Free Haven Magic by B. V. Larson Page A

kind.
    “Greetings, good folk of the River,” she said, her voice booming in the storm. “I am Gudrin of the Talespinners.”
    They all nodded politely and introduced themselves. Corbin and Brand moved to help pull the boat up out of the water, so that it would not capsize during the night with the weight of the snow, but Modi waved them off with his large hands. Stumping down into the freezing water, he grabbed ahold of the boat’s prow and dragged it up onto the shore single-handed. Lifting up two heavy packs, he unloaded the boat. Then without a word to anyone, he moved back to Gudrin’s side, slinging one of the heavy packs over each shoulder.
    With Corbin and Brand trailing behind the party marched back up the hill to the house. When inside they stoked up the fire to a cheery blaze and Corbin worked in the kitchen to feed them something. After his guests had settled and been given steaming mugs of hot spiced tea, Jak asked them if they had caught sight of Myrrdin.
    Gudrin looked up sharply at the name. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. She seemed to hold the package under her arm closer to her chest. Her eyes burned into Jak’s, and for a moment Jak’s face seemed emotionless, frozen. Then Gudrin nodded, as if to herself or someone unseen, and lowered her head. “Yes, yes, we’ve seen Myrrdin, but not for some time. It is he, in fact, that we’ve come to find.”
    Jak explained why they were on Rabing Isle rather than attending the festivities at Riverton.
    “So Myrrdin is not in the Haven to maintain the Pact?” asked Gudrin. “That is bad news indeed. I can think of nothing that would delay him from such an important task. Yes, bad news indeed. I believe it is as the signs portend.” She sighed and shook her head. She sipped her spiced tea, while Modi still eyed his mug doubtfully. “Ah, thanks for the refreshment. It has been a long journey.”
    “I assume you hail from the North?” asked Jak.
    Gudrin nodded, doffing her hat and cloak. “We came to the light,” she said.
    “The light?” said Telyn, leaning forward. “How could you see a light in such a storm?”
    Gudrin turned to face Telyn, who had been staring at her intently for some time. “And you, my fair lady,” she said. “Where do you hail from?”
    Their eyes locked for a few moments, and then Telyn dropped hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Brand could not hold his tongue. “She is Telyn of the Fob clan,” he told Gudrin. “She is from Riverton, on Stone Island.”
    Gudrin looked at him, and for a moment Brand felt the power in her eyes and knew why the others had been acting strangely. Those eyes were incredibly blue and as deep as the open sea—as wide as the sky on a clear summer’s day. There was something there, something he’d never seen before. Gudrin gave him just a flash of her eyes before returning her gaze to Telyn. Brand swallowed in relief when Gudrin’s attention shifted.
    She eyed Telyn a few moments longer and Telyn, for her part, bravely returned her gaze this time for several seconds before again dropping her eyes. Gudrin pursed her lips and nodded. She tapped the package clamped under her arm. Brand had the sudden impression that it was a large book of some kind, probably wrapped up to protect it from the river and the weather.
    “Children shouldn’t play with flint and tinder, lest they burn more than tallow and timber,” Gudrin quoted. Brand half remembered the old rhyme from his childhood, but he was at something of a loss to understand its meaning now.
    Telyn, however, jumped as if struck. Her hands twined about one another. Brand realized Gudrin suspected Telyn had used magic, and that she could be right.

Chapter Seven
    The Shade

    It was then, in the awkward moment of silence that followed, that Brand saw the rucksack on Gudrin’s back jump, just a little. It was really more of a twitch, as if something inside had suddenly moved or shifted uneasily. He wondered