The Mirror's Tale (Further Tales Adventures) Read Online Free

coming.”
    Bert looked at his brother, who’d gone paler than he thought possible. “But why Will? Why not me?”
    “I’ll go,” Will said. He sounded as if he was about to be sick.
    “No!” shouted Bert. He stared at his father with fierce, round eyes. “You can’t send Will to that awful place. Don’t you know how frightened he gets?”
    The baron palmed his forehead and groaned. “Bert. For the last time, there is nothing to fear at The Crags. The stories are nonsense. There are no witches, no beasts. Your uncle and aunt live there, for heaven’s sake. And if Will is so easily frightened, why is he never afraid to break my rules?”
    “Because I talk him into everything, He’s more afraid of me leaving him alone than he is of breaking your stupid rules,” Bert said, “Don’t you see,
I’m
the one who causes all the trouble! It was my idea to sneak down to the map chamber, my idea to spy on you and Mother. All the bad ideas are
mine—
but you never talk to us except to scold us, so you’d never know that!”
    The baron opened his mouth to speak, but the words spilled from Bert, like wine from a shattered cask. “And all Mother ever does is tell us we’re too disobedient, or too lazy, or too dirty, or we’re not fit to be heirs to the barony, because she’s just like you and she doesn’t really care—”
    “Enough!” the baron roared, Bert fell silent. He and Will hung their heads as their father loomed over them. The baron stabbed at the air with a fat finger topunctuate his words. “This decision is
final.
Blame no one but
yourselves.
The carriage leaves this afternoon, and
Will
shall be on it.” Bert raised his face and stared back defiantly. “And if you say another word,” the baron said, almost growling, “I’ll have you whipped like a common thief”
    The boys climbed the last few steps to the watchtower on the inner wall, a round room of stone with a spire at the top and three windows shaped like narrow, inverted shields. It was deserted, as always. Since the outer wall had been constructed decades before, there was no need for anyone to come here. So it was the perfect place to meet—usually to hide or play or hatch devious plans, but this time to mourn. Will sat on the floor, picking up clay marbles and letting them roll off his hand into the pile of sand. Bert stared out the window at the landscape that surrounded the castle.
    Ambercrest sat imperiously on a tall mound of earth. The land sloped away in every direction, so that even though the outer walls were built taller, the inner walls sat higher, and the old watchtower offered a splendid view of the countryside.
    Beyond the outer wall the humble cottages and barns made the castle seem that much grander. It was early summer, and the distant forest had bloomed into its full green glory. Roads stretched in four directions, as if the castle itself was the center of a compass. Bert gazedalong the northern road: the one that would take away Will He turned to his brother. Will had his knees tucked against his chest and his arms around his legs. Bert thought he might be trembling.
    “It’ll be all right,” Bert said.
    “It won’t,” Will said. “Bert, you know me. I don’t like leaving the castle. When we go past the walls, I can hardly breathe.”
    “But you and I have snuck out there a couple of times.”
    “I know—when you’re with me, I can just barely manage it. It’s as if … I don’t know. As if you’re my courage. Because you’ve got enough for both of us.”
    Bert sighed deeply. He sat cross-legged in front of his brother and rested his chin on his cupped hands. It was true about Will; the thought of leaving home always sent him into a panic. Once, when they were very young, their family went to The Crags for the wedding of Uncle Hugh to Lady Elaine. It was one of Bert’s oldest memories. Will cried the whole way there. It made their parents turn red with shame. And when they finally arrived at that grim,