City of Sorcerers by Mary H. Herbert Read Free Book Online Page A

abilities with the hope that they will return to their clans to help others whenever they can."
    Lord Sha Tajan nodded. He was the youngest brother and heir of Athlone's old friend, Sha Umar, and he was pleased to help the magic-wielders whenever he could.
    "Two of my people have come back to us, and I don't know what we'd do without them."

    "But why teach them at all? What if they don't want to leave their families or learn this sorcery?" Fiergan spat out the last word like a foul bit of gristle.
    "If a person with the talent wants no part of it and fights any suggestion of learning how to use it, then of course we do not force them. But it is wiser and safer to train a magic-wielder to control his power. Magic can be inadvertently used at the wrong moment." Athlone half-smiled, unconsciously rubbing the scar on his shoulder where Gabria had once nearly killed him with an inadvertent bolt of magic. "Once someone is sure of his ability, he can always choose not to use it."
    Fiergan snorted. "Sorcery is just like any other heresy against the gods. Once you're a heretic, you're always a heretic."
    "I believe the law calling sorcery a heresy was dropped twenty-three years ago,"
    Koshyn said sharply.
    Fiergan subsided back into his seat, grumbling.
    At that point, Lord Ryne of Clan Bahedin rose to his feet and said, "The afternoon grows too hot for sensible argument. Let us call a halt to this discussion until tomorrow when we can talk with cooler minds."
    "I agree," Lord Koshyn put in, and he, too, stood. "But before we go, I want to let you know that several of us are riding up to the hills today to take a look at that mound in the canyon. If anyone wants to come, bring a shovel."
    The mood in the tent immediately lightened. The news of the mysterious mound had spread through the camps overnight, and everyone was curious about its contents and its odd location. As soon as Lord Ryne officially ended the meeting, the people interested in the expedition hurried away to their camps to get horses and tools.

    * * * * *
    While their fathers helped organize the large party of clansmen preparing to leave, Savaron and Rafnir called their Hunnuli and went to look for Kelene to see if she wanted to go, too. They found her standing thigh-deep in the cool, silty Isin River with her gelding Ishtak. The horse's right front knee had swelled during the night, so she brought him to the river in the hope that the cool water would ease his injury.
    The gelding was too tired and sore to be in his usual obnoxious mood, yet he still laid his ears back as the two men rode their Hunnuli into the water.
    "We're going to look at that mound of yours in the canyon. Would you like to come?" Savaron called to his sister.

    Kelene didn't answer immediately. She looked up at her big brother and his friend sitting so proudly on their powerful black horses, and she thought how handsome they both looked, so tall and strong and self-assured. She supposed she could excuse Rafnir for being so good-looking. The gods had given him the best of his parents'
    qualities---his father's slim, athletic build and his mother's expressive eyes and inner strength---without the burden of sharing with brothers or sisters.
    But it wasn't fair that her brother had those brown eyes with the golden flecks that looked like amber in the sunlight while her eyes were so dark they were almost black, or that his hair was thick and curling, while hers was straight, coarse, and black. Their father had told her she looked like their grandfather, Savaric, but right then she wished she had more of her brother's looks. . . or anyone else's instead of this swarthy, skinny appearance she disdained.
    In that instant she loved her brother and hated him. She wished he would go away and take his friend with him. "It's not my mound. Take Moreg. He's the one who fell over it."
    Savaron shrugged off her snappish reply. He had gotten used to his sister's uneasy temperament even if he didn't understand it.