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Priest Telkin said, “I don’t think about it the way you’re describing it. If there’s a serious injury, I just ... heal it. The details have never really mattered. I’m either strong enough to heal someone or I’m not.”

“You mean the magic works even if you don’t know what needs to be fixed, or how?” Treya asked. She’d gone to visit him that morning to ask for advice about using her healing magic. The weather was chilly, so they’d left the courtyard and moved to a side room off the main temple.

“For me, yes,” Telkin said, “but magic works differently for everyone. I’ve heard of healers that approach it the way you do, but I don’t happen to know anyone like that personally. Besides you, I mean.”

Treya sighed. “I guess I was hoping there was some sort of class where you could teach me what I need to know.”

“Not a class, no, but experience makes the best teacher. I got most of my experience here at the temple, from the people who come to us for healing. That’s not an option for you, but some of the city’s almshouses are dedicated to serving the sick and the injured who won’t get better on their own and can’t pay for healing. All of the priesthoods volunteer their time, so you wouldn’t be out of place.”

Treya blinked in surprise. “I never thought of that. The chapter house has herbalists of our own, and we always just hire a healer when we need one. I didn’t think about what happens to the people who can’t afford to. How do I... ?”

“I’ll get you a list. Just pick one and show up, and ask the administrator if he needs your help.”

“Thank you. I’m not really supposed to be back in Tyrsall this often, but I suppose other towns must have something similar.”

Telkin nodded. “The larger cities, anyway. I’m glad I was able to address at least part of your concern.”

“You’ve been very helpful. Do you know if Bishop Lastal is in? Would it be possible for me to speak to him again?”

“The bishop? Why?”

“I was hoping he might have learned something more about the problem we brought to him last time, with the binding spells.”

That wasn’t the whole truth. Corec believed that the bishop knew more than he’d told them, and Treya was hoping he’d be more forthcoming if she talked to him again.

The priest hesitated. “He’s a very busy man ... but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for me to check.”

“Thank you!”

A few minutes later, Telkin returned and led her to the bishop’s office, then left the two of them alone together.

“Treya, right?” Lastal said. “How curious. I recently came across some information for you and your friends.”

“You mean about the runes?”

“Yes. There’s a wizard in the city who may be able to help you. Yelena.”

“I think I’ve heard that name before,” Treya said.

“That’s quite likely. She works for Duke Voss.”

Voss was the Duke of Tyrsall, responsible for the city itself. Unlike the other three duchies in the kingdom, there were no baronies within the city, so Voss had his hand in everything. In many ways, he was more powerful than the king.

“But she’s willing to help us?”

“I would say, instead, that she’s willing to speak to you. Anything beyond that is between you and her.”

“Where can I find her?”

“I can set up a meeting here, but it would be best if you were all present, particularly the w ... the young man you were with last time.”

Treya considered that. Corec didn’t trust Lastal, and the offer of a meeting seemed like more than a coincidence. Was there a better way to approach Yelena? One of the girls Treya had grown up with was concubine to the duke’s seneschal. Kirla lived in the palace and had surely met the duke’s wizard by now—perhaps she could provide an introduction.

“I’ll ask them and let you know,” Treya said.

“Excellent. Now, what can I help you with today?”

“Oh, that’s all I came about—just to see if you’d learned anything more about the runes.”

“Yes? And why did you come alone? Surely you have another reason.”

She suddenly felt nervous. “What do you mean?”

“Those of our people who are called to the priesthoods must watch out for each other. You’d do well in the Church of Allosur, and following the God of Knowledge is a worthy pursuit. Perhaps not here in Tyrsall, but I could find you a place. Simply claim that you had a vision that it was Allosur who granted your blessings, and the humans will never know the difference.”

“Our people? What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t really think you’d hidden your nature from me, did you? I thought I’d made that clear at our last meeting. How could I not recognize another godborn, much less a trueborn who’s inherited our ancestors’ magic?”

Treya backed away from him. “Wh ... wh ... what?”

Lastal stared at her curiously. “You mean you really didn’t know, even when you bear the stigma of a godborn so openly? Where did you think your magic came from?”

Stigma? What did he mean? She could only think of the stigma the demonborn carried—the pointed teeth or horns or other deformities that marked them as something different.

“I ... I thought that one of the gods gave me my blessings. That’s what Telkin and the others said.”

“Well, Telkin doesn’t know everything. He actually is one of the blessed—a good man, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But outside the priesthoods, the gods aren’t in the habit of granting blessings to random passersby. Perhaps if you were some hero dedicated to their cause, they might take action to nudge you toward one of the orders, but they don’t just go around picking girls off the street.”

