Read Online Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic #1) by Rachel Roberts - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rachel Roberts
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stuck here, I’m glad it’s with you.”
Emily smiled.
They found Adriane outside the cottage, brushing the mistwolf’s coat to a shiny luster. Stormbringer’s eyes were closed in pleasure, but she opened them when Emily and Ozzie arrived.
“Morning,” Adriane said with a smile as she glided the brush over the wolf’s back. She had on hiking boots, black T-shirt and jeans, and a baseball cap with the words NO FEAR embroidered on it.
“Hey!” Emily returned. She looked at the wolf. “Hi, Stormbringer!”
“Hello, healer. Hello, traveler,” the wolf replied, nodding to Ozzie.
“Why do you call me ‘healer?’” Emily asked.
“That is what you do,” the wolf replied.
“Just don’t call me breakfast!” Ozzie scrambled down Emily’s side to the ground.
“I have already eaten,” the wolf assured him. She looked as if she were grinning. “It was a—”
“Gah! Don’t tell me—I don’t want to know!” Ozzie put his paws over his ears.
Adriane knelt and unrolled a large scroll. “Check this out. It’s a map of the preserve. I took it off the wall in the foyer.”
The girls spread the map on the ground and crouched over it. Ozzie joined them.
“It’s old, but the basic layout of the preserve is still the same,” Adriane said. “So…I say we start here up at the north quadrant and follow this trail. It winds down here to the Rocking Stone.”
“I don’t see the glade near the stone,” Emily observed.
“It’s not on the map.”
“I fell out in a big, open area,” Ozzie offered, walking out onto the map to study it.
“Looking for the rabbit hole, Alice?” Adriane asked the ferret.
“I am not a rabbit.” Ozzie looked himself over just to make sure.
“Do you have any idea how we can find it?” Emily asked him.
“I don’t know, but it’s magic. Magic attracts magic—I know that much,” he replied.
“We don’t have any magic,” Emily reminded him.
“Gran said these stones hold magic.” Adriane held up her wrist. Sunlight reflected off the gold and amber jewel.
Adriane rolled up the map, stood, and slung her olive-green backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s move out!”
Emily followed Adriane across the wide lawn in back of the manor. A garden of hedges and flowers lay just beyond the green; the hedges were planted in geometric patterns with pathways in between, like a maze. Near the entrance stood a large stone fountain in the shape of a mermaid. She held a beautiful carved urn over her head and water poured from it to splash off her up-curved tail into the round basin below.
“This place is just so amazing,” Emily breathed.
“C’mon, slowpokes!” Adriane had ducked through an opening in the trees at the edge of the lawn. Emily quickened her steps to catch up. They found themselves on a trail winding through a section of open woodlands. Narrow swaths of meadow separated clusters of trees and bushes. Stormbringer trotted on ahead, fading from view among the tall feathery grasses and wildflowers.
“I feel like I’m on a safari!” Emily exclaimed. The girls crossed a small stream and entered a section of forest thick with tall junipers and furs.
Suddenly Adriane stopped and looked around. “Hold up,” she said.
Emily heard a rustling of leaves and the patter of approaching hoofbeats. “Over there!” She pointed through the trees.
The most amazing creatures came bounding through the woods. They looked like deer, but with long ears and green stripes.
“What are those?” Adriane whispered.
“They’re like the animals I saw in the glade. Maybe some kind of zebra?” Emily guessed.
“Jeeran,” Ozzie simply stated.
The girls looked at him.
“What?” Emily asked incredulously.
“Jeeran, herdbeasts found in the hills of the Moorgroves. I’ve seen lots of them. They’re fast and jump really high.”
“Don’t tell me they come from your world, too?” Adriane asked.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?” Emily asked.
“Okay, I won’t tell
Emily smiled.
They found Adriane outside the cottage, brushing the mistwolf’s coat to a shiny luster. Stormbringer’s eyes were closed in pleasure, but she opened them when Emily and Ozzie arrived.
“Morning,” Adriane said with a smile as she glided the brush over the wolf’s back. She had on hiking boots, black T-shirt and jeans, and a baseball cap with the words NO FEAR embroidered on it.
“Hey!” Emily returned. She looked at the wolf. “Hi, Stormbringer!”
“Hello, healer. Hello, traveler,” the wolf replied, nodding to Ozzie.
“Why do you call me ‘healer?’” Emily asked.
“That is what you do,” the wolf replied.
“Just don’t call me breakfast!” Ozzie scrambled down Emily’s side to the ground.
“I have already eaten,” the wolf assured him. She looked as if she were grinning. “It was a—”
“Gah! Don’t tell me—I don’t want to know!” Ozzie put his paws over his ears.
Adriane knelt and unrolled a large scroll. “Check this out. It’s a map of the preserve. I took it off the wall in the foyer.”
The girls spread the map on the ground and crouched over it. Ozzie joined them.
“It’s old, but the basic layout of the preserve is still the same,” Adriane said. “So…I say we start here up at the north quadrant and follow this trail. It winds down here to the Rocking Stone.”
“I don’t see the glade near the stone,” Emily observed.
“It’s not on the map.”
“I fell out in a big, open area,” Ozzie offered, walking out onto the map to study it.
“Looking for the rabbit hole, Alice?” Adriane asked the ferret.
“I am not a rabbit.” Ozzie looked himself over just to make sure.
“Do you have any idea how we can find it?” Emily asked him.
“I don’t know, but it’s magic. Magic attracts magic—I know that much,” he replied.
“We don’t have any magic,” Emily reminded him.
“Gran said these stones hold magic.” Adriane held up her wrist. Sunlight reflected off the gold and amber jewel.
Adriane rolled up the map, stood, and slung her olive-green backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s move out!”
Emily followed Adriane across the wide lawn in back of the manor. A garden of hedges and flowers lay just beyond the green; the hedges were planted in geometric patterns with pathways in between, like a maze. Near the entrance stood a large stone fountain in the shape of a mermaid. She held a beautiful carved urn over her head and water poured from it to splash off her up-curved tail into the round basin below.
“This place is just so amazing,” Emily breathed.
“C’mon, slowpokes!” Adriane had ducked through an opening in the trees at the edge of the lawn. Emily quickened her steps to catch up. They found themselves on a trail winding through a section of open woodlands. Narrow swaths of meadow separated clusters of trees and bushes. Stormbringer trotted on ahead, fading from view among the tall feathery grasses and wildflowers.
“I feel like I’m on a safari!” Emily exclaimed. The girls crossed a small stream and entered a section of forest thick with tall junipers and furs.
Suddenly Adriane stopped and looked around. “Hold up,” she said.
Emily heard a rustling of leaves and the patter of approaching hoofbeats. “Over there!” She pointed through the trees.
The most amazing creatures came bounding through the woods. They looked like deer, but with long ears and green stripes.
“What are those?” Adriane whispered.
“They’re like the animals I saw in the glade. Maybe some kind of zebra?” Emily guessed.
“Jeeran,” Ozzie simply stated.
The girls looked at him.
“What?” Emily asked incredulously.
“Jeeran, herdbeasts found in the hills of the Moorgroves. I’ve seen lots of them. They’re fast and jump really high.”
“Don’t tell me they come from your world, too?” Adriane asked.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?” Emily asked.
“Okay, I won’t tell
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