Read Online A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3) by Matthew Mitchell - Free Book Online Page B

on the road."
    Tulip looked down at Raven's leg and then over at me. "Truly? But you do not limp."
    Raven stood up and pointed at where she had broken her leg. "The bone was snapped in half at this point. He healed it to the point that there is not any sign it has ever been broken." She sat back down.
    Tulip looked at me. "You are blessed to have such a talent. If you can work the same methods on a few people, we will be in your debt for all time. You will become family."
    "That would be an honor." I stammered around my blush. Raven scooted over beside me.
    "You do a good job healing. Just be sure to be careful." She poked me in the ribs.
    We sat for a few moments, each enjoying the stew. When everyone was full and the dishes cleaned up Tulip picked up her mending. "Time for a story. I will share one, then perhaps you can share one each."  This seemed fair to me.
    ***
     
    When I was a young girl my family lived near a small village. We traded with the villagers for things we could not produce on our own easily. They enjoyed buying from us, as my parents took great pride in making very fine garments. We had a flock of sheep and goats that provided much of what we needed to survive. I spent most of my time either in the fields tending the flock or with my family learning to make garments. Early on it became obvious that I possessed some special talent with magic. Things would occur around me and creatures of magic were drawn to me. At first it was a surprise, yet over the years we learned to hide my abilities. When I grew from a girl into a woman my abilities grew into their true strength. I foresaw that we would be attacked by a man. One dressed in an unusual manner. He was to wear a blood red cape. We dismissed this as a simple dream, instead of the vision it was. That was our first mistake. The man came upon us and attacked us in the middle of the night. My mother and sister were both killed. My brother and father were able to drive the man away, but both were injured. I alone survived unharmed. We buried my mother and sister in their garden, where they had spent so much of their time. That morning we left and visited the village. We found that the man had been searching for us and a local visitor provided directions.
    At first we had no idea why the man targeted my family. Just a few nights later I had another vision and saw that the man would attack us as we laid in our beds. Heeding my warning, what remained of my family escaped to the road, seeking safety among other Travelers. The man hounded us for weeks, my visions the only thing keeping us safe. As we ran we gained more information about the man. He was a hired mercenary, a hedge mage. He possessed some small magic yet was proficient in warfare. My father searched for knowledge. He finally discovered the most important pieces of information, why my family was attacked and who had hired the mercenary. Beyond all belief it had been another family in the Travelers line. They coveted our land and holdings. Wishing to move in on our property and take over our business they decided the only thing to do was to eliminate us where we stood. Once we left the family moved in, yet they instructed the mercenary to continue to hunt us to keep us from coming back and laying claim to our old home. Little did they know that we would never live there again, the pall of death laid over the entire home and my father would never leave the road till his death. Finding out this information my father went to the elders and shared his discovery. The people were outraged at the audacity of the other family, to hire someone to cause harm to another of the Travelers was against all that we hold dear. They ordered the family brought to trial. The parents spit venom and hate, the oldest child did the same. The youngest was an innocent, he never understood what had occurred The parents and eldest child were given a swift death in repayment for their crimes. The young child was placed with another