Read Online Arbiter (The Arbiter Chronicles Book 1) by Elisa A. Bonnin - Free Book Online

of it to fight, if we ever come across something hostile.”
    “Oh,” said Rae. His explanation made sense, and it was one she hadn’t thought about before. She nodded, and didn’t ask him again.
    This walk was longer than the last, but they finally took a break for lunch, sitting on a fallen tree near the path. Cathel pointed out a stream that ran near where they were seated, then pointed out the same stream on his map, explaining that they were on track for reaching the ruins on time. He walked off for a bit, breaking a branch from the tree they were sitting on as she rested and laying his sword over it. Rae watched idly as he cast another spell, returning back to her with a wooden sword that looked identical to his own.
    “Now’s as good a time as any to get some practice in,” he explained, handing the sword to her by the hilt.
    She nodded once as she sat up, unfastening her cloak and letting it slip from her shoulders. She draped the cloak over the log, taking the sword from him and holding it up as he taught her how to hold the sword and corrected her stance. He taught her a few basic strikes and blocks, all the while correcting her stance and grip as he made her go over a set of drills again and again. He was a strict teacher—not harsh, but not willing to turn a blind eye to her mistakes either. By the end of it, she was tired and sweaty and her muscles were burning, but the sword felt a little less awkward in her hands and she felt a little better about the progress she was making.
    He told her to keep the sword when they began moving again, so she tucked it into her backpack. It stuck out of her backpack slightly, but not in any way that caused her too much trouble.
    It was almost sunset by the time they found the ruins, rising up from the forest floor. They were made entirely of a dark, black stone that reflected no sunlight, several designs carved into the sides of the bigger pillars. A platform of broken stone lay on the ground, suggesting that it had once been a floor. The woods looked well on their way to reclaiming the stones, vines and moss growing over them and clumps of grass growing in the spaces between each set of stones.
    Cathel entered the ruins ahead of her, stretching out a hand to tell her to wait. She did, lingering at the end of the path Cathel had created. The clear path faded away as he stepped off of it, leaving just enough space for Rae to stand as the forest reclaimed what it had given up. The mage crossed over the threshold of the ruins, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he looked around and studied the stones. After a while, he turned back towards her.
    “Alright,” he said. “You can come down.”
    She nodded once, climbing down through the underbrush to meet him. Cathel stood in the center of the ruins, in the middle of the broken stone floor. She came to stand next to him, looking around.
    “Is it safe?”
    “I can’t detect anything harmful,” said Cathel. “…It’s probably safe, for now. Do you think you can manage finding some firewood?”
    “If you tell me what to look for,” she replied, setting her pack down on the ground beside his.
    “Dead branches,” said Cathel, pointing at the forest floor. “Just from around here. Don’t take anything that’s alive, but try to find some dry twigs and such for tinder. I’ll get to work making some shelter.”
    She nodded, going off to find the things he had asked for. When she returned a while later with an armful of firewood, Cathel was sitting in front of one of the large stone fragments.
    It had been transformed into a dome, with a small opening on the side of it that made her think of an igloo. Cathel leaned against the outer wall of it, looking tired, but pleased with himself. She studied it, crouching down and peered inside. Their bedrolls were spread out on the inside of the dome, their packs set off on one side and their cloaks rolled up as pillows. She withdrew, giving Cathel a look.
    “We’ll it’s