Free Stormwielder (The Sword of Light Trilogy Book 1) by Aaron Hodges

applied.
    “How is it?”
    “Better. There shouldn’t be any infection. It’ll heal, eventually.”
    Standing himself, Eric walked across to where they had tied the horses. “Hope you don’t mind, but I explored Briar’s saddle bags. I got hungry.”
    Reaching into the bag strapped to Briar’s side, he retrieved a strip of beef jerky. He tossed the lump of dried meat across to Alastair and fished out another for himself.
    “There wasn’t much in there but beef jerky and dried fruits.”
    Alastair smiled. “I was planning on buying supplies in Oaksville. Although I don’t generally carry much anyway.”
    Eric hesitated. “Is that why you were in Oaksville, for supplies?”
    The old man looked up at him. “Starting with the questions already? Can’t you let an injured old man finish his meal?”
    Eric scowled. “Not after listening to him snore all afternoon.”
    Alastair laughed. “I was in Oaksville for you, Eric. And before you bother asking, no, I cannot tell you how I knew you were there.
    Eric stared at the other man, slowly chewing the salty strip of meat. Eric had guessed some things had been left unsaid in Oaksville. Someone, or something, had sent Alastair to find him. The question of who was burning on his tongue, but Alastair’s expression made it clear there would be no headway there.
    He asked the other question consuming him. “ Why? ” he tried to keep his tone neutral, but his desperation still seeped into the question.
    “Because you have magic.”
    Eric heard the words Alastair spoke but his mind refused to process them. Suddenly he was struggling for breath, unable to breathe. His head throbbed. He felt a sharp pain in his palms and realised he was clenching his fists so hard his nails had punctured the skin.
    Finally, he shook his head. “That’s impossible. Only nobles have magic…”
    “No. While it’s true most of those with magic are powerful people the gift is not limited to royal families or the rich. It is passed down bloodlines from generation to generation.”
    “But neither of my… parents… had magic.”
    “Magic can lie dormant for generations, until it is all but forgotten, before reasserting itself,” Alastair paused for a long moment. “Such situations often have horrifying results.”
    Eric closed his eyes, unable to face the truth. No, it’s not possible! A trembling began in his arms and slowly spread until his whole body shook.
    “I… I thought it was a curse,” a curse was beyond his control, but magic? People could control magic.
    “I’m sorry, no. The power you possess is far too great for a curse. No one has such power they could waste so much on a curse.” 
    Eric sank to his knees and felt the mud begin to seep through his trousers. A gurgling, growling sob rumbled up from his chest. His fingers dug into the soft earth, grasping for something solid to cling too. His eyes never left Alastair’s.
    “Could I have stopped it? Could I have saved those people?”
    He regretted the question as soon as the words left his mouth. He was not strong enough to face the answer.
    It’s all your fault, a voice whispered in his mind.
    Strong hands clasped his shoulders and shook him. “Look at me, Eric!”
    Eric stared at the old man. “Tell me, Alastair.”
    “You could not have saved them, Eric. You could not have stopped the magic. Without training, magic responds to emotions like an extension of yourself, but once released there was no way to stop it. Only proper training would have allowed you to do so.”
    “It was still me though.”
    “It wasn’t your fault, Eric. Magic is a wondrous thing, when properly controlled. Yet it also has a mind of its own. It will do want it wants, when it can – especially to preserve itself. And a threat to you threatens it.”
    “It is a part of me though, and I could not control it,” he paused. “I need to learn how.”
    Silently he prayed Alastair could teach him. He had pledge to make amends for the deaths