The Unwilling Ambassador (Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Heidi Willard
the world."
"And their stingers are as deadly as any assassin's blade," Pat added. "If you dropped that box and freed them we would be stung a hundred times before we escaped."
"And that is why I am very careful-" Ned stepped forward and tripped over the many clothes on the ground. The box flew from his hands and into an arch in the air. Pat pushed Ruth toward the door, and both Fred and she dove for the container. They grabbed either end of the large box and landed on their stomachs with the box safely held up between them. As Fred gasped for the air that was knocked from his lungs, Pat scowled at the old castor. Ned sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "An honest accident," he told her. He picked up the box and stuffed it into his cloak. "But as much as this is a danger to us, it's good in a pursuit when you need to be rid of a few riders."
"I think you're the danger to us..." Pat grumbled as Ruth helped her up.
Fred stood and brushed off his cloak. His hands nicked the brush and it clattered to the ground. He bent over to grab it, and Ned noticed the item. "A very strange artifact you have there," he commented to the young man. "May I see it?" Fred shrugged and passed the brush to him. Ned admired the bent brushed and thick wooden handle. "Where did you happen to acquire this magical device?"
"You mean it actually does something other than brush Fluffy?" Fred countered.
Pat scoffed. "Brush Fluffy? What's there to brush?"
"A cantankus is a very delicate creature and needs brushing as much as any horse," Ned told her. He glanced at Fred. "I can't say what this does, but there is an enchantment over it and the dwarven craftsman was a master."
"I just got it off an old woman in the market outside the city," Fred told him. "She said it would help Fluffy run faster."
"Perhaps it may, but I would show it to Canto before you tried the item on Fluffy," Ned advised as he handed back the brush. "He could tell what magic the dwarves have placed on the brush."
"Dwarves can do magic, too?" Fred wondered.
Pat rolled her eyes. "Of course dwarves can do magic. How do you think they're the best blacksmiths in the world?"
Fred sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Practice?"
She glared at him for a few seconds before she turned to Ned. "Did you need help cleaning this place? It looks like a clothing army waged war with the box rebellion."
"That won't be necessary. I'll have the mess cleaned up in a moment." Ned grabbed both sides of his cloak and flung open the clothing, exposing himself to all the world. Fortunately for the world he wore some dirty robes beneath the cloak, and showed off only countless rows of tiny pockets. The piles of clothing and boxes in the room flew off the floor and shrunk themselves down to fit into the many pockets. In a flash the room was clean and Ned closed his cloak. "See?"
Fred picked his jaw up off the floor and scowled at him. "Why didn't you clean it up like that when we were looking for the needle?"
Ned shrugged. "Not as much fun." Before any of the youngsters could blow up on him he turned them all around and pushed them to the door. "Now go find that cranky old dwarf and see what he knows about that brush while this old man takes his afternoon nap."
"But it's still morning," Ruth pointed out.
"I sometimes like to get an early start on it," Ned replied.
He shoved them out into the hall and shut the door behind them. Fred and Ruth glanced at one another, and Pat pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be another long journey with him," she grumbled.
CHAPTER 4
Reluctantly they followed Ned's advice and found out the whereabouts of Canto. He stood outside the gate to the castle checking Fluffy's saddle and collar. When the youngsters came around the corner of the gate he scowled at Fred. "Haven't ya enough sense to take care of yer cantankus?" he asked the boy.
Fred stopped in his tracks and blinked. "Um, yes?" he guessed.
Canto pointed at Fluffy's saddle. "Ya see what's wrong
"And their stingers are as deadly as any assassin's blade," Pat added. "If you dropped that box and freed them we would be stung a hundred times before we escaped."
"And that is why I am very careful-" Ned stepped forward and tripped over the many clothes on the ground. The box flew from his hands and into an arch in the air. Pat pushed Ruth toward the door, and both Fred and she dove for the container. They grabbed either end of the large box and landed on their stomachs with the box safely held up between them. As Fred gasped for the air that was knocked from his lungs, Pat scowled at the old castor. Ned sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "An honest accident," he told her. He picked up the box and stuffed it into his cloak. "But as much as this is a danger to us, it's good in a pursuit when you need to be rid of a few riders."
"I think you're the danger to us..." Pat grumbled as Ruth helped her up.
Fred stood and brushed off his cloak. His hands nicked the brush and it clattered to the ground. He bent over to grab it, and Ned noticed the item. "A very strange artifact you have there," he commented to the young man. "May I see it?" Fred shrugged and passed the brush to him. Ned admired the bent brushed and thick wooden handle. "Where did you happen to acquire this magical device?"
"You mean it actually does something other than brush Fluffy?" Fred countered.
Pat scoffed. "Brush Fluffy? What's there to brush?"
"A cantankus is a very delicate creature and needs brushing as much as any horse," Ned told her. He glanced at Fred. "I can't say what this does, but there is an enchantment over it and the dwarven craftsman was a master."
"I just got it off an old woman in the market outside the city," Fred told him. "She said it would help Fluffy run faster."
"Perhaps it may, but I would show it to Canto before you tried the item on Fluffy," Ned advised as he handed back the brush. "He could tell what magic the dwarves have placed on the brush."
"Dwarves can do magic, too?" Fred wondered.
Pat rolled her eyes. "Of course dwarves can do magic. How do you think they're the best blacksmiths in the world?"
Fred sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Practice?"
She glared at him for a few seconds before she turned to Ned. "Did you need help cleaning this place? It looks like a clothing army waged war with the box rebellion."
"That won't be necessary. I'll have the mess cleaned up in a moment." Ned grabbed both sides of his cloak and flung open the clothing, exposing himself to all the world. Fortunately for the world he wore some dirty robes beneath the cloak, and showed off only countless rows of tiny pockets. The piles of clothing and boxes in the room flew off the floor and shrunk themselves down to fit into the many pockets. In a flash the room was clean and Ned closed his cloak. "See?"
Fred picked his jaw up off the floor and scowled at him. "Why didn't you clean it up like that when we were looking for the needle?"
Ned shrugged. "Not as much fun." Before any of the youngsters could blow up on him he turned them all around and pushed them to the door. "Now go find that cranky old dwarf and see what he knows about that brush while this old man takes his afternoon nap."
"But it's still morning," Ruth pointed out.
"I sometimes like to get an early start on it," Ned replied.
He shoved them out into the hall and shut the door behind them. Fred and Ruth glanced at one another, and Pat pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be another long journey with him," she grumbled.
CHAPTER 4
Reluctantly they followed Ned's advice and found out the whereabouts of Canto. He stood outside the gate to the castle checking Fluffy's saddle and collar. When the youngsters came around the corner of the gate he scowled at Fred. "Haven't ya enough sense to take care of yer cantankus?" he asked the boy.
Fred stopped in his tracks and blinked. "Um, yes?" he guessed.
Canto pointed at Fluffy's saddle. "Ya see what's wrong
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