The Arcanist by Greg Curtis Page B

chance that the bouncing would cause them to bite their tongues. There was also little to say. Until they reached Theria and the scene of the attack, whatever they said would have been nothing more than idle speculation.
     
    For his part, Edouard was simply enjoying the countryside as he celebrated surviving. For some reason the rolling green hills looked more beautiful than ever before, and the sun above was warmer. Maybe the risk hadn't been that great – it was hard to judge from the perspective of one who had never been to the temple before or met with the Mother – but it still felt good. And the relief as the carriage bounced over the track heading towards his home was unbelievable.
     
    Later he knew, he'd consider being upset by some of what Tyrel had said. His home was on the edge of her land? It was ten full leagues away and there were plenty of farms and forests between them. Did the Mother consider them her lands? And what about Breakwater itself, his home town? Was that hers as well? The townsfolk wouldn't be happy to hear that. Not that any would be foolish enough to object. Though to most people powers were beings more of legend and wild fireside stories than anything more real, none truly doubted what they could do if they were angered.
     
    Then there were the comments Tyrel had made about never being cruel. They annoyed him. How could she say such a thing? The legends of her barbarism were known far and wide. Yet she seemed to have taken it as an affront that he should even have suggested such a thing. Truly she didn't understand what it was to be a mortal.
     
    Neither did she understand the overwhelming fear that drove the boys who fled her temple. Such fear that for the most part they ran the ten long leagues along the track to Breakwater, pushing themselves far beyond what they could normally do. When they arrived at his door having heard that he could help them they were mostly broken creatures. Terrified beyond reason. He had to get them to safety. It was the proper thing to do. The hamadryad though had no understanding of that.
     
    But then as if to belie all that, she considered the attack on Theria a great evil? Compared to what she did? It didn't make a lot of sense to him. Unless perhaps the legends were in fact more fiction than fact. He was beginning to suspect as much. But Edouard knew better than to say anything. Besides, maybe she could help.
     
    He was somewhat amazed that Tyrel had sent her handmaidens to investigate. She didn't often concern herself with matters of the wider world. In fact as long as the world didn't come calling on her she was an agreeable neighbour. All of the powers were. By and large they seldom if ever left their homes; some even suggested that it was uncomfortable for them when they did. That much of their magic was tied to their homes, and that if they left them they were weakened. A few even claimed that they couldn't leave their homes. That they were trapped there. Of course no one had ever asked any of the powers that – at least no one that he had heard of – so it was all just speculation.
     
    Still, Edouard could only imagine that the fact that Tyrel had sent her handmaidens suggested she had some interest in the attack. More than what she had let on. But not enough that she chose to leave her home herself to investigate in person. For her it would have surely been a matter of a few heartbeats to learn whatever she wanted to learn. For her handmaidens it would take longer. Whether that was a good thing or bad he wasn't sure.
     
    He wondered if the other powers had done the same. If they had also sent their servants to investigate. He could imagine Ascorlexia investigating, though not for any humanitarian reason. Not for concern over the loss of life or the suffering. He didn't consider such things important. He probably didn't consider them at all.
     
    The ancient black dragon cared only about knowledge. Only about the books he could read and add to