Deltora Quest #1: The Forests of Silence Read Online Free

old man murmured.
    Jarred nodded. “A little,” he said. Carefully, he lifted the horseshoe from the water and laid it aside.
    “I am old,” Crian said, watching him. “My son, whose clothes you are wearing now, was killed three years ago. His dear wife died before him, when their child was born. I have only that child, Anna, now. We live simply, but there is always food on the table. And will be, while I keep my strength.”
    He glanced down at Jarred’s hands — soft and white, with long, rounded nails. “You could stay here, boy,” he said. “But you would have to work hard to earn your keep. Could you do it?”
    “I could,” said Jarred strongly.
    Nothing would please him more than to stay. He liked the old blacksmith. He liked the calm, sweet-faced Anna. Here, too, he would be close to the palace. Hecould do nothing for Endon now except to keep watch. But he had vowed that this he would do.
    Prandine thought he was dead. But he would be unlikely to tell Endon so. It would suit his purpose better to let the king think Jarred was still alive, and dangerous. If he feared for his life, Endon would be even more willing to do exactly as he was told.
    But one day Endon may realize that after all I was right, thought Jarred. One day he may call me. And if ever that happens, I will be ready.
    So, it was settled. Jarred took shears and cut off the long plaits of hair that marked him so plainly as coming from the palace. And after that, every day, he worked in the forge.
    He already knew how to hammer hot iron and steel to make fine swords and shields. Now he had to learn to make simpler things, like horseshoes, axes, and blades for ploughs. But this he did quickly, and as his muscles hardened and his soft hands grew tough he took over more and more of the blacksmith’s work.
    The forge was busy, but still Crian and Anna were poor. Jarred soon discovered that this was because most of the people in Del were even poorer, and could pay little for the work the blacksmith did for them. Some, indeed, could give nothing. And these Crian would help all the same, saying, “Pay me when you can.”
    By the second day, Jarred had realized with a sinking heart that everything he and Endon had beentaught about life outside the palace had been a lie. The city was a place of hunger, illness, and struggle. Beyond its walls, strange, terrible beasts and bands of robbers prowled. For many years no news had come from the towns and villages scattered through the countryside.
    Many people were weak with hunger. Yet it was said that in the dead of night heavily guarded carts piled high with food and drink trundled into the city and up to the palace gates. No one knew where the carts came from.
    “Somewhere far away, in any case,” Crian muttered, as they sat by the fire on the second night. “Such luxuries could not be found here.”
    “It is said that Deltora was once a land of peace and plenty,” Anna added. “But that was a long time ago.”
    “The new king knows nothing of this!” Jarred cried. “Neither did the old king. You should have told him —”
    “ Told him?” Crian growled angrily. “We told him time and again!” He swung around in his chair and pulled an old tin box from the shelf. He thrust the box at Jarred. “Open it!” he ordered.
    Jarred lifted the lid of the box. Inside were many small rolls of parchment edged with gold. Confused, he picked out one of the rolls and straightened it.

    Frowning, Jarred thrust the parchment back into the box and picked out another. It was exactly the same. And so was the next he looked at, and the next. The only difference in the fourth was that it spoke of “The Queen” instead of “The King” and was signed “Lilia.” Queen Lilia had been Alton’s mother, Jarred remembered.
    He scrabbled through the parchments. There were hundreds of them, all stamped with the royal seal. Some were much older than others, signed with royal names he remembered from his history