The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

everything; it would take me forever to make decisions.I’m also a failure when it comes to trusting the judgments ofothers,” she said, resisting his suggestion.

He stared at her thoughtfully for amoment before taking a risk, “Is that what happened withPenny?”

The temperature in the room seemed todrop several degrees as she focused her eyes squarely upon him. “Inwhat sense?”

“Your failure to trust the judgment ofothers,” he stated bluntly. He refused to back away from the point,but he did take a large swallow of his wine to help brace him incase he had gone too far.

“I wasn’t trying to force her intoanything. I just want her to start thinking now, while she has timeto anticipate the future. If she keeps her head in the sand, she’llbe caught off-guard when they start putting pressure on her!” sheshot back. She seemed to lose her normal calm whenever the subjectcame up.

Dorian finished his cup. “She isn’t aninformant or an associate, nor is she an ally, she’s your friend.It isn’t your job to correct her thinking.”

Rose’s eyes lit with fire now, “Whatsort of friend would I be if I let her make a terriblemistake?”

“People make mistakes. It’s part ofliving,” Dorian said evenly. “You gave her your advice already. Nowall you can do is offer your support. Continuing to press yourargument on her will only make you into an additional problem forher. It’s time to lock ranks and stand by your friend, even if youdisagree with her choices.”

“And if her choices bring her to evengreater tragedy?”

“You face it with her.”

Rose scowled. “She has a family. Wehave a family. If she gets stubborn and brings herself to ruin,what of us? Do I drag my own family into a calamity by supporting afriend that could have avoided the problem by making sensiblechoices?”

Dorian rose and walked tostare out the window, gazing at the colors painted by the sunset.“You’re overthinking it. Sure, sometimes we make mistakes and onething can lead to another and before you know it the wholeworld can fall intoruin. Most of the time though, you stick up for your friends, andwhen trouble comes it decides maybe it should back off, because youand your friends are too strong to take on when you’re alltogether. People aren’t chess pieces, and there aren’t any perfectmoves. You stick by your friends, and if one of you gets a bloodynose, well—maybe you all get a bloody nose, and maybe those thatdid it learn not to mess with you. Most of the time nothingterrible happens at all, and everyone just goes on with theirlives.”

Lady Rose stared at hisback. Sometimes I think he’s thestupidest, most stubborn man I’ve ever met, and then he sayssomething like that. Stepping forward sheput her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. “I shouldapologize to Penny, shouldn’t I?” she admitted.

“You would have figured that outsooner or later,” he said quietly.

She pressed her cheek into his back,feeling the firmness between his shoulder blades. “Maybe. She is myclosest friend. You are a wise man Dorian. I could learn a thing ortwo about such things from you.”

Their discussion of friendship hadsent Dorian’s mind into the past. “I’m probably not the best personto lecture anyone on that subject,” he stated darkly.

“Why would you say something likethat?” she murmured from behind him. She immediately regretted thequestion though, for she knew where his thoughts were headednow.

“Because all my friends are dead,” heanswered softly.

She squeezed him harder. “Let’s bothjust shut up now. Neither of us is very bright sometimes, talkingabout such things right before dinner.”

He stood still and after a moment heturned, to embrace her fully. Neither spoke, they had had enough ofconversation. They held each other for a long time and shared theirsorrow in silence. As usual he did not cry, and she pretended notto notice the wet drops falling on her shoulders. By the time thebell rang announcing dinner, they both had dry eyes.

Chapter 10

I left Castle Cameron and the town ofWashbrook on foot. I considered taking a horse, since I meant toreturn to Albamarl, and the idea of using one of my teleportationcircles there had lost its appeal. My experience at the working endof a Sun-Sword had taught me more caution and I didn’t want to riskanother confrontation. With the armor I had on, the enchantedflames would be less of a danger to me. The greater risk was that Imight hurt one of my former friends.

I had a better mount in mindanyway.

Once I was several milesfrom the nearest farmer’s cot, I brought out the small figurinethat was linked with Gareth Gaelyn, his aystrylin. Holding it in my hand, Isent my thoughts into it, I need yourwings. Come to me.

I couldn’t be sure of how distant hewas, but I knew he could cover most distances within Lothion inless than a day. Even flying from its most remote border to theopposing side would take less than two days. The dragon wasfast.

My own flying method, using myenchanted stones, was potentially even faster but I wanted to talkto Gareth anyway.

While I waited I spent the afternoonexperimenting with my new condition. I had drawn on the powerstored within the Iron Heart Chamber. I had started slowly, unsureof myself despite what Karenth had said. When I reached the pointat which I knew I should have been at my normal limit, I becameexceedingly nervous. The caution I had developed during my years asa wizard was difficult to abandon. When nothing untoward happenedto me, I drew more power. It had taken me hours, drawing it firstin small portions but then later in huge gulps as I grew moreconfident.

I now held virtually all of Karenth’sformer strength within me.

The biggest disappointment had beenthe lack of feeling. I had hoped that perhaps since the aythar hadoriginally come from human worshippers it would restore myemotions, which were again beginning to fade. Apparently the aytharneeded to come directly from the source for that to happen.Acquiring it second hand seemed to strip it of whatever quality itwas that produced the passion, the vitality, of a living humanbeing.

In short, I would still need to feeddirectly from