Read Online Castle Avamir by Kathleen Duey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathleen Duey
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had left behind a whole packet of paper.
Heart had found a hawkâs feather to make a quill pen.
She knew her writing wasnât very good yet.
She could barely read it.
But she was determined to improve.
âI miss our campfires,â Talia said. âNone of us has practiced reading since Tibbs left. Not even you.â
Heart nodded unhappily. It was true.
She hadnât told the Gypsies about Moonsilver healing Lord Irmaedith, or the storybook he had given her, and only Zim knew about LordDunravenâs. So she had to keep them hidden.
She wanted to tell Binney everything.
But it was forbidden for commoners to have books. And one of the books in her carry-sack had been taken from Lord Dunravenâs castle.
If she got caught, Heart didnât want the Gypsies to get into trouble too.
âMaybe Gypsies just arenât supposed to learn to read,â Talia said.
Heart glanced at her. âEveryone should learn.â
Talia laughed. âThe Lords of the Lands surely donât agree with that. I wonder why.â
âThey donât want people to know the old stories,â Heart said slowly. This was something she had thought about a lot. âThey want to keep all kinds of things secret.â
Talia arched her brows. âWhy?â
Heart wasnât quite sure why, but she knew it was true.
âWeâre set!â Binney shouted.
Heart sighed.
Talia frowned.
Kip whined, a high-pitched, unhappy sound.
Heart leaned down to pat his head. âStay here.â
Slogging through the mud, Heart and Talia joined the line of people getting ready to help.
Binney and Zim had worked a rope around the back of the wagon.
Heart found a place between Talia and Josepha.
She wiped her hands on her cloak for a better grip.
On the opposite side of the mud mire another line was forming. They would hold the other end of the rope.
Four men pulled off their boots.
They rolled up their trousers.
Then they waded into the mud.
The men lined up shoulder to shoulder, their hands flat against the wagon gate.
âReady?â Binney shouted.
Heart nodded along with everyone else.
Davey stood up on the footrest.
The horses leaned into their harness collars. They knew what to do.
âReady?â Binney yelled. âOne, two ⦠THREE!â
âPull!â Davey urged his horses. âPULL!â
Heart leaned backward, digging her boot heels into the muddy earth. She could hear people groaning with effort.
The men behind the wagon were bent almost double, their heads down as they strained to push.
âYah!â Davey shouted at the horses. âYou can do it!â
Heart heaved at the rope.
Her hands hurt. She pulled harder anyway.
Finally, a wet, squelching sound made her glance up. The wheels were coming free!
She gritted her teeth and pulled harder, along with everyone else.
The wagon lurched forward. Heart stumbled backward as the rope went slack. Talia staggered, trying to keep her balance.
Binney lifted her head. âHurrah! There is no mud puddle too fierce for us!â
Heart heard quiet laughter on all sides.
âYou are all heroes!â Binney raised her arms like an acrobat landing a back flip. âYou are the conquerors of mud and drizzle!â
The laughter came again. Heart smiled. Binney reminded her of Ruth Oakes. They would be good Mends if ever they met.
Suddenly the bracelet on Heartâs wrist tightened.
Startled, Heart pushed up her cloak to stare at the woven silver threads.
Sometimes it seemed like the bracelet tightened to warn her of danger.
But nothing was wrongâ¦.
The woods were still, except for the sound of the falling rain.
The Gypsies were all smiling, trudging back to their wagons.
Avamir and Moonsilver were walking calmly toward her.
Kip trotted with them, his ears plastered flat with rainwater. Heart pulled her cloak close around her shoulders.
CHAPTER TWO
T he next two days, it rained steadily. Then it
Heart had found a hawkâs feather to make a quill pen.
She knew her writing wasnât very good yet.
She could barely read it.
But she was determined to improve.
âI miss our campfires,â Talia said. âNone of us has practiced reading since Tibbs left. Not even you.â
Heart nodded unhappily. It was true.
She hadnât told the Gypsies about Moonsilver healing Lord Irmaedith, or the storybook he had given her, and only Zim knew about LordDunravenâs. So she had to keep them hidden.
She wanted to tell Binney everything.
But it was forbidden for commoners to have books. And one of the books in her carry-sack had been taken from Lord Dunravenâs castle.
If she got caught, Heart didnât want the Gypsies to get into trouble too.
âMaybe Gypsies just arenât supposed to learn to read,â Talia said.
Heart glanced at her. âEveryone should learn.â
Talia laughed. âThe Lords of the Lands surely donât agree with that. I wonder why.â
âThey donât want people to know the old stories,â Heart said slowly. This was something she had thought about a lot. âThey want to keep all kinds of things secret.â
Talia arched her brows. âWhy?â
Heart wasnât quite sure why, but she knew it was true.
âWeâre set!â Binney shouted.
Heart sighed.
Talia frowned.
Kip whined, a high-pitched, unhappy sound.
Heart leaned down to pat his head. âStay here.â
Slogging through the mud, Heart and Talia joined the line of people getting ready to help.
Binney and Zim had worked a rope around the back of the wagon.
Heart found a place between Talia and Josepha.
She wiped her hands on her cloak for a better grip.
On the opposite side of the mud mire another line was forming. They would hold the other end of the rope.
Four men pulled off their boots.
They rolled up their trousers.
Then they waded into the mud.
The men lined up shoulder to shoulder, their hands flat against the wagon gate.
âReady?â Binney shouted.
Heart nodded along with everyone else.
Davey stood up on the footrest.
The horses leaned into their harness collars. They knew what to do.
âReady?â Binney yelled. âOne, two ⦠THREE!â
âPull!â Davey urged his horses. âPULL!â
Heart leaned backward, digging her boot heels into the muddy earth. She could hear people groaning with effort.
The men behind the wagon were bent almost double, their heads down as they strained to push.
âYah!â Davey shouted at the horses. âYou can do it!â
Heart heaved at the rope.
Her hands hurt. She pulled harder anyway.
Finally, a wet, squelching sound made her glance up. The wheels were coming free!
She gritted her teeth and pulled harder, along with everyone else.
The wagon lurched forward. Heart stumbled backward as the rope went slack. Talia staggered, trying to keep her balance.
Binney lifted her head. âHurrah! There is no mud puddle too fierce for us!â
Heart heard quiet laughter on all sides.
âYou are all heroes!â Binney raised her arms like an acrobat landing a back flip. âYou are the conquerors of mud and drizzle!â
The laughter came again. Heart smiled. Binney reminded her of Ruth Oakes. They would be good Mends if ever they met.
Suddenly the bracelet on Heartâs wrist tightened.
Startled, Heart pushed up her cloak to stare at the woven silver threads.
Sometimes it seemed like the bracelet tightened to warn her of danger.
But nothing was wrongâ¦.
The woods were still, except for the sound of the falling rain.
The Gypsies were all smiling, trudging back to their wagons.
Avamir and Moonsilver were walking calmly toward her.
Kip trotted with them, his ears plastered flat with rainwater. Heart pulled her cloak close around her shoulders.
CHAPTER TWO
T he next two days, it rained steadily. Then it
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