Free Spellbreakers by Katherine Wyvern

at the child’s birth.
    It might have been the story of some inferior tragic
ballad, a pretty worthless, crummy tale, really, but for the fact that the
tragic ballad had left Daria behind. The bastard daughter of a handsome but
lowly stable master, her destiny would have been quite uncertain, if Dee had
not spoken up for her, out of affection and respect for his cousin’s memory.
She had been raised at Castel Argell instead of being exiled to some discreet
home where she could be decently forgotten. Dee had always kept an eye on her,
but trying not to interfere too much in her life, because he was frankly too
amused by what she had become.
    She was, not to put too fine a point to it, a terrible
brat. Dee knew for a fact that she regularly drank and diced with the stable
hands and guards and that she was perfectly familiar with every tavern and pot
shop in the town; she had an easy, open way with people and was perfectly
comfortable with the small folk of the castle and all sort of exotic characters
that came and went from Argell at markets and fairs. She had always been
independent to the point of recklessness. Perhaps she was a hazard. Perhaps she
was the best companion Leal could have on the road. She was wholly
devoted to her lady and friend.
    Leal needed someone faithful, trustworthy, practical,
and quick-witted, someone with some knowledge of the world. Even if she had had
an unusually liberal upbringing, for a royal princess, Leal would be utterly
lost out there on her own.
    For all his pondering, the deciding consideration in
the end was love. In truth, whatever he may say, he was sick to the heart
thinking of his Leal married to Black Admund. He was a monster, by all
accounts, and it would be a criminal waste to send her off to Yllmenau alone to
be wed. He could not help thinking that it was better for Leal to be lost in
the wild somewhere in the wild with Daria than married to him. However far-fetched
this plan may be, it would put Leal out of Admund’s reach. One
way or another.
    And so it was that the next morning, he summoned the
two girls to his library.
    ****
    “I believe that I can see to it that you are not
missed for a day or two. I will think of something,” said Dee gravely, pacing
up and down the library.
    Leal took a deep breath of relief. He was wearing an
old dusty robe, and he looked utterly exhausted, but also totally determined.
All the misgivings and uncertainties of yesterday had gone. During the night he
had made his mind up, and he was going to help her.
    “In that time you must get past the border and into
Hassia. I do not think Guillem will send out a search party abroad. It might be
impolitic. We are not at war with Hassia, but with the Challenge standing
things are tense nonetheless. It would be good for you two to be careful, too.
Try not to look like you are hiding, but do not go looking for trouble either.
The less you speak to people the better. Now here...” he drew out a large chart
of the western kingdoms beautifully penned on a whole sheepskin, and spread it
on his desk, weighing down the corners with four heavy books. “...here you see
the main merchant road from Escarra to Yllmenau. It goes all the way from
Castel Argell to the Konigsee and then north to Weltmund. I would not travel on
it within Escarra. Even disguised you might be recognized. There are many
smaller ways that go down in the same direction. But past the border it is the
easiest and safest road for you. It is well guarded against outlaws; there are
inns, good grazing and fountains all along. You should be able to make fairly
good time on it, with decent horses. It could bring you all the way to the
capital and beyond. Unless you prefer to travel on the
Langwasser. This is the Long Water of Hassia, here...” he showed a blue
line which crossed the road a couple of inches north east of the Escarran
border. “It is a pretty literal name—the whole Hassian language is somewhat
bald, if you ask me—but it gives