Read The High King: Book Two of the 'Riothamus' trilogy for Free Online

glistening with unshed
tears.
    Aran was
aghast, “Whatever’s the matter now, Alissa? Of all people you can
tell me!”
    Alissa stared
into the bright afternoon sunlight, “Aran, you of all people I
cannot tell.”
    Aran shook his
head in confusion, “I don’t understand, Alissa, things seem so
different between us today. Have I done something wrong? I know I
was angry with you last night and I apologise deeply for any
hurt…”
    “It’s not
that.”
    Aran stared in
bewilderment at his friend, “Please tell me. I’m to be king,
perhaps I can do something.”
    Alissa turned
her head to regard him with despair naked in her eyes, “It’s just
that I want to come with you to the wars and I know you will refuse
me this.”
    Aran was
amazed, “Are you crazy woman! A battlefield is no place for…”
    “See I told
you so…” she interrupted, her voice bleak.
    Aran drew his
hand distractedly through his braided hair, “But why?”
    Alissa nudged
her horse into a slow walk, “I don’t know, however I feel deeply
that my place is there.” She stared at him, “I feel it within my
power.”
    Aran sighed he
knew all too well that the magepower afforded no argument, but to
ride to war. He shook his head at that thought.
    “You aren't
even a Guard,” he replied. “You would be killed in the first
battle.”
    Alissa’s chin
went up at that, “I’ve trained with the Guard all my life. You’ve
not seen me fight, but I am equal to the best in their ranks.”
    Aran
remembered Sentinal and the expert way she handled the weapons at
the swordsmith, “Aye you may well be so,” he admitted ruefully,
“But your father will have words to say. He will never agree.”
    Alissa turned
to Aran, “He would if the order came from his King.”
    Aran stared
levelly at the young woman riding beside him, “Why do you think I
would agree to have you come along? You may be my friend Alissa,
but aside from the fact you have some skill with a sword, really a
battlefield is no place for a young woman.”
    Hearing the
finality of his words Alissa turned resentfully away, then suddenly
she felt a wrench deep within and her gaze was dragged back to the
man riding by her side. Aran glanced again at Alissa hoping that
the anger and hurt had faded, but he was instead startled to see
that her green eyes had suddenly and briefly flared with power.
Seemingly a heartbeat later, he was enveloped by a wave of
inexplicable heat that passed though his body. For a moment, a
split second only, it seemed to Aran that he had briefly shared
Alissa’s spirit, her essence, her magepower. Also in that moment he
knew that he had no choice about the matter. Alissa had to ride to
war.
    “You felt it?”
Alissa was all eyes and nerves.
    Aran nodded,
“What did you do?”
    Alissa
shrugged nervously, “I honestly didn’t do anything. I felt a wrench
then my magepower just suddenly flared up and…for a moment I was
part of you.”
    “And I you,”
Aran replied, gnawing his lower lip. “I don’t understand what
happened or why you need to go with us, but you do have to go.” He
urged Spirit into a faster walk, “Let’s catch up with the others
and hurry them back to the Keep. I need to urgently talk to Captain
Taran and the Archmage. I must somehow persuade them that it is
imperative that you come along when we ride to war.”
    *
    “I cannot
allow it!”
    Captain Taran
was pacing backwards and forwards in the great hall whilst Archmage
Maran and Aran looked on sympathetically.
    “I mean she’s
liable to get herself killed on the first day.”
    Captain Taran
stopped his pacing and spun around to face the other two men.
    “Can this be
some kind of awful mistake?”
    The Archmage
shook his head, “I don’t understand it either Captain, but there is
no mistake. Alissa’s magepower is demanding her to come along.
Obviously there are deeper issues here than just the welfare and
comfort of your daughter.”
    “I’m not
thinking about her comfort