SHE WILL MASTER TERRIFYING POWERS OF ENCHANTMENT...TO SAVE THE MAN SHE LOVES
In a land of sorcerers and elf warriors, powerful women weld magic--but the only things Elspeth wields are dirty pots and pans in a castle kitchen. That is, until she was...
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...MEANWHILE, THE SORCERESS ZEPHYR, and HER BLACK KNIGHT WERE HUNDREDS OF LEAGUES AWAY on the steep side of a mountain slope in the middle of nowhere, while ruthless bandits chase them.
The long string of men swiftly climbed the gorge like ants. They were visible at first light.
"Bandits," Theo said, looking down at the sharp turns that led up from the gorge, while Zephyr leaned against her horse and tried to catch her breath. The mule was eating the branch of a pine tree. Surely that couldn't be good for it.
"How do you know?" she panted.
"Dark patches on their vests," he said, appraising the men below with one last glance before turning to climb again. "From badges-a sign of service in a wealthy household, you know--ripped off."
"How did they find us in the middle of nowhere?"
"Luck." He thought for a moment and sighed. "Or someone told them about us at the last inn." He cursed.
"What ever for?"
"They're want the horses. Perhaps the spell books." He looked at her over for a moment, his eyes raking across her features, "or worse." High up the mountain, the tree line ended. They reached it in late afternoon, the ant men toiling upwards, alarmingly close. The path cut across the bowl of the mountain side, it's face scarred by an old avalanche. The narrow trail had a steep drop off and when they were half way across, rocks and dirt from the old avalanche obscured the path, leaving nothing but a rubble strewn slope.
I don't want to cross that. I really, really don't. The horses seemed of a like mind. They too were pulling back. All of them but Theo-and now he had stopped and turned, withdrawing his sword. The bandits had come.
As Zephyr watched six men started along the path, while the rest waited on the other side.
"You have to keep going," Theo said. Zephyr couldn't believe her ears.
"It'll be much harder to fight further on-keep going!" he said.
So she kept going, trying not to think about it, just taking one step at a time. The mule was tied to her horse. She gave a command and cluck to Theo's horse, a superbly well-trained charger. The horse raised a hoof, stopped then looked around at her. He gave her a look that plainly said you've got to be kidding. She clucked again, impatiently, and then reluctantly the animal began slowly picking it's way across.
She followed, leading her horse, while the mule, smarter than the rest of them, had to be urged on with the flat of Theo's blade. One they got going, as long as they kept going, she didn't hurry the animals. They could all go over together. Not only would she regret the loss of her life and the animals-but the mule's pack held the magic books they'd brought from the castle.
