Chronicles of the Overworld Book 1 — Nihal of the Land of the Wind Read Online Free PDF

share Sennar’s room,” Soana said. “He’ll be glad to give you his bed. He can sleep on the floor.”
    Nihal turned red as a beet. “I’d rather sleep alone.”
    “I don’t bite,” Sennar retorted, his arms full of sheets and blankets.
    “Good night, you two.”
    Soana withdrew into her room. That was the end of discussion.
    Nihal sat on Sennar’s bed, a grim look on her face.
    “Do you need to change? Shall I leave the room?”
    Nihal shot him an angry look. “I sleep in my day clothes.”
    “I don’t. Do you mind turning around?”
    That was enough for Nihal. She burrowed her head as deeply as possible into her pillow.
    “All set!”
    When she turned, Sennar was lying on the floor under a pile of covers. A small, pale-blue fire burned in the center of the room, giving off a pleasant glow. Nihal couldn’t help but gaze at the spell with admiration.
    “Is that going to bother you?”
    No answer.
    “Well, I guess I’ll leave it on. Good night.”
    Sennar was quiet for a while, but then he couldn’t help himself. “Look, I know you hate me. You only shook my hand because Soana asked you to, but you really surprised me. I figured you’d beat me up to get your dagger back. I’d never have guessed you’d decide to learn magic.”
    Nihal remained obstinately silent.
    “Okay, I admit it. I saw a weak point and took advantage of it. It wasn’t really fair, all right? But I needed the dagger. There are a lot of spells that require a pointed blade. Maybe I can teach you some.”
    Nihal continued to hold her tongue, but Sennar didn’t let that stop him. Pushing aside his covers, he sat up and crossed his legs. “I’m not tired. If I bother you, just tell me to stop.”
    From that moment on, he didn’t stop talking.
    He talked about his love for dreary autumn weather and his admiration for Soana, who was such an incredible woman and sorceress. He said that sometimes Soana talked about Nihal. Then he chattered on about any number of random topics.
    Nihal kept silent and did what she could to maintain a lack of interest in what he was saying, but in the end it was impossible. She wanted to know more about her aunt. And she liked listening to Sennar’s deluge of stories.
    Some time later, she decided to interrupt Sennar’s monologue. “Listen, do you mind telling me what I did to you? What made you want to humiliate me in front of everyone?”
    “You play war without knowing anything about it, Nihal.”
    “What do you know about war?”
    “I grew up on the battlefields between the Land of the Sea and the Great Land. And believe me, war isn’t what you imagine. It’s anything but a game, and there’s nothing fun about it.”
    Nihal was at a loss for a response.
    “Anyway, it’s really late now. Tomorrow you’ll have to undergo the trial; you should get some sleep. Good night.” The red-haired boy burrowed beneath his covers.
    For a while, Nihal lay listening to his breathing in the dark.

4
THE GREAT FOREST
    Nihal woke to a clear sky and bright sunshine. On days like this, it was as if nature were doing what it could to delay winter’s cold.
    Sennar wasn’t in the room. Nihal breathed a sigh of relief. She still felt the sting of his words.
    She stayed in bed for a few minutes before getting up and joining Soana in the main room.
    The sorceress was sitting at the table, reading intently..
    “Good morning, Nihal. Sit down and have some breakfast.” She gestured toward a steaming earthenware cup and a slice of black bread.
    The herbal tea was delicious. The bread was still warm. Nihal felt her mood begin to brighten.
    “If you’re ready, I’ll tell you about the trial,” Soana said. Nihal focused on what Soana was saying.
    “In order to decide whether or not to train you, I have to understand whether or not you have potential. Magic is, in part, an innate ability. If you don’t have this predisposition, I can’t teach you anything. You see, Nihal, what sets a sorcerer apart is the ability