Free The Book of Deacon: Book 03 - The Battle of Verril by Joseph Lallo Page A

and then
turned to Lain and Ether.
    “We may as well capture the other two love
birds,” Ivy said, plopping down before them and quickly setting to
work.
    “Love birds?” Myranda questioned.
    “Oh, you didn't know? Ether is in love with
Lain,” Ivy said with a smirk as she worked.
    “The little beast doesn't know what she is
talking about,” Ether retorted.
    “She gave Lain permission to love her instead
of me,” Ivy snorted.
    “I was offering Lain an alternative to being
distracted by you,” Ether hissed.
    “Well he didn't take you up on it, did he,”
she giggled again.
    “Ivy, it isn't nice to make fun,” Myranda
scolded, all the while trying to keep from laughing herself.
    Truthfully, this glimpse into the way Ether
truly felt made Myranda respect her much more. They were not so
different after all. By the time the second sketch was through, the
mood had lightened greatly. Ether was, of course, silently furious,
but the remarks she had made were nearly forgotten. The drawing of
the other Chosen was, if anything, even more remarkable than the
one that preceded it. The quiet dignity and nobility of Lain came
through, and somehow Ether's aloofness and transitory nature seemed
to leap out at the viewer.
    “Do you mind if I keep drawing?” Ivy asked
after showing off her latest work.
    “Don't fill up Deacon's book,” Myranda
said.
    “Oh, I assure you she can't do that. Watch,”
Deacon said, taking the book and riffling through the blank
pages.
    After a few seconds it became clear that the
stack of fresh pages was not getting any smaller. He then flipped a
few pages back and the artwork that should have been buried in
hundreds of blank pages revealed itself.
    “It will never run out. Every note I have
ever written is still in this book, and I have a second that
features every last page of our library, but it is no larger than
this. I used to do much of my research at night, and the library
was off limits at that time, so I received special permission to
create a book that would link to it all. For some reason the spells
that deal with the books and my stylus are virtually the only ones
that will work through that confounded mountainside without any
difficulty,” he explained.
    Ivy blinked again.
    “So does that mean I can?” Ivy asked.
    “Later, when we are into Ravenwood. For now,
rest,” Lain said.
    “Oh. Alright,” Ivy reluctantly said.
    That day passed quickly, rest finally coming
easily to all. When they mounted and set off the next day, it was
with renewed speed. As before, the denseness and size of Ravenwood
would make tracking them difficult, and discovering them all but
impossible. It was, indeed, just less than an hour away when they
had sought shelter the night before. In no time they were among the
trees. As the thicket closed behind them, a tenseness was lifted.
The nagging feeling of fear, that any corner hid eyes that might
betray them to their enemies, quickly faded away. When Myranda
first set foot in this place, it was with fear. The forest itself
held the dangers that she shrunk away from. Now it was a
savior.
    Ivy seemed excited by the new surroundings.
For her there was much more to experience. There was a symphony of
sounds and a banquet of smells that was lost to Myranda and Deacon.
This was the first she'd seen of a true forest. She was a bundle of
energy, switching between riding with Myranda and riding with
Deacon, and even occasionally running up to be with Lain from time
to time. Lain tended to ignore her. He was far too engaged with his
diligent watch for anything that might threaten them. Ether,
however, was quite the opposite. She typically took her human form
when the young creature drew near and delivered a short but
scalding string of threats and insults to chase her away.
    There was certainly something to that talk
about her affection for Lain. She'd become downright possessive of
him. She had even taken to remaining among the flames only as long
as necessary so