"I nearly lost my mind!" he cried. "As I went mad, you stood by and watched!"
"Adept Grimm, I cannot know what agonies you endured," Crohn said, his face twisted by emotions at which Grimm could only guess, "but I felt all of your pain with you, and I ached to free you. You have freed yourself, and only in this way can a new Questor be born. The Outbreak marks your re-birth."
Grimm tried to stand, but his legs refused to obey him; indeed, to his shame, it seemed he had no more strength than a new-born babe. Crohn walked over to the tall, slender boy and gathered him up in strong arms, as if Grimm weighed no more than a feather. The Magemaster pushed the battered door open and took Grimm from the room.
"Where are we going?" Grimm asked, lolling in the old man's arms.
"We go to the Infirmary, Adept Grimm. You have gone through much and need rest and comfort. As do I; I could not withstand another beating such as I received today.
"Rest in the knowledge that you have done well, that you are appreciated and loved, and that your suffering is over; over!" As they entered the quiet, white, spotless Infirmary, Healer Chet, who had once schooled Grimm in Herbal Lore, rushed up to take the burden from Crohn. "I will see you in a short while, Adept Grimm," the Magemaser muttered, looking every inch the nonagenarian he was. "Let the Healer tend to you first."
Grimm was exhausted, and, uncomplaining, he let Chet wash him and tend to his cuts, bruises and aches. With careful, soothing hands, the Healer dressed him in a comfortable linen night-shirt and carried him to a cool, smoothly-dressed bed in a cell separate from the main infirmary, covering him with a clean sheet and a warm blanket. The down pillow, so different from the straw to which Grimm had become used, felt soft under his head, and he was about to drift off to sleep when he was aware, once more, of Crohn's presence at his side.
"Rest now, young Afelnor," the Magemaster said; his tone of voice so far removed from that of the Crohn Grimm had come to know that he stared in astonishment. "This morning you were just a Neophyte. Tonight you are an Adept; a Mage Questor in training. The day's travails are behind you, but the struggle begins anew when you are well again. You will be expected to work; work as you never have before."
Grimm nodded with little real comprehension.
"You will, however, be treated with kindness, compassion and the respect due to you as a man and a true Adept," Crohn continued. "I am convinced, now, that you will reach your true potential. No Neophyte Questor who has ever survived the Ordeal with a whole mind has failed to be Acclaimed."
Grimm registered the Magemaster's words, but he had only one thing on his mind as fatigue clouded his mind. "Can I sleep, now, Lord Mage?" he pleaded. "Can I sleep once more without those terrible dreams?" He wanted to sleep, but he knew too well the terrors that his dreams might hold.
"Yes, my son, sleep well," Crohn said, laying a gentle, soothing hand on Grimm's brow. "Please, call me Lord Mage no more. Within this House, you will now only address the Prelate by this title. I am plain Magemaster Crohn now."
A sudden thought alarmed Grimm. "Lord… Magemaster Crohn, what if I should wreak more destruction in my sleep?"
"The destruction was born of rage and frustration, and the Healer has cast a spell of Quietude upon you to assuage this," Crohn replied. "In any case, I doubt you have within you a pennyweight of power that you have not used today."
Grimm laughed; it sounded like a dog's bark, and he knew Crohn was right.
"It will be some time until you have recovered your full strength," the Magemaster continued, "and I will have taught you much by that time. Sleep well."
Grimm's head spun, as if a spell had been cast upon him, and he did as he was bidden. Crohn walked from the room like a drunkard and collapsed in the arms of the waiting Healer; he, too, could rest now.
Chapter 24: Aftermath
Grimm had been in the infirmary for two days when two visitors came to see him: Madar and Argand; the former sporting a gloriously-hued ring around his left eye and a swollen lip. Grimm's face lit up; he had not been allowed to associate freely for a long time.
"How are you now, Grimm?" Madar asked, his voice cautious.
"I do ache," Grimm admitted, "and I'm tired a lot of the time; but I'm better off than you, by the looks of things, Madar! It is so good to see you both."
Madar nodded, but his expression was still grave.
"Believe me, Grimm," he said, "I'm better off than that bloated oaf, Shumal, and his slimy hanger-on, Ruvin, have been since you finished with them."
Grimm felt a moment of panic, but Madar assuaged his worries with an airy wave of his hand.
"Don't worry," Madar said, "they're not exactly at death's door, but they're in no condition to celebrate, I can assure you."
Argand spoke next; even his beefy face looked pale and worried. "Magemaster Crohn told us all about your Ordeal, Grimm," he said. "It was a filthy thing but I'm glad you're over it. He says you're to be a Questor, the first for ten years. Who would have thought it, Mage Questor! Can you tell us anything about it now?"
Grimm nodded. "I think I'm free now of the Compulsion that was placed on me," he said. "It seems I burnt it out in what Crohn calls my 'Outbreak'. You are both Neophytes now, so you probably know a few spells, although I'd sooner not say much about that at the moment-it's got some bad associations. But do you remember how we were taught that Questors make their own magic?"
Madar and Argand nodded.
"It seems I have my own, personal, mage-language that nobody else shares, so I don't need scrolls or rote-learning of spells. I can still Read as well as any conventional mage, but, apparently, if I can visualise a spell, I can cast it. I have no idea yet of how it works."
"Apart from the fact that it's obviously not a good idea to cross you when you're in a bad mood!" Argand was freely smiling now. "Evidently I taught you well in that regard!"
Grimm shrugged. "I did it, but I really don't know how; I can scarcely believe it myself. I cast those spells when I was burning with anger. Now, I have to go back to school to learn how to call it up when I'm calm. Let me tell you, it really took it out of me."
"Will you be free to associate with us again when you're in training?" asked Madar.
Grimm nodded. "Oh, yes, and I'll be allowed free run of the Library again; and not just the public books and scrolls. I am being told that I may not have much free time to enjoy my new liberty, though."
"Well, just remember that we're still here," Argand said, "and we owe you a lot."
Grimm shook his head firmly. "You owe me nothing, Argand. I owe you everything. You have always been my friends, and hope you always will be. Without you two, I'd have gone under ages ago."
"We owe you more than you can guess, Grimm," Madar said, now wearing his habitual gamin's grin. "Crohn won't be taking us any more; he'll be in sole charge of you, although he's still Senior Magemaster. I overheard him telling Kargan that the chance to raise a Questor has been the pinnacle of his life's work, and he should be able to retire gracefully, with honour and the Guild's gratitude."
Grimm smiled; he had mixed feelings about Senior Magemaster Crohn, but he recognised that Crohn had done what he had thought was right.
"I do feel for you, though," Madar continued. "How can you bear to look at him after what he did to you?"
Grimm shrugged. "He's really not so bad when you get to know him, Madar. And he was under orders from high up to do what he did. He really didn't enjoy it."
"Ha! He surely hid that well," Madar said, with a contemptuous toss of his head. "Oh well, I'm afraid we have to be going; we were told by the Healer not to overtax you. Got to keep your strength up for all the visitors you'll be getting, begging your forgiveness."
"Oh, I doubt that!" Grimm cried. "They were keen enough to abuse me."
"You'd be surprised," Argand said, wagging his right index finger. "They're really not all so bad when you get to know them. And even some of the worst of them were probably under some Compulsion to do what they did, even if they didn't want to or understand why."