Read Online Magic Astray (The Llandra Saga) by Gregory Mahan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gregory Mahan
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to the lean-to, resting on the patch of bare earth beneath the tiny shelter. His mind was racing; things had happened so fast, and he hadn’t had time to try to figure things out.
“Why are you helping me, anyway?” he asked, looking up at the young elf girl.
“Chief Rhys tied my fate to yours,” she said, as if that explained the matter. Seeing Randall’s look of confusion, she continued. “We elves have many customs, and many traditions. I broke one of them when I brought you to his house, not knowing you were a Mage. Rhys invoked an old law that was once used to join tribes together in alliance. Our fates our joined: were you to die, then I would have been duty bound to follow you in death. It is an old law, but it was his right as chief to invoke it. But I’m not ready to die just yet, and as long as you live, so shall I.”
“But what if I had killed Berry...uh, Mamaeth?” Randall asked.
“Then the chief’s life would be mine to take or spare, as I chose,” she explained in a matter-of-fact tone. “Even were I to spare him, he would lose his position of leadership, and I would take his place. If I were a more worthy opponent, it would have been a dangerous gamble on his part. But Rhys is a powerful Mage in his own right, and I am just a hunter. But you, you surprised us all.”
“You mean you’re not a Mage?” Randall asked incredulously. “I thought all elves could work magic.”
Nia tossed her head back and laughed, and Randall found himself grinning with her. “Of course not, silly boy,” she said. “Sure, our kind has the glamour, and we can influence the minds of those around us if we concentrate hard enough. But true magic, that is as rare for my kind as it is for yours.”
“Maybe he’ll just let us go,” Randall said, hopefully. “We’re out of Dyffryn now, and on the run. Surely he won’t waste a lot of time looking for us.”
“Were you not listening?” Nia asked in frustration. “As long as we live, I am a threat to Rhys, and his rule. And your escape threatens to expose their plans to your own kind. It would be foolish of him to let us leave the forest alive, lest we return with allies at our back. He will not sleep easy until he knows that we are dead. With the Old One at his side, I fear that he may yet succeed.”
“The Old One,” Randall repeated, shaking his head sadly. “Why would Berry attack me like that anyway? I thought we were friends.”
“Why do you keep calling it Berry?” Nia asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “I am not familiar with that name from any human lore that I have ever studied.”
“Well, that’s his name,” Randall said. “At least, that’s the name I gave him when we met. He didn’t seem to have any objections.”
“When you met?” Nia asked, her eyes growing wide.
“Well, yeah,” Randall replied. “We traveled together for a long time. I thought he was my friend. But he wasn’t acting like himself back at the chief’s house. It just wasn’t like him at all. Wait! That’s it! Maybe the donnan at your chief’s house wasn’t Berry!”
Nia shook her head. “There is only one Old One. It was the first to cross over when the barrier was weak, and through its efforts, the rest of the fae followed. The elves, the dwarves, dragons, and all manner of our kind crossed over until your people learned to touch Llandra and wield magic to close the veil.”
“But then why would he attack me like that?” Randall asked, frustration causing his voice to rise. He sounded just like a whining child, but he didn’t care. Berry was his friend. Or so he had thought, anyway.
“Perhaps he was only using you,” Nia answered gravely. “While we were in the shield, Mamaeth explained that a human Mage had created an artifact called the Passage Device. Such a device, properly charged, weakens the veil and allows our kind to pass over at will.”
Randall had heard the same information in the chief’s house, but he wasn’t quite
“Why are you helping me, anyway?” he asked, looking up at the young elf girl.
“Chief Rhys tied my fate to yours,” she said, as if that explained the matter. Seeing Randall’s look of confusion, she continued. “We elves have many customs, and many traditions. I broke one of them when I brought you to his house, not knowing you were a Mage. Rhys invoked an old law that was once used to join tribes together in alliance. Our fates our joined: were you to die, then I would have been duty bound to follow you in death. It is an old law, but it was his right as chief to invoke it. But I’m not ready to die just yet, and as long as you live, so shall I.”
“But what if I had killed Berry...uh, Mamaeth?” Randall asked.
“Then the chief’s life would be mine to take or spare, as I chose,” she explained in a matter-of-fact tone. “Even were I to spare him, he would lose his position of leadership, and I would take his place. If I were a more worthy opponent, it would have been a dangerous gamble on his part. But Rhys is a powerful Mage in his own right, and I am just a hunter. But you, you surprised us all.”
“You mean you’re not a Mage?” Randall asked incredulously. “I thought all elves could work magic.”
Nia tossed her head back and laughed, and Randall found himself grinning with her. “Of course not, silly boy,” she said. “Sure, our kind has the glamour, and we can influence the minds of those around us if we concentrate hard enough. But true magic, that is as rare for my kind as it is for yours.”
“Maybe he’ll just let us go,” Randall said, hopefully. “We’re out of Dyffryn now, and on the run. Surely he won’t waste a lot of time looking for us.”
“Were you not listening?” Nia asked in frustration. “As long as we live, I am a threat to Rhys, and his rule. And your escape threatens to expose their plans to your own kind. It would be foolish of him to let us leave the forest alive, lest we return with allies at our back. He will not sleep easy until he knows that we are dead. With the Old One at his side, I fear that he may yet succeed.”
“The Old One,” Randall repeated, shaking his head sadly. “Why would Berry attack me like that anyway? I thought we were friends.”
“Why do you keep calling it Berry?” Nia asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “I am not familiar with that name from any human lore that I have ever studied.”
“Well, that’s his name,” Randall said. “At least, that’s the name I gave him when we met. He didn’t seem to have any objections.”
“When you met?” Nia asked, her eyes growing wide.
“Well, yeah,” Randall replied. “We traveled together for a long time. I thought he was my friend. But he wasn’t acting like himself back at the chief’s house. It just wasn’t like him at all. Wait! That’s it! Maybe the donnan at your chief’s house wasn’t Berry!”
Nia shook her head. “There is only one Old One. It was the first to cross over when the barrier was weak, and through its efforts, the rest of the fae followed. The elves, the dwarves, dragons, and all manner of our kind crossed over until your people learned to touch Llandra and wield magic to close the veil.”
“But then why would he attack me like that?” Randall asked, frustration causing his voice to rise. He sounded just like a whining child, but he didn’t care. Berry was his friend. Or so he had thought, anyway.
“Perhaps he was only using you,” Nia answered gravely. “While we were in the shield, Mamaeth explained that a human Mage had created an artifact called the Passage Device. Such a device, properly charged, weakens the veil and allows our kind to pass over at will.”
Randall had heard the same information in the chief’s house, but he wasn’t quite
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