“But my parents ... they were farmers. Humans!”

“Likely one of them was a godborn whose abilities hadn’t manifested, or at least had a godborn ancestor. Are you certain they were even your parents?”

“I need to go.”

Lastal sighed. “I suppose this must be overwhelming. I grew up knowing who I was, so the only surprise was when the magic came to me. Well, and one more surprise later on, but we can discuss that at another time. Would you like me to introduce you to some of the others in the city?”

“I’m leaving!”

“Very well, but I’ll be here if you have questions. Please do let me know about the meeting with Yelena.”

Treya ran out of his office, thankful that Telkin wasn’t there waiting for her. Her mind was awhirl with thoughts that wouldn’t stay still long enough for her to think them. Godborn were a myth. She knew, intellectually, that they existed, but she’d never seen one before, and had never known anyone that had seen one. She certainly couldn’t be one herself. Could she?

Katrin held a white blouse and a green dress up in front of the mirror, trying to decide between them.

“Which one should I wear tonight?” she asked, turning to where Corec was sitting up in bed, shirtless, braced against the wall with his hands behind his head as he watched her.

“I kind of like what you have on now,” he said.

She smirked at him. Since they were stuck in town for at least one more day waiting on his armor to be repaired, they’d spent half the afternoon in bed, and she hadn’t put any clothes back on yet.

“Come on, I’m serious. I haven’t performed with anyone since Felix left, so I want to look good tonight.”

Two traveling minstrels had shown up at the inn the night before, looking for a chance to play. The innkeeper had already made the offer to Katrin, so they’d gone elsewhere for the evening, but before they left, they’d made arrangements to play together tonight. It would mean Katrin would only get a discount on her room rather than getting it for free, but it would be worth it to play something different. The two men had a guitar and a fiddle, so she suspected she’d spend a lot of time singing while they played.

“What about your blue dress?” Corec asked.

“That one’s gotten too ragged to wear in front of an audience.” She couldn’t wear it for traveling, either, since it wasn’t cut for riding. It had been her favorite, but it was probably time to throw it out or sell it to a second-hand shop.

“Wear the green dress, then. It’s a lot like the blue.”

“Maybe,” she said, looking back at the mirror. “But the rune will stand out more if I wear the white blouse with a dark skirt. I get more tips when they stare at the rune.” She’d taken to telling people, when they asked, that it was a magical rune she’d gotten from a wizard. The story was just mysterious enough to interest her audience, and had the benefit of being mostly true.

Corec laughed. “All right. The blouse looks good too.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Yes?” Katrin called out.

“It’s Treya. I need to talk to you.”

“Give us a minute!” she replied.

Corec jumped out of bed and the two of them scrambled into their clothes before opening the door.

“Oh, good, you’re both here,” Treya said. “Are the others around? Shavala and Ellerie, I mean.”

“I think Ellerie’s here, but I’m not sure if Shavala’s back yet. She went back down to the harbor again.”

“I’ll check.” Treya went to the next room over and knocked on the door. Both of the elven women were there, and Treya led them back to Katrin and Corec’s room.

“What’s up?” Corec asked her.

“I was at the Temple of Allosur, speaking to Priest Telkin, so I decided to see if Bishop Lastal had learned anything more about the runes. He said he knew someone who might be willing to help us.”

“Who?”

“A wizard named Yelena.”

“The one who works for the Duke of Tyrsall?”

“You know her?”

“Just the name. A few people mentioned her when I was looking for a wizard. What about you?”

Treya shook her head. “I’ve heard of her, but that’s it. Lastal offered to set up a meeting, but I think you’re right about him—I don’t trust him either.”

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The battle was over, but Katrin and Shavala hadn’t made an appearance yet. As soon as Corec could get away, he went looking for them, heading into the building where they’d been positioned, taking the stairs as quickly as he could in his armor. Reaching the top, he found Marco sitting alone on the floor with his head in his hands. “Where are they?” Corec barked. Had something happened? “Katrin’s helping Shavala back to the camp. She got hurt during the fighting.” “Hurt how?” “I don’t...

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“No!” Ellerie snapped, after Marco had asked her the same question for the third time. “I’ll tell you where we’re going when you need to know, and not before.” “Then how do you expect me to plan for the trip?” the factor asked. He was a tall, slender man with a carefully groomed mustache and black hair that had started to gray. “I don’t. You’re here to handle the finances and to translate. We’ll listen to any advice you want to give, but Boktar and I will take care of the planning, with...

