The Grim Wanderer Read Online Free Page B

innocently.
    ‘Thinking about what mischief you and Alandar can get up to?’ Macen said, causing Taem to smile.
    ‘No,’ Edar scowled. ‘Anyway, you must be looking forward to seeing Cara , the baker’s daughter …’
    Macen swiftly turned a shade of purple.
    ‘Well met, brother,’ Elena grinned at Edar.
    Edar could never let one slide without trying to get his own back, but even Logan let out a wry smile at Edar’s jibe.
    This family were an enigma to the local villagers. Most of the locals were content just to let them be, happy to believe the rumours that they were training to be warriors – what with the threat of Krun raids from the mountains.
    ‘But do not forget,’ Taem said to Edar, ‘you and I must run through the defensive techniques sometime today – and that is far more important than heading into Cairbron.’
    Edar scoffed, ‘Not everyone needs to practice the techniques to absolute perfection as you do.’
    ‘Edar,’ Taem shook his head. ‘Only a novice believes the perfect technique is possible, a Sodan knows perfection is unattainable.’
    Edar scowled at the imperious way Taem talked down to him.
    ‘No, Taem,’ Logan said gently. ‘A Sodan knows a technique is as perfect as he can make it. You will learn this in time.’
    Taem nodded, but still vowed to himself to train harder to get his techniques right. Elena caught Taem’s eye, and half smiled at him. Taem knew his sister was communicating that she wished he would learn to relax, but that was just not in his nature. There was always something to strive for, to work towards.
    ‘How is the paddock coming along, Edar?’ Logan said, his tone severe. ‘I do not see much of that long grass cut down, like I asked?’
    ‘I’m trying, Master,’ Edar passed around the plate of bread. ‘But it’s hard work cutting that whole field with those small hedge shears you left me.’
    Macen, Elena and Taem exchanged twinkling glances as they all paused mid-chew.
    ‘What about using the hulking great scythe to cut the grass?’ Logan laughed warmly. ‘I did leave it out especially.’
    The look on Edar’s face was priceless, and Taem and Elena laughed at their younger brother’s expense.
    ‘That would’ve been too easy,’ Macen smirked.
    ‘Oh,’ Edar scowled down at his plate.
    ‘Never mind, dear,’ Aunt Sera smiled as she patted Edar’s forearm.
    ‘Like I told you yesterday,’ Logan grinned at Edar. ‘I wanted you to cut the grass in the paddock and trim the hedge, not trim the paddock and scythe the hedge!’
    Everyone roared with laughter. The trickster was on the receiving end of a joke, for once.
    Edar had been on Logan’s strict orders to rouse at the crack of dawn that morning to start his penance. Alandar and he had released a sack of mice at last weekend’s “Annual Cairbron Cake Baking Contest”. The crafty duo had swapped the main showpiece cake, concealed within a box, with a sack of mice they had collected. When the time came for the box to be opened and the showpiece revealed, a swarm of writhing mice had scattered throughout the village hall, and the resultant shrieks had brought everyone in Cairbron running. Logan had been furious, and set Edar to a month’s hard labour around the farm, on top of training.
    ‘I thought you’d left me the shears as a punishment, Master,’ Edar snatched another piece of bread. ‘To make cutting the paddock really hard work.’
    ‘You’re right,’ Taem reached over the table to pass Edar the meat and cheese plate, ‘that would be really hard work! You would still be trimming that paddock come harvest, if you continued with the shears!’
    Edar had the blackest of grimaces, as everyone laughed once more.
    ‘It was an easy mistake to make,’ Aunt Sera said, and the old lady’s caring eyes did cause Edar’s angry face to soften into a smile.
    ‘I am a hard taskmaster,’ Logan said, once he had stopped chuckling, ‘but I am not cruel.’
    ‘Yes, Master,’ Edar sighed,