golden light spilled from the silver band, rendering him and Enias invisible.
Secure under the cloak of invisibility produced by his ring, Elerian rode Enias out into the knee high, verdant grass of the open plain, turning north after several hundred yards so that he might continue to follow the river. Under the trees, Ascilius was also riding north, plotting his revenge against Elerian in irritated silence.
Before long, a flock of gallinae thundered out of hiding in front of Elerian. In the blink of an eye, he sped two shafts after the heavy birds, one after another. As the arrows found their mark, two of the grass hens tumbled out of the sky, landing heavily within a few feet of each other. Keen as any hound on the scent, Enias quickly located both birds, stopping where they had vanished into the tall grass. Keeping his seat with his legs and left arm, Elerian leaned far to his right, retrieving the birds in a single, supple move by grasping the feathered arrow ends with his right hand. The gallinae immediately vanished from sight as they came under the influence of his ring.
Holding the grass hens in his right hand, Elerian turned Enias toward the river once more, the stallion sprinting across the short distance that separated them from the trees. Once they were under cover of the willow leaves again, Elerian sent away his ring before searching among the trees for Ascilius. He saw the Dwarf almost immediately to the south, his mare traveling at a deliberate pace between the coarse barked willow trunks. When Ascilius reached Elerian’s side, his annoyance at his capricious companion vanished when he saw the plump grass hens.
“We may as well begin searching for a place where we can eat and spend the night,” he said, his voice full of anticipation at the prospect of a warm meal.
Before long, the two companions found a protected place in a bend of the river where the canopy overhead became especially thick and the willow trunks drew closer together, their crooked, twisting roots snaking through the thick grass underfoot. While Elerian cleaned the birds he had brought down, Ascilius made a shallow hole in the center of the grove they had picked as their resting place by removing a piece of turf with his knife. Raising his right hand, Ascilius kindled a small, smokeless red mage fire in the hole, keeping firm control of the flames so that they would not spread and consume everything in sight. After satisfying himself that the fire’s ruddy light would not show through the canopy overhead, Ascilius waited for Elerian to bring the birds he had shot.
By now, Elerian had already spitted both birds on a green willow stick. After planting a forked branch in the ground on both sides of the flickering mage fire, he suspended the grass hens over the flames by setting the ends of the spit in the two forks.
“Time for you to do your share of the work,” he said cheerfully to Ascilius.
“Volvi,” commanded Ascilius, briefly raising his right hand.
The birds and the spit began to rotate slowly over the fire while Ascilius, a smug expression on his face, sat at his ease on the ground with his back against a willow trunk. Clasping both his powerful hands behind his head, he extended his legs out comfortably.
“Of course, you know this revolving spell,” he said, glancing slyly at Elerian from beneath his bushy eyebrows. “Ah! I see that you do not,” he said when Elerian remained silent. “If, in the future, you demonstrate the proper respect for the noble Dwarf race, perhaps I will teach it to you some day,” he said magnanimously, knowing full well that Elerian would not rest until he had added the new charm to his spell book.
“I would feel better if you were turning the spit by hand,” said Elerian, trying to conceal his interest in Ascilius’s new spell. “Do not fall asleep, or you will burn our dinner,” he admonished the Dwarf, for Ascilius looked far too comfortable to stay awake.
“Attend to your own
Secure under the cloak of invisibility produced by his ring, Elerian rode Enias out into the knee high, verdant grass of the open plain, turning north after several hundred yards so that he might continue to follow the river. Under the trees, Ascilius was also riding north, plotting his revenge against Elerian in irritated silence.
Before long, a flock of gallinae thundered out of hiding in front of Elerian. In the blink of an eye, he sped two shafts after the heavy birds, one after another. As the arrows found their mark, two of the grass hens tumbled out of the sky, landing heavily within a few feet of each other. Keen as any hound on the scent, Enias quickly located both birds, stopping where they had vanished into the tall grass. Keeping his seat with his legs and left arm, Elerian leaned far to his right, retrieving the birds in a single, supple move by grasping the feathered arrow ends with his right hand. The gallinae immediately vanished from sight as they came under the influence of his ring.
Holding the grass hens in his right hand, Elerian turned Enias toward the river once more, the stallion sprinting across the short distance that separated them from the trees. Once they were under cover of the willow leaves again, Elerian sent away his ring before searching among the trees for Ascilius. He saw the Dwarf almost immediately to the south, his mare traveling at a deliberate pace between the coarse barked willow trunks. When Ascilius reached Elerian’s side, his annoyance at his capricious companion vanished when he saw the plump grass hens.
“We may as well begin searching for a place where we can eat and spend the night,” he said, his voice full of anticipation at the prospect of a warm meal.
Before long, the two companions found a protected place in a bend of the river where the canopy overhead became especially thick and the willow trunks drew closer together, their crooked, twisting roots snaking through the thick grass underfoot. While Elerian cleaned the birds he had brought down, Ascilius made a shallow hole in the center of the grove they had picked as their resting place by removing a piece of turf with his knife. Raising his right hand, Ascilius kindled a small, smokeless red mage fire in the hole, keeping firm control of the flames so that they would not spread and consume everything in sight. After satisfying himself that the fire’s ruddy light would not show through the canopy overhead, Ascilius waited for Elerian to bring the birds he had shot.
By now, Elerian had already spitted both birds on a green willow stick. After planting a forked branch in the ground on both sides of the flickering mage fire, he suspended the grass hens over the flames by setting the ends of the spit in the two forks.
“Time for you to do your share of the work,” he said cheerfully to Ascilius.
“Volvi,” commanded Ascilius, briefly raising his right hand.
The birds and the spit began to rotate slowly over the fire while Ascilius, a smug expression on his face, sat at his ease on the ground with his back against a willow trunk. Clasping both his powerful hands behind his head, he extended his legs out comfortably.
“Of course, you know this revolving spell,” he said, glancing slyly at Elerian from beneath his bushy eyebrows. “Ah! I see that you do not,” he said when Elerian remained silent. “If, in the future, you demonstrate the proper respect for the noble Dwarf race, perhaps I will teach it to you some day,” he said magnanimously, knowing full well that Elerian would not rest until he had added the new charm to his spell book.
“I would feel better if you were turning the spit by hand,” said Elerian, trying to conceal his interest in Ascilius’s new spell. “Do not fall asleep, or you will burn our dinner,” he admonished the Dwarf, for Ascilius looked far too comfortable to stay awake.
“Attend to your own
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