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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 13

While Corec and Bobo went into the city, Katrin spent the day practicing on her harp and getting to know Shavala. The elf girl talked about her training as a druid, her brother and his wife and their young son, and a friend named Lele who Katrin eventually figured out was a squirrel. For her part, Katrin admitted she’d been a thief, and that the penalty Shavala had overheard them talking about was a way for her to stay out of prison. Shavala knew what a thief was, but it was clear from her...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 16

The stop at Dalewood was uneventful. Corec had asked at The Smiling Jester, but there hadn’t been any packages needing delivery. He was starting to believe that working as a courier wouldn’t pay any better than being a caravan guard, unless he could get hired on full time by one of the houses. They got back on the road the next morning. At the edge of town, the West Road split into the Trade Road, which led to Four Roads and then through the hills into Larso, and the Old Road, which led into...

3 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 21

“It doesn’t make any sense!” Ellerie exclaimed, shutting the ancient book and setting it to the side. “I have no idea if we’re in the right place or not. It’s just miles and miles of dead land!” “Things change over time,” Bobo said. “Not this much! There aren’t any landmarks left. I don’t even know if the river we crossed yesterday is the right one. There was no bridge, and it was miles from where it should have been.” “Rivers can change course,” Josip said. “I’ve seen it happen.” “I...

4 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 15

“Where’re ya headed?” the man with the missing tooth asked. He wore chainmail and carried a mace on his belt. There was a small shield strapped to his back. “And why don’t you got any shoes?” “Four Roads,” Treya replied. “I’m visiting some friends. I’ve got shoes in my pack; I’m just not wearing them.” “Four Roads?” the other man said as he looked her up and down with a wide smile. He had long blonde hair and a bushy beard, and wore a leather breastplate. There was an arming sword sheathed...

4 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 25

Ellerie shined her lantern over the fallen stone and dirt. “This one’s blocked too,” she said with a sigh. It was the third tunnel they’d found leading away from the southern area of the city to what they expected would be another section on the east side of the mountain, but just like the first two, it was blocked by a cave-in. Boktar rapped on the tunnel wall, then shouted and listened for the echoes. “This one’s man-made, so it sounds different, but I don’t think there’s any point in...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 2Chapter 16

Shavala woke up the other women, then rolled her bedding back into a tight bundle. She’d volunteered to sleep on the floor the previous night after having gotten a look at the sorry state of the room’s straw tick mattress. Sarette and Treya had joined her, leaving the bed, such as it was, for Katrin and Ellerie. The tiny inn they’d found in the village of Elmsford only had two rooms for guests, but it was worth it to stay indoors and get out of the biting cold. In the nine days they’d been...

4 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 2Chapter 18

“It’s done,” said Cenric, a bulky, brown-haired man who’d become the spokesman for the former red-eyes. He spoke in a dull, tired tone. He and his remaining men had spent the entire morning building two massive funeral pyres, one for the red-eyes who’d died and another, larger one for the villagers. Corec looked up from where he’d been conferring with Sarette. “Then line everyone up. I want to speak to them.” Cenric trudged back to where the others were standing in a dispirited group, with...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 21

Shavala and Katrin rode Socks and Flower to the elven quarter, since Katrin had suggested it was too far away to walk. After two hours, Katrin finally said, “We’re getting close. I think.” Shavala glanced back at the way they’d come, confused. She didn’t know her way around the city, but she had a good sense of direction, and it felt like they’d taken a roundabout route. “Couldn’t we have just come through there?” she asked, pointing. “I led us around some bad neighborhoods,” Katrin said....

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 11

“It reminds me of Circle Bay or Valara,” Leena said, gazing at the whitewashed buildings surrounding the market square. “I think settlers from Circle Bay built up Kitish after they drove the pirates out a hundred years ago,” Boktar said. Leena nodded. Kitish was one of the larger islands in this part of the Gilded Sea, and the only one with a deepwater port, making it a frequent stop for ships heading between Tyrsall and Nysa. There were other islands where ships could stop along the way,...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 2

Katrin hummed to herself, then played the same tune on her harp before marking it down on the sheet of paper before her. While she hummed the next few notes, Shavala came into the room and greeted her. “Back to trying to write a song?” the elven woman asked. “Now that my fingers aren’t constantly frozen, I figured I should. I just can’t think of the lyrics. I’ve finally got two decent melodies, but they’re not good enough to stand by themselves. I need to put words to them, and I just can’t...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 17

