Chapter 2 Newhaven

Lysander ducked another branch as his horse walked the trail through the woods. He looked at the men ahead of him and glanced back at the ones on the trail behind.

Normally he would never let himself be surrounded like this , but he had felt the goodwill of the bandits. He had agreed to come with them to their camp where he would teach them how to get the food they desperately needed.

"How far are we from the camp" He asked quietly of the man directly ahead of him.

"Another candlemark, perhaps two" he replied.

Some time passed as Lysander thought about what he would do to help the bandits, occasionally he would stop them and point out a plant he knew was edible and they would gather it.

He made sure they didn't take it all at one time and showed them how to mark the place so they could come back later when it had a chance to grow back. He shook his head wondering how these men who lived here didn't know these things.

Eventually Lysander had to dismount so that they could load the extra food on his horse, he also took up a load himself. After a time a it began to mist.

Lysander put his hood up,he hoped it didn't turn into a true rain. Even with the food the men ate as they walked there was a large haul by the time they broke through the trees into the clearing the bandits had made their camp in.

Gabrael the leader of the group said "Behold Newhaven".

Another man muttered "home away from home".

Lysander looked in disbelief at the children running towards and around the returning group.

The women hung back when they saw him with the men. They looked at him with distrust. The commotion brought a man from one of the buildings near the center of the clearing. Though he was large, his clothing hung on his frame.

He frowned as the group approached. "We take no ransoms , it is too dangerous. Why did you bring a stranger here" he asked. Lysander shrugged his hood down and looked at the man.

At his words the women came closer, one coming to the man's side. A child came up staring at Lysander. He looked like the man who seemed in charge.

The woman hugged him to her as he nodded and looked at his father. "that's him" he said.

Lysander didn't like the sound of this, no one should have ever heard of him here.

"I'm mayor Kedrick and this is my wife Redda and my youngest Raver" Lysander's confusion must have shown because Kedrick said" Raver's got the sight, he saw you coming a week ago". "He said you'd help us".

"Sight "? "What's that"Lysander asked.

"Forsight, it's a form of mind magic" The mayor said.

Lysander wasn't going to argue with that. He knew that most people in the empire didn't believe in mindmagic. He probably wouldn't have either if he didn't have mindspeach.

When he first began to hear voices he thought he was going crazy, but soon he realized that they were coming from those around him. He thought of the advantages at once and was quick to look up any information he could find.

Luckily some of his mage training was useful in helping him handle the gift. His shields for one thing was something he was grateful for.

The mayor's voice brought him out of his musings.

"After Ancar killed his father Raver saw what was going to happen, if we hadn't known of his gift he wouldn't have been able to get us to leave our homes" the mayor looked grim "We left just in time"

Redda nodded"His men came looking for Carra, we also had word he was taking all able bodied men" she shuddered as she remembered that time. "But you must be tired, come we will find a place for you until the hut we have started for you is finished".

"I'll take care of your horse" Raver said. Lysander nodded and gave his horse the signal to let the boy take him. He followed the mayor and his wife to their hut.