walked among a flock of sheep. He yawned widely as he scratched his rib cage and called to a sheep when it started to wander towards theforest.
“Do you see that young boy?” Evaristeasked.
Angeliquenodded.
“He is tending to his uncle’s flock of sheep. His job is to keep the herd together so no lambs wander off, and to call for help if a wolf or wild animal comes from the woods and attacks the livestock,” Evaristeexplained.
“I see?” Angelique said.Why is he telling me this? That’s a fairly standard task for a shepherdboy.
“It can be rather dull work, and unfortunately this boy, Wybert, has learned to get his entertainment by shouting to the other villagers that there is a wolf. The villagers rally to drive the wolf away, but find only the boy, laughing and mocking the villagers with no wolf to beseen.”
“He is lying when he calls for help?” Angeliqueasked.
“Precisely. He’s done it about half a dozen times now, and the villagers are growing resentful,” Evariste explained. “They can’t risk ignoring the cry—this is the only herd of sheep in the village, and it would be a grave financial loss if something were to happen—but they disrupt their own work to answer his falsecries.”
“They can’t assign him to a different role?” Angeliqueasked.
“They could, but I think it would be best to curb his lying behaviors now. Besides, his father is a soldier in the Farset army and isn’t home often. His mother needs the extra income he earns tending sheep for the family to survive, and there are no other roles suited for a boy his age that pay aswell.”
Angelique frowned slightly as she watched the boy try to poke a butterfly with his staff. “What do you plan todo?”
“I won’t be doing anything,” Evariste said, flashing her a grin. “It isyou, Apprentice, who will be acting. Your task is to set this boy down the proper moralpath.”
“…you mean you want me to lecture him so he stopslying?”
“Yes.”
Angelique squinted at her master and forced herself to snuff out the desire to ask what made Evariste think—based on their short acquaintance—that Angelique was suited to scold smallchildren.
But if I refuse, the Council will find out about it in the reports—and who knows how they’ll interpret it. I guess it’s off to verbally harangue a child Igo.
“Very well,” Angelique grasped the skirts of her gown as she smiled wide enough to make her cheeks hurt. “I shall endeavor to make you proud, Master Evariste!” She put a spring in her step and held in the eye roll she wanted to execute as she traipsed across the meadow, making a beeline for the brattyboy.
The boy had busied himself with tugging on a twig stuck in the wool of a fuzzy sheep. When he caught sight of Angelique, however, he stopped pulling. His mouth dropped open and he stood, his eyes enlarging as she drewcloser.
Angelique released her skirts and smiled as the white and gauzy pink material settled around her.Maybe Master Evariste is onto something with the fancy clothes, because something tells me he would not be nearly as impressed if I waltzed out here in my dreary schoolgowns.
“Wybert of Boyne,” Angelique cooed in the syrupiest tone she couldmuster.
“H-how do you know my name?” the scruffy boyasked.
“I am a mage.” Angelique gestured theatrically. “There is nothing that can be hidden from mykind.”
The boy scratched the top of his head, making some of his hair stick straight up. “You look pretty young for amage.”
“That is acharmingthing to say to a lady,” Angelique said. “I suggest you keep that in mind when you’re married and have children of yourown.”
“Huh?” Wybertasked.
Angelique slowly waved. “No matter. I have come today to speak to you of youractions.”
