Read Online Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond E. Feist - Free Book Online Page B

over to the island, and we have found work as builders, too.”
    Caleb smiled. “I know you’ve tried. But there’s precious little work now, and less when the new freight line sets up—they’re bringing their own lads with them down from Landreth.
    â€œNo, your mother has the right of it. If you’re to find your way in life, it has to be somewhere besides Stardock.”
    The boys finished dressing and Caleb motioned for them to climb back into the wagon. He mounted the driver’s seat and took up the reins. As the horses obeyed his command and moved along, he continued. “There’s not much going on in the Kingdom, I’m sorry to say. I know people who could get you work, but no one who’d apprentice you. But things are looking up in Kesh and I’ve a few friends in Jonril who owe me a favor or two. We’ll see if there’s someone who’ll take in two promising lads. Apprentice at a trade, learn your craft, and in adozen years or so you can return to Stardock as journeymen crafters, if you wish, but apprentice at a trade you will.”
    The boys sat uncomfortably in the back of the jostling wagon, Zane with his knees drawn up to his chest and Tad with legs straight out. Both knew it would be a long ride.
    Â 
    The wagon bumped down the road, the horses kicking up small clouds of dust as the afternoon heat beat down. It was unusually hot for this time of year and the boys complained from time to time. They were restless and bored and the novelty of the journey had worn off. Caleb bore their complaints with good humor, for he understood their distress over the turn of events in their lives.
    During the first day, they had expressed both anger and sadness at their mother’s decision to send them away. They fully understood her reasoning; Stardock had not been a prosperous town for years and work was hard to come by. Their youthful optimism had always led them to believe that something would have worked out had they remained, but by the end of the day both had slowly come to the conclusion that their mother was probably right. They would eventually accept the change as a welcome one, but for the moment they felt ill-used. At least, to Caleb’s relief, neither had mentioned Ellie and her part in Marie’s desire to see them somewhere other than home.
    Caleb had known the boys for most of their lives and he was very fond of them; they were as close to sons as he would ever have, and he knew that while they didn’t consider him as a father, they did look upon him as a surrogate uncle and someone their mother cared for, even loved.
    He had known Marie a little while her husband was alive, and had known even then that she had felt drawn to him, for he had seen it in her eyes, despite the fact that she was a dutiful wife who observed all the proprieties. Later, she had told him that even in those days she had found him compelling. He had noticed her, too, but as with any other married women, he put any thoughts of attraction aside. Two years after the troll raid and the death of her husband, they had become lovers again.
    Caleb would have liked nothing better than to settle down with Marie, but he knew that with his duties, it would never be possible. His work for his father and the Conclave of Shadows called for constant travel and putting himself in harm’s way. He was absent more than he was around, and Marie deserved better than that.
    Yet she had never voiced any complaint or showed any interest in another man, and Caleb secretly hoped that someday he might convince her to move to Sorcerer’s Isle—the place he considered to be home—or perhaps he would return to Stardock and live there. He put those thoughts aside as he had many times before, for dwelling on them only put him in a dark mood.
    As they drove into the wagon yard, Caleb said, “When we get to Nab-Yar, we’ll find a buyer for this rig and purchase some saddle