First Comes The One Who Wanders Read Online Free PDF

should go back to the school. That is where you belong, not here with us."
    "I won't go back there without you." Leilas felt them trying to push her away. It wasn't the first time she'd felt her family try to distance themselves from her and what she was. As always, she ignored it. They were her family and despite their feelings, she felt love and loyalty for them and she would until they were no longer alive.
    "If we're going to stay, it might be good if we could find some weapons to use for protection." Joshuas intruded on the family for the first time since he had been introduced. Leilas had almost forgotten he was there with them.
    "I don't expect you to stay." Leilas turned to face him, surprised at his statement of intent. "This is not your fight or your family. You must get back to the school and help protect it."
    "There are those better able to defend the school than myself," replied Joshuas. "Besides, I was commissioned to protect you. Now, are there weapons somewhere?"
    "In the gymnasium," replied Brenth. "I'll show you."
    Leilas waited until they left the room before she approached her mother on the subject of leaving again. "There's nothing to keep you here, Mother. Can't you see that? Father won't even think of us until it's too late. Our lives will only be tools used to help win the battle. You owe him nothing, certainly not your life."
    "But I do owe it to my people to die with them. I've given them nothing, when I should have been fighting your father. Perhaps if I had stood against him or been more involved in his life, he wouldn't have fallen into the abyss he is lost in now. It's partly my fault that the people out in the city will die. I'll stay and pay the price I owe."
    "You owe them the chance at a better life, which you can only give them if you are alive, but I won't argue the point with you." Leilas stepped over to the window and looked out at the blue sky and golden sun. "Today is as good a day to die as any."
    "But you won't die. You can't die."
    "There are magiks out there mother, who are intent on killing the crafters here at the school. Despite the fact that only a crafter can kill me, today I can die just like you and probably will. I'm not a trained warrior. The only fighting I do is on the streets of Dirth. Master Frey hasn't focused on warrior training. He doesn’t believe it's in my future to fight. I've had only the basics of battle training."
    "It's not your destiny to die today, my dear," her mother told her confidently.
    "I won't let you die, not while I live," replied Leilas.
    Queen Daina just smiled and joined Leilas at the window. A cloud of dust was clearly visible on the outskirts of the city. Dark spots could be seen coming out of it. Men arrayed in the green and gold of Darryl of Draggor mounted on fighting steeds were leading a column of men ten wide, sprawled back further than Leilas could see. It was an impressive army, twice as strong as it needed to be to conquer Dirth. The people of Dirth were surrendering without a fight as the men rode by. Leilas hadn't expected more from them. Many of the townspeople probably saw this invasion as liberation.
    "They've arrived." Leilas told Joshuas as he and Brenth returned, laden with swords and crossbows. Joshuas bolted the door and handed Leilas a short sword to compliment her long sword. "So far, they've met with no resistance."
    "How many magiks are with them?"
    Leilas went back to the window and tried to pick out the crafters from the soldiers. "I can't see them."
    Joshuas came to the window and stood next to Leilas. The queen and her son picked weapons from among the array they'd collected from the gymnasium and settled in to wait for the inevitable. After studying the invading soldiers for several minutes, Joshuas grunted. "Enough. Jayram is leading them. Can you see him?" Joshuas stood behind Leilas and turned her until she was looking in the proper direction. Sighting down his finger, she saw the young magik leading the group