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.But they had all been dead for many years, and the rest of the Ohmsford family had died out.Coran hadGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmltold him so. Your magic is the legacy of your family, Bek. The Druid looked back over the railing into the gloom. It was absorbed by Wil Ohmsford into his body hundreds of years ago when he used the Elfstones tosave the lives of two women, one who became the Ellcrys, one who became his wife.His Elven bloodwas too thin to permit him to do so safely, and he was altered irrevocably.It didn t manifest itself in himso much as in his children, Brin and Jair, who were born with the use of magic in their voices, just as youwere.It was strong in both, but particularly in the girl.Brin had the power to transform living things bysinging.She could heal them or destroy them.Her power was called the wishsong.He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.Bek was watching him closely now. The magic surfaced inother generations, but only sporadically.It was five hundred years before it returned in a meaningful way.This time, it appeared in the brothers Par and Coil Ohmsford, who fought with me and with the ElfQueen Wren Elessedil against the Shadowen.The magic was strong in Par Ohmsford, very powerful.Hewas your greatgreatgrandfather, Bek.He shifted away from the railing and faced the boy anew. I m related to you, as well, though I wouldn tcare to try to trace the lineage.We are both scions of Brin Ohmsford.But whereas you inherited her useof the wishsong, I inherited the blood trust bestowed on her by Ailanon as he lay dying, the trust thatforetold that one of her descendants would be the first of the new Druids.I was that descendant, though Ididn t want to believe it when it was revealed to me, didn t want to accept it afterwards for a long time.Icame to the Druid order reluctantly and served with constant misgiving.His sigh was soft and wistful. There.It s said.We are family, Bek, you and I joined by blood as wellas by magic s use. His smile was bitter. The combination allowed me to summon you on Shatterstonewhen we were under attack, to connect with you through your thoughts when I could not do so with theothers.It wasn t a coincidence that I called to you. I don t get it, Bek blurted out in confusion. Why didn t you tell me this before? Why did you keep it asecret? It doesn t seem so bad.I m not afraid of my magic.I can learn to use it.It can help us, can t it?Isn t that why I was asked to come? Because I have the magic? Because I m an Ohmsford?The Druid shook his head. It isn t so simple.In the first place, use of the magic carries a terribleresponsibility and a very real threat to the bearer.The magic is powerful and sometimes unpredictable.Using it can be tricky.It can even be harmful, not just to others but to you, as well.Magic often reacts asit chooses and not as you intend; your attempts to control it can fail.It isn t necessarily good that youknow you have it and can call it forth.Once you have unearthed its existence, it becomes a burden youcannot put down.Ever. But it s there nevertheless, Bek pointed out. It isn t as if I had a choice about adopting it.Besides,you brought me on this journey to use my magic, didn t you?The Druid nodded. Yes, Bek.But there is more to it than that.I brought you for the use of your magic,but I brought you for another reason, as well a more compelling one.Your parents and your sisterwere the last of the Ohmsfords.There were others, distant cousins and so forth, but your father was thelast direct descendant of Par Ohmsford.He married your mother and they lived in the hamlet of JentsenClose not far from the northeast edge of the Rainbow Lake, in a part of the farming community off theRabb Plains.They had two children, your sister and you.Your sister s name was Grianne.She was threeyears older than you, and signs of the wishsong s magic appeared in her very early.Your fatherrecognized those signs and sent for me.He knew of the connection between us.I visited you when youwere still a baby and your sister only four years of age.Because of my Druid experience, I was able toGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlrecognize the magic not only in your sister, but in you as well.He paused. Unfortunately, the Morgawr discovered the existence of this magic as well.The Morgawrhas lived for a very long time, hidden away in the Wilderun.He may have been an ally of the Shadowen,but he was not one of them and was not destroyed as they were.He surfaced about fifty years ago andbegan to expand his influence to the Federation.He is a powerful warlock, with ties to the EastlandMwellrets and shapeshifters.It was because of these ties that I learned about his interest in your family.Iwas friends with Truls Rohk by then, and several times he followed shapeshifters that had gone to yourhome.They didn t do anything but observe, but it was a clear warning that something wasn t right.He stopped talking as a clutch of Rovers came down off the aft decking and moved to the forwardstairway.Their work for the night was finished, and they were eager for sleep.One or two glanced over,then looked quickly away.In seconds, the Druid and the boy were alone again. I should have realized what was happening, but I was preoccupied with trying to form a Druid Councilat Paranor. Walker shook his head. I didn t act quickly enough.A band of Mwellrets dressed in blackcloaks and led by the Morgawr killed your parents and burned your house to the ground.They made itlook like an attack by Gnome raiders.Your sister hid you in a cold room off the cellar and told them youwere dead when they took her.It was Grianne they wanted all along, for her magic, for the power of thewishsong.The Morgawr coveted her.His intent was to subvert her, to make her his disciple, his studentin the use of her magic.He tricked her into believing that the blackcloaked Mwellrets were Druid led andinfluenced.I became the enemy she grew up hating.All of my efforts to change that, to rescue her, togain her trust so that she might discover the truth, have failed.He gestured toward the enfolding wall of mist. Now she hunts me, Bek, somewhere out there on thatother airship. He looked at the boy. Your sister is the Ilse Witch.They stood for a while without speaking, looking off into the void where the woman who had once beenGrianne Ohmsford tracked them.The enormity of Walker s revelation settled over Bek.Was it the truthor was the Druid playing games with him here, as well? He had so many questions, but they all jumbledtogether and screamed at him at once.He did not know what he was supposed to do with what he hadbeen told.He could see the possibilities, but he could not make himself consider them yet [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]