Elminster_ The Making of a Mage - Ed Greenwood [29]
"Live? Why won't ye kill me, wizard? I know ye want to," Elminster said, with more stern bravado than he felt.
"Other magelords," the wizard quoted his own words mockingly, "have plans of their own." He laughed coldly. "As a prince of Athalantar, you have great value. If anything happens to Belaur-or it becomes necessary that something should happen to him-it would be very handy to have my own pet princeling hidden away, for use in the… unpleasantness that would ensue." The fork drifted a little nearer. "Of course, blindness won't hamper you when I transform you into… a turtle, perhaps, or a slug. Even better, a maggot! You can feed on the gore of your friends the outlaws when we slay them. If we can't catch any, of course, you'll go hungry…"
The mage's taunting voice trailed off into cold laughter. Elminster found himself drenched with sudden sweat as cold fear wormed its way up into his throat. He hung in the air, trembling and helpless, and closed his eyes.
An instant later, he felt them being forced open-and turned in their sockets until he was staring helplessly at the wizard. He found he couldn't speak any longer or make any sound short of the whistle of his breath.
"No screaming, now," the wizard said pleasantly. "We don't want you rousing the good folk of the inn-but I want to see your face when the fork goes in." Elminster could only stare in horror at the tine of the fork, looming closer, closer…
Behind the wizard, a side door swung silently open, and a stout man with a curling mustache leaned into the room, a heavy axe raised. He brought it down hard. There was a meaty thud, and the wizard's head lolled sideways as it was split. Blood flew-and Elminster and the fork both fell abruptly to the floor.
He was up in an instant, the Lion Sword in his hand, hurrying-
"Back, my prince!" the man roared, throwing out one huge hand to ward him away. "He may have spells linked to his death!"
The man himself took a pace back and watched the body narrowly, the bloody axe ready on his shoulder. Elminster watched, too, and saw the faint blue glows faded from everything except the mage's pendant. Then, slowly, he walked out of the stall. "That pendant is magical," he said quietly, "but I can see nothing else. My thanks."
The man bowed. "An honor, if you are what the magelord called you."
"I am," Elminster replied. "I am Elminster, son of Elthryn, who is dead. Helm Stoneblade said I could trust you… if you are the one called Broarn."
The man bowed again. "I am. Be welcome in my inn-though I must warn you, lord, that six armsmen sleep under this roof tonight, and at least one merchant who tells all he sees to magelings."
"This stable is palace enough," Elminster said with a smile. "I've run from wizards and armsmen across half the Horn Hills, to here… and was beginning to wonder where in the world I could be free of them."
"There is no place to hide from strong magic," Broarn said soberly. " 'Tis why men hold these lands now, and not the Fair Folk."
"I thought elven magic o'ermatched that of men," Elminster said curiously.
"If elven mages wielded it together, aye-but elves have little taste for war, and spend much of their time feuding with each other. Most of them are also… we would call it idle; they trouble themselves more about having a good time and less about doing things." The innkeeper reached back through the door he'd come in by, produced a blanket, and tossed it over the side of a stall.
"Human wizards know less," Broarn went on, stepping into the unseen passage beyond the door and reappearing with a covered serving platter and an old, battered tankard as large as El-minster's head, "but're always trying to find old spells or create new ones. Elven mages only smile, say they already know all they need to-or if they're arrogant, say they know everything there is to know-and do nothing."
Elminster saw a nearby stool and sat down. "Tell me more," he said. "Please. What that mage said about my simple ways is true enough. I would hear more of the way of the world, hereabouts."
Broarn