The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge) Read Online Free Page A

awake, someone needed to start packing. He found a large knapsack lying on the main table near the fire. He picked it up and placed four apples and two squares of bread into it. In addition, he placed a large rubber sack containing golden crowns they would need for the harness. He tied the sack and left it on the table.
    Returning to the fire, Landon stirred the vegetables with a wooden stick hanging on the wall near the hearth. The sweet aroma radiated from the pan filling the room. A noise from the hallway alerted Landon that the smell had woken his uncle.
    “Blasted chair!” Mordecai said. “Who in their right mind would ever place one so close to their bed?”
    Landon snorted. “That would be you, uncle.”
    “Bah!” he said leaning against the wall. “My toe...” he said reaching down to his foot.
    “It’ll wear off. I’ve already packed our knapsack. All that remains is to eat breakfast and ready the horses.”
    “Hmm. . . Let’s get on with breakfast then.” So saying, Mordecai sat down at the table, separating the bowls and placing them at each seat. Landon picked up the pan and carried it over the table. Careful not to spill any, he hefted the meal into the two bowls. Vapors rose from them filling his nostrils with a strong, savory flavor and making his stomach growl. Then, he carried the skillet out the door and placed it in the large barrel of water causing a huge quantity of steam to arise.
    “I guess you were hungry,” he said curtly in response to the empty plate sitting before his uncle.
    “Aye. I ’ll get the horses ready.”
    “Sounds like a plan,” Landon said with a yawn.
    Mordecai removed himself from the table and exited the dwelling leaving a cold feeling in the room. Landon understood completely. For one thing, Mordecai was not a morning person. In fact, he wasn’t really an evening person either. He always had a grumpy way about him. And this morning, Mordecai had been determined to leave early, but instead, they had risen two hours late. Once he had his heart set on doing something, there was no deterring him. It was simply best to let him be at times.
    This morning, however, seemed like something more; as though his uncle had woken up in one of his moods that tended to last until sundown. It was in those moods that Mordecai seemed distant and angry. It was as though in sleep he was reminded of something he had long forgotten. The trip, Landon knew, would be a long one .
    Landon sat down at the table for his own meal. He ate at a much slower pace than did his uncle, choosing to saver every last morsel. Landon was so much more of a morning person than Mordecai. He enjoyed the brisk morning air that alerted his senses and got him ready for the day at hand. He especially enjoyed breakfast, for it was one of the few times when he could sit and listen to the morning around him. The rest of his days were filled with work and chaos, but the morning always brought a peace and stillness that Landon cherished.
    Finishing his meal, Landon collected the bowls and, following the same process as the night before, began to wash and clean them. Finally, he hung them over the mantle to dry. Once everything had been properly cleaned, Landon picked up the knapsack and decided to follow his uncle to finish up prepar ations for the ride into town.
    Outside, Uncle Mordecai was hard at work securing reins, saddles, and saddlebags upon the two horses. The one he would be riding was a tall brown stallion named Abaccus. The horse’s sire had belonged to Mordecai’s father and had descended from a most noble lineage. Abaccus had seemed to be the aberration. Though beautiful and elegant, the horse did not appear to desire hard work. Where its father had worked sunup to sundown seemingly without need of a break, Abaccus would often slough off and whine if he had to ride longer than a few hours. Mordecai loved the horse, but training him took more energy than he longed to give sometimes.
    This morning was no