Elminster_ The Making of a Mage - Ed Greenwood [79]
Baerithryn smiled. "I promise." He reached out and stroked her cheek, and as his spell sent her instantly to sleep, caught her shoulder and lowered her tenderly to the mossy ground.
Then he settled down beside her and stroked her cheek again. In her little time left in the forest, he would keep careful watch over this weapon against the magelords. More than that: he would keep careful watch over this precious friend.
Nine
THE WAY OF A MAGE
The way of a mage is a dark and lonely one. This is why so many wizards fall early into the darkness of the grave-or later into the endless twilight of undeath. Such bright prospects are why the road to mastery of magecraft is always such a crowded one.
Jhalivar Thrunn
Trail Tales of the North
Year of the Sundered Shields
A flame was suddenly dancing above the rock, in air that had been empty a moment before. Elmara caught her breath. "Mystra?" she asked, and the flame seemed to brighten for a moment in response-but then it faded away into nothingness, and there was no other reply.
Elmara sighed and knelt beside the pool. "I hoped for something more."
"A little less pride, lass," Braer murmured, touching her elbow. " "'Tis more than most of my folk ever see of the Lady."
She looked at him curiously. "Just how many of the People worship Mystra?"
"Not many… we have our own gods, and most of us have always preferred to turn our back on the rest of the world and all its unpleasantnesses and keep to the old ways. The problem is that the rest of the world always seems to reach out and thrust blades into our backsides while we're trying to ignore it."
El grinned at his words, despite their tragic meaning." 'Backsides'? I never thought to hear an elf say that."
Braer's mouth crooked. "I never thought to see a human hear an elf say it, if it comes to that. Do you still think of us as unearthly tall and thin noble creatures, gliding around above it all?"
"I-aye, I suppose I do."
The elf shook his head. "We have you fooled with the rest, then. We're as earthy and as untidy as the forest. We are the forest, lass. Try not to forget that as you walk out into the world of men."
" 'Walk out'?" Elmara frowned at him. "Why d'ye say that?"
"I can't help but read your thoughts, Lady. You've been happier here than ever before in your short life-but you know you've learned all you can here that'll make of yourself a better blade against the magelords… and you grow restless to move on."
He held up a hand as she made a small sound of protest, and went on. "Nay, lass; I can see it in you and hear it in you, and for you it is right. You can never be free, never be yourself, until your parents have been avenged and you've set Athalantar back to what you think it should be. You're driven by this, and it's a burden no one in Faerun can lift but you, by doing the deeds you've set yourself." He smiled wryly. "You didn't want to leave Farl, and now you don't want to leave me. Are you sure you shouldn't stay a woman the rest of your days?"
Elmara made a face and added softly, "I didn't know I had a choice."
"Not yet, perhaps, but you will… when you start to become a realm-shattering archmage. Thus far, you've become familiar with magic, and by the grace of Mystra call up and shape what slumbers in the land around. Did you truly think this prayer, now, and all the others each night, were wasted?"
"I-"
"You've begun to fear so, yes. I'm telling you differently," Braer said almost sternly and stood up in a single smooth movement. He reached down a hand to assist her to rise and added, "I'll miss you, but I won't be sad or angry; 'tis time for you to move on. You'll return when you must. My task hasn't been to teach you spells that'll blast magelords and their dragon steeds out of the sky, but to teach you familiarity with magic and wisdom in the use of it. I am a priest of Mystra, yes-but there's a priestess of Mystra greater far than I am. You must go to see her soon, outside the forest. Her temple is at Ladyhouse Falls, and she knows more of the ways