A Touch of Magic by Gregory Mahan Read Free Book Online

make it mighty expensive to take this little chunk of soil. Much more expensive than it’s worth. His grandfather, King Damon, knew the value of Mages, too, boy. He also knew that his Mages would be more powerful if they were the only ones in Tallia. And that’s why magic’s outlawed: so the king is the only one who can have it. Doesn’t mean there a few handfuls of us on Tallia anyway. It’s a mighty big island, and the hand of King Priess doesn’t reach everywhere.”
    It was just too much for Randall to take in at one bite. He lapsed into silence while he tried to imagine the world being like Earl really said it was. He couldn’t picture it. Who could? Mages and normal people working shoulder-to-shoulder. What right-minded person could work or live next to someone like that? He couldn’t wrap his mind around it, so he gave up and turned his mind back to his current predicament. Well, he’s got me in the bag and sewn up good, Randall thought. I can’t get away now, that’s for sure. Maybe I can stick it out until I’m bigger, and then one night I’ll leave. I’ll take some of his gold, and that’ll buy me a sword and fighting lessons and a place to stay for a while. And then I really will become a caravan guard!
    Randall smiled to himself as the plan formed in his mind. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice Earl had started smiling too. They rode the rest of the way in silence, and Earl left Randall to his thoughts. As they approached Frank’s Inn, on the outskirts of town, Earl slowed their horses.
    “Okay, lad. We’re here. Remember, I’m a caravan master, and you’re an apprentice guard. Watch your tongue; your neck’s out just as far as mine is here. Besides, you gave your oath.”
    Randall nodded. He’d already given up trying to escape any time soon anyway. The odds were all against him. Even if he ran away and got to a militiaman, he’d most likely be laughed at if he told them what Earl really was. Earl did look more like a caravan master than he did a devil touched magicker. He acted more like one too. And if he claimed to be kidnapped, Randall’s own father would bear witness that he’d taken the oath of apprenticeship. He’d only end up looking like a silly little boy, homesick before he was an hour away from home.
    Earl pulled the cart up to the inn’s stable, and tossed a ringet to the boy lounging there. Randall had never seen the child before and guessed that Frank had probably hired him on to help with the extra traffic during job fair.
    “See that those mares are unhitched, fed, and brushed. Do a good job and there’ll be another coin for you tomorrow.” Earl called to the youth.
    “Yessir!” the youth said with sudden enthusiasm, and hurried to take the reins.
    Earl and Randall climbed down and went into the inn. The few times Randall had actually been inside the inn was to make deliveries during the day time, and it was almost always empty then. But now, the common room had thirty or forty people in it, all drinking and talking loudly. A few of them were the very same soldiers that had manned the militia’s tent earlier. They were even drinking while still in uniform!
    In one corner of the place was the luthier that Randall had seen earlier that day. He was playing a blindingly fast tune, ignoring everyone around him, but with his hat out for tips. The place was so noisy you could hardly hear him, but there appeared to be a few ringets in his hat, and even a couple of slices.
    Ringets and quartos made up most of the cash money Randall was familiar with. A quarto was made so that it could be broken into four pieces, or ‘slice’. Each piece, which looked like a pie wedge, was worth two ringets. The musician here was making a decent day’s wage for his playing. Normally, he might have earned only a ringet or two, which would be just enough for his meal and a drink. But during the job fair, there was always extra money flowing around town.
    Earl