Read Online Foundling Wizard (Book 1) by James Eggebeen - Free Book Online Page B

there having lunch with my sister and poof, there it was, a nice, red, juicy apple,” he explained. “Zhimosom told me that was the reason they could sense me. He taught me how to do it, so they don’t pick up on it.”
    “Won’t that help with the priest here?” Chedel asked.
    “No. He can sense the shields I used to hide us. Maybe we should wait until nightfall.”
    Lorit scouted around until he found several large flat stones. He piled them up, setting them carefully one on top of the other until he had a stack almost as tall as he was. He stepped back to admire his work. The rock pillar tilted wildly and threatened to topple at the slightest touch.
    “What are you doing?” Chedel asked.
    “Hush, I am preparing,” Lorit answered.
    “Preparing what? All I see is a pile of rocks.”
    “This is a diversion. I plan to use it to get past the priest and the guards.”
    Lorit stacked several piles of rocks in various locations scattered around the clearing before he finished his work. As the sun set, the rock piles took on a sinister look, in the lengthening shadows.
    Lorit waited until darkness fell, before he spoke. “Let’s get moving before the moon rises, or we'll lose this lovely darkness.”
    He motioned toward the river, “Follow me, quietly.”
    Chedel followed closely behind Lorit as they made their way toward the clearing. He hoped the fire that warmed the guards would also blind them, so they wouldn’t see Lorit and Chedel make their way towards the ford.
    The priest lay on his pack with his robe covering his head. Lorit wasn’t sure if the priest were already asleep or just dozing off.
    “Let’s wait a bit,” he advised Chedel. “Give him a chance to go to sleep before we make a run for it.
    They waited breathlessly until Lorit was comfortable. He whispered, “I think it’s time.” He peered into the campsite where one of the guards was asleep on his bedroll. One sat close to the fire, warming himself, as the night had cooled off. The third guard stood looking up the road that lead back toward Mistbury Tye.
    “Get ready,” Lorit whispered. “When I give you the signal, you run.”
    “Ready,” Chedel whispered in reply.
    Suddenly there was a crash in the woods where Lorit and Chedel had spent the afternoon. The guard called out, “Who’s there?”
    “Halt, who goes there?” the guard demanded. He headed into the woods, to investigate the source of the sound. Just as the first guard entered the shadow of the woods, another crash came from the opposite side of the clearing. The second guard jumped up, grabbed his spear and headed into the woods in the opposite direction.
    “Now!” Lorit whispered tugging at Chedel’s arm. “Run for the ford.”
    Lorit ran for the river. As his feet plunged into the swiftly running water, they turned numb from the cold. The Strotailye River was fed by mountain streams that were as frigid as ice this late in the year. They splashed their way across the ford making it more than half way before Lorit noticed the water was getting warmer, and not just because he was adjusting to it.
    “Do you feel that?” he called to Chedel. “Is the water getting warmer?”
    As if in answer, the water surrounding them started to emit heavy clouds of steam in the cold night air. The water was undoubtedly getting hotter as they made their way across the river.
    “The water’s getting hot,” Chedel cried. “What’s happening?”
    “I don’t know. It must be the priest. He must have woken up. He’s doing something with the water. Hurry up!”
    Chedel splashed through the knee deep water alongside Lorit. The water grew hotter with each step they took, until it felt like they would be boiled alive before they reached the far shore.
    “You’ll never make it,” a voice called. It seemed to come out of the steam that surrounded them.
    “See if we don’t,” Lorit muttered to himself. He pulled at Chedel. “Come on! We have to hurry.”
    “It’s too hot.