Calliande’s healing magic. Morigna could not help but be impressed. She knew that the Magistria had to take on the pain of a wound in order to use healing magic. Some of the Magistri did not have the mental discipline to endure the pain and simply could not function as healers.
Morigna had seen Calliande heal grievous wounds.
At last the burns vanished, and Calliande sighed and released the smaller woman. Ridmark helped her to stand, and Calliande regained her feet, her legs wobbling a bit.
“I really hate burns,” she said, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“What…what did you do?” said Jager, still holding his weapons.
“Dark magic was manifesting around her,” said Calliande. “So I dispelled it, and healed the resultant burns.”
Jager lowered his weapons, and a flicker of shame went over his face “Forgive me. I…did not think the matter through.”
Ridmark shrugged. “A man will do mad things for a woman he loves.”
“This is so,” said Kharlacht, his voice flat.
“But what is she?” said Gavin. “One of the Initiated of the Enlightened? A user of dark magic?”
“I’m not sure,” said Calliande, “but…”
“She is not,” said Ridmark, his voice quiet, “entirely human.”
Morigna followed his eyes. Mara lay on her back, her head turned to the left, her hair fallen away from her temple to reveal her ear.
An ear that came to a delicate point.
“Her father was of the dark elven kindred,” said Ridmark, “was he not?”
Jager opened his mouth, closed it again. Morigna could see him searching for a lie, for an explanation.
“No. There’s no need, Jager.”
Mara sat up with a wince, her eyes returned to their usual green. Jager sheathed his weapons and knelt besides her.
“The Gray Knight is correct,” said Mara. “There’s no more need to lie. I lost the bracelet, Jager. I can’t…I can’t keep fighting it. I’m almost done.”
“No,” said Jager.
Mara looked at Calliande. “Thank you.”
“I do not like to kill,” said Calliande, “but I would like to know who you really are.”
“My father was a dark elf,” said Mara. “Is a dark elf. I suppose he is still alive, though I have no way to know for certain. He…”
“A moment,” said Ridmark. “We need to move. As much as I wish to hear your tale, our disagreement may have been overheard, and I don’t know how far the light from Calliande’s spell might have carried. Once we make a safer camp, we can decide what to do next.”
“Sound counsel,” said Caius, who had remained silent throughout the confrontation. Odd, that. The dwarven friar never seemed to shut up.
They quickly loaded the horses and led them from the ravine, and Morigna cast a spell and sent her mind seeking for animals to control. She touched the minds of two owls and set them to work. Owls were clever, much cleverer than most birds, and they were harder to control. Still, she persuaded them that prey was loose in the trees, and she set the birds to circling overhead.
And as she did, she kept an eye on Mara.
Calliande had dispelled the dark magic and healed her. Morigna would have simply killed her.
That did not trouble Morigna in the slightest. Ridmark was a strong man and a bold warrior, but he was entirely too merciful. Perhaps guilt over his wife’s death. It sometimes clouded his judgment, caused him to make reckless and impractical decisions.
Morigna had promised to help him, to repay her debt to him, and she would.
And if it proved necessary to kill Mara, Morigna would do so without hesitation or guilt.
Chapter 7 - A Jade Bracelet
It was past midnight by the time they found an adequate campsite.
Caius and Kharlacht led the way, their keener senses allowing them to navigate the forest. Both Calliande and Morigna conjured lights, their pale glow throwing back some of the gloom. Ridmark disliked the necessity, since it would draw their pursuers, but they needed the light.
If any of Paul’s
Morigna had seen Calliande heal grievous wounds.
At last the burns vanished, and Calliande sighed and released the smaller woman. Ridmark helped her to stand, and Calliande regained her feet, her legs wobbling a bit.
“I really hate burns,” she said, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“What…what did you do?” said Jager, still holding his weapons.
“Dark magic was manifesting around her,” said Calliande. “So I dispelled it, and healed the resultant burns.”
Jager lowered his weapons, and a flicker of shame went over his face “Forgive me. I…did not think the matter through.”
Ridmark shrugged. “A man will do mad things for a woman he loves.”
“This is so,” said Kharlacht, his voice flat.
“But what is she?” said Gavin. “One of the Initiated of the Enlightened? A user of dark magic?”
“I’m not sure,” said Calliande, “but…”
“She is not,” said Ridmark, his voice quiet, “entirely human.”
Morigna followed his eyes. Mara lay on her back, her head turned to the left, her hair fallen away from her temple to reveal her ear.
An ear that came to a delicate point.
“Her father was of the dark elven kindred,” said Ridmark, “was he not?”
Jager opened his mouth, closed it again. Morigna could see him searching for a lie, for an explanation.
“No. There’s no need, Jager.”
Mara sat up with a wince, her eyes returned to their usual green. Jager sheathed his weapons and knelt besides her.
“The Gray Knight is correct,” said Mara. “There’s no more need to lie. I lost the bracelet, Jager. I can’t…I can’t keep fighting it. I’m almost done.”
“No,” said Jager.
Mara looked at Calliande. “Thank you.”
“I do not like to kill,” said Calliande, “but I would like to know who you really are.”
“My father was a dark elf,” said Mara. “Is a dark elf. I suppose he is still alive, though I have no way to know for certain. He…”
“A moment,” said Ridmark. “We need to move. As much as I wish to hear your tale, our disagreement may have been overheard, and I don’t know how far the light from Calliande’s spell might have carried. Once we make a safer camp, we can decide what to do next.”
“Sound counsel,” said Caius, who had remained silent throughout the confrontation. Odd, that. The dwarven friar never seemed to shut up.
They quickly loaded the horses and led them from the ravine, and Morigna cast a spell and sent her mind seeking for animals to control. She touched the minds of two owls and set them to work. Owls were clever, much cleverer than most birds, and they were harder to control. Still, she persuaded them that prey was loose in the trees, and she set the birds to circling overhead.
And as she did, she kept an eye on Mara.
Calliande had dispelled the dark magic and healed her. Morigna would have simply killed her.
That did not trouble Morigna in the slightest. Ridmark was a strong man and a bold warrior, but he was entirely too merciful. Perhaps guilt over his wife’s death. It sometimes clouded his judgment, caused him to make reckless and impractical decisions.
Morigna had promised to help him, to repay her debt to him, and she would.
And if it proved necessary to kill Mara, Morigna would do so without hesitation or guilt.
Chapter 7 - A Jade Bracelet
It was past midnight by the time they found an adequate campsite.
Caius and Kharlacht led the way, their keener senses allowing them to navigate the forest. Both Calliande and Morigna conjured lights, their pale glow throwing back some of the gloom. Ridmark disliked the necessity, since it would draw their pursuers, but they needed the light.
If any of Paul’s
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