Magic Astray (The Llandra Saga) Read Free Page A

Waverly. You’re really Randall Miller! You’re like the greatest Mage on Tallia!” The young man continued, not noticing Randall’s wince at the last comment. “You’ve single-handedly killed like a dozen Mages. If it weren’t for you, the Mage rebellion would have ended before it ever even got started, and King Priess would still be on the throne.”
    Randall eyed the young man warily. He was only a little surprised that the Eamon had heard of him. Randall had been at the capital when the fighting had broken out, but he wasn’t the central figure that this young man seemed to think him to be. Eamon’s face held a mixture of fear and excitement, though excitement seemed to be winning the battle for dominance.
    “Well, it didn’t exactly happen like that, you know,” Randall demurred, looking the other over with a critical eye. “What are you doing out here robbing good folk anyway? Shouldn’t you be at home, tending your fields?”
    The young highwayman’s chest deflated at the last comment; Randall had evidently guessed correctly that he was probably some farmer’s son. Eamon looked down and scuffed his feet in the dirt before quietly answering.
    “Pa died a couple of years ago of the whooping cough,” he said. “I’m not so good with the farm, and things have been pretty bad since King Priess’ death. It was either this, or starvation.”
    “Oh. I’m sorry to hear about your pa,” Randall said, feeling a little guilty for his earlier judgmental attitude. “What about your mother?” Randall asked, “What does she think of all this, then?”
    “She died when I was just a baby,” Eamon replied, still looking down. “My whole life, it’s just been me and Pa. And now, it’s just me.”
    “That’s rough,” Randall said. “I’m sorry I came down on you so hard. Still, I can’t say as I approve of thievery. There’s got to be something else you can do to make ends meet.”
    “Like what?” Eamon snapped. “It’s not like there are any jobs around here these days. People are scared, and they’re not spending any money that they don’t have to. Even in the best of times, it’s not easy to make a living if you’ve never been ‘prenticed. Now, it’s all but impossible.”
    Randall knew the truth in Eamon’s words. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that he found himself desperate to earn an apprenticeship to make his own fortune. Suddenly he was struck by a flash of inspiration.
    “Well, if you have nothing keeping you here, why don’t you come with me? I’m heading to Shaderest forest to trade with the elves and then on to Varna on the Lake and maybe Ninove. We can make a little money and see a bit of the world. It’s bound to be better than what you’re doing now, and you’ll earn honest pay.”
    Eamon’s eyes grew wide as Randall outlined his plan. “Really? You’d take me with you? To see elves? That’s amazing!”
    “Sure, why not?” Randall chuckled. “Berry and I could use the company. Which reminds me: Eamon, this is Berry,” Randall said as he nodded his head sideways toward the imp on his shoulder. “Berry is a friend.”
    “Uh...hi,” Eamon stammered, involuntarily shuffling back a half a step.
    Berry leaned forward on Randall’s shoulder, with the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips, as if the donnan were tasting the air.
    “He connects,” Berry chittered, sitting back on Randall’s shoulder with a satisfied air. “It is well.”
    “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?” Eamon asked, not realizing that anything out of the ordinary had happened at all.
    “Yeah, he is at that. He talks a lot, but I don’t understand him half the time,” Randall said with a grin, shaking his head.
    “You mean you can talk to him?” Eamon asked, incredulous.
    “Sure can, some of the time at least. But even when I think I know what he’s saying, I still don’t always get what he means. Luckily, he understands me a whole lot more than I do him,” Randall