Bound by the Mist (Mists of Eria) Read Online Free PDF

down on his bed, swiftly undoing the warrior braids at his temples. Frowning down at his dusty jerkin and leggings, he gave them a few swipes.
    He’d helped train some of the new recruits, a task which required much patience. Something he had little of today, it seemed. A grimace came to his face. Even though elves were swift of foot and agile, the trainees tried hard to dispel that notion. One was so clumsy and inept that he accidentally released his arrow too soon. Unfortunately, Relian was in the direct line of fire. Only quick reflexes saved him from an arrow to his person. As it was, he had a few bruises from flinging himself to the ground. He highly doubted that young elf would ever be something more than a sentry.
    Lying back on his bed, he meant to stretch and rest his weary body for a moment. But his lids felt weighted. Would the dreams return this night, or would he finally get a night of sleep? Closing his eyes, he knew he wouldn’t find out until he slept and woke.
    Awareness soon intruded on Relian, along with the seeping realization all was not normal. His eyes shot open, taking in what his senses had been telling him. Dismay made his heart pound uncomfortably in his chest as he propelled himself to his feet, looking for an enemy that wasn’t there. The full magnitude of the situation hit him then.
    He blinked, hoping to clear his vision. It couldn’t be! But it was. The veil. This place looked just like it, but never had he—or anyone else he knew of—ever woken up in the midst of it. In all his long years, he’d never heard of anything so unnatural.
    Why would he wake up here? Could it have something to do with her ? Maybe this...was a dream. They had been strange of late, but this felt very tangible to him. He couldn’t deny the ethereal quality here that far exceeded any found in elvin homes. But that dream-like quality didn’t detract from the conviction he was here in the flesh.
    Yes, this was real, at least to a degree. Once he settled on this conclusion, his befuddlement somewhat abated. The magic of the veil wouldn’t give him any answers until it deemed the time right and then only what it chose to, nothing more. He shouldn’t worry unduly about something he couldn’t control. The veil had never hurt his kind before and, in fact, had sought to protect them. Why would it begin now?
    His curiosity overtook him, and he decided to explore his temporary room. To his knowledge, elves had merely walked through the veil, not lingered in it. The mist encompassed far more area than he expected. He couldn’t see where it began or ended, given that the mist became quite thick in some places.
    As he wandered around in the mist, he made out a figure curled upon the floor to the right of him. Reaching for a sword that wasn’t there, he cautiously crept toward the lump. He stopped abruptly when he caught sight of wavy auburn hair.
    It was her hair . Walking closer, he saw tresses that cascaded down to slim shoulders, which rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She was sleeping. He moved around the body, wanting to view her face to determine if she resembled the young girl with auburn hair he’d seen years ago.
    His indrawn breath broke the silence. Desire and horror mingled in his stomach as his fears proved true. He could see the child’s features in the young human’s visage, from the bow-shaped lips to the oval shape of her face. She was shapely, though no more than the average elvin woman, and her height roughly equivalent to some of the shorter females.
    His gaze flickered over her strange attire. She wore a shirt of some strange pink material. It looked soft and stretchy, and his fingers itched to touch it. Her trousers were tan and somewhat baggy on her. Not knowing whether to laugh or cringe, he saw on her feet the oddest article of clothing yet. The shoes had colorful stripes drawn on the cotton-like fabric. Overall, they were exceedingly peculiar.
    As he studied her, emotions he couldn’t