Bones of the Empire Read Online Free PDF Page B

with every faint clatter of stones falling in the distance and the slight creak of the leather in Feanne’s clothing, jarring him each time he began to relax.
    A faint scuff along the floor made Estin’s ears perk. Smiling, he thought Feanne had come to apologize or at least take her watch near him, but when he opened his eyes, he found Yoska was sitting alongside him, brushing dust and dirt off his heavy winter trousers. He had always looked uncomfortable in anything that was not made of silk, unless he was trying to impress a female, at which point he could make anything look comfortable, even if he were bleeding to death.
    “What do you want?” Estin asked, glaring. “She’ll do the same thing to you if you won’t rest.”
    Smirking and lowering his voice, Yoska replied, “She wouldn’t do same to me, because she doesn’t love me. Me, she would simply rip the face off if I were to argue so. Big dumb wolf might even clap for her. You, she warns. Very much the thing of love stories, no?”
    Estin glanced over his shoulder and saw Feanne had not looked up, but her ears were twitching. She heard every word. He would need to be careful, or whatever was bothering her might get him in far worse trouble than usual.
    “Is not why I came over, though,” Yoska continued before Estin could answer. “Crazy dead man asked me to bring you questions.”
    “What kind of questions?” Estin looked past Yoska and saw Turess watching from the shadows of his hood, twisting a chain through his fingers. Estin had not even realized Turess had taken the simple iron chain from On’esquin before he had been buried, but like the bracelet he wore, the chain was something Turess had left centuries earlier for them to find.
    “He asks if you are refusing to use magic because you are ashamed or because it hurts you.”
    Estin watched Turess as he answered. “Because it hurts me. I have never been ashamed of learning magic from Feanne’s mother.”
    Yoska nodded at that. “He thought that would be case. He then wanted me to ask if you are a coward.”
    “What?” Estin sat up and glared at Turess, who smirked slightly in reply.
    “I tell him is rude, but he insisted. You keep saying not to make up things he says, so I am being honest this time. Is shocking, I know, but I only do as you ask.”
    “Tell him that I am no coward,” Estin growled in reply. The simple accusation made him want to run across the small room and punch Turess, but he knew that would not help anyone. “I’ve fought beside Feanne enough times—”
    “This I already tell him,” interjected Yoska quickly. “He asked me then why you can endure so many scars, yet you cannot fight through this. He sees the marks from chains on you. He knows you are no weakling and are not a coward in other matters. You are not one who runs from pain. He believes this scares you more than the chains did. He also tells me that until you face your fear, he cannot help. You must want your magic back for it to return, even if there were a way to give it to you. It will be painful and take much time. You will need to work much harder for it this time than the last.”
    “What does he want from me, Yoska? I’ve fought it, and it makes me sick ever since I brought Feanne back from the dead. I’ve already done things no healer has done in centuries. Losing my magic is a small price.”
    Yoska nodded and looked back at Turess, who said something softly in his native language. The two spoke for a few seconds before Yoska translated. “Crazy dead man says the wound is deep but not fatal. Once we see the day again, he will help you reclaim your strength. It will take many weeks to bring back what you had, and may require help from others. You do not bear the marks of a learned man, but you are worthy of great praise and can be again, he adds. He even say you are greater than he was. Far greater.”
    Estin looked to Turess in surprise, and Turess bowed while still sitting, touching his