The Keeper of the Balance by Andrew Sharp

Author:Andrew Sharp [Sharp, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

1

“USALEM IS A LITTLE wary of Crunch,” said Remy. They had been travelling on the gausent Valentina had supplied them with for two days. They had stayed on the main routes, and wagons had passed them both ways with a reassuring frequency that made them feel safer from predator attacks. It would take them twenty or more days to reach the abandoned barracks and the mist back into Deline by road, but that wasn’t their plan.

“Crunch is no longer my familiar,” replied Beth.

Jamena and Duko looked back over their shoulders to Beth and Remy riding behind them with Joellen. Their expressions were ones of curiosity, but both turned forward again, asking nothing.

“I’ve given up my spellbinder magic.” Beth raised her voice slightly so the others could hear her clearly. “I realised when I discovered the healing magic that I could only have one kind and I kept the healing.”

“Wow,” exclaimed Remy, his eyes wide with surprise and astonishment. “Why would you do that? What do you know of this healing magic, the risks?”

“Joellen and I believe this healing magic is essential to push back the dark magic that is staining the stones.”

“But how can you fight now, without spellbinder magic?” Remy’s eyes were still wide, now with obvious uncertainty. “Are you still the Guardian? Can you still enter the stones?”

“I believe I’m still the Guardian, but I need to enter the stones to prove this.”

“But you—”

“I know,” said Beth, cutting Remy short. “I’m aware of the risk. But back to Crunch.” The large avemont had sidled up next to Beth and her gausent almost on cue. “I can no longer communicate with him as I did, but I still sense his mood, and there is some connection still, but I’m not sure how it works.” Beth stroked Crunch’s head as he brushed up against her right leg. “He’s still friendly, but I get a feeling he’s keen to be back free in the jungle and doing what is more natural to him.”

A shrill caw caused them all to look up. Usalem was flying above them but descending quickly to the road several yards ahead.

“Danger,” alerted Remy. “There’s trouble ahead.”

*

The gryphon paced ahead of the riders and Crunch bounded up beside her. Jamena readied her bow while both Joellen and Duko each unsheathed a lance from the carriers on the side of their gausent. Beth instinctively went to ready spellbinder magic only to find it void, so she unholstered one of her seedpistols. Remy, Beth knew, would be magic-ready. The riders matched their gait to the predators, who were on a steady trot ahead of them. Usalem was now equal in size to Crunch as the fearsome-looking duo went round the bend of the road towards the danger.

Whatever fight had occurred at the three wagons ahead was now over, but not by long. A young man levelled a pistol and fired at Crunch, missing, and Beth felt the slug narrowly miss her too.

“Hold,” hollered Beth. “We are friends, and the animals are with us.

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