Silevethiel Read Online Free Page A

clothing hidden beneath the snow, and he wasn’t surprised to see the man’s garments weren’t that of a royal soldier.
    “This dagger and clothing are not issued to Dargon’s soldiers,” he informed Brégen. “Three of these men were not fully enlisted soldiers of the king.”
    The strong gusts abruptly changed direction. A thunderous roar erupted from the lion’s throat, and he immediately shot to the east. The Guardian ran for a few hundred yards before sliding to a stop near an icy patch of ground where, like flowers in a desert wasteland, the colorful fletchings of two arrows extended above the rapidly accumulating snow. He rushed to the spot, growling with rage when he recognized the slim figure of a woman sprawled on the ground, the tips of her jet-black curls fluttering aimlessly in the wind. He gently nudged her ashen cheek. When she didn’t respond, he promptly lay next to her, pressing his body tightly against hers in an attempt to transfer as much of his warmth to her as possible.
    «Laegon, it is King Gartheld Donríel’s daughter, Princess Irewen! She was shot twice in the back while attempting to flee. She is alive!»
    Before his horse had a chance to come to a complete stop, Laegon leapt from the saddle. He knelt by Irewen’s still body and called upon his Sight. Allowing the magic to guide his hands, he began to ease one of the arrows from her back, mindful that he didn’t cause her any further damage.
    The process was painstakingly slow. Despite the frigid temperature, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief after removing the first arrow, then quickly turned his attention to the second.
    He realized at once that something was amiss. Frowning, he gently probed the area surrounding the wound with his Sight. His heart stopped. The princess was poisoned.
    Swearing under his breath, Laegon frantically returned to the task of removing the arrow from Irewen’s back. He hoped he would be able to dislodge the projectile before all of the poison was absorbed into her body. He was wrong.
    The arrowhead was a thin hollow cylinder. Now empty, save for a thin metal disk, it had served as a vessel for the deadly substance. When the arrow hit Irewen, the force of the blow thrust the disk forward in the cylinder, pushing the drug into her back.
    Laegon threw the arrow aside in frustration. He wasn’t a Healer, nor was there time to acquire an antidote. The poison was quickly spreading. Soon, Irewen would be beyond aid. Whatever assistance he could give, he needed to give it now.
    He placed his hands on Irewen’s back, then cautiously let his magic to flow into her. Probing her body, he searched for the extent of the poison. The situation was indeed dire, but certainly not as bad as he had feared. The substance had absorbed into the tissue of her lungs; thankfully, it hadn’t yet reached her heart.
    Working quickly to ensure the drug didn’t advance further, Laegon placed a thin veil of his magic around the perimeter of the poison. Once it was contained, he slowly worked backwards to the site where the arrow had penetrated Irewen’s skin, scrupulously eradicating the drug from the princess’s frail body.
    When the last of the poison was eliminated, Irewen was breathing easier, but she was by no means clear of danger. The princess had lost a great deal of blood. The dark fluid continued to ooze from her injuries.
    Ignoring the stabbing pain in his joints, Laegon concentrated on her puncture wounds. He again allowed his Sight to guide him and meticulously mended the damaged tissue and muscle in Irewen’s back before closing the skin.
    Expecting her to wake now that she was healed, he looked at her in anticipation. Nothing happened. She didn’t move. Her shallow breathing remained the same. Her eyes stayed closed. Not even the faintest sound escaped her lips.
    Perplexed, Laegon let his magic flow through her body once more, seeking anything he might have missed. Nothing. He