Castien, an elf mage who cannot speak except with the aid of a magical dagger, has been captured while on a mission. He is freed by his companion, the warrior elf Daeron, and returns with him to Daeron’s homeland. There they will join forces to rid the land of a Lord bent on the destruction of the elves.<br><br>Theirn, a young half-elf thief, attempts to rob Castien during his stay at an inn and is caught by the mage. Much against Theirn’s will, he is enlisted into the group of rebel elves. But as Theirn's infatuation with Castien grows, he becomes more than eager to risk treachery, betrayal, and even death on dangerous missions just to be close to the man he is growing to love.

Mage of Silence

Finally they pulled into port. The day was cloudy and overcast, which Castien prayed did not augur ill for his visit to Daeron’s homeland. When he let Daeron know of his apprehension, he just laughed and told Castien he had best get used to it, the weather at this time of year was more often than not rainy and gloomy.


They were met at the docks by two of Daeron’s men who took them to a nearby inn where they dined and spent a pleasant evening telling grossly exaggerated stories of their varied adventures. At least the others did, Castien remained silent. He listened and very occasionally let them know with mime and chuckles he found their tales to be amusing but unbelievable. More than once Daeron leaned close to tell him that while they were embroidering their exploits for the enjoyment of the other patrons, the basic information was indeed true.


Chapter 4