Read Online The Callindra Chronicles Book One - First Quest by Benjamin Fisher-Merritt - Free Book Online

Her back bumped up
against the driftwood that her sword rested behind, she realized
she had retreated to the protection of her weapon by instinct.
    Daleus turned towards her, stepping over the
guttering flames with a smile on his face. “Little rabbit, I
apologize. It was not my intention to frighten you. To be honest I
am a bit nervous about facing a Master and I wanted to at least
show someone what I was capable of before the moment of truth. I
mean no harm to a young girl who has offered me a meal, what threat
could a woodcutter’s daughter be?”
    In spite of her fear, his dismissiveness
tweaked Callindra's pride. “I may not be a threat but that is only
because I choose not to be.” She reached behind the tree trunk and
retrieved her baldric, “But I am also no woodcutter’s
daughter.”
    He gave her an appraising look, and his eyes
widened slightly. “No wonder I walked straight to this place. I can
tell you don’t know it yet but you have an affinity with the Weave
Callindra.” Daleus said, coiling his whips and sitting next to the
meal she had laid out.
    She approached cautiously, “Me? You must be
joking, I’m a sword fighter, not a magician.”
    “ You may be both. After all,
I can only command the power through my whips. Without them I’m as
mundane as anyone, but I can still feel it. I can still see it.” He
helped himself to bread, cheese and venison, “It sparks all around
you Callindra. You positively glow with it.”
    “ I’ll take your word for it
Daleus.” She edged up to the rock and sat across from him, setting
her scabbarded sword next to her. If he had wanted to harm her he
would probably have done it but magic was dangerous and
unpredictable, he might kill her by accident.
    “ You’ve got grit Callindra,
I’ll give you that.” He said with a grin, “Most girls would have
run at the sight of a strange man, never mind my little flame
show.”
    She grunted around a mouthful of food and
swallowed before answering, “I’m obviously not like most
girls.”
    While they ate, she asked him about the rest
of the world. He spoke of a king she had only read about, lords who
she did not know and his travels across the realm. Although he
seemed young it was clear he had seen many strange and fantastic
things in his travels. Callindra nibbled on an apple core, not
wanting him to stop talking but she knew there were many more logs
to cut before the day was out.
    Daleus seemed to have a similar realization,
because he stood and brushed the crumbs off his armor. “I had best
be on my way Callindra. I thank you for the meal and the
conversation. Perhaps we will meet again someday. Train hard.”
    “ Good luck finding your mage
Daleus. Thanks for talking with me; I’ve spent over a year with
only that damn old man for company.” She said and grasped his
forearm in a swordsman’s handshake. He returned her clasp and left
without a backward glance.
    -
    Callindra sighed and buckled her sword on.
The walk back to the trees was short and she was soon cutting
through another log. To her surprise it was much easier to make the
precise final cut without scoring the tree trunk underneath. Even
so, the sun was falling behind the hills before she had
finished.
    Her triumph over the task gave her a burst of
energy and she ran back to the house to tell Glarian. When she
approached, she found him hanging something in the lean-to.
    “ Master!” She called and he
whirled, his sword seeming to appear in his hand. Without thinking
she had drawn her sword and moved to parry a blow but he stopped
before their blades could touch. She could see he was hanging a
pair of whip handles next to an array of sword hilts none of which
had more than six inches of blade left on them.
    “ Sorry Callindra, it has
been an interesting day.” His voice sounded tired. He sheathed his
sword, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the broken
weapons.
    “ It’s you! You’re the great
mage he was looking for?” She still held her