She, uh, really isn’t able to read a map, but she needs to get to Sopan as soon as possible. A private organization which manufactures mage-produced tools and metalwork agreed to hire her, but only if she can get there before they can otherwise fill the position. Her bags have been packed so that she could leave right away, if necessary.”
Maelgyn grinned. “Well, I can guarantee her employment in Sopan. If she’s too late to get that job I’ll hire her into the Sword’s Service as a court mage. No one that talented should be unemployed long.”
“If she’s willing,” Ruznak agreed, although his tone suggested he doubted Euleilla would be. “At any rate, you will take care of her, right?”
“Of course,” Maelgyn nodded.
“Good,” Ruznak enthusiastically bellowed. “In that case...” He clapped his hands, and immediately three more waitresses showed up carrying platters full of food. “Let’s eat. You’ve got a big journey ahead of you, and you should start it fresh and well fed.”
Chapter 5
Despite the rain, slow whirlwinds of magic dust continued to surround Euleilla. As they made their way through the mountains, however, a tendril of that dust had moved forward and wrapped itself around Maelgyn’s ankle as well. He still had no idea what purpose it served, or why she had decided to encircle him with it, but he’d given up getting a straight answer from her before she’d even taken him to the Left Foot Inn. He’d tried asking Ruznak some of the questions surrounding the girl before they parted, but the old sailor only shook his head, saying, “She’ll tell you if she wants you to know.”
It seemed she didn’t want him to know anything. He hoped, in the event of a crisis, she would answer questions that needed answering, but he was willing to allow her privacy until then. Still, the fact that she ‘leashed’ him with her superfine magic dust disturbed him a bit.
She wasn’t walking with the same self-assurance she had shown in Rocky Run. Her steps were more cautious and the rain had slowed her more than he was expecting. It had been raining for four days straight and both he and Euleilla were soaked to the bone. She didn’t complain, exactly, but she did stop smiling for all of one minute when they set up their camp one night. That had been when her tent tore under the weight of the rain water. Maelgyn had given her his tent, and now he was the one sleeping in the rain at nights.
Those wet nights left him tired, cranky, a little sick, and frustrated – especially when they had to head right back to the start of the trail after a mudslide closed the pass he initially planned to take. That had set him back a full day, and he was fairly certain that wouldn’t be the only setback they would have... particularly if it continued to rain like it was.
He turned his head around to watch how his charge was doing, and saw, to his astonishment, her walk head-first into an overhanging tree-limb weighed down with rain.
“Euleilla!” he called, quickly stepping over to her. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” she said, apparently unconcerned about her injury. He could see a tiny bit of blood trickling down her cheek from somewhere above her abnormal hairline.
“No, you’re not. You’re bleeding... didn’t you see the tree limb?”
“Nope,” she answered, reaching a finger up to touch her cheek, and seemingly noticing the blood for the first time.
“Why not? It was right in front of you!”
She froze, not answering for a moment. For the first time that he’d known her, Euleilla actually looked... afraid. There had been times on their journey when she’d looked uncomfortable or hesitant, but he had never seen her afraid. Her smile completely left its face, and Maelgyn knew that there was something seriously wrong. Finally, she sighed, and lifted her hand to raise the hair that covered her eyes. There, he could see, were two eyes which had been scarred over – one scar jagged,
Maelgyn grinned. “Well, I can guarantee her employment in Sopan. If she’s too late to get that job I’ll hire her into the Sword’s Service as a court mage. No one that talented should be unemployed long.”
“If she’s willing,” Ruznak agreed, although his tone suggested he doubted Euleilla would be. “At any rate, you will take care of her, right?”
“Of course,” Maelgyn nodded.
“Good,” Ruznak enthusiastically bellowed. “In that case...” He clapped his hands, and immediately three more waitresses showed up carrying platters full of food. “Let’s eat. You’ve got a big journey ahead of you, and you should start it fresh and well fed.”
Chapter 5
Despite the rain, slow whirlwinds of magic dust continued to surround Euleilla. As they made their way through the mountains, however, a tendril of that dust had moved forward and wrapped itself around Maelgyn’s ankle as well. He still had no idea what purpose it served, or why she had decided to encircle him with it, but he’d given up getting a straight answer from her before she’d even taken him to the Left Foot Inn. He’d tried asking Ruznak some of the questions surrounding the girl before they parted, but the old sailor only shook his head, saying, “She’ll tell you if she wants you to know.”
It seemed she didn’t want him to know anything. He hoped, in the event of a crisis, she would answer questions that needed answering, but he was willing to allow her privacy until then. Still, the fact that she ‘leashed’ him with her superfine magic dust disturbed him a bit.
She wasn’t walking with the same self-assurance she had shown in Rocky Run. Her steps were more cautious and the rain had slowed her more than he was expecting. It had been raining for four days straight and both he and Euleilla were soaked to the bone. She didn’t complain, exactly, but she did stop smiling for all of one minute when they set up their camp one night. That had been when her tent tore under the weight of the rain water. Maelgyn had given her his tent, and now he was the one sleeping in the rain at nights.
Those wet nights left him tired, cranky, a little sick, and frustrated – especially when they had to head right back to the start of the trail after a mudslide closed the pass he initially planned to take. That had set him back a full day, and he was fairly certain that wouldn’t be the only setback they would have... particularly if it continued to rain like it was.
He turned his head around to watch how his charge was doing, and saw, to his astonishment, her walk head-first into an overhanging tree-limb weighed down with rain.
“Euleilla!” he called, quickly stepping over to her. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” she said, apparently unconcerned about her injury. He could see a tiny bit of blood trickling down her cheek from somewhere above her abnormal hairline.
“No, you’re not. You’re bleeding... didn’t you see the tree limb?”
“Nope,” she answered, reaching a finger up to touch her cheek, and seemingly noticing the blood for the first time.
“Why not? It was right in front of you!”
She froze, not answering for a moment. For the first time that he’d known her, Euleilla actually looked... afraid. There had been times on their journey when she’d looked uncomfortable or hesitant, but he had never seen her afraid. Her smile completely left its face, and Maelgyn knew that there was something seriously wrong. Finally, she sighed, and lifted her hand to raise the hair that covered her eyes. There, he could see, were two eyes which had been scarred over – one scar jagged,
Similar Books
