Free The Melaki Chronicle by William Thrash Page B

if one of the other merchants was already
headed there.
    Talin was fast, but how many of the others made it out
the gate ahead of us?
    A horse came trotting towards them on the remains of the
road.
    “Ah, here is the first of my summons.” Talin grinned,
pleased.
    He wondered if the wizard would require all three. Perhaps
he would have to do his own summoning. “Looks healthy,” he said.
    “What do you know of horses?”
    Melaki sighed. Talking just gives him an excuse...
    The road rose steadily, meandering in a fairly straight
line. They passed two more villages before the next horse appeared. It was a
large stallion, ears forward and nostrils flaring.
    “Very nice,” said Talin. “I believe this one is mine.”
    I bet you would trade it in an instant if the next one
came with flames shooting from its hooves.
    But the next one was a mare, gentle-looking. It was lean and
dirty, its head lowered a little, as if wary, chased, and forgotten.
    Talin sneered. “You can have that one. I will release it.
You take over the summons.”
    Melaki frowned. He patterned a different form of summoning
and brought the horse to him. She was frightened and her eyes rolled
occasionally, looking about. He reached up and patted her neck, soothing her.
He rubbed her nose and jaw gently. Whispering, he calmed the animal.
    “Too bad we do not have any tack,” said Talin.
    Of that, he agreed. He led the horse using his summons, not
placing his packs on her back.
    “By the gods, I summoned these so they could carry--”
    “When I am ready.”
    “Senseless fool.”
    He walked while Talin clambered onto the stallion. His two
horses whinnied as he used his summons to guide them.
    The mare was silent. He kept reaching up and stroking her
neck.
    They approached another village as the day began to darken
towards night.
    “We will shelter there,” Talin said.
    Walls around them would feel more comfortable against the
undead than tent walls – or sleeping out in the open.
    “Clean us up a place in that hovel and find a place to
secure the horses.”
    Melaki did more than that, to much complaint from Talin.
    “I asked you to clean--”
    Melaki dropped his scavenged tack next to the mare. “I am
not your maid--”
    “You are my aide and I require--”
    “I am a wizard of the ninth ward--”
    “You are nothing. You failed to pass the tenth--”
    “I refused to pass the tenth--”
    “Renta was right about you--”
    “I care not what that hag has to say.”
    “How dare you talk--”
    “Shut up, Talin. I am not in the mood to play your word
games.” He sorted the tack and dropped some by the stallion and the other horse
Talin had chosen.
    “Do not give me that weathered tack. Give me what you have
over there.”
    “I choose from what I find, wizard,” Melaki said. His voice
grated like iron against a grindstone. “If you want better, scavenge it
yourself.”
    Talin's face went hard. “You should never have been raised
in the Rukha. Your features are not Altanlean. Obviously some lesser stock of
savage. No wonder you are a failure.”
    Melaki was wore out. He ignored the other wizard. He chewed
on some dried meat and a block of cheese and then drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 5
     
    Melaki whispered to the mare, petting her neck. He harnessed
her with the tack he had found and placed his packs on her back.
    “The horse will carry you and your packs,” Talin said. “We
can just summon more when she dies.”
    He sighed.
    “You are not using summoning.” Talin's tone was an
accusation.
    “No, I am not.”
    “Your horse will run away.”
    “Maybe. Maybe not.” Melaki took the lead and drew the horse
along behind him.
    Talin pranced around on his irritated stallion and led the
other by a rein attached to his saddle.
    Eventually, the mare walked beside Melaki without having to
be pulled. He patted her neck constantly and whispered to her.
    “Summoning is easier.” The other wizard informed him in a
manner that implied he was