her at this moment could see that fact clearly.
With flourish of her hand and without even looking in Arien’s direction, Ula’s tiny blade split through the air and planted in the neck of the centaur that hovered over the boy. For a moment the creature only stared at her, then staggered backward and fell into a muscled heap.
Thunder clapped and lightening forked from the sky as if it were by her will. It struck the ground only a few yards from where they stood. Ronan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the electric charge filled the air. Any moment, she would have the sky spitting ice at them!
“Get out of my way or I will take you out one by one.” Her voice didn’t even sound like her own. Ronan stared as the centaurs moved away from her so she could go to Arien. When she dropped to his side, the wind settled and the sky immediately cleared. It was as if her power had never been, which made it all the more frightening.
“You travel with those that hold the dark forces.” Bryan’s eyes swung to Ronan, widened with surprise and fear. “You mean to give the sword to Sleagan. You mean to give the power of the sword to someone who could do more damage than the wizard.”
Ronan shook his head. “I mean to give it to Thestian and no one else.” Ronan tore his eyes from Ula as she began chanting over Arien’s body. “And no centaur or crazed old woman is going to stop me.” His mind reeled but he forced his confusing thoughts into dark corners. He would save his questions for later. Desperately, he wished he could call to the dark skies as Ula had. He would then let those black depths just suck him up and out of this situation.
“But I will stop a bunch of centaurs.” Ula looked up at Bryan. “If I must I shall summon a demon to do it for me.”
Ronan watched the centaurs back further away. Obviously Ula knew a little more about the half beasts than Ronan. Her threat scared them much more than his.
“I do not believe you to be an evil man. Your eyes speak that to me. But you travel with one who would use the dark forces to get what she wants. I fear you will not reach your destination, blacksmith.” Bryan met Ronan’s gaze and for a moment, held it.
“He is to be addressed as Sir Culley.” Keegan’s voice caused Ronan to break the centaur’s connection to him and slanted a look at the horseman. There was no humor in the Keegan’s face only seriousness and respect. When had that happened?
Bryan nodded for the four remaining centaurs and they hefted up their dead comrade. A jerk of his head commanded them to back away. Slowly they did and Ronan said nothing as he watched them leave. When they were gone, he looked down at Ula while Keegan untied the horses.
Ronan slid from Ahearn’s back and stepped toward Arien. His throat felt dry and he clutched the King’s Sword, ready to go after the centaurs if the boy’s life had been taken. Ula looked up at Ronan as he knelt at her side. She touched his arm but Ronan had to ask. He had to know if he had failed the boy.
“Is he…dead?”
Four
Ronan’s eyelids dipped and then closed, but only for a moment before they flew back open. No, he couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t. Not when Arien was so close to death. Ula had longed ceased her chanting and Keegan had even settled down to rest. Ronan stayed awake, watching over his young apprentice.
He stretched, moved around by throwing more wood to the fire. It wasn’t cold but the heat of the fire gave him something to focus on. He picked up a stick and poked at the wood in its heated depths. Then he tossed the stick into the flames.
Restlessness ached in Ronan’s bones. He kicked at the dirt, fussed with his clothes, stared out at the trees trying to see into the darkness that surrounded them. He had to keep his attention on something, anything that would keep him from falling asleep. He tried to think of his home, of metal in fire but his thoughts just returned to the boy.
The
With flourish of her hand and without even looking in Arien’s direction, Ula’s tiny blade split through the air and planted in the neck of the centaur that hovered over the boy. For a moment the creature only stared at her, then staggered backward and fell into a muscled heap.
Thunder clapped and lightening forked from the sky as if it were by her will. It struck the ground only a few yards from where they stood. Ronan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the electric charge filled the air. Any moment, she would have the sky spitting ice at them!
“Get out of my way or I will take you out one by one.” Her voice didn’t even sound like her own. Ronan stared as the centaurs moved away from her so she could go to Arien. When she dropped to his side, the wind settled and the sky immediately cleared. It was as if her power had never been, which made it all the more frightening.
“You travel with those that hold the dark forces.” Bryan’s eyes swung to Ronan, widened with surprise and fear. “You mean to give the sword to Sleagan. You mean to give the power of the sword to someone who could do more damage than the wizard.”
Ronan shook his head. “I mean to give it to Thestian and no one else.” Ronan tore his eyes from Ula as she began chanting over Arien’s body. “And no centaur or crazed old woman is going to stop me.” His mind reeled but he forced his confusing thoughts into dark corners. He would save his questions for later. Desperately, he wished he could call to the dark skies as Ula had. He would then let those black depths just suck him up and out of this situation.
“But I will stop a bunch of centaurs.” Ula looked up at Bryan. “If I must I shall summon a demon to do it for me.”
Ronan watched the centaurs back further away. Obviously Ula knew a little more about the half beasts than Ronan. Her threat scared them much more than his.
“I do not believe you to be an evil man. Your eyes speak that to me. But you travel with one who would use the dark forces to get what she wants. I fear you will not reach your destination, blacksmith.” Bryan met Ronan’s gaze and for a moment, held it.
“He is to be addressed as Sir Culley.” Keegan’s voice caused Ronan to break the centaur’s connection to him and slanted a look at the horseman. There was no humor in the Keegan’s face only seriousness and respect. When had that happened?
Bryan nodded for the four remaining centaurs and they hefted up their dead comrade. A jerk of his head commanded them to back away. Slowly they did and Ronan said nothing as he watched them leave. When they were gone, he looked down at Ula while Keegan untied the horses.
Ronan slid from Ahearn’s back and stepped toward Arien. His throat felt dry and he clutched the King’s Sword, ready to go after the centaurs if the boy’s life had been taken. Ula looked up at Ronan as he knelt at her side. She touched his arm but Ronan had to ask. He had to know if he had failed the boy.
“Is he…dead?”
Four
Ronan’s eyelids dipped and then closed, but only for a moment before they flew back open. No, he couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t. Not when Arien was so close to death. Ula had longed ceased her chanting and Keegan had even settled down to rest. Ronan stayed awake, watching over his young apprentice.
He stretched, moved around by throwing more wood to the fire. It wasn’t cold but the heat of the fire gave him something to focus on. He picked up a stick and poked at the wood in its heated depths. Then he tossed the stick into the flames.
Restlessness ached in Ronan’s bones. He kicked at the dirt, fussed with his clothes, stared out at the trees trying to see into the darkness that surrounded them. He had to keep his attention on something, anything that would keep him from falling asleep. He tried to think of his home, of metal in fire but his thoughts just returned to the boy.
The
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