The Sword of Light: Book One of the Veredor Chronicles Read Online Free Page B

abandoned library had a spooky
feeling about it.
    ‘ Hello,’ called Eben as he walked forward into the gloom. His
voice echoed off the stone walls.
    He heard
someone approaching and looked to his right and saw an old man with
crazy dishevelled white hair and piercing blue eyes. He was
carrying a large wooden staff. The man jumped over a broken
bookcase with surprising agility and started to spring forward
toward Eben.
    ‘ Who said you could come in here?’ he shouted as he prepared
to swing his staff. ‘Damn young ragamuffins coming round here
looking for something to steal! Can’t you see the King closed the
library and burned all the books? There is no money here! I’ll
teach you a lesson, thief!’
    ‘ Excuse me, Sir, you’re mistaken. I was looking for a
librarian or scholar,’ replied Eben, having to jump back to avoid
being struck.
    ‘ Nonsense!’ shouted the old man, swinging the staff again.
Eben ducked easily out of the way and stepped backward toward the
door.
    ‘ Really, I’m searching for someone who can help me find...’
Eben had to dodge quickly to avoid getting hit once again. He was
almost at the door.
    ‘ Please stop swinging that thing. Listen to me for a moment! I
need to find someone called Lady Kaloren,’ he shouted. A moment
later the old man stopped and looked at him curiously.
    ‘ Lady Kaloren,’ he muttered and raised his thick white
eyebrows. ‘Why do you want to find her?’
    ‘ I believe she may know who my parents are,’ replied Eben. ‘Do
you know who she is?’
    The old man
nodded slightly and turned around; he walked back into the gloomy
library. It seemed to Eben that he wasn’t going to answer. ‘I must
find her.’
    ‘ You won’t find her in Ancora,’ said the old man as he
continued to walk away. ‘Lady Kaloren is a famous Everdonian from
the Western Lands beyond the Iron Gate Pass. She was a brave
warrior. She fought in many wars.’
    ‘ Everdonian. What’s that?’
    ‘ Everdon is a kingdom,’ said the old man with a patronising
tone.
    ‘ What about someone called Carlin, have you heard of
him?’
    The old man
froze in his tracks and glanced back over his shoulder. ‘What do
you know about Carlin?’ He turned around and started to walk back
toward Eben; his piercing blue eyes staring intently.
    ‘ Nothing really; all I know is that he may be able to help me
find my parents.’
    ‘ Who are your parents?’ asked the old man, his curiosity
increasing.
    ‘ I don’t know. I’m searching for some answers; that’s why I
came to Ancora. You seem to know Carlin; can you tell me where I
can find him?’
    ‘ I did know him once. He served King Ignis. Unfortunately
Carlin died many years ago, so you can’t find him,’ said the old
man, staring down at the ground solemnly.
    ‘ He died?’ murmured Eben, feeling dismayed at the
news.
    ‘ Yes, I heard, years ago, that he was killed by a monster that
had been terrorising the coastal people north of Ancora. He wasn’t
Ortarian. He was a knight from a distant western land.’
    ‘ Why was he in Ortaria?’
    ‘ I don’t know why,’ said the old man, shaking his head.
‘However, I do know someone who may have some answers for you. Her
name is Torela; I think she knew Carlin. I vaguely remember seeing
them together in the old days. She lives in a house near the north
gate. I will sketch the directions for you.’
    The old man
took charcoal and some parchment from his pocket quickly scribbled
down directions for Eben.
    ‘ Thanks for your help,’ said Eben gratefully.
    ‘ You’re welcome. I should also warn you that there is
mandatory conscription for every Ortarian man between sixteen and
forty. The King is sending all the young men out west to the Iron
Gate Pass, and only those that have permission from the crown can
remain in Ancora. No one really knows why he is doing it. These are
perilous times we live in; you should be careful because you may be
forced to join the army and find yourself on your way