Six days after meeting Treya—and fighting the red-eyed men—the group reached Four Roads, a town of thirty-thousand people in the middle of the free lands, halfway between Tyrsall and Telfort. They’d met Jak’s caravan along the way, which was heading back east carrying wheat from the beginning of the harvest season. The caravan had been accompanied by dozens of farmers hauling their own, hoping for better prices in Dalewood or Tyrsall than they could get in Four Roads. As Corec had expected,...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 20

After over a week of staying in inns on the way back to Tyrsall, they ran into a stretch of road where they wouldn’t reach another village in time for nightfall, so they camped out. Following the same pattern they’d used before reaching Four Roads, Shavala took the early morning watch. Sometimes Bobo or Katrin kept her company, but she liked the quiet watches, too, when there was no one awake but her. An hour after she’d relieved Corec, she decided to make another circuit around the camp,...

4 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 2Chapter 21

The blizzard arrived just before dawn, with enough force that it almost extinguished the bonfire despite the windbreak. Fergus trudged over to Sarette. “Come help me!” he shouted over the howling of the wind. “If we move the firewood and build another wall closer to the fire, it’ll keep it from going out!” “I’ll do it!” she yelled back. “You should be in your shelter!” “The work will keep me warm!” Other than Sarette, Fergus was the last person still out and about. A few of the other...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 22

Shavala kept watch during the early morning hours on their fifth day out of the city, while the air grew an autumn chill and a thick fog rolled in. She’d bought thicker tunics while she’d been in the elven quarter, but she would need to find a replacement for her old human-style winter coat the next time she was in the city. She liked the pockets that came with human coats. Setting her bow to the side and rubbing her hands on her arms to warm up, she felt the comforting weight of her new...

4 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 23

Treya heard a metallic clicking sound as she scraped the shovel through the layer of dirt and grime on the floor. “I think I found something,” she said, then looked up. “Are you all right?” Sarette was leaning against a collapsed stone structure. Her eyes were closed and she was rubbing her temples. The two of them were exploring the middle of the cavernous room while the rest of the group navigated around the edges, searching for tunnels and stairs. “I just don’t like all this rock over...

3 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 2Chapter 2

The chilly autumn rain poured down as the horses trudged along the South Road, nine days north of Circle Bay. For the first seven days, the road had followed the coastline and they’d stayed in fishing villages when they could find one, but then the main road had curved west, cutting through a forest. It wasn’t the Terril Forest—they were too far east and the trees weren’t tall enough—but the area was heavily wooded. According to their maps, the reason the road had turned inland was to go...

1 year ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 8

Present day... “Thank you for allowing us to camp out here,” Corec said to the farmer as he handed over five copper coins, on top of the two silver he’d given the man the night before for additional supplies. With the pack mule to carry everything, and by supplementing their meals with what they could find or catch along the way, they’d have enough food to get to the elven border camp and then back to the West Road before needing to buy more. After saying their farewells, Corec and his...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 1Chapter 18

The plan fell apart before it even got started. Early in the morning, Corec had tracked down some of the fishermen who worked the local lakes, and found one that was willing to sell him a large net. Then he’d bought a heavy crossbow, wishing he hadn’t sold the last one. While he was doing that, someone at the Three Orders chapter house helped Treya find a local farmer who knew where the drake was nesting, and could take them to it. Bren, the guide, led them north up the Farm Road for an...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 35

“I wish you’d stop messing with that thing.” Shavala looked up from where she was sitting cross-legged with the staff laid across her lap. “It’s not saying anything now,” she told Katrin. “It’s a hunk of wood—it shouldn’t have said anything at all! It’s creepy.” Shavala stood and leaned the staff against the wall, then went to sit next to the other woman. “It was more like it was thinking than talking. It just didn’t like what I was doing.” “What if it happens again?” She didn’t have an...

2 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 3Chapter 29

The visions from the staff had repeated themselves several times before Shavala realized they were gradually being stretched out over longer periods. Now, after carrying it for hours, a scene that had once been just a brief glimpse might last for over a minute, without showing anything more than it had the first time. The things she was seeing had to be elder magic, and likely druidic, but the visions didn’t give her any indication of their purpose. The arms she occasionally saw holding the...

3 years ago
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The Eighth Warden Book 2Chapter 9

“Maybe you should go back and wait at the inn with Bobo,” Corec said to Katrin as the group headed to the constabulary building. “But what if I can help?” she said, hefting the flute she held in her left hand. He sighed. “The only weapon you’ve got is that dagger. I worry about you.” “I wasn’t the one that rushed straight at a group of five ogres.” “That’s different.” She raised her eyebrows. “Oh?” “I trained for that sort of thing, and you don’t wear any armor.” “The armor didn’t seem...

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