Red Magic

What began as a soft humming sound that Bre

Wynter placed a hand on Bre

"But what about Galvin?" she shouted, trying to be heard above the tumult in the cavern.

"He told us to get out. We should have listened!" Wynter shouted. "Besides, he can fly out of here! I can't!"

The centaur turned and trotted as fast as he could down the narrow shaft. Bre

Inside the deep chamber, the darkenbeasts screamed as chunks of the ceiling continued to pelt them, killing many and injuring others so they could no longer fly.

The druid had so far managed somehow to avoid the stones. Now he sang once more through his darkenbeast mouth, and the rumbling grew in intensity.

Maligor fell to his knees, unable to stand in the wildly trembling cavern. The Red Wizard screamed as the rocks continued to pummel him, crushing his bones, burying him and making his body a permanent inhabitant of the mine he so wanted to control.

Yet Galvin's magic had been more effective than he had pla

Still in pain from the red shards Maligor had hurled at his chest, Galvin began flapping his wings madly, flying from the chamber and swerving crazily to avoid the falling chunks of ceiling.

Faster and faster the druid flew, through one shaking, twisting shaft after another, until he feared he was hopelessly lost. Soaring into a small chamber filled with buckets of ore, the druid spotted picks lying at odd angles and hoped the miners who had been here had fled when the quake began. Three tu

The mountain groaned again, and the tu

At last Galvin shot into a large chamber filled with blue light. The floor was littered with the bodies of Szass Tam's undead. Continuing his panicked flight, he entered the tu

A deafening crash sounded behind him, and he didn't have to look back to know it signaled the collapse of the large chamber. He continued his course for what seemed an eternity. He spotted miners and guards ru

Galvin's wings beat faster, spurred on by the crashing sounds of rock behind and below him. He watched the shaft shudder and saw torches fall from their sconces along the rock wall. Support beams buckled, and he felt himself being pelted by chunks of rock that dropped from the ceiling.

Faster he flew, staying just behind the slave miners as he heard the beams and rock groan behind him under the weight of the mountain. A rush of stale air passed him, evidence that the tu

Flapping his wings still harder, the druid propelled himself from the main shaft and out onto the plateau beyond. Galvin collapsed on the rumbling plateau, gasping for air and willing his darkenbeast form to vanish. The leathery skin burned horribly under the sun's light as the hide receded, revealing scratched and bruised human skin. Bre

"It's Galvin! He made it!" She began to sob uncontrollably with the release of pent-up emotions.

The centaur moved through the crowd and bent forward, extending his hand. Galvin took it and let himself be helped to his feet.

"Let's get out of here," the druid said, putting his arm about Bre

Epilogue

Three days later, the heroes eased themselves down the steep bank of the First Escarpment, a task that seemed surprisingly simple now, even for Wynter, after their ordeals in Thay.

Although Aglarond was not as verdant as Thay, the trio thought they had never seen anything more beautiful than the untainted land that spread out before them. They threaded their way along the River Umber, stopping only to bathe in the cool water and wash away the grime and memories of the struggle in the mine.

Galvin knew Thay's economy would suffer because of the mine's collapse, and that the Red Wizards would be furious. But he also knew the mines would eventually reopen. The wizards had more than enough magic to repair them.

"What will you do now?" Bre

The centaur shrugged and ran a callused hand across the top of his head. "I'm not sure. Rest for a few days, certainly, then report to the Harper council about what went on. After that, I don't know."

Bre

The druid stared ahead, watching a doe drink deeply from the river. The animal tilted its head in their direction, then bounded away. "Go home," he said simply.

"You could make a home for yourself back in Glarondar where I live," she said, smiling up at him.

Galvin returned her smile, then shook his head.

The trio broke through the line of willows and birches and emerged into a plain of wild wheat-the same plain Bre

"You've proved you can handle the wilderness," the druid said, glancing at Bre

"The water and food are free, Bre

The enchantress followed his gaze, then stared toward the west, toward Glarondar, the tallest buildings of which she could just make out in the distance.

"I-I can't," she stammered.

"I know."

The druid realized that each of them had grown to accept the other's lifestyle and respect it. But living in that lifestyle would be too drastic a change.

"Wynter will take you home," he said simply.

"I'll miss you," she said softly, her eyes moist.

Galvin pulled her gently to him, wrapping his arms about her. "I won't be so far away. I'll come when you need the Harpers' help again." He kissed her and she returned his embrace, then rested her chin on his shoulder and gazed toward the First Escarpment, tears ru

In the distance, she spied a rain cloud, heralding another storm over Thay.