First Comes The One Who Wanders by Lynette S. Jones Read Free Book Online Page A

where Brenth had led them. "I'm practically a master and no one asked you to take me under your wing."
    "That's where you’re wrong. Now get ready, there are crafters on the other side of the door."
    Leilas stepped past her mother and brother and stood before the door. It had been easier to react to the crafters who'd surprised her in the passageway than it was to prepare herself to surprise them with an attack. When Joshuas joined her on the landing, she threw the latch and opened the door. Six crafters were waiting for them on the other side of the opening.
    Their attack was swift and it was strong. Leilas reeled as the attack of unbinding swept over her, but her defenses held. Summoning her strength, she returned the attack with a spell of fire. The crafters facing her threw it aside as if it was nothing. Leilas found herself facing a crafter with blue eyes and blonde hair. His eyes appeared dead as she stared into his soul. Using his lack of spirit, she intensified the emotion until he began to turn to stone. Leaving him to metamorphosize, she turned to face the next attacker. Joshuas had already disabled two of their enemies using his sword rather than magic and was facing a third. Flicking aside a spell of despair, Leilas returned the attack with a spell of apathy. The man in front of her let his sword drop to his side and didn't return her attack. Leilas ran her sword through him before she could think about it and change her mind.
    Turning swiftly, she thrust at the remaining crafter. He parried her attack and spoke a spell of confusion. Leilas felt it make its way through defenses that'd been weakened by the feelings of revulsion and confusion that swept over her as she'd pulled her sword from the limp body of her attacker. Before she succumbed to the swirl of disorientation, she thrust at the man in front of her again. This time, she felt her sword meet flesh. She wasn't sure why she was attacking him, but she had the impression it was important that she stop him.
    She thrust her sword at the man who was grabbing her. Joshuas parried it and grabbed her wrist. Looking into her eyes, he murmured some words of magic. Leilas blinked her eyes several times and looked around. She didn't remember how she came to be in the stables or why there were half a dozen dead crafters around her.
    "Are you okay?" Joshuas studied her face and again murmured softly.
    "It's clearer now." Leilas looked around again and this time knew why she was here. She was lucky Joshuas was with her. "Thank you." If he hadn't been accompanying them, she would be dead now. She hadn't done very well in her first battle against crafters.
    "You're welcome. Now let's find that food and get out of here."
    Brenth went to the horses and began to saddle them, speaking softly in their ears as they whinnied nervously. Leilas went to the cabinet where the messengers kept rations, and began filling bags with the dried food stored there. It wouldn't be very tasty but it would fill their stomachs.
    When the horses were ready, Leilas threw the bags on two of them and mounted a large paint. These were not the thoroughbreds she was used to riding. These were working horses used to being ridden hard, better suited to the task ahead of them. Leilas had no idea how Joshuas was planning on getting them out of Dirth. But since she had no ideas of her own, she was willing to follow him. Bidding a silent goodbye to the School of Sky and her dreams, she offered a silent prayer for the safety of the magiks who were battling above them and urged her mount out into the courtyard.
    Joshuas took the lead, muttering under his breath as he led them through the streets. Leilas was too far behind him to hear his incantation, but she could see its results. Soldiers and crafter's alike looked through them as if they weren’t there. They rode through the skirmishes raging on all sides as if they weren't taking place.
    When they reached the main street of Dirth, Joshuas urged the horses