Bloodstone - Power of Youth (Book 3) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Guy Antibes
and set the place on fire,” Pol said as she put another set of mugs on the table.
“Still open for business?”
Ness laughed. “If you don’t mind the fresh air.” All eyes went to the charred holes on the far wall.
One of the farmers said, “Sometimes the place gets a bit close of a night. The new ventilation might do us all a bit of good.” The two sat down and by the time Unca and Sallia had finished not-quite-warm stew, the place began to fill up.
“Time for bed, Pol,” Unca said. “Do you have some clothes for the both of us. I’m afraid we’ve burnt holes through the ones on our backs. I had intended on getting some more in Handleford, where we thought we’d be spending the night.”
“Oh. I’ve got a closet full of stuff left behind. All of it is clean, maybe with the scent of smoke now, and you’re welcome to whatever you find. It’s the closet between Room 3 and 4 upstairs. Your rooms are 3 and 6. Our maids have just arrived for serving and will have hot water up in each room in a few minutes. You both deserve a nice long soak on us.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“We appreciate you two saving our lives. I was afraid for Ness, but he’ll do.” She smiled and pulled a couple of keys from her apron.
~
Sallia woke up to Unca’s hand on her mouth.
“One of the farmers came by with milk and eggs and told Ness that the Duke’s men are on their way back. We are leaving now since they might arrive at any minute. I picked out some clothes, which you did not do last night even though I told you to.”
The golden light of dawn began pushing through the window. Sallia yawned and sat up once she realized what Unca had said. He actually made her feel guilty for not touching second-hand clothes.
“Leave me while I put these on.”
“I’ll turn my back. Pol has already brought up some food. She probably knows you might be the princess and wants us out of here. The only room with a roof beneath the window is this one.’
Sallia couldn’t believe what Unca had just said. “You expect me to go out a window?”
“Sally would, if men were after her. You are Sally and I am, for the moment, Bodkin. We’ve got to leave now. I’ll not take any chances on detection.” Unca turned around.
The clothes hung on Sallia’s body like potato sacks. Unca had done a good job with the shoes, though. Her royal boots were nearly worn through. They were never meant for two days of hiking along forest paths. Unca gathered up her other clothes and put them in another lumpy sack that probably held his own.
He helped Sallia out the window. “Don’t twist your ankle. We have to hurry to the woods, a few hundred paces east, through a still-fallow field.”
Sallia hadn’t escaped through a window before and the thought paralyzed her for a minute. She tried to breathe deeply and thought of how she could fall and not break her ankles. What would be the solution? Bend her knees. She heard that somewhere, but couldn’t recall where in her present state. She poked her head out of the window and put her sturdy, used shoes on the thatch roof and sat down in the straw and slid down. When the roof ended, she concentrated on bending her knees. The distance from the end of the roof to the ground might have been five or six feet and her strategy worked! She smiled in triumph.
Unca came bouncing silently down, nearly missing her, as he hit the dirt with knees not quite bent enough. He fell forward, yet he remained silent, even though he gasped for breath.
“I’m too old for that,” he said.
“You’re too old for a lot of things I’ve seen you do in the last few days, wizard.” Sallia whispered. “Now which way is north?”
~~~
Chapter Three
~
N o one would have mistaken Unca and Sallia for the former king’s wizard and Princess Sallia as they zigzagged their way through the Red Kingdom. Unca insisted that they spend two nights on the road for every time at an inn. If
“Still open for business?”
Ness laughed. “If you don’t mind the fresh air.” All eyes went to the charred holes on the far wall.
One of the farmers said, “Sometimes the place gets a bit close of a night. The new ventilation might do us all a bit of good.” The two sat down and by the time Unca and Sallia had finished not-quite-warm stew, the place began to fill up.
“Time for bed, Pol,” Unca said. “Do you have some clothes for the both of us. I’m afraid we’ve burnt holes through the ones on our backs. I had intended on getting some more in Handleford, where we thought we’d be spending the night.”
“Oh. I’ve got a closet full of stuff left behind. All of it is clean, maybe with the scent of smoke now, and you’re welcome to whatever you find. It’s the closet between Room 3 and 4 upstairs. Your rooms are 3 and 6. Our maids have just arrived for serving and will have hot water up in each room in a few minutes. You both deserve a nice long soak on us.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“We appreciate you two saving our lives. I was afraid for Ness, but he’ll do.” She smiled and pulled a couple of keys from her apron.
~
Sallia woke up to Unca’s hand on her mouth.
“One of the farmers came by with milk and eggs and told Ness that the Duke’s men are on their way back. We are leaving now since they might arrive at any minute. I picked out some clothes, which you did not do last night even though I told you to.”
The golden light of dawn began pushing through the window. Sallia yawned and sat up once she realized what Unca had said. He actually made her feel guilty for not touching second-hand clothes.
“Leave me while I put these on.”
“I’ll turn my back. Pol has already brought up some food. She probably knows you might be the princess and wants us out of here. The only room with a roof beneath the window is this one.’
Sallia couldn’t believe what Unca had just said. “You expect me to go out a window?”
“Sally would, if men were after her. You are Sally and I am, for the moment, Bodkin. We’ve got to leave now. I’ll not take any chances on detection.” Unca turned around.
The clothes hung on Sallia’s body like potato sacks. Unca had done a good job with the shoes, though. Her royal boots were nearly worn through. They were never meant for two days of hiking along forest paths. Unca gathered up her other clothes and put them in another lumpy sack that probably held his own.
He helped Sallia out the window. “Don’t twist your ankle. We have to hurry to the woods, a few hundred paces east, through a still-fallow field.”
Sallia hadn’t escaped through a window before and the thought paralyzed her for a minute. She tried to breathe deeply and thought of how she could fall and not break her ankles. What would be the solution? Bend her knees. She heard that somewhere, but couldn’t recall where in her present state. She poked her head out of the window and put her sturdy, used shoes on the thatch roof and sat down in the straw and slid down. When the roof ended, she concentrated on bending her knees. The distance from the end of the roof to the ground might have been five or six feet and her strategy worked! She smiled in triumph.
Unca came bouncing silently down, nearly missing her, as he hit the dirt with knees not quite bent enough. He fell forward, yet he remained silent, even though he gasped for breath.
“I’m too old for that,” he said.
“You’re too old for a lot of things I’ve seen you do in the last few days, wizard.” Sallia whispered. “Now which way is north?”
~~~
Chapter Three
~
N o one would have mistaken Unca and Sallia for the former king’s wizard and Princess Sallia as they zigzagged their way through the Red Kingdom. Unca insisted that they spend two nights on the road for every time at an inn. If
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