Read Online The Evermen Saga 01 - Enchantress by James Maxwell - Free Book Online
Authors: James Maxwell
Tags: epic fantasy, action and adventure
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you."
"Something tells me that’s exactly what you’re going to do," Rogan said. "I heard about what Miro did."
"They made him do it. The other boys. He drew his sword, but it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I wanted to tell you…."
Rogan stood up from his desk, towering over her. "He’s just lucky no one was hurt. Just exactly what happened?"
Ella looked down at the floor, uncertain what to say. She blushed. "I came to see Miro fight. The other boys saw me. They said some things."
Rogan drew back. "Ah. I see." He surprised her by looking uncomfortable. "What did Miro do?"
"I… I think he threatened one of the boys with his sword. He… he touched it to his throat. There may have been blood. Lord of the Sky, I know it sounds terrible. No one’s hurt."
Rogan shook his head, "I won’t be able to protect your brother, Ella. Word of this is going to get out. Those boys talk, and many of them have powerful parents."
"It was my fault. There must be something you can do," Ella pleaded.
Blademaster Rogan sat down heavily and shook his head from side to side. "I’m sorry. He shows a great deal of promise, and for me it is a shame to lose him. But they are going to want to see him punished."
"Isn’t there some other kind of punishment? Anything other than throwing him out?"
Rogan’s brow furrowed, before he looked up. "Three months in the salt mines. It’s the only punishment strong enough."
Ella blanched. She had heard about the salt mines. The workers lived completely underground, huddled in caves and passages half a man’s height. The salt was rough enough to cause cuts and abrasions from mistakes made in the constant darkness, and when the salt got into the wounds, which it always did, it burned like a scorching flame.
"Bring him here," said Rogan Jarvish. "I’ll tell him about his punishment, and let’s see what he says."
~
E LLA walked with her brother, taking a longer route than was necessary. She stayed quiet, giving Miro time to calm down. She supposed that what he had done was only beginning to sink in. She had decided not to say anything to him besides that the Blademaster wanted to see him. She had the feeling he wouldn’t appreciate her speaking up on his behalf. Still, she felt responsible and prayed things would work out.
Miro had settled by the time they reached the Pens. "I’m sorry you had to see that," he finally said. "Lord of the Sky, what have I done?"
He frightened her sometimes. He had such pain in him, and also such strength. It was times like these that she forgave him his absences and the way she bore most of the burden taking care of Uncle Brandon. He had always protected her and cared for her. She wasn’t the only one who struggled.
"I saw you fight in the arena, you know," she said. "Lord of the Sky, you’re getting good! I was frightened though — do you really have to use real swords? You could have been killed." She touched the thin line of dried blood on his forehead.
"I let him do it." He shrugged. "If I showed them how good I really was they’d just hate me for it all the more."
"Are you really that good?"
The Blademaster’s voice sounded from behind them. "Yes, he’s good. And he could have been better. Perhaps even a bladesinger one day."
Ella frowned. "What do you mean, ‘could have’?"
"I hear you drew a sword outside the arena, Miro."
Miro met Rogan’s stare. "I did."
"He was only trying to..." Ella spoke up.
"Quiet, young lady," said Rogan. "Well what of it? Why did you do it?"
Miro stayed silent.
"You do know word of this is going to get out, don’t you? Do you want to be thrown out of the Pens?"
Miro still said nothing. His expression was black.
"Look at me, Miro. Listen, I have an idea. Contrary to what you may think, I have no wish to lose another promising boy. But if I don’t punish you, they’ll punish you themselves — that’s right, don’t think I haven’t seen it. This time you might not survive the experience." He
"Something tells me that’s exactly what you’re going to do," Rogan said. "I heard about what Miro did."
"They made him do it. The other boys. He drew his sword, but it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I wanted to tell you…."
Rogan stood up from his desk, towering over her. "He’s just lucky no one was hurt. Just exactly what happened?"
Ella looked down at the floor, uncertain what to say. She blushed. "I came to see Miro fight. The other boys saw me. They said some things."
Rogan drew back. "Ah. I see." He surprised her by looking uncomfortable. "What did Miro do?"
"I… I think he threatened one of the boys with his sword. He… he touched it to his throat. There may have been blood. Lord of the Sky, I know it sounds terrible. No one’s hurt."
Rogan shook his head, "I won’t be able to protect your brother, Ella. Word of this is going to get out. Those boys talk, and many of them have powerful parents."
"It was my fault. There must be something you can do," Ella pleaded.
Blademaster Rogan sat down heavily and shook his head from side to side. "I’m sorry. He shows a great deal of promise, and for me it is a shame to lose him. But they are going to want to see him punished."
"Isn’t there some other kind of punishment? Anything other than throwing him out?"
Rogan’s brow furrowed, before he looked up. "Three months in the salt mines. It’s the only punishment strong enough."
Ella blanched. She had heard about the salt mines. The workers lived completely underground, huddled in caves and passages half a man’s height. The salt was rough enough to cause cuts and abrasions from mistakes made in the constant darkness, and when the salt got into the wounds, which it always did, it burned like a scorching flame.
"Bring him here," said Rogan Jarvish. "I’ll tell him about his punishment, and let’s see what he says."
~
E LLA walked with her brother, taking a longer route than was necessary. She stayed quiet, giving Miro time to calm down. She supposed that what he had done was only beginning to sink in. She had decided not to say anything to him besides that the Blademaster wanted to see him. She had the feeling he wouldn’t appreciate her speaking up on his behalf. Still, she felt responsible and prayed things would work out.
Miro had settled by the time they reached the Pens. "I’m sorry you had to see that," he finally said. "Lord of the Sky, what have I done?"
He frightened her sometimes. He had such pain in him, and also such strength. It was times like these that she forgave him his absences and the way she bore most of the burden taking care of Uncle Brandon. He had always protected her and cared for her. She wasn’t the only one who struggled.
"I saw you fight in the arena, you know," she said. "Lord of the Sky, you’re getting good! I was frightened though — do you really have to use real swords? You could have been killed." She touched the thin line of dried blood on his forehead.
"I let him do it." He shrugged. "If I showed them how good I really was they’d just hate me for it all the more."
"Are you really that good?"
The Blademaster’s voice sounded from behind them. "Yes, he’s good. And he could have been better. Perhaps even a bladesinger one day."
Ella frowned. "What do you mean, ‘could have’?"
"I hear you drew a sword outside the arena, Miro."
Miro met Rogan’s stare. "I did."
"He was only trying to..." Ella spoke up.
"Quiet, young lady," said Rogan. "Well what of it? Why did you do it?"
Miro stayed silent.
"You do know word of this is going to get out, don’t you? Do you want to be thrown out of the Pens?"
Miro still said nothing. His expression was black.
"Look at me, Miro. Listen, I have an idea. Contrary to what you may think, I have no wish to lose another promising boy. But if I don’t punish you, they’ll punish you themselves — that’s right, don’t think I haven’t seen it. This time you might not survive the experience." He
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