Free The Callindra Chronicles Book One - First Quest by Benjamin Fisher-Merritt Page B

singing with the Power that coursed
through her during the exercise. When she finished and opened her
eyes, Glarian was looking at her with furrowed brow.
    “ I’m not certain that sword
will be able to survive the second Korumn; look how it is reacting
already.”
    The sword was trembling violently, the tip
moving nearly a hand span. Callindra stood up and whipped the blade
as she had read a sword fighter might do to shake an opponent’s
blood off the end. When her arm and sword were fully extended the
vibration ceased completely and the sword silenced itself.
    “ I think it will be just
fine Master, he’s flexible enough to handle it for a little while.
If I’m careful I think it will be OK.”
    Before he could stop her, she began the
second Korumn. The blade quivered and sang but just as she had
hoped, it held together. When Callindra finished, the whisper of
wind that calmly dispersed from the tip of the sword seemed
anticlimactic. She didn’t feel like a cored apple this time though,
in fact she felt absolutely energized even though her left leg
throbbed from the effort.
    “ Wow, that was amazing! Is
that how it always is?” Glarian was watching her carefully, a
mixture of pride and apprehension on his face.
    “ Yes, these exercises are
intended to make you ready for the day and that includes a feeling
of exuberance. Shall we begin the day’s training?”
    He led her a short distance to a small
meadow. There was a large pile of wood sitting next to a flat
stone.
    “ I want you to split this
wood; however you must not hit the stone. Hitting the stone would
damage the blade. Allow me to demonstrate, pay close attention.” He
lifted a section of tree trunk onto the stone, took a step back and
drew his sword.
    She watched him lift the six foot blade over
his head and bring it down with a savage motion, stopping just
above the wood, which shuddered and split in half with a sharp
crack.
    “ What just happened?” She
asked, “Could you show me again?”
    Without saying anything he put one of the
halves back on the stone. She intuitively schooled her mind and
started to see the other world he had exposed her to. The weave
gathered in an orderly and precise fashion around his body, in
through his nose and trickled down the blade of his sword from his
fingertips. When he stopped the sword over the wood, this time she
saw the magic continue to move, slicing it in half.
    “ Wind! It’s wind! Of course,
I should have guessed, ‘Master of the North Wind’ isn’t just a
Title is it?” Her voice was tinged with awe, “You really are the
master of the winds aren’t you?”
    Glarian nodded in satisfaction, “Split it
all. You’ll need to continue to perfect your control if you don’t
want to keep shattering swords.” He set a water skin and small
basket on the ground and turned back towards the house leaving her
to complete the task.
    Her first try accomplished nothing. On her
second try she managed to slam the sword far enough into the wood
that getting it out was a ten minute endeavor. She sighed and blew
her hair out of her face. This was going to be harder than she
thought.
    -
    Glarian watched his apprentice from a
hilltop. The task he had set her to was nearly impossible without
proper training but he had to push her harder than normal. Maybe
she could find a way to cut some corners and teach herself. He had
to rely on her innate creativity to tame and shape the incredible
power that swirled just beneath her skin.
    With her first few swings she appeared to
have forgotten what her task was and merely waved her sword at the
wood or got it stuck in it. After a moment she stopped and stood
quietly in the Ready Stance. Her shoulders relaxed and Glarian
could see the Weave begin to circle around her. When she raised her
sword over her head even at this distance he could feel wind rush
past his face towards her.
    She was using too much, but if he interrupted
her now it might be worse. Callindra brought the sword