The Book of Magic by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online Page B

years later, bards still sing, "Talking trees and walking stones; Giants are the island's bones."

To me!" Merlin calls to Deepercut, the magical sword, as Trouble plunges into battle.

Always a warm welcome for Rhia at her luminous home tree, Arbassa.

Abelawn
    The ancestors of Abelawn first settled in Stoneroot 's land of bells at the end of the Age of Flowering in Avalon 's third century. Abelawn continues the tradition of farming with Drumadian ethics—always seeking the consent of the goats, horses, and sheep who share his lands and labors. He is a friend of Tamwyn , and the young man often helps to harvest melons in the autumn, when there is little work for a wilderness guide. It was during one of those harvest seasons that Tamwyn dug up a dagger with most unusual markings—whose meaning he wouldn't fully understand until his battle with Rhita Gawr in the stars .
    Aelonnia of Isenwy
    Normally disguised as a mud-covered boulder, Aelonnia is much more than she seems. She is a mudmaker, one of the most mysterious and most magical creatures in Avalon . And she is the guardian of Malóch 's southernmost portal , near the Secret Spring of Halaad . Although she rarely shows her true form, she does so for Tamwyn and Elli , swelling to twice their height. She has enormous eyes, as brown as the rest of her body, and four slender arms, each with three long and delicate fingers that stroke the air continuously.
    Aelonnia's whispering voice carries a lilt more like music than speech. And her words are full of wisdom about magic and its highest uses. For in the earliest days of Avalon, Merlin himself gave the mudmakers an extraordinary power—the ability to Make, to form living creatures from the élano -rich mud of this land. In the years since, the mudmakers have used this power judiciously, bringing to life creatures as varied as the giant elephaunts of Africqua and the tiny light flyers who accompany the Lady of the Lake wherever she goes. As Aelonnia explains to Tamwyn, "To Make, ten things we need: the seven sacred Elements , the mud that combines them, the time to do our work, and one thing more. The magic of Merlin."
    Ahearna, the Star Galloper
    "The great horse on high" of legend, Ahearna is a creature of the stars . She has massive wings, powerful legs, and a strong, rippling neigh. Her wings bear silvery white feathers that gleam as if made of starlight. Her deep brown eyes have seen much—including Merlin the wizard, whom she carried into the sky when he finally departed Avalon in the Year 694. Ever since that time, she has flown ceaselessly around a star known as the Heart of Pegasus. Just why is a secret known only to her and Merlin . . . until she shares that secret with Tamwyn .
    Aileen
    This young elf maiden is one of Brionna 's closest friends. Like Brionna, she grew up in eastern Woodroot , near the deepest forest of El Urien—and the rumored lair of the Lady of the Lake . Aileen lives in the highest tree house of a settlement built into the boughs of eight enormous elms. Unusually skilled as a carver, she is well on her way to becoming a master woodworker. More important to her friendship with Brionna, however, is Aileen's skill at brewing a tasty cup of hazelnut tea. Like most elves, she is a peaceful soul, although she could be convinced to fight for the survival of Avalon .
    Angus Oge
    This fire angel showed remarkable courage, as well as kindness, as he explored the farthest reaches of Avalon —so remarkable that he is remembered centuries later by Ayanowyn storypainters. As Gwirion explains to Tamwyn , Angus Oge gave so openly to the world that the world always found a way to give back to him.
    Once, when Angus Oge was traveling across a distant realm, he lacked any food and was close to starvation. Weakly, he set his last remaining water to boil, hoping at least to make some thin soup from local plants. But he couldn't even find any leaves or roots that were edible. Just before he passed out from