Read Online Finder: First Ordinance, Book One by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Connie Suttle
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usually does in early spring, and at times, we rode through rain or snow. The worst was a brief spate of hail, which the horses did not like at all. I didn't like it either, as a few hailstones bounced off my head. At least the hailstones were small; larger ones might have rendered some of us unconscious.
"Finder, come." Amlis and Rodrik broke away from the road while the guards took a short break. The day was fine, with puffy white clouds floating overhead as I pointed Stepper in the direction Amlis was heading. "I want to show you the best view between Lironis and Vhrist," Amlis explained as I urged Stepper to follow Runner and Midnight.
Half a click away we found ourselves on a high cliff overlooking water that seemed to stretch forever. Early afternoon had arrived and sunlight glittered on the water brighter than thousands of tiny candles. Tall spires of rock stood not far out, while the force of the waves crashed into them, tossing up white spray while birds wheeled and called out around them. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and I drew in a breath, astonished by the sight of it.
"You like it, don't you?" Amlis chuckled beside me. I nodded in stunned wonder, staring as long as I could without blinking to imprint the vision in my memory. Even the air I breathed was filled with a golden glow as sunlight played across the Western Sea.
Too soon, Amlis reined Runner in and we turned back, all while my imagination ran wild, dreaming of what it might be like to wheel and fly about the spires on the western edge of Fyris.
* * *
Wolter was angry, his kitchen staff unruly and out of sorts. Three beatings had been parceled out already, and it wasn't even noon. The palace seemed to be growling with rage for some unknown reason and Wolter was hard-pressed not to walk out of the kitchen in disgust. Chen would come in soon and Wolter wondered for the fifth time if he could leave everything in his assistant's hands and retire to his quarters.
When the maid ran in sobbing, Wolter jerked his mind away from his thoughts and stared. The girl was covered in blood and babbling that two maids had just been beheaded by Yevil Orklis for making too much noise.
* * *
Perhaps two clicks from the inn where Amlis planned to spend the night the vision came. A bend in the road was ahead, heralding the beginnings of an evergreen forest. Even I knew the ground was rising—I'd seen the evidence on the cliff overlooking the spires. Moving Stepper up beside Midnight, I jerked frantically on Rodrik's sleeve.
"Finder?" Rodrik pulled Midnight back to see what I wanted. Desperately I gestured that we should avoid the bend ahead. He understood clearly enough, but Amlis had turned Runner around and now he was in the conversation as well.
"Finder, this is the only road in the area," Amlis sounded impatient. Our entire party had stopped by that time and I heard a bit of grumbling around us from men who were looking for supper and bed. Rodrik had said we were still four days out of Vhrist and tempers were running short.
"If we go around, we'll be going through a forest difficult to navigate on horseback, filled with low-hanging firs and scrub. I don't believe the men will like being slapped in the face by resinous limbs."
You , I pointed to Amlis, danger , I tugged my right ear.
"We'll take care of it," Rodrik soothed. "Men," he said, "it seems the Prince may be in danger ahead. Be prepared."
They were ignoring me. I wanted to shout at them. Scream my lungs out for the first time ever. They were taking the road, when an ambush lay ahead. Sullenly I reined Stepper in behind Rodrik and the Prince as Rodrik's twelve gathered in a tighter knot around us. None spoke as we trotted toward the blind turn in the road.
* * *
"Son," Tamblin sighed as he gazed through the window of his study, "Yevil is getting out of hand. I'd like for you to take care of it. Discreetly, of course."
"I was wondering when you'd ask me to kill the old goat," Timblor
"Finder, come." Amlis and Rodrik broke away from the road while the guards took a short break. The day was fine, with puffy white clouds floating overhead as I pointed Stepper in the direction Amlis was heading. "I want to show you the best view between Lironis and Vhrist," Amlis explained as I urged Stepper to follow Runner and Midnight.
Half a click away we found ourselves on a high cliff overlooking water that seemed to stretch forever. Early afternoon had arrived and sunlight glittered on the water brighter than thousands of tiny candles. Tall spires of rock stood not far out, while the force of the waves crashed into them, tossing up white spray while birds wheeled and called out around them. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and I drew in a breath, astonished by the sight of it.
"You like it, don't you?" Amlis chuckled beside me. I nodded in stunned wonder, staring as long as I could without blinking to imprint the vision in my memory. Even the air I breathed was filled with a golden glow as sunlight played across the Western Sea.
Too soon, Amlis reined Runner in and we turned back, all while my imagination ran wild, dreaming of what it might be like to wheel and fly about the spires on the western edge of Fyris.
* * *
Wolter was angry, his kitchen staff unruly and out of sorts. Three beatings had been parceled out already, and it wasn't even noon. The palace seemed to be growling with rage for some unknown reason and Wolter was hard-pressed not to walk out of the kitchen in disgust. Chen would come in soon and Wolter wondered for the fifth time if he could leave everything in his assistant's hands and retire to his quarters.
When the maid ran in sobbing, Wolter jerked his mind away from his thoughts and stared. The girl was covered in blood and babbling that two maids had just been beheaded by Yevil Orklis for making too much noise.
* * *
Perhaps two clicks from the inn where Amlis planned to spend the night the vision came. A bend in the road was ahead, heralding the beginnings of an evergreen forest. Even I knew the ground was rising—I'd seen the evidence on the cliff overlooking the spires. Moving Stepper up beside Midnight, I jerked frantically on Rodrik's sleeve.
"Finder?" Rodrik pulled Midnight back to see what I wanted. Desperately I gestured that we should avoid the bend ahead. He understood clearly enough, but Amlis had turned Runner around and now he was in the conversation as well.
"Finder, this is the only road in the area," Amlis sounded impatient. Our entire party had stopped by that time and I heard a bit of grumbling around us from men who were looking for supper and bed. Rodrik had said we were still four days out of Vhrist and tempers were running short.
"If we go around, we'll be going through a forest difficult to navigate on horseback, filled with low-hanging firs and scrub. I don't believe the men will like being slapped in the face by resinous limbs."
You , I pointed to Amlis, danger , I tugged my right ear.
"We'll take care of it," Rodrik soothed. "Men," he said, "it seems the Prince may be in danger ahead. Be prepared."
They were ignoring me. I wanted to shout at them. Scream my lungs out for the first time ever. They were taking the road, when an ambush lay ahead. Sullenly I reined Stepper in behind Rodrik and the Prince as Rodrik's twelve gathered in a tighter knot around us. None spoke as we trotted toward the blind turn in the road.
* * *
"Son," Tamblin sighed as he gazed through the window of his study, "Yevil is getting out of hand. I'd like for you to take care of it. Discreetly, of course."
"I was wondering when you'd ask me to kill the old goat," Timblor
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