Forging the Runes by Josepha Sherman

Author:Josepha Sherman [Sherman, Josepha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780671877521
Google: qNgOAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0671877526
Publisher: Baen
Published: 1996-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

The boy, thought Osmod, had been quite carefully selected. He was a nobody, one of the small, scrawny, unmemorable multitude of underservants at King Egbert's court, and very young. That last fact was, Osmod knew, the only way to be even remotely sure of his innocence. Innocence was, after all, out-and-out essential for this final, desperate attempt at scrying.

The boy was also very clearly nervous about being here in the ealdorman's chambers, particularly this late in the evening, particularly with no one else around.

"Don't be afraid," Osmod said to him, keeping his voice as gentle as possible given his impatience. "You won't be harmed if only you do what you're told. And," he added with sudden sharpness, "one thing I told you was not to watch me!"

No. Snapping at the boy was only going to make him so terrified that he would be useless. "I didn't mean to frighten you," Osmod crooned, and saw the faintest hint of relief. "And I won't hurt you. You want to help me, don't you?"

Half-hypnotized, the boy nodded, and Osmod smiled and continued his soft purr. "Of course you do. And all you have to do to help me is look into the bowl. That's right. Look into the bowl. Good boy. Look into the bowl, only into the bowl. See only the water. Very good. Empty your mind—don't flinch!" he added as he put his hands on the boy's narrow shoulders and felt the slight body tense. Biting back his annoyance, Osmod continued more gently, "Don't flinch. You won't be hurt. Just keep looking at the water, the clear pool, the mirror . . . look into the mirror . . . that's right. . . .

"Now, see him . . . see the prince . . . see Prince Ardagh . . ."

He gradually threw more and more of his will into the effort, overwhelming the boy's mind, joining that innocent young strength to his far-from-innocent own, feeling the doubled energy clearing his senses, letting him see more than what the boy saw . . . letting him see . . .

Ach, nothing.

No. Not quite nothing. There was the faintest tingling, the faintest misting of the water . . . far away, he realized suddenly. No wonder this was all so vague, so difficult to trace. The prince was astonishingly far away, and Osmod felt a chill run up his back at the thought of how much Power that transition must have taken. More Power than he even wanted to consider.

He really did disappear, he and his man as well.

Far away, yes . . . but there was something else troubling the image. Frowning, Osmod deepened his hold on the boys mind, drawing more and more strength from it. And all at once, with so sharp a shock that he nearly lost the image altogether, he realized the truth. Someone else—no, someones else was involved. No, no, more than merely involved: They were hunting the prince—no, Osmod corrected, for whatever reason, the one they sought was the prince's companion.

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