The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Heidi Willard
and straightened. "Just couldn't sleep, that's all."
The gargoyle frowned. "You could not sleep last night," she reminded him.
Fred shrugged. "I guess I don't like to sleep in Kite," he replied.
"That's a pity. Kite is a large region," a voice whispered. The pair spun around toward the cave and found no one.
"The other way." They whipped around toward the trail and found Ned seated on a large rock on the opposite side of the narrow road. He smiled at them and used his staff to tap two shorter rocks close beside him. "It's a fine night to stargaze," he commented. Fred and Ruth glanced at each other. They both smiled, shrugged, and joined Ned among the rocks. Ned leaned his head back to gaze at the stars twinkling above them. "There are some interesting stories about the stars."
Fred slouched and frowned, but Ruth perked up her pointed ears. "What stories?" she asked him.
Ned smiled at her wide eyes. "It is said that each star is a soul at peace. They fly up and settle in the sky to watch over all of us."
"But what if the soul isn't at peace?" she wondered.
Ned's face fell. "Then they wander the world searching for peace so they can join the stars in the sky."
"You mean ghosts?" Fred spoke up.
"That is one of their forms. Like the Boo, they can also take the shape of a cat and haunt the living in that form," Ned added.
"The Boo?" Ruth repeated.
"The Boo is a friendlier name for death," Ned explained.
"Are we going to do this every night?" a voice spoke up. The three turned to see Pat standing in the entrance to the cave. She tapped her foot on the ground and her arms were folded across her chest.
"Ah hope not," Canto quipped. He came up behind her squinting his sleepy eyes at the others. "What are ya all doing up at this hour?"
"I, too, would like to know the answer to that question," Percy chimed in. He staggered out with Sins striding behind him. Fluffy stuck his head up from where he lay with the horses.
Ned chuckled. "We all seem to have insomnia this night."
Pat rolled her eyes and threw up her arms. "Enough stories and enough wandering. We need to sleep or we'll be useless in String," she scolded them.
Ned slid off his rock and walked over to pat one of her shoulders. "You're quite right, my dear Pat." He glanced over his shoulder and pointedly stared at Fred. "No more wandering around during the night for us." Fred didn't miss the hint.
The companions returned to their bedrolls, dirt pile, and watch, and all slept soundly.
CHAPTER 5
The next morning the group shuffled from their cave and into an early gale. Ned breathed deeply and inhaled a heavy layer of dust. "A fine day for a ride," he choked out. A great gust of wind blew past them. "Judging by the severity of the wind we should reach String by late afternoon."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Canto spoke up.
The party pressed onward down the narrow canyon trail. The wind came in gusts and breezes, sometimes tearing at their clothes and other times cooling their cheeks. They took turns being leader so no single steed had to bear the full, unrelenting brunt of the unpredictable weather. A few hours later the trail opened and ascended from the canyon to a plateau surrounded by high cliffs. Percy was in the lead and he stopped his horse so suddenly it caused a chain reaction of bumper to fender collisions.
Fluffy and Fred were at the rear, and in the rear of Pat's horse. They both ate horse tail, and Fred spat his tasty treat out to glare at Percy. "Why'd you do that?" he yelled at the other young man.
"Because we may have a problem. Look." Percy pointed ahead of them, and the group moved forward to stand side-by-side to see the sights.
"Oh dear," Ned replied.
"What in the name of Phaeton?" Pat wondered.
"Are there supposed to be this many people here?" Ruth asked them.
People was indeed the problem for the group. Spread out before them was the long, wide city of String nestled between high, dry, orange-colored cliffs. The city stretched
The gargoyle frowned. "You could not sleep last night," she reminded him.
Fred shrugged. "I guess I don't like to sleep in Kite," he replied.
"That's a pity. Kite is a large region," a voice whispered. The pair spun around toward the cave and found no one.
"The other way." They whipped around toward the trail and found Ned seated on a large rock on the opposite side of the narrow road. He smiled at them and used his staff to tap two shorter rocks close beside him. "It's a fine night to stargaze," he commented. Fred and Ruth glanced at each other. They both smiled, shrugged, and joined Ned among the rocks. Ned leaned his head back to gaze at the stars twinkling above them. "There are some interesting stories about the stars."
Fred slouched and frowned, but Ruth perked up her pointed ears. "What stories?" she asked him.
Ned smiled at her wide eyes. "It is said that each star is a soul at peace. They fly up and settle in the sky to watch over all of us."
"But what if the soul isn't at peace?" she wondered.
Ned's face fell. "Then they wander the world searching for peace so they can join the stars in the sky."
"You mean ghosts?" Fred spoke up.
"That is one of their forms. Like the Boo, they can also take the shape of a cat and haunt the living in that form," Ned added.
"The Boo?" Ruth repeated.
"The Boo is a friendlier name for death," Ned explained.
"Are we going to do this every night?" a voice spoke up. The three turned to see Pat standing in the entrance to the cave. She tapped her foot on the ground and her arms were folded across her chest.
"Ah hope not," Canto quipped. He came up behind her squinting his sleepy eyes at the others. "What are ya all doing up at this hour?"
"I, too, would like to know the answer to that question," Percy chimed in. He staggered out with Sins striding behind him. Fluffy stuck his head up from where he lay with the horses.
Ned chuckled. "We all seem to have insomnia this night."
Pat rolled her eyes and threw up her arms. "Enough stories and enough wandering. We need to sleep or we'll be useless in String," she scolded them.
Ned slid off his rock and walked over to pat one of her shoulders. "You're quite right, my dear Pat." He glanced over his shoulder and pointedly stared at Fred. "No more wandering around during the night for us." Fred didn't miss the hint.
The companions returned to their bedrolls, dirt pile, and watch, and all slept soundly.
CHAPTER 5
The next morning the group shuffled from their cave and into an early gale. Ned breathed deeply and inhaled a heavy layer of dust. "A fine day for a ride," he choked out. A great gust of wind blew past them. "Judging by the severity of the wind we should reach String by late afternoon."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Canto spoke up.
The party pressed onward down the narrow canyon trail. The wind came in gusts and breezes, sometimes tearing at their clothes and other times cooling their cheeks. They took turns being leader so no single steed had to bear the full, unrelenting brunt of the unpredictable weather. A few hours later the trail opened and ascended from the canyon to a plateau surrounded by high cliffs. Percy was in the lead and he stopped his horse so suddenly it caused a chain reaction of bumper to fender collisions.
Fluffy and Fred were at the rear, and in the rear of Pat's horse. They both ate horse tail, and Fred spat his tasty treat out to glare at Percy. "Why'd you do that?" he yelled at the other young man.
"Because we may have a problem. Look." Percy pointed ahead of them, and the group moved forward to stand side-by-side to see the sights.
"Oh dear," Ned replied.
"What in the name of Phaeton?" Pat wondered.
"Are there supposed to be this many people here?" Ruth asked them.
People was indeed the problem for the group. Spread out before them was the long, wide city of String nestled between high, dry, orange-colored cliffs. The city stretched
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