The Breath -Sixth Whale Book 1

*17*

Donnie spent the day most alone, when Mae arrived to find her sister wasn't there that afternoon she left again, taking a basket of fresh bread with her. Not for the first time Donnie was feeling remarkably lost. His attempts to speak to Lily had failed spectacularly and he didn't have anywhere to belong here. He liked the witchfather and his apprentices but he hadn't known them long enough to be close with them. If he were being honest with himself he just felt like he was getting in the way really. He'd been practising barriers with them, although the witchfather didn't seem to notice and if he did wasn't acknowledging it. It was all incredibly frustrating and he felt useless and helpless. It wasn't entirely dissimilar he felt when he was on those barren rocks in the cloud sea. In a way, he had lost his family for a second time. 

Like it or not family was what the guild had been to him. They raised him, the others there were the kids he grew up with like brothers. In the dorms nobody had parents and having friends outside the guild was a rarity. As stifling as the guild had been he didn't know how to have any other kind of life and although he was out it seemed almost as if he was living his life through Vern and Shae rather than finding his own. Now they weren't here he was just sat twiddling his thumbs. 

While he sat staring at his hands with a feeling of melancholy settling over him he heard the bells. The ringing was discordant and filled him with dread. He got up and headed to the edge of the barrier. From the rooftops, he could see the crowd headed towards the guild and without thinking he found himself hurrying towards the guild. He could hate the place and the Masters, he could hate people like Johnny but in that towering building were his friends. People he genuinely cared about. Despite knowing the guild prided itself on being a fortress and place of safety Donnie had realised one thing, it wasn't as safe as the Halves. He made the teleporting jump and found himself outside a weak and spluttering barrier. People were throwing stones and whenever the barrier faltered the projectiles were tumbling through. It wouldn't be long until they felt brave enough to just walk right into it. Donnie could already tell it wouldn't be able to keep people out. He slipped in carefully, making sure nobody was following him and found an area that was reasonably hidden away. In the corridors around him, apprentices rushed frantically. As he put the barrier up, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the Master's were doing.

At that precise moment, they were bickering amongst themselves, as if the threat to the guild didn't exist. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice the new barrier and when they did the bickering settled down.

" Ah, One of the lads was careful in his studies then I suppose. Good Good." Master Knobbs nodded enthusiastically. The ruckus that was caused by all these issues of defence and no specialist Master had completely died down. Which was no bad thing in his book. Maybe they could just appoint whatever lad was making this new barrier. Once the mess was over he would suggest that. It could be a little reward for the lad. A promotion, a better room and the use of the master's bathhouse. How could the lad possibly refuse that offer eh?

He just had to find out who the lad was before any of the other Masters. Take him under his wing, make him grateful so to speak. Knobbs knew he wasn't the only one thinking along those lines. Having another member of the council always ready to have your back was a wonderful thing in some of the more raucous meetings. Barriers could be rather useful for protecting oneself or one's friends against the half-eaten sausage rolls that would so often come hurtling through the air. Knobbs wished they would throw untouched ones, it would make catching them worthwhile. The door opened and shut so quietly that it shouldn't have made an impact, but all discussion halted the second it clicked shut.

Prebble revelled in the silence. The instant control of the room gave him quite the power rush, he kept the little. thrill away from his expression though, if it ever got the better of him then the respect would be gone and his power over them wouldn't have quite the same bite. Behind him were three young men. Two of his apprentices and a rather panicked looking lad with a fine layer of dark stubble on his head and blue eyes. He wasn't struggling much but looked like he was concentrating on something. If anyone had been half as observant as Prebble they would have noticed the barrier quiver ad the young man was pushed into the room. He gave his apprentices a disapproving glare, causing them to shrink back into the corridor. Currently, the young lad was the only thing keeping the witchhunt out.