Warded Mage (Reawakening Saga) Read Free Page A

Thad said wincing with every word.
    Grenlor laughed loudly causing more pain to erupt throughout Thad’s body. “A few more years of some fine dwarven brew and it won’t even bother ya lad.” Grenlor said as he reached inside his pocket pulling out a silver flask. “Take a swig of this; it’ll stop some of the racket rattling around in that noggin of yours.”
    Thad took the offered f lask and took a quick swig. Whatever was inside burned like acid as it made its way down his throat but as promised, the pounding in his head lessened to a dull roar after a few moments. “I was planning on visiting you later in the day Grenlor.”
    “I figured as much lad, so I figured I’d save ya the trouble and make my way over ta see ya meself. You still planning to go talk to that mage friend of yours I take it.”
    Thad knew the subject with the Vathari was an uneasy one for most of the dwarves. They didn’t hate the Vathari but they didn’t like them much either. Every so many generations a war would break out and the dwarves and Vathari would kill each other for years then it would die down and the two groups would go back to their uneasy truce. Both groups had something the other wanted. The Vathari had rare ores and gems mined from the deepest parts of the earth and the dwarves had weapons unequaled in craftsmanship in all the realms.
    “That’s the plan. I need someone to teach me and while the dwarves have plenty of magic , you have no true mages. I can’t teach myself beyond what I have already learned and if I am going to survive and outlast the Brotherhood I am going to need to know everything I can.” Thad said pointedly. 
    The smile faded from Grenlor’s face. “I know lad. I wish we could be of more help ta ya, but yer just not ready yet. When ya return, if ya return seek me out. I should be able to tell ya more then. I promise lad while yer gone I’ll be tracking down everything I can get my grubby little hands on about the Brotherhood fer ya, so do me a favor and watch yer back. Yer a good lad and I don’t want to see ya turn up in a bad way, ya hear me laddie?”
    “I will return , you can count on that Grenlor, otherwise Crusher is going to hunt me down and drag me back, or so he says.” Thad said laughing slightly.
    Grenlor joined Thad in his subdued laughter. “Horar might just do it boy, he’s never been on e ta listen to reason. We all told the boy not to go deep looking for that dang ore but he wouldn’t listen, that boy never listens, at least not to any of us.”
    “I am glad he didn’t. If not for him I don’t think I would have survived this long.”
    “You would have lad, you would have. You got some fire in yer guts, people like you always find a way to get through even if it’s just by the hair on yer hind end.” Grenlor said slapping Thad hard on the back, nearly sending him sprawling on the floor.
    The two continued to talk for a short while Thad readied his pack for the coming journey. He wasn’t sure which way it was to the Vathari home but he had a place to start. All he had to do was find a Vathari and use the code word Sae-Thae had given him. If it worked he would be escorted to the mage if not he would be escorted to his death. Thad hoped that it wasn’t the latter.
    As he made his way toward the tunnel that he and Crusher had used to get to the dwarven town he was soon greeted by many people he had come to call friend over his time in the dwarven village. Crusher silently moved up to walk beside him as Avalanche bounced around barking. Thad could see Brianna had come as well she never approached him but Thad could see that her eyes were slightly puffy. He knew he should say something to her, while he could never love her, not the way she wanted, but he still considered her a friend. Soon the opportunity passed as Brianna disappeared into the crowd and was lost to him.
    Thad soon found himself staring at the steps carved in the stone that led the way back down into the