Chaos Storm (The Flight of the Griffin Book 2) Read Online Free Page A
Author: C.M. Gray
I have for trying to take the rose? I don't know anyone in the dungeons, and we don't need the reward the guild is posting,' he'd argued. 'I would also like to point out that I'm very attached to my neck and don't really like the idea of having it stretched, so stop treating me as if I'm stupid.' Even so, Quint or Tarent had always found some reason to be with him whenever he'd attempted to go out alone.
It was, therefore, late one night when the opportunity finally presented itself. He had been lying awake for ages listening to the sound of the rain drumming on the window and splashing down on the street outside. The snores and snuffles of his friends finally convinced him that they were all asleep, and he decided it was time to make his move, just to take a look. He smiled at the thought of all the gossip it would cause to take the rose, and the questioning looks he would get from the others.
I'll just smile and say nothing and let them decide if it really was me. There isn't any need to steal the rose, I'll just move it; put it on the King's pillow or something. That'll show them the King of thieves is about, but nobody will know who it is… except me. He grinned as he crept out of the room, made his way carefully down the creaking stairs and, leaving the Inn, set off into the rain.
Parish, the landlord at The Owl, had been a whole mine of information, about both the palace
and
the challenge of the golden rose.
'Word is that it's displayed in the library. That's about half way up the western tower. How any fool thief could think to get up there without being seen is beyond me, but try they do and get caught and hung they do as well, a nasty business it all is and that's a fact.'
On various walks past the palace, Pardigan had already worked out which was the west tower, and been listening eagerly whenever anyone had talked about the rose or the palace. Others in The Owl's drinking room had spoken of the problems the King was having with the war, how it was both a drain on the Royal treasury and the household guards. What nobody could tell Pardigan was what, or who was guarding the rose and making it so difficult to steal.
Having learned all he could about the palace from the drinkers at The Owl, Pardigan had decided a nocturnal investigation of the palace's defences was called for. He had convinced himself that tonight was just a scouting mission,
if
he then decided to go after the rose, then he would leave that for another night, tonight he merely needed information.
The stories he'd heard told that several other thieves had tried posing as deliverymen, or had feigned an appointment with an official in order to get past the guards on the gate. Others had climbed the wall at a point that they'd thought was unobserved, but all had been caught and hung.
Skirting the puddles and keeping to the shadows, he moved cautiously towards the palace, thanking the Source that, at this late hour, the streets were mostly empty. Whenever the sound of voices or footsteps did sound from ahead, he simply muttered 'Hide,' and became invisible.
The invisibility spell was becoming much easier to hold. Even when walking he could hold it for about thirty beats of the heart. If he was standing still, then he could almost hold it for as long as he wanted.
Blinking back to visibility, he shivered and waited while three members of the city watch disappeared around a corner, the heavy, echoing footfalls of their boots splashing in puddles fading into the night. Pardigan smiled, they hadn't a clue that they'd passed so close to him. He looked up through the rain at the palace and walked around towards the western tower as thunder rumbled in the distance threatening an even heavier downpour to come.
Almost opposite the tower was an Inn, The Blind Beggar. It was an old building in a bad state of repair, its worn sign creaking as it swayed in the wind still showing a faded likeness of a crouching beggar, hand outstretched and a cloth binding his
It was, therefore, late one night when the opportunity finally presented itself. He had been lying awake for ages listening to the sound of the rain drumming on the window and splashing down on the street outside. The snores and snuffles of his friends finally convinced him that they were all asleep, and he decided it was time to make his move, just to take a look. He smiled at the thought of all the gossip it would cause to take the rose, and the questioning looks he would get from the others.
I'll just smile and say nothing and let them decide if it really was me. There isn't any need to steal the rose, I'll just move it; put it on the King's pillow or something. That'll show them the King of thieves is about, but nobody will know who it is… except me. He grinned as he crept out of the room, made his way carefully down the creaking stairs and, leaving the Inn, set off into the rain.
Parish, the landlord at The Owl, had been a whole mine of information, about both the palace
and
the challenge of the golden rose.
'Word is that it's displayed in the library. That's about half way up the western tower. How any fool thief could think to get up there without being seen is beyond me, but try they do and get caught and hung they do as well, a nasty business it all is and that's a fact.'
On various walks past the palace, Pardigan had already worked out which was the west tower, and been listening eagerly whenever anyone had talked about the rose or the palace. Others in The Owl's drinking room had spoken of the problems the King was having with the war, how it was both a drain on the Royal treasury and the household guards. What nobody could tell Pardigan was what, or who was guarding the rose and making it so difficult to steal.
Having learned all he could about the palace from the drinkers at The Owl, Pardigan had decided a nocturnal investigation of the palace's defences was called for. He had convinced himself that tonight was just a scouting mission,
if
he then decided to go after the rose, then he would leave that for another night, tonight he merely needed information.
The stories he'd heard told that several other thieves had tried posing as deliverymen, or had feigned an appointment with an official in order to get past the guards on the gate. Others had climbed the wall at a point that they'd thought was unobserved, but all had been caught and hung.
Skirting the puddles and keeping to the shadows, he moved cautiously towards the palace, thanking the Source that, at this late hour, the streets were mostly empty. Whenever the sound of voices or footsteps did sound from ahead, he simply muttered 'Hide,' and became invisible.
The invisibility spell was becoming much easier to hold. Even when walking he could hold it for about thirty beats of the heart. If he was standing still, then he could almost hold it for as long as he wanted.
Blinking back to visibility, he shivered and waited while three members of the city watch disappeared around a corner, the heavy, echoing footfalls of their boots splashing in puddles fading into the night. Pardigan smiled, they hadn't a clue that they'd passed so close to him. He looked up through the rain at the palace and walked around towards the western tower as thunder rumbled in the distance threatening an even heavier downpour to come.
Almost opposite the tower was an Inn, The Blind Beggar. It was an old building in a bad state of repair, its worn sign creaking as it swayed in the wind still showing a faded likeness of a crouching beggar, hand outstretched and a cloth binding his
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