Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) Read Online Free
Author: Paula Flumerfelt
through the orphanage to the back staircase, going all the way up. Without preamble, he shoved the door open to the attic and went in. Going to the only trunk in the dusty attic, he opened it and dragged out his shoulder bag. Tucked within it was a few hundred Khrons, a map of Unith, a fake ID and a change of clothing.
He placed the book into the bag, nestling it between his clothes to keep it safe. He was getting out of this place. For fifteen years, he had been suffering at the hands of the others for being different. Now, they had destroyed the only thing he’d ever formed a real attachment to in his life: his cello. Anything else he could have handled. But not this.
Slamming the trunk closed, he left the attic and headed back down the stairs. There was nothing left for him here. The only place he stopped was in his room to pull on some shoes before leaving it and returning to his voyage down the stairs. He wasn’t going to regret this decision. It had been coming for a long time. The front door was only a few feet away and he hadn’t run into anyone. That was fine. He hadn’t wanted to see the others before he left anyways.
His hand was on the door handle when he paused. Going into the sitting room, Mathieu went to the desk and pulled open the top drawer. He plunged his hand in, felt around, and pulled out a wad of Khrons. Shoving them into his bag, he returned to the front door and threw it open.
“Good bye.” He didn’t even bother to close the door behind him as he took off from the porch at a run.
~*~
Mathieu knew that no one would come looking for him. They didn’t care. But that was what being an orphan got you, a lack of someone giving a care if you disappeared and nowhere to really call home.
Sitting down in frustration, Mathieu huffed and folded his legs under himself. It was a long way from the orphanage to the capital, nearly a thousand miles. It would have been a full day journey by carriage at least, if he didn’t stop to rest. Unfortunately, the orphanage didn’t have a carriage, and that meant that he had to travel on foot. He thought his legs were going to fall off.
Ateri. That was where he’d decided he’d head. It was the only place that was big enough that he could disappear and no one would ever find him; not that anyone was looking. Maybe that was all he’d ever wanted, though. To have the ability to disappear and not stand out for his white hair or his purple eyes, to become just a part of the crowd; he didn’t want to be a freak anymore.
“Ahh! This was a stupid idea!” He thudded back in the grass, looking up at the sky. The grass felt nice and cool under him and his hands twisted a few blades. The tree above him shaded his eyes from the glaring double suns and allowed him to see up to the clouds, which he wateched slid across the sky for a time before he stretched and finally rolled back to his feet. Mathieu was not one to be an idle body. Being out in the open, walking along the road on his own made him feel very alive, very free, even if the choice that had gotten him here was very stupid. And he could admit when he’d made a stupid decision, like storming out of the only place that legally had to take him in because he was having a bad day. Oh, and stealing from a witch descendant. Apparently that was pretty frowned upon, too. But today was a first. He was dependant only on himself and here there were no judgments, just him and the trees.
The weather was perfect, not too hot yet, as it would undoubtedly become. A stream was running to his right and up ahead, he could see a town. He dug around in his bag and retrieved his map, unfolding it with careful motions. The thing was old and liable to rip. The town ahead was very small and labeled “Tuckern”. Mathieu had been there before with Rebekah once. At least he thought he had. If he remembered the place correctly, it was a nothing town with a few businesses and picturesque
He placed the book into the bag, nestling it between his clothes to keep it safe. He was getting out of this place. For fifteen years, he had been suffering at the hands of the others for being different. Now, they had destroyed the only thing he’d ever formed a real attachment to in his life: his cello. Anything else he could have handled. But not this.
Slamming the trunk closed, he left the attic and headed back down the stairs. There was nothing left for him here. The only place he stopped was in his room to pull on some shoes before leaving it and returning to his voyage down the stairs. He wasn’t going to regret this decision. It had been coming for a long time. The front door was only a few feet away and he hadn’t run into anyone. That was fine. He hadn’t wanted to see the others before he left anyways.
His hand was on the door handle when he paused. Going into the sitting room, Mathieu went to the desk and pulled open the top drawer. He plunged his hand in, felt around, and pulled out a wad of Khrons. Shoving them into his bag, he returned to the front door and threw it open.
“Good bye.” He didn’t even bother to close the door behind him as he took off from the porch at a run.
~*~
Mathieu knew that no one would come looking for him. They didn’t care. But that was what being an orphan got you, a lack of someone giving a care if you disappeared and nowhere to really call home.
Sitting down in frustration, Mathieu huffed and folded his legs under himself. It was a long way from the orphanage to the capital, nearly a thousand miles. It would have been a full day journey by carriage at least, if he didn’t stop to rest. Unfortunately, the orphanage didn’t have a carriage, and that meant that he had to travel on foot. He thought his legs were going to fall off.
Ateri. That was where he’d decided he’d head. It was the only place that was big enough that he could disappear and no one would ever find him; not that anyone was looking. Maybe that was all he’d ever wanted, though. To have the ability to disappear and not stand out for his white hair or his purple eyes, to become just a part of the crowd; he didn’t want to be a freak anymore.
“Ahh! This was a stupid idea!” He thudded back in the grass, looking up at the sky. The grass felt nice and cool under him and his hands twisted a few blades. The tree above him shaded his eyes from the glaring double suns and allowed him to see up to the clouds, which he wateched slid across the sky for a time before he stretched and finally rolled back to his feet. Mathieu was not one to be an idle body. Being out in the open, walking along the road on his own made him feel very alive, very free, even if the choice that had gotten him here was very stupid. And he could admit when he’d made a stupid decision, like storming out of the only place that legally had to take him in because he was having a bad day. Oh, and stealing from a witch descendant. Apparently that was pretty frowned upon, too. But today was a first. He was dependant only on himself and here there were no judgments, just him and the trees.
The weather was perfect, not too hot yet, as it would undoubtedly become. A stream was running to his right and up ahead, he could see a town. He dug around in his bag and retrieved his map, unfolding it with careful motions. The thing was old and liable to rip. The town ahead was very small and labeled “Tuckern”. Mathieu had been there before with Rebekah once. At least he thought he had. If he remembered the place correctly, it was a nothing town with a few businesses and picturesque
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