Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III Read Online Free Page A

had either lived here or stayed for a time. Most of the visions were quick, foggy things. A glimpse of a tall, severelooking woman in a gown of gold. A creature like a wolf, but more upright, possibly of a race now dead.
    A few images were more distinct. Short-lived events like the one that Gwen had seen in the first days. It had been a wedding, but the image had lasted only long enough for her to hear the two participants give their agreement. There were other visions, darker ones, but they were rare and only those very gifted in sorcery even noticed the most ordinary memories. The Bedlams had learned to live with them, for there was nothing in those memories that could hurt anyone.
    “This was stronger than usual,” Cabe muttered. “But it did follow the pattern of the others. I’d just never seen this one before.”
    “There’s probably a lot we haven’t seen. When I was here the first time, in Nathan’s time, I experienced a few that I have yet to see again.” Her grip on him tightened. “Are you still suffering from it?”
    He shook his head. Even the last vestiges of it were no more than memories of a memory in his head. “I’m fine.”
    She nodded, but he could see that she was still not satisfied. Cabe knew that she was thinking of another possibility.
    “No, it wasn’t a Seeker. I know how their mindspeak feels and this wasn’t like that. This truly felt ancient . I could sense that. What I saw was something that had happened long ago, maybe even before the Dragon Kings, the Seekers, and the Quel had ever been, although I didn’t think humans went back that far in the history of the Dragonrealm.”
    His reply seemed to relieve her. She kissed him lightly, then cupped his chin in one hand. “Very well, but if it happens again, I want to know.”
    “Agreed.”
    They walked slowly down the hallway, their conversation turning to the more mundane concerns of managing what was turning into a small village. Both Toos the Regent, ruler of Penacles, and the Green Dragon, who controlled the vast forest region surrounding their home, insisted on adding to their already vast number of servants. With some effort, the Bedlams had increased the area covered by the protective spell of the Manor. The humans and drakes in their service already needed to build new homes, for the smaller buildings that made up the Manor estate could no longer hold everyone. Once Cabe had joked about slowly becoming master of a tiny but growing kingdom. Now, he was beginning to think that the joke was becoming fact.
    Their conversation came to an abrupt stop as something small dashed across the hall.
    “What was that?” Gwen’s brow furrowed in thought. “It almost looked like a . . . like a . . .”
    A twin of the first creature raced past in the same direction. This time, the two had a better look.
    “Were you going to say ‘a stick man’?” Cabe asked in innocent tones.
    Yet a third darted into the hall. This one paused and stared at the two huge figures despite having no eyes to speak of. Like the others, its head was merely an extension of the stick that made up its torso. Its arms and legs were twigs that someone had tied to the larger stick with string.
    Its curiosity apparently assuaged, the ludicrous figure scurried off after its brethren.
    “We have enough folk living here without adding these now,” the enchantress decided. “It might be a good idea to see where they’re going.”
    “Or where they came from,” added Cabe. “Do you want to follow them or should I?”
    “I’ll follow them. You find out who’s responsible, although I think we both know.”
    He did not reply. She was likely right. When tiny men made of twigs wandered the hallways of the Manor or bronze statues turned into large and lethal flying missiles, there could only be one person responsible.
    The stick men had come from the stairway leading to the ground floor. Cabe descended as swiftly as was safe; there was no telling if he might trip