Winthrop to Keish- March 13, 2004

March 13, 2004


Dear Keish,



Setting wards is something that I have not done since I was a teenager. I know Ellean and Jezreel had a way around them, but I do not know what it was. I suspect that it is simply a matter of knowing the right spell, since your magic is much too powerful to be repelled by my wards under normal circumstances.

Nimue Timar died from wounds when her wand was stolen by an enemy. The wand held her magic, so she died from her own magic.

Terrence Brio died in an explosion while trying to create a two-way mirror.

Derrous Mots died while trying to force entry into the Brio caves, which he would not have attempted if he had not been obsessed with gathering magic.

Patrina Whitetree died from an overdose of her own magical remedy.

Several magicians were killed about thirty years ago when they combined their magic in an effort to evaporate a Lake Goma. You ought to at least have heard of that tragedy. They were taking direction from Arrella's king who was hoping to raise the shipwreck that killed his eldest son. I don't think they would have succeeded regardless, but one magician miss-judged the parameters and lost control of his spell. He killed himself and everyone else involved.

I don't really think you need me to list off every magical tragedy in history. You already know magic is dangerous.

Jezreel died from complications of childbirth. You're jumping to conclusions again. I was not there, but I trust what Quin told us. Jezreel's greatest magical weakness, perhaps, was that her healing powers did not work on herself. She was able to save Liop, however.

You have demanded again my own history with magic. What you really want to know is why I invoked Jezreel's name during a discussion with Brynn Gerrard. Perhaps I did it to see the look on her face. It might interest you that when Quin disappeared/died, Brynn demanded legal proof that Arri and Liop should come into my custody. If Quin's name alone had appeared on the document or if it was merely a matter of next-of-kin, I think she would have questioned the decision. But no one could forge Jezreel's signature, and so Brynn was silenced. The will was signed a little less than one year after your mother's death and uses the phrase "any children not yet of age". You may recall that Jezreel miscarried twice between the births of Arri and Liop. Of course, I doubt either Jezreel or Quin expected to die of anything less than old age. And they certainly knew how I felt about magic. Under the circumstances, I think I am entirely justified in raising Arri and Liop according to my conscience. Remember, Arri is only seventeen.



Your concerned uncle,

Winthrop

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