Read Online Alec the Wanderer: Generations of Eredwynn #4 by Daniel B. Harris - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Daniel B. Harris
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novice patch.”
I laughed. “Trust me, my dear; you wouldn’t be wearing a novice patch. You’ve already graduated to Adept and I’m sure that with a few more spells, you’ll be Apprentice.”
She smiled happily and we finally found the ground again. We landed near the Apprentice end of the range and talked while we waited for a few young ladies that were working on the targets.
After a few minutes, Carol suddenly gasped. “Your mind glows!” She looked up and down the row of trainees that had gathered for their morning practice. “All of their minds glow, too, except it’s different and Aunt Alba is in the middle of that group over there. I can’t see her, but I can feel her!”
I smiled. “It seems like now that Aunt Alba has showed you the way, your mind is discovering the magic on its own! Maybe that was what Della meant when she said air is the symbol of knowledge. Perhaps it teaches itself and that would be amazing, just like my bride.”
…
Over the next week, Carol continued to amaze us all. She was picking up on level three and four skills just by walking by and seeing them done. Since hers was a nature type skill, she surpassed my nature magic ability in one afternoon spent with Aunt Gwen. Her mornings were often spent with Aunt Della, because she was our expert on most forms of magic. Being a Naiad, she had a lot of information that she could pass to Carol. Aunt Della had recently made up with her father after two decades apart and he’d taught her the magic that had driven them apart. Her father had given his permission to teach the Naiad skill of ‘ telepathy ’ to the family. Carol and I were taught how to use it, in case we were ever separated in our travels together.
Our evening meals were taken in the kitchen with Father. Carol was fascinated by the other realm and couldn’t hear enough about life there.
Carol seemed uncomfortable at dinner one night and finally managed to say what was on her mind. “Father, before I met Alec, I was afraid that my only option was being a working girl in a pub or inn. Do they have those types of things where you come from?”
Father nodded. “They do, but the legal ones are few and far between. Girls have to be eighteen to legally work in those places. You know as well as I do that girls often find themselves in the street much younger. Those girls are preyed on by men who force the girls to work and then take their money to keep them dependent on them. They also will get them hooked on drugs that they then have to have or they’ll get sick. It’s just another form of control.”
Carol was shocked. “People know this happens and they let it? Don’t the guards step in and help these girls?”
Father gave a humorless laugh. “Usually the girls are the ones punished when they are caught plying their trade. The ‘guards’, that are called ‘police’ there, will throw the girls in jail. They will usually be released to the man that has the girls working, and the cycle just continues.”
Carol shook her head. “Those girls shouldn’t have to be subjected to that! No one should! I still can’t understand why they let that happen.”
Father shrugged. “Things there aren’t like they are here. For one, the population of the country that I came from is over three hundred million people. I doubt there are that many in our whole world here. The job is just too large and not many want to take it on.”
Carol sighed. “If just some of them could be helped, and I could do it, I’d have to try.”
Father gave an understanding smile. “I think you need to have your husband take you to visit Seth and Tabitha. They are our humanitarians. They run a huge women’s shelter that was created to keep the girls who don’t want to do that type of work off the stairs. There are some girls that do enjoy that type of lifestyle and I feel they have the right to do it. I don’t want some of the things that Seth’s reported happening in my kingdom.
I laughed. “Trust me, my dear; you wouldn’t be wearing a novice patch. You’ve already graduated to Adept and I’m sure that with a few more spells, you’ll be Apprentice.”
She smiled happily and we finally found the ground again. We landed near the Apprentice end of the range and talked while we waited for a few young ladies that were working on the targets.
After a few minutes, Carol suddenly gasped. “Your mind glows!” She looked up and down the row of trainees that had gathered for their morning practice. “All of their minds glow, too, except it’s different and Aunt Alba is in the middle of that group over there. I can’t see her, but I can feel her!”
I smiled. “It seems like now that Aunt Alba has showed you the way, your mind is discovering the magic on its own! Maybe that was what Della meant when she said air is the symbol of knowledge. Perhaps it teaches itself and that would be amazing, just like my bride.”
…
Over the next week, Carol continued to amaze us all. She was picking up on level three and four skills just by walking by and seeing them done. Since hers was a nature type skill, she surpassed my nature magic ability in one afternoon spent with Aunt Gwen. Her mornings were often spent with Aunt Della, because she was our expert on most forms of magic. Being a Naiad, she had a lot of information that she could pass to Carol. Aunt Della had recently made up with her father after two decades apart and he’d taught her the magic that had driven them apart. Her father had given his permission to teach the Naiad skill of ‘ telepathy ’ to the family. Carol and I were taught how to use it, in case we were ever separated in our travels together.
Our evening meals were taken in the kitchen with Father. Carol was fascinated by the other realm and couldn’t hear enough about life there.
Carol seemed uncomfortable at dinner one night and finally managed to say what was on her mind. “Father, before I met Alec, I was afraid that my only option was being a working girl in a pub or inn. Do they have those types of things where you come from?”
Father nodded. “They do, but the legal ones are few and far between. Girls have to be eighteen to legally work in those places. You know as well as I do that girls often find themselves in the street much younger. Those girls are preyed on by men who force the girls to work and then take their money to keep them dependent on them. They also will get them hooked on drugs that they then have to have or they’ll get sick. It’s just another form of control.”
Carol was shocked. “People know this happens and they let it? Don’t the guards step in and help these girls?”
Father gave a humorless laugh. “Usually the girls are the ones punished when they are caught plying their trade. The ‘guards’, that are called ‘police’ there, will throw the girls in jail. They will usually be released to the man that has the girls working, and the cycle just continues.”
Carol shook her head. “Those girls shouldn’t have to be subjected to that! No one should! I still can’t understand why they let that happen.”
Father shrugged. “Things there aren’t like they are here. For one, the population of the country that I came from is over three hundred million people. I doubt there are that many in our whole world here. The job is just too large and not many want to take it on.”
Carol sighed. “If just some of them could be helped, and I could do it, I’d have to try.”
Father gave an understanding smile. “I think you need to have your husband take you to visit Seth and Tabitha. They are our humanitarians. They run a huge women’s shelter that was created to keep the girls who don’t want to do that type of work off the stairs. There are some girls that do enjoy that type of lifestyle and I feel they have the right to do it. I don’t want some of the things that Seth’s reported happening in my kingdom.
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