Free The Ways of Mages: Starfire by Catherine Beery Page A

forest side .” Locating it the bird lifted his wings and dove. All the while the little Moleci screamed curses into Razya n’ s feathers. Seconds before they could splat into the roof, Razyan pulled up and landed in a flourish .“ Show off, you could have killed me !” The moleci whimpered as he tumbled from the bir d’ s back.
    “ What, you do n’ t trust me ?” Razyan asked innocently.
    “ I t’ s hard to trust anybody when they are diving head first to a hard roof .” Zeeve grumbled.
    “ Would you prefer I barrel rolled ? ”
    “ Shut up and good bye . ”
    “ Wait moleci ,” Zeeve stopped moving toward the chimney .“ You mentioned Kadrean was here. Where?
    “ At the headma n’ s house. There .” Zeeve pointed.
    “ Thanks . ”
    “ Hmm .” The little Moleci hauled the bag and himself to the chimney and disappeared from sight.
                 
    ***
     
    Kadrean was in the room he had been given. It was simple with its furnishings. There was a window across from the door. A bed rested next to the window. A closet was stationed to the right of the door and a small writing desk was right inside the door to the left. He reclined on the bed, thinking. This town, Plarn he believed it was called, was strange.
    What he had told the headman about being on his way to Ronair had been true, but what he did n’ t say was he was taking a detour. He had passed the Teheadrillion Mountains for years, but never once along those trips did he notice Plar n’ s Pass road. It was not well used, that was clear, but neither was it taken over by forest.   Granted, there were other roads leading to mountain villages, but on resent maps, there were none that came to a town called Plarn. Plarn was n’ t even on the maps. He knew, he was studying one!
    Ta p… Tap Ta p… Ta p… Kadrean looked up, searching for the noise. Tap . He peered at the window. There on the sill was a Red-wing black bird. It eyed him impatiently. Kadrean walked over to the window, unlatched it, and let the bird in. In a flurry the red-wing swept in. He flitted about the room once. He passed the desk, the closed door, the closet, and then settled on the bed next to the map. Kadrean closed the window.
    “ Hello Razyan .” The Red-wing blinked. An emerald haze blanked the bird. When it lifted, Razyan the man was there.
    “ It still puzzles me how you can tell .” Razyan said with a slight frown .“ I did n’ t talk or anything .” The thing was, Kadrean could tell a mage-animal from a true animal. He always had the ability; even before he knew he was a wizard. Razyan, who was a scientist/ scholar by nature, had been trying different experiments to see what exactly Kadrea n’ s magic used to tell mages from animal. So far, he could only say that somehow, Kadrean could feel anothe r’ s magic without concentrating like other mages. That answer was too vague for Razyan. He wanted to know exactly how it happened. Kadrean, on the other hand, did n’ t really care. It was a nice ability to have and it had saved him from a few embarrassing situations.
    Kadrean shrugged .“ I could n’ t tell you. I just know . ”
    “ Really ?” Razyan asked raising a thick black eyebrow. He crossed his arms, capturing Kadrean with his dark green eyes.
    “ Well, it could be I have seen you change so many times that I can just recognize tiny details that most people would miss .” Kadrean said with another shrug. That was Kadrea n’ s only explanation.
    “ Hmm .” Razyan looked down at the map beside him. He picked it up .“ Trying to plan where you are going next ? ”
    “ No .” Kadrean replied .“I’ m not . ”
    Razyan looked up at him with a question in his eyes.
    “ Do you see a town called Plarn anywhere on that ?” Kadrean gestured for Razyan to read the map .“ Do you see any town where this one is supposed to be ? ”
    Razyan studied the map with a frown .“ No .” He said at last, returning his gaze to Kadrean .“ Is this the