Playing with ardent mages, I haven't got an starting hero, just an army of two normal units. Is this how it's supposed to be? TIA!

Your hero isn't assigned to your starting army?  If you click on the Heroes icon in the upper-left (in the middle - looks like a ribbon/badge), do you see any heroes listed?  If so, it will also display where the hero is assigned.

Thank you, I've found him into the city, maybe I've split the armies and put him with the settler idk. Everything is fine now.