Chosen Read Online Free Page A

wooden box. When she had finished locking the box, she turned
to Daria.
‘You spoke to the
Guardians?’
‘Yes,’ said Daria, ‘I am to ask
you for the scroll.’
Dolmay nodded. ‘The scroll is
proof you have spoken with the Guardians for only I know of its
existence.’
‘They also told me ---’ Dolmay
raised her hand for silence.
‘Tell me nothing child, that
way I cannot betray you. There’s only one thing I need to know, was
I right about Timus?’
Daria hung her head. ‘Yes,’ she
said sadly, ‘you were, he is not to be trusted. But I don’t
understand when you speak of betrayal. Why would you betray
me?’
‘It may not be my choice child.
If the Guardians have given you any advice I urge you to take it,
do whatever must be done. Now I think it best you leave this place;
I know a secret exit from the temple, you can leave unobserved.
Help me move this table.’ Together they managed to drag the table
into the centre of the room. Behind it Daria saw gems embedded into
the wall. Dolmay pressed them a in sequence and a door sized panel
slide open exposing a dark and musty smelling tunnel. She removed a
piece of rolled up parchment from the folds of her robe and handed
it to Daria.
‘Here is the scroll, now
quickly child, go, this tunnel will lead you under the temple and
out into the forest. I must leave, we have been missing too long
and Timus will become suspicious.’ She hugged Daria tightly and
kissed her cheek. ‘Good luck Daria, and may the Guardians watch
over you.’ She turned and left the room without a backwards
glance.
When Daria finally reached the
end of the tunnel, cobwebs clung to her hair and dust and dirt
covered her robe. Her hands were scraped bloody where she had run
them along the wall in an attempt to find her way in the total
darkness. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the sudden
light after being in darkness for so long, but when they did she
noticed the sun was sitting low in the sky and big, black rain
clouds were forming on the horizon.
‘Great, a storm is coming. On
top of everything else that’s just what I needed,’ she thought
miserably. ‘I must get to Gilster’s as soon as possible.’
Getting her bearings, she
headed off in what she prayed was the right direction. Keeping well
away from the main paths so as not to be seen, it took much longer
than she expected to reach Gilster’s home; the storm hit before she
arrived. Lightning flashed jagged streaks across the sky, closely
followed by huge, booming rolls of thunder; the storm would soon be
directly overhead. Rain fell in sheets, drenching Daria from head
to toe. Still wearing the temple robes she found the going tough.
Tripping and stumbling her way along the track she fell many times,
her robes became thick with mud, the weight dragging her down,
making it difficult to walk. Twigs grabbed at her hair and
scratched her face and arms as she pushed her way through the muddy
undergrowth, and all the while the constant flashing and booming of
the storm surrounded her. By the time she reached Gilster’s it was
almost dark and she was utterly exhausted.
Gilster had sung his own home
many years ago when still a novice; it was made of rock and stone.
Not being fully trained in the art of singing at the time, his
house was oddly shaped and strange looking. Windows were
off-centre, rooms strangely shaped with lumps and bumps and nooks
and crannies, but it was cosy and inviting. He could have fixed the
problems in later years but chose not to, he said it was unique and
interesting, just like him and he preferred it that way.
Stumbling to the front door,
relief flooding her, Daria knocked and entered without waiting for
a reply. The sudden warmth of the room compared to the freezing
rain outside caused her body to shake uncontrollably. Two men were
sitting in large, wing-backed leather chairs in front of a blazing
log fire, steam rising from cups cradled in their hands. Both
turned as she entered. The look on their