attention to you.”
“I won’t go!” Saxthor said. “I must help protect Mother.”
Bodrin’s hand grasped the handle of his hunting knife.
Memlatec patted the prince on the back. “I’ll watch over your mother, Saxthor. You two boys both need to be out of Earwig’s sight, reach, and thought. You must take Bodrin and go into exile far from the witch. I’ll explain your absence to your mothers. There’s no time for delay. Tournak, whom you know well, will guard and lead you. You’ve a critical mission to undertake as well.”
Saxthor and Bodrin stared at each other, their faces blank amid the shattered rubble of their secure lives.
“Does she hate me so much?” Saxthor asked. “She’s always been mean. We try to stay out of her way. Is she bad enough to drive me from my family? My parents won’t understand why I’m leaving them.”
Saxthor’s body slumped. He looked up at the wizard, searched for hope, but wilted again when he found none.
Bodrin kicked a rotted stump. “I wish I could stop her tricks.”
The old man’s hard eyes misted when he saw the pleading ones staring up at him. “You cannot go home again, Saxthor. I’ll explain to your parents; they’ll understand. It’s too dangerous for you to return, too dangerous for both of you.”
“How will you explain this to our families?” Saxthor asked.
Memlatec turned away. His stilted frame drooped.
Bodrin leaned over to Saxthor. “He didn’t hear you. He’s checking out the swamp.”
Saxthor tugged on the wizard’s sleeve. “Memlatec, why must Bodrin run away, too? Does Aunt Irkin hate me so much she’d hurt Bodrin as well? Countess Betsoya lives for her children. Taking Bodrin from her is too much. What’ve I done to harm so many people?”
“You boys did nothing wrong, Saxthor. You stand in the witch’s way. Yes, she would hurt Bodrin, or anyone else, to get to you. She knows Bodrin is your best friend. She’d use him to find you. He must go with you into exile.”
I’m to blame for everything being messed up, thought Saxthor.
Bodrin took the blow better than Saxthor. His tone was upbeat. “Things will work out. We’ll go on a fantastic adventure and see the world. How many kids can say that?”
Saxthor flicked an agonized but appreciative smile, but his pain overlaid it. He turned to Memlatec and took his hand.
“Mother will be okay. She’s got the kingdom to worry about. She still has Augusteros and Nonee. Will you protect them for me, Memlatec? They’re kids, too. Aunt Irkin has hurt them enough already.”
“I’ll monitor both your families and Battara, too,” Memlatec said. His voice cracked. “Your brother and sister will be fine. Irkin is fixated on you now.”
To Saxthor, the awesome wizard seemed to age. Memlatec turned again to the pine and away from the boys who still studied him.
“We’ll be all right, Saxthor,” Bodrin said. “Memlatec must be doing magic.”
Memlatec raised his hands and concentrated. The crystal in his staff began to shimmer with an amber glow.
“He’s saying something, must be a spell,” Bodrin said in Saxthor’s ear.
Drained, the wizard’s arms fell to his side following the incantation. He selected and tapped a massive bark plate, which dissolved before their eyes. The pine’s white heartwood stood in sharp contrast to the surrounding brown frame. The cavity contained objects that didn’t belong inside a tree.
“What’s such stuff doing in there?” Bodrin asked.
Saxthor’s squinted, “Seems to be two swords and a pouch. How’d that stuff get inside a tree?”
“Magic I guess.”
The wizard straightened up and took the first sword and scabbard in both hands.
“Saxthor, I believe this is yours. Tournak will teach you how to use this weapon. The blade, Sorblade, is quite an unusual one commissioned by the wizards of old. It originates from Tixosian steel forged by dwarves and infused with elfin magic. The powers the rapier contains – you’ll
“I won’t go!” Saxthor said. “I must help protect Mother.”
Bodrin’s hand grasped the handle of his hunting knife.
Memlatec patted the prince on the back. “I’ll watch over your mother, Saxthor. You two boys both need to be out of Earwig’s sight, reach, and thought. You must take Bodrin and go into exile far from the witch. I’ll explain your absence to your mothers. There’s no time for delay. Tournak, whom you know well, will guard and lead you. You’ve a critical mission to undertake as well.”
Saxthor and Bodrin stared at each other, their faces blank amid the shattered rubble of their secure lives.
“Does she hate me so much?” Saxthor asked. “She’s always been mean. We try to stay out of her way. Is she bad enough to drive me from my family? My parents won’t understand why I’m leaving them.”
Saxthor’s body slumped. He looked up at the wizard, searched for hope, but wilted again when he found none.
Bodrin kicked a rotted stump. “I wish I could stop her tricks.”
The old man’s hard eyes misted when he saw the pleading ones staring up at him. “You cannot go home again, Saxthor. I’ll explain to your parents; they’ll understand. It’s too dangerous for you to return, too dangerous for both of you.”
“How will you explain this to our families?” Saxthor asked.
Memlatec turned away. His stilted frame drooped.
Bodrin leaned over to Saxthor. “He didn’t hear you. He’s checking out the swamp.”
Saxthor tugged on the wizard’s sleeve. “Memlatec, why must Bodrin run away, too? Does Aunt Irkin hate me so much she’d hurt Bodrin as well? Countess Betsoya lives for her children. Taking Bodrin from her is too much. What’ve I done to harm so many people?”
“You boys did nothing wrong, Saxthor. You stand in the witch’s way. Yes, she would hurt Bodrin, or anyone else, to get to you. She knows Bodrin is your best friend. She’d use him to find you. He must go with you into exile.”
I’m to blame for everything being messed up, thought Saxthor.
Bodrin took the blow better than Saxthor. His tone was upbeat. “Things will work out. We’ll go on a fantastic adventure and see the world. How many kids can say that?”
Saxthor flicked an agonized but appreciative smile, but his pain overlaid it. He turned to Memlatec and took his hand.
“Mother will be okay. She’s got the kingdom to worry about. She still has Augusteros and Nonee. Will you protect them for me, Memlatec? They’re kids, too. Aunt Irkin has hurt them enough already.”
“I’ll monitor both your families and Battara, too,” Memlatec said. His voice cracked. “Your brother and sister will be fine. Irkin is fixated on you now.”
To Saxthor, the awesome wizard seemed to age. Memlatec turned again to the pine and away from the boys who still studied him.
“We’ll be all right, Saxthor,” Bodrin said. “Memlatec must be doing magic.”
Memlatec raised his hands and concentrated. The crystal in his staff began to shimmer with an amber glow.
“He’s saying something, must be a spell,” Bodrin said in Saxthor’s ear.
Drained, the wizard’s arms fell to his side following the incantation. He selected and tapped a massive bark plate, which dissolved before their eyes. The pine’s white heartwood stood in sharp contrast to the surrounding brown frame. The cavity contained objects that didn’t belong inside a tree.
“What’s such stuff doing in there?” Bodrin asked.
Saxthor’s squinted, “Seems to be two swords and a pouch. How’d that stuff get inside a tree?”
“Magic I guess.”
The wizard straightened up and took the first sword and scabbard in both hands.
“Saxthor, I believe this is yours. Tournak will teach you how to use this weapon. The blade, Sorblade, is quite an unusual one commissioned by the wizards of old. It originates from Tixosian steel forged by dwarves and infused with elfin magic. The powers the rapier contains – you’ll
Similar Books
