Merchants and Mages (Highmage's Plight Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

like me to replay that conversation?:
      “Shut up,” he muttered seemingly to himself.
      Fri’il looked over at George, confused. “Milord?”
      “Uh, just arguing with Staff…”
      :An argument you’re losing,: it replied.
     
    Me’oh looked at her long and hard, “Perhaps, Se’and, you would rather talk to Cle’or about this? At least she’s your half-sister.”
      “Oh, no,” she replied, shaking her head. Cle’or was trained as a   weapons master. Her battle–scarred sister would offer rather unsympathetic advice. She smiled at the older woman, “I would rather sheath my dagger in my own ribs, thank you.”
      Grinning, Me’oh remarked, “Now that would really be leadership by example.”
     
    The pale falc with a black crest soared above the small group as they rode northeast through the Imperial Province of Lyai.
      Balfour knew the geography from the maps he had been taught over the years as a student at the Healer’s Hall in the Imperial Capital.  In his time there, during his struggles to master the healing spells, Balfour had spent a great deal of time in the Hall’s library, which had extensive maps of the Empire and neighboring regions. 
      “Je’orj,” Balfour said. “Raven seems unconcerned.”
      The staff in his hands abruptly glowed as he closed his eyes and mentally reached out. George touched the falc’s thoughts and murmured, “Any sign of pursuit?”
      The falc squawked and sent in reply, ‘Clear all directions, foster–father.’
      He held out his staff, offering her a perch. She dove, then as she neared back–winged. She briefly alighted on the perch before shimmering and hopping over to his saddle. Completing her shape change, the small, petite girl settled into the saddle before him.
    He reached back into his saddlebags and retrieved her livery and draped her into it.  She sighed and rasped, “No like wear.”
      “And you have such a pleasant voice, child,” he replied. “You should consider using it more often – like clothes, it grows more comfortable with use.”
      Raven glanced at the chuckling Balfour and shook her head. Se’and had adopted Raven in Edous, one of the city states in the Crescent Lands to the east of the Empire, after they had broken the enchantment that had bound her. That they had accomplished it at all without wielding spells still astonished Balfour, who now served as the foreigner’s apprentice, learning the ways of long forgotten human lore.
      Balfour had left his studies in the Capital in disgrace; unable to effect the healing mageries necessary to save lives. He had gone home to the distant Barrier Mountains, hoping to forget that pain – until he had met Je’orj, a man who claimed to be from another world and bore a staff of power like no other. In many ways, the computer staff was more his teacher than Je’orj, teaching him to truly use his human–born gifts to heal.
      However, there was one area of knowledge he had excelled at during his studies in the Empire; he knew the Healer Hall’s texts better than anyone. He knew the theories about the reasons for illness and everything about the areas they most commonly occurred around the Empire and the neighboring lands. Thus, he knew much about the Empire and the province ahead of them.
      The ancient barrows were an unlikely place for the Demonlord’s followers in the Empire to track them. One thing they desperately needed was a respite from their continuous mad flight.
      Fri’il urged her mount beside Je’orj on the opposite side, then leaned over and half whispered that she would happily change places with girl. Raven smiled and instantly moved from mount to mount.
    George almost choked in surprise as Fri’il laughed heartily.  “Why, thank you, Raven!”
      Balfour shook his head, wishing that his sensitive elvin hearing had not
    been privy to the exact inflection of her offer.  Je’orj hastily rode forward as
    Fri’il and Raven