Free The Weaving of Wells (Osric's Wand, Book Four) by Jack D. Albrecht Jr., Ashley Delay

foot. The foliage was dense, and the path was vague and easy to lose beneath the trees. Tree sprites chittered in the branches overhead, and Serha could often catch sight of one of the small, furry creatures leaping from limb to limb above them.
    Just as the muscles in her legs were protesting louder than her determination to reach the top could drown out, Serha saw a break in the trees up ahead and a swath of blue sky hugging the outline of a stone tower. Her breath caught in her throat, and she nearly jogged out from under the forest canopy. A carpet of soft grass cushioned her footfalls, and she crested the hill to find the tower at the center of a small lake in a crater. The bridge was just where she had said it would be. The rest of the party followed her up the hill, and she turned to see wide smiles and quiet nods of approval cast her way.
    Bridgett knelt down in front of Trevar. His eyes were wide as he looked up at the tower.
    “Are you ready? Do you think you can get us in?” Bridgett smiled at him warmly, and he returned the smile readily. He pulled his hand from his pocket and showed her the small stone rod. She nodded encouragingly and walked with him to the tower.
    Trevar used the stone he was holding to draw an arc of symbols on the wall. Bridgett watched expectantly for the symbols to begin glowing, just as she had seen at the Well of Strands in Angmar, but nothing happened. Trevar looked confused as he held his hand in the air after drawing the final symbol.
    “What’s wrong?” Bridgett asked. The irua boy looked distraught, shaking his head in distress. “Have you ever seen any well besides the one you took me to?” Again he shook his head no.
    “The symbols is not working. Wrong symbols?” His distress and confusion seemed to be regressing his recent grasp of the Common language.
    “I’m not sure. I don’t know what the symbols mean. Do you?” Trevar nodded at first, but he didn’t say anything. Then, he scrunched up his face a little and shook his head, staring down at the ground.
    “Oh, it’s going to be all right. We will figure something out.” Bridgett squeezed his shoulder and walked back over to the rest of the group.
    “Bridgett, what’s wrong?” Osric’s voice blatantly conveyed concern, but he couldn’t help but smile when he looked at her.
    “He wasn’t able to open the door. He thinks that the symbols he knows might not work for all of the wells.”
    “Blazing strands! I didn’t really have a backup plan for getting in.” Osric ran his hands through his hair.
    “I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.” Gus was perched on Serha’s shoulder.
    Osric looked over at him and grimaced. “Well, like it or not, I’m willing to hear it.”
    “Serha can get in,” Gus said slowly, “with the traveling spell.”
    “Absolutely not.” Osric glared over at him. “Have you forgotten what can happen when someone uses the spell without being able to see the destination? It’s too risky.”
    “Do you have a better idea?” Gus puffed out his little chest and glared back. Osric’s shoulders sagged.
    “No, but you’re right. I don’t like it.” Osric looked at Serha. “It isn’t a decision I can make, though. Do you understand how the spell works?” Serha nodded. “This is more dangerous than any other time we have ever used the traveling spell. Not only can you not see the location you are trying to travel to, but the only way you have ever seen it is in a vision. There is no way to know what is inside the tower now. It is entirely possible that attempting this will kill you.”
    “Osric, we can’t let her do that. We don’t know what will happen to her,” Bridgett objected vehemently.
    “Actually, my dear, you cannot stop me.” Serha squared her shoulders and looked at Osric. “Tell me what I should do to succeed.”
    “Serha, did you hear anything I just said? I’m really not sure it is possible. You could die.”
    “So, I just have to have a