[Very Short] A Mage, a Shadow, and the Apprentice

A silly entry in the many adventures of The Mage.

The Apprentice:  “Master, why are you walking with a cane?”

 

The Mage:  “It’s one way to ward off misfortune.  You should try to mask your presence a little better.  Also, don’t call me master.”

 

The Apprentice:  “Are we hiding from someone?”

 

The Mage:  “We’re trying, but one of us isn’t doing so well.”

 

The apprentice flips the hood of her gown overhead and assumes the elderly bent-over walking position alongside her master.  To this the mage lets out a disappointed sigh.

 

The Mage:  “Wonderful, now instead of people trying to avoid staring they’ll look upon us in awe; “Oh goodness, an old couple who both have critical arthritis, what are the odds?””

 

The apprentice begins to blush in silence, and upon noticing this her master expresses his discomfort with an overwhelmingly loud sigh.  A crowd was beginning to form around them.  The mage throws the cane aside and starts into a trot.

 

The Mage:  “Forget it, we’re just going to run for it.”

 

The apprentice hurriedly tries to catch up with her teacher.  A shadow burst forth from the crowd behind them.

 

The Mage:  “Don’t look back!”

 

The Apprentice:  “I already did, what is that thing?!”

 

The Mage:  “I forget her name, but I remember her smell.  Just keep running, I’ll come back for you later!”

 

The Apprentice:  “What?  Hey!  Wait for me!  Master!”

 

The figure from behind wraps it’s arm around the front of the apprentice and places its hand over her mouth.  She gently brushes the hair aside the girl’s face and positions herself face to face with the apprentice.  She has a beautiful if not terrifying smile.

 

The Shadow:  “You’re a pretty new toy.  Don’t worry about me, if I were a threat your master would have rather fought me than run away.  He’s always so shy.  Where are you from?”

 

The Apprentice:  “I am an apprentice, I know nothing but my magic, please release me.”

 

The Shadow:  “I’m very intimate with your teacher, you know, we once spent an entire day together alone in the library.”

 

The Apprentice:  “I am an apprentice, I know nothing but my magic, please release me.”

 

The shadow laughs at the girl’s request and instead squeezes a little bit tighter around the young woman to pick her up and begin walking while she rants of the past.  The mage patiently waits for the opportunity to reclaim his property.