The Education of Brother Thaddius and other tales of DemonWars (The DemonWars Saga) by R.A. Salvatore Read Free Book Online

under a few trees they had just passed. From this distance and under that cover, she couldn’t make out his features, but she could hardly miss his red and curly hair.
    Eyes wide now, Sadye glanced back at Orrin, and saw the man beside him draw forth a short sword.
    “Orrin!” she cried, but she knew it was too late and that she couldn’t possibly warn the old man in time. She stood up so fast that she nearly tumbled off the wagon.
    Had Orrin Davii needed her warning, he surely would have been slain, but the old man was no fool, and knew the difference between an honest inspection on the road and a pretense for a murder. He spun about, one hand on his belt buckle, the other reaching inside the folds of his robe, even as the soldier moved to strike.
    Sadye screamed, and then nearly fell over again as a sudden surge of bluish-white energy erupted from Orrin’s belt. That stumble actually saved her life, for the soldier up front came charging past, his sword slashing across in a swipe that would have beheaded her had she still been fully upright.
    She tried to register the scene, to get past the shock and surprise. She saw the rider cut about the back of the wagon, saw Orrin produce a thin metal wand, its end open, or at least concave. Beside her master, the two soldiers squirmed on the ground weirdly, jerking in spasms the likes of which Sadye had never before witnessed.
    She took it all in at once, eyes darting all about, but then they fixed on the remaining soldier alone, on his strong posture, sword high. Somewhere in her thoughts, she heard the sharp ring of metal, and then she watched, mesmerized, as the faceplate of the soldier’s helm folded in, as his head jerked back violently and as the back of that helm blew off, a crimson gore spraying into the air.
    His horse kept going, brushing past Orrin and knocking the old man hard against the back of the wagon and then to the ground.
    Despite her fears for Orrin, Sadye could not take her eyes off the spectacle of the rider, still sitting upright, still holding his sword, though he was obviously quite dead. His horse continued its canter far to the side of the road before stopping, and only then did the man seem to register that he was indeed dead. Slowly, he slipped off the side, tumbling hard to the ground.
    Sadye looked back, and so dry was her mouth that she could not even scream out! For there lay Orrin, beside the two soldiers, one of whom was lying quite still now, while the other was trying futilely to rise to his feet, on legs that wobbled weakly and buckled. Those two hardly mattered, though, for in the moments she had been looking away, the redhead had come in. He stood over Orrin now, a long dagger drawn and tip-in at Orrin’s heart.
    Hardly even registering the movement, Sadye brought her lute up and began to gently touch the strings.
    “I offered you wealth beyond your understanding!” the redhead shouted at the prone wizard. “You fool! Together we could have done so much. But I need you not, you see? Thesoldiers are not so stupid as Orrin Davii. They see the value of gold, while you revel in the glory of the spirits of men long dead!”
    The redhead spat on helpless Orrin, who closed his eyes. Behind them, the soldier fell over yet again.
    “Join them, fool!” the redhead cried and he gave a growl and retracted his arm just a bit, as if to strike.
    And indeed, he meant to do just that. But somewhere between his backstroke and the killing thrust, a thought intervened, a suggestion carried on the waves of gentle and beautiful music.
    The redhead held there, motionless, listening, enchanted, as the moments slipped past.
    Sadye watched Orrin open his eyes, to stare incredulously at his would-be killer. Finally, as if he suddenly recognized the music, Orrin turned to regard her.
    She played on, filling her notes with suggestions of peace and quiet, with emotions soft and tender, denying the redhead his fury and his intent. The soul stone caught those