"This is what they sent me?" Magus stabbed a finger toward Jasper. "Clearly Atratus resents my favored position and is trying to sabotage me! Foolish at such a critical junction, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, Master Magus," the elderly servant replied, giving a deep bow. "May I go?"
"He doesn't even have his staff yet!" Magus snarled. "But he looks old enough to have completed his junior studies. Did he fail his tests?"
"I don't know, Master. I'm sorry." The servant bowed again and backed nervously toward the door.
"Excuse me," Jasper said. "If I might explain?"
"Make it good," Magus growled.
Jasper nodded. "It's like this, sir. Master Atratus thought I might do better in your service, where I will be exposed to a more applied approach, seeing as my lessons with him have not gone as well as he'd hoped."
Magus began to pace, his boots grating on the stone floor of the large, circular room. "He expects me to train you after he's failed? I ought to call him out over this! No, better yet, I'll speak with Vultan about it. Ridiculous! As if you could be of any assistance at all, should the Palace be attacked. Not that there's anyone to attack it, but you never know, do you?"
"Yes, Master," Jasper agreed. "Um, if I may speak again?"
Magus came to a stop in front of him. "What is it now?"
"I believe High Master Vultan told Master Atratus not to—"
"Is Vultan behind this outrage?" Magus shouted. "I will speak to him about it at once!"
"Yes, Sir, and as I was saying," Jasper continued quickly, "High Master Vultan told Master Atratus that he might need to use the senior apprentices to raid some distant farms. It's only temporary," he added, seeing that Magus was about to explode again. "And since I have more experience than any of the other first-level apprentices, Master Atratus thought it would be best to send me. But you can replace me later, if you wish?"
"As soon as possible!" Magus snapped.
"Of course. Ah, he also said something about how he would prefer you send me back intact, and that he would be more eager to send a senior apprentice as my replacement if you wouldn't, um, I think the term he used was 'waste' his apprentices?"
Magus snorted. "If they're useless, it's no waste to get rid of them!" He began to pace again. "We're in the middle of a critical operation," he muttered, "and all I have to work with are these bungling guards and an apprentice who can't pass his first-levels. Can you do anything at all?" He rounded on Jasper. "Can you disable that servant?" He pointed to the old man who had almost, but not quite, managed to back out the open door.
The servant looked terrified. "Please, Master," he implored.
Magus ignored him and gave Jasper a penetrating look. "Well?"
Jasper frowned and muttered something. A breeze blew in the nearest open window, carrying a faint smell of pine trees. The servant's hands flew to his throat and his eyes grew wide with surprise. "I've lost my voice," he wheezed.
"It might save you from annoying our Master any further," Jasper pointed out, hoping this would satisfy Magus.
"I smell pine resin," Magus said. "You called on a Silvan Spirit. Is witch-magic all you know how to do? Can't you use the Prime Powers, boy?"
Jasper shrugged. "I'm not very skilled with them yet," he admitted.
"Stone him," Magus said. "Now."
Jasper spotted a metal dish filled with small round stones. "With those?" he asked.
Magus nodded.
Jasper focused on the bowl. The stones began to vibrate. Several of them lifted into the air and hovered unsteadily. He shifted his gaze toward the servant. The stones started to move. Two of them flew by on either side of the servant's head and went out the open door. The third struck him on the shoulder, then tumbled to the floor.
The servant gasped and put a hand to his shoulder.
Magus glared at Jasper. "You should have been able to lift all of them, and your aim is poor. Get out of my sight before I decide to demonstrate the proper technique on both of you!"
Jasper followed the servant out the door and caught up with him halfway down a broad set of spiral stairs. He hurried past, then turned to block the way. "Let me see your injury."
The servant shook his head.
Before the man could react, Jasper had him in a lock with one hand around his neck and the other gripping his shoulder in the spot where the stone had struck him. "Watch out, old man," he hissed in his ear. "I can do far worse! Not a word to Magus about me or you'll find out just how adept I am at torture." As he said the word torture, sharp pains darted into the servant's neck and shoulder, making him to gasp and nearly fall down the stairs. Only Jasper's grip held him in place.
The servant whispered, "I understand. Please stop!"
"And don't forget whose side you're on," Jasper added as he let the man go.
The servant straightened and touched his shoulder in surprise. "It's better!" he said, and his voice, when he spoke, was no longer rasping. "Why did you help me?"
"Shhh," Jasper hissed. "Don't be a fool! If he finds out, I'll have to kill you."
The servant seemed to see the wisdom in this, and hurried off down the stairs.
Jasper watched him go, then stepped to the nearest window, a tall one set in the curving stone wall of the staircase. He had raised his arms and was about to shift into a hawk when someone cleared their throat behind him. He spun around.
"What do you think you're doing?" It was Magus.
Jasper shrugged.
"You go nowhere without my permission. Atratus may be lax with his apprentices. He's certainly lax about everything else he does. But things are tighter here!"
Jasper nodded meekly.
"Seeing as you obviously have confidence in your shiftings, go ahead and jump out the window. I need you to go to the top of this tower and help with the weather-working. My spellbinding will see to it that you don't stray from your post." He whipped his staff toward Jasper, sending a small, dark cloud to hover above him. If the binding hurt when it took hold, Jasper didn't show any outward sign. "You do know the attollo tempesta protocols?" Magus demanded.
"How to raise a storm? I know the basics," Jasper admitted.
Magus eyed him shrewdly. "You know more than you let on," he said. "Now listen. Vultan's already building the cloud, but he's too far away to position it as accurately as I need. Your task is to keep it centered about the town until I'm ready to use it. Go!"