Read Online Fell (The Sight 2) by David Clement-Davies - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Clement-Davies
Ads: Link
like a frightened cat’s. The older girl’s whole body was trembling with fury and bitterness at the dawning revelation.
“I still don’t know why the great Vladeran didn’t just do away with her himself,” said Ranna irritably from the kitchen, “if he wanted her dead.”
“Great ones always like others to do their dirty work, don’t they?” answered Malduk. “Besides, you know how superstitious they say his lordship is. He clearly wanted the soldier to take her beyond the borders of Castelu.”
In their hiding place, Alina’s heart was beating harder than she had ever known.
“But it doesn’t matter now,” said Malduk. “She’ll be dead before dawn. Serves her right for opening the chest today and poking in her nose where it don’t belong.”
Mia looked guiltily at Alina as the shepherd got up again and stared out the window.
“Ranna. There are men coming down the track already,” he said, “I can see their lights over the palisade.”
“Then go and meet them, man, at the end of the path. We must appear as normal as possible tonight. I’ll go around the back and pretend to be chopping wood, or looking for Mia. While I get this off my hands properly.”
Malduk looked suddenly nervous, but he nodded.
“Very well, wife.”
“And husband,” said Ranna, “we’re innocents, remember.”
“Yes, wife,” answered Malduk, “but it’s all very well the villagers hunting her down, but what if the authorities capture her first, and she tells them what she knows?”
Ranna stared at her husband as Alina wondered why they were talking of hunting her down. For all Ranna’s clever plotting, she had not calculated this.
“Then she must never speak again,” she growled. “Make sure of it, man. Silence her.”
Malduk nodded again and snatched up the dagger on the milking stool. The door to the house banged violently, and Alina could hardly breathe with the horror of it, while little Mia was shivering furiously. Ranna finished in the kitchen and went outside to the back of the house.
“Quick,” cried Alina, appearing from the sheepskins. “We can slip away and hide in the barn to think. They won’t realise I’m there, and at least she won’t see you, Mia.”
“Oh, Alina. What they said. It’s terrible.” Mia’s teeth were chattering almost uncontrollably. “They want to kill you. Lord Vladeran tried before. But they’ve done something. They’re plotting. And my aunt had blood on her hands.”
“Perhaps they went to slaughter a sheep. Come, Mia, take my hand.”
Alina was nearly twice Mia’s height, and as they held hands, she felt as protective as an elder sister. She opened the chest and grabbed the parchment again, slipping it into her pocket as the children hurried through the door together into the snow, and heard Ranna swearing and cursing behind the house. The two girls crossed noiselessly to the barn and slipped inside. They were safe, for a while at least.
“Oh, Mia,” said Alina bitterly amongst the freezing shadows, as they shut the barn doors fast behind them and the girl noticed that Elak had gone. “If I’m no changeling, then what am I really?”
“It said Castelu,” answered Mia. “Do you think … Do you think you could really be some powerful …”
“A girl?” said Alina quickly. “No, Mia, don’t be foolish. But what am I going to do now?”
The little girl’s eyes were full of tears, but she answered her friend with all the firmness she could muster.
“You’ve got to go, Alina. You’ve got to run away, like you said. Before Malduk comes back.”
Alina knew her friend was right, but she felt sick to her stomach.
“And you’ll come with me, Mia?”
The little girl gulped, but shook her head firmly.
“No. It’ll only make it worse. You’re bigger than me, and can run faster. Much faster than any of the village children. I’ve seen you. Run, Alina. Now. Up into the mountains. Anywhere you can be safe.”
Alina shuddered, for now the
“I still don’t know why the great Vladeran didn’t just do away with her himself,” said Ranna irritably from the kitchen, “if he wanted her dead.”
“Great ones always like others to do their dirty work, don’t they?” answered Malduk. “Besides, you know how superstitious they say his lordship is. He clearly wanted the soldier to take her beyond the borders of Castelu.”
In their hiding place, Alina’s heart was beating harder than she had ever known.
“But it doesn’t matter now,” said Malduk. “She’ll be dead before dawn. Serves her right for opening the chest today and poking in her nose where it don’t belong.”
Mia looked guiltily at Alina as the shepherd got up again and stared out the window.
“Ranna. There are men coming down the track already,” he said, “I can see their lights over the palisade.”
“Then go and meet them, man, at the end of the path. We must appear as normal as possible tonight. I’ll go around the back and pretend to be chopping wood, or looking for Mia. While I get this off my hands properly.”
Malduk looked suddenly nervous, but he nodded.
“Very well, wife.”
“And husband,” said Ranna, “we’re innocents, remember.”
“Yes, wife,” answered Malduk, “but it’s all very well the villagers hunting her down, but what if the authorities capture her first, and she tells them what she knows?”
Ranna stared at her husband as Alina wondered why they were talking of hunting her down. For all Ranna’s clever plotting, she had not calculated this.
“Then she must never speak again,” she growled. “Make sure of it, man. Silence her.”
Malduk nodded again and snatched up the dagger on the milking stool. The door to the house banged violently, and Alina could hardly breathe with the horror of it, while little Mia was shivering furiously. Ranna finished in the kitchen and went outside to the back of the house.
“Quick,” cried Alina, appearing from the sheepskins. “We can slip away and hide in the barn to think. They won’t realise I’m there, and at least she won’t see you, Mia.”
“Oh, Alina. What they said. It’s terrible.” Mia’s teeth were chattering almost uncontrollably. “They want to kill you. Lord Vladeran tried before. But they’ve done something. They’re plotting. And my aunt had blood on her hands.”
“Perhaps they went to slaughter a sheep. Come, Mia, take my hand.”
Alina was nearly twice Mia’s height, and as they held hands, she felt as protective as an elder sister. She opened the chest and grabbed the parchment again, slipping it into her pocket as the children hurried through the door together into the snow, and heard Ranna swearing and cursing behind the house. The two girls crossed noiselessly to the barn and slipped inside. They were safe, for a while at least.
“Oh, Mia,” said Alina bitterly amongst the freezing shadows, as they shut the barn doors fast behind them and the girl noticed that Elak had gone. “If I’m no changeling, then what am I really?”
“It said Castelu,” answered Mia. “Do you think … Do you think you could really be some powerful …”
“A girl?” said Alina quickly. “No, Mia, don’t be foolish. But what am I going to do now?”
The little girl’s eyes were full of tears, but she answered her friend with all the firmness she could muster.
“You’ve got to go, Alina. You’ve got to run away, like you said. Before Malduk comes back.”
Alina knew her friend was right, but she felt sick to her stomach.
“And you’ll come with me, Mia?”
The little girl gulped, but shook her head firmly.
“No. It’ll only make it worse. You’re bigger than me, and can run faster. Much faster than any of the village children. I’ve seen you. Run, Alina. Now. Up into the mountains. Anywhere you can be safe.”
Alina shuddered, for now the
Similar Books
