Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 by The Wizard Lord (v1.1) Page A
Book: Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 by The Wizard Lord (v1.1)
Read Free Book Online
Authors: The Wizard Lord (v1.1)
Ads: Link
hour. With
sticks." He grimaced. "He hit me a lot."
"Well, after all,
he's not just a swordsman, but the world's greatest swordsman. He can
defeat anyone. But he said you have the ability you need?" "He
did."
"Then maybe the ler led him here deliberately. Maybe you're meant to be the next
Swordsman."
"Or maybe he's
lying—he wants to retire and will take the first willing candidate, no matter
how inept I am."
"Maybe. But
he's one of the Chosen. He's supposed to be a potential hero. Would he lie and
shirk his duty?"
"He
might," Breaker said, without much conviction.
"I suppose he
might. So what it comes down to, baby brother, is whether you trust him, and
whether you trust yourself to be one of the Chosen, and whether you want to be the Swordsman. If you'd be satisfied being a guide— well, the
Greenwater Guide has no heir that I know of, and they don't ever have to kill
anyone."
"Well,
maybe if some fool of a traveler wandered off and offended the wrong ler . .."
"Even
then, it wouldn't be the guide's job—he'd just let nature take its course. So
which would you rather carry— ara feathers, or a sword?"
"Most guides
only ever learn and work one or two routes. The Chosen protect all of
Barokan."
"Yes. It's
quite a responsibility."
Breaker stood
silently for a moment, considering, and remembering the morning's experiences;
then he smiled and shrugged.
"Someone has to do it,"
he said. "It might as well be me."
Harp smiled back,
and the two entered the house.
Perhaps an hour
later their mother, known in Mad Oak as White Rose, returned and saw Breaker
seated at the kitchen table.
"So you've
given up on that foolishness?" she demanded, without preamble.
Breaker did not
pretend to misunderstand her. "On the contrary," he said. "I'll
be practicing with the Swordsman for an hour every day until he feels I'm
ready, and then a wizard will transfer the magic to me, and I'll be one of the
Chosen."
She started to open
her mouth to argue, then saw the expression on his face.
"You're sure,
then," she said. "I am."
"Even if it
means killing a man."
Breaker had had time
to prepare for this. "If the Chosen are ever sent to kill the Wizard Lord,
Mother, I think we can all be sure he deserves it. It hasn't happened in a
century, and it probably won't happen in my lifetime—but if it does, then yes,
I'll kill him if I must. This is a good role, an important role."
She stared at him
for a moment, and he gazed steadily back.
"Well,"
she said at last, "you're nineteen, you're a man—I can't stop you. But I
think you're being a fool."
"Someone has to
do it," Breaker said, as he had to Harp. "It might as well be me. And
if that makes me a fool, then so be it—I'm a fool. But remember, we live in
peace, untroubled by rogues or bad weather, because the Wizard Lord watches
over us—and we can trust him to do that because the Chosen watch over him. I learned that from you, Mother. Am I a fool to do my part to maintain
that peace?"
White Rose sighed.
"I hope
not," she said. "By all the ler, I hope
not!"
[5]
Breaker's mother was the last to reconcile
herself to I her son's new
calling, but by midwinter even she had finally accepted it, at least to the
extent of allowing the Swordsman to move into the family home, so that his
trudging through the snow would not delay the daily practices—and so the town's
unexpected long-term guest would not impose on Eld er Priestess any
more than he already had. White Rose knew better than to needlessly aggravate
the town's senior interlocutor with ler.
The two wizards who
had accompanied the Swordsman had left after just three days in Mad Oak. Once
they were certain that the Swordsman had found his successor they had no
further business in town, and Mad Oak had little to entertain visitors.
"Call us when
the time comes," the woman had said, handing the Swordsman a talisman,
which he quickly pocketed. Then she turned to the guide and said, "To
Greenwater, then!"
For
sticks." He grimaced. "He hit me a lot."
"Well, after all,
he's not just a swordsman, but the world's greatest swordsman. He can
defeat anyone. But he said you have the ability you need?" "He
did."
"Then maybe the ler led him here deliberately. Maybe you're meant to be the next
Swordsman."
"Or maybe he's
lying—he wants to retire and will take the first willing candidate, no matter
how inept I am."
"Maybe. But
he's one of the Chosen. He's supposed to be a potential hero. Would he lie and
shirk his duty?"
"He
might," Breaker said, without much conviction.
"I suppose he
might. So what it comes down to, baby brother, is whether you trust him, and
whether you trust yourself to be one of the Chosen, and whether you want to be the Swordsman. If you'd be satisfied being a guide— well, the
Greenwater Guide has no heir that I know of, and they don't ever have to kill
anyone."
"Well,
maybe if some fool of a traveler wandered off and offended the wrong ler . .."
"Even
then, it wouldn't be the guide's job—he'd just let nature take its course. So
which would you rather carry— ara feathers, or a sword?"
"Most guides
only ever learn and work one or two routes. The Chosen protect all of
Barokan."
"Yes. It's
quite a responsibility."
Breaker stood
silently for a moment, considering, and remembering the morning's experiences;
then he smiled and shrugged.
"Someone has to do it,"
he said. "It might as well be me."
Harp smiled back,
and the two entered the house.
Perhaps an hour
later their mother, known in Mad Oak as White Rose, returned and saw Breaker
seated at the kitchen table.
"So you've
given up on that foolishness?" she demanded, without preamble.
Breaker did not
pretend to misunderstand her. "On the contrary," he said. "I'll
be practicing with the Swordsman for an hour every day until he feels I'm
ready, and then a wizard will transfer the magic to me, and I'll be one of the
Chosen."
She started to open
her mouth to argue, then saw the expression on his face.
"You're sure,
then," she said. "I am."
"Even if it
means killing a man."
Breaker had had time
to prepare for this. "If the Chosen are ever sent to kill the Wizard Lord,
Mother, I think we can all be sure he deserves it. It hasn't happened in a
century, and it probably won't happen in my lifetime—but if it does, then yes,
I'll kill him if I must. This is a good role, an important role."
She stared at him
for a moment, and he gazed steadily back.
"Well,"
she said at last, "you're nineteen, you're a man—I can't stop you. But I
think you're being a fool."
"Someone has to
do it," Breaker said, as he had to Harp. "It might as well be me. And
if that makes me a fool, then so be it—I'm a fool. But remember, we live in
peace, untroubled by rogues or bad weather, because the Wizard Lord watches
over us—and we can trust him to do that because the Chosen watch over him. I learned that from you, Mother. Am I a fool to do my part to maintain
that peace?"
White Rose sighed.
"I hope
not," she said. "By all the ler, I hope
not!"
[5]
Breaker's mother was the last to reconcile
herself to I her son's new
calling, but by midwinter even she had finally accepted it, at least to the
extent of allowing the Swordsman to move into the family home, so that his
trudging through the snow would not delay the daily practices—and so the town's
unexpected long-term guest would not impose on Eld er Priestess any
more than he already had. White Rose knew better than to needlessly aggravate
the town's senior interlocutor with ler.
The two wizards who
had accompanied the Swordsman had left after just three days in Mad Oak. Once
they were certain that the Swordsman had found his successor they had no
further business in town, and Mad Oak had little to entertain visitors.
"Call us when
the time comes," the woman had said, handing the Swordsman a talisman,
which he quickly pocketed. Then she turned to the guide and said, "To
Greenwater, then!"
For
Similar Books
