White Hall (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 10) Read Online Free
Author: Donald Wigboldy
need to make one or I’m just going to lie down on the first comfortable place I see.”
Laughing at the little blond haired girl on her horse, Ardost stated, “I think that you are in luck. This should be Delanne. We stayed here on the way to Hala.”
A bigger man riding before them turned to look at Katya and shook his head, saying, “Is she complaining about saddle soreness again? You’re the youngest one of us, Katya. Surely you can’t be the first one to wear out.”
Next to the second battle mage, a man in the light blue of an air wizard rode along trying to ignore their banter.
“Just ‘cus I’m younger than you old men, doesn’t mean sitting on this beast doesn’t hurt after a few hours. If Darius wasn’t such a slave driver, we could stop more often and maybe I wouldn’t be so sore.”
Hearing his name called, a silver haired wizard from the group of four men dressed in green and brown looked back to the girl and her protectors. High Wizard Darius led a group of wizards from a country across the ocean far to the south of North Continent where Southwall was located. When Southwall’s King Alain sent out invitations to most of the world’s wizards to join a competition of duels, Eirdhen had sent four wizards under the grand wizard’s supervision.
“The quicker we ride, the sooner the trip will be over. White Hall is still several days’ ride beyond this town according to the map. Which do you prefer, less days riding or more hours spent each day, Katya?”
Rubbing her rear just above the area affected, though the pain was beginning to work up her back a bit more each mile; Katya pouted and replied, “I wish my brother was here. At least he and Yara could relieve saddle sores at each stop.”
Ardost smiled apologetically even as Darius turned back to the road ahead with a little chuckle at the girl’s expense. “Unfortunately, Vord and I never were able to learn how to heal. That was your brother’s special skill. Almost no other mage has been able to do any of that magic so far.”
Again the young girl sighed and tried to deal with the next few miles on her horse before entering the town.
“More wizards?” the inn keeper of the Traveler’s Rest questioned with a surprised smile on his face as Darius stepped up to start the process of procuring rooms from the man.
Katya noticed a table full of people with colorful clothing, though each mainly wore a particular solid color, with red being the most common. She recognized one man in particular as the blond haired wizard who had won the Winter’s Edge tournament. He sat comfortably watching the procession of the newest travelers into the inn. Four others sat around their table barely paying them any mind as they sat drinking and eating what looked like a snack rather than a true meal. It was still early enough that dinner was likely meant to be served an hour or two later, if the girl judged the sun correctly.
“Well, the tournament is over,” Darius replied with a polite smile to the inn keeper. No one would know if the wizard was dissatisfied with being lumped with the other groups traveling through Delanne with such a look. “Since Hala is on the east coast, most wizards will have to travel this way to return to the west, I would assume.”
The inn keeper looked to muse on the idea, but quickly shook his head. “I don’t know about that. Delanne is far enough south that some will take the northern route past Norcrom to Blackwall and maybe even Windmeer. Red Hall and Cadmera, if that town bothered to send anyone, might turn south sooner; but I guess that you never know with wizards.”
Brenner, also a wizard, tried to cut the man’s idle chatting short adding, “It is still deep enough into winter that snow covers much of the northern route. You should see most of the guardian cities’ wizards returning through here, if you already haven’t. The celebrations ended several days ago after all.”
With a voice that held
Laughing at the little blond haired girl on her horse, Ardost stated, “I think that you are in luck. This should be Delanne. We stayed here on the way to Hala.”
A bigger man riding before them turned to look at Katya and shook his head, saying, “Is she complaining about saddle soreness again? You’re the youngest one of us, Katya. Surely you can’t be the first one to wear out.”
Next to the second battle mage, a man in the light blue of an air wizard rode along trying to ignore their banter.
“Just ‘cus I’m younger than you old men, doesn’t mean sitting on this beast doesn’t hurt after a few hours. If Darius wasn’t such a slave driver, we could stop more often and maybe I wouldn’t be so sore.”
Hearing his name called, a silver haired wizard from the group of four men dressed in green and brown looked back to the girl and her protectors. High Wizard Darius led a group of wizards from a country across the ocean far to the south of North Continent where Southwall was located. When Southwall’s King Alain sent out invitations to most of the world’s wizards to join a competition of duels, Eirdhen had sent four wizards under the grand wizard’s supervision.
“The quicker we ride, the sooner the trip will be over. White Hall is still several days’ ride beyond this town according to the map. Which do you prefer, less days riding or more hours spent each day, Katya?”
Rubbing her rear just above the area affected, though the pain was beginning to work up her back a bit more each mile; Katya pouted and replied, “I wish my brother was here. At least he and Yara could relieve saddle sores at each stop.”
Ardost smiled apologetically even as Darius turned back to the road ahead with a little chuckle at the girl’s expense. “Unfortunately, Vord and I never were able to learn how to heal. That was your brother’s special skill. Almost no other mage has been able to do any of that magic so far.”
Again the young girl sighed and tried to deal with the next few miles on her horse before entering the town.
“More wizards?” the inn keeper of the Traveler’s Rest questioned with a surprised smile on his face as Darius stepped up to start the process of procuring rooms from the man.
Katya noticed a table full of people with colorful clothing, though each mainly wore a particular solid color, with red being the most common. She recognized one man in particular as the blond haired wizard who had won the Winter’s Edge tournament. He sat comfortably watching the procession of the newest travelers into the inn. Four others sat around their table barely paying them any mind as they sat drinking and eating what looked like a snack rather than a true meal. It was still early enough that dinner was likely meant to be served an hour or two later, if the girl judged the sun correctly.
“Well, the tournament is over,” Darius replied with a polite smile to the inn keeper. No one would know if the wizard was dissatisfied with being lumped with the other groups traveling through Delanne with such a look. “Since Hala is on the east coast, most wizards will have to travel this way to return to the west, I would assume.”
The inn keeper looked to muse on the idea, but quickly shook his head. “I don’t know about that. Delanne is far enough south that some will take the northern route past Norcrom to Blackwall and maybe even Windmeer. Red Hall and Cadmera, if that town bothered to send anyone, might turn south sooner; but I guess that you never know with wizards.”
Brenner, also a wizard, tried to cut the man’s idle chatting short adding, “It is still deep enough into winter that snow covers much of the northern route. You should see most of the guardian cities’ wizards returning through here, if you already haven’t. The celebrations ended several days ago after all.”
With a voice that held
Readers choose
Cecile de la Baume
Adalynn Quinn
John David Krygelski
Paul Kidd
Rae Rivers
Jennifer Quintenz
Craig Spivek
Steph Swainston
Barbara Barrett