Read Online Keeper of the Realms: Crow's Revenge (Book 1) by Marcus Alexander - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marcus Alexander
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ask Kelko or Jensen I’m sure they’ll be glad ta teach ya.’
‘Do you think they would?’
‘Sure, Charlie, of course they would. Tell ya wot, why don’t ya go and ask Kelko? I’m sure he would give ya a couple of lessons.’
Charlie flashed Stotch a big grin. Jumping up from her seat, she ran over to Kelko. ‘Kelko, I had no idea you could move like that!’
‘Ahh!’ groaned Kelko in relief as he poured more water over his blackened trousers. ‘Oh, me poor backside! One of these days I’m gonna beat that cheeky Treman! Boss or no boss, he’s still a cheating, good for nothing …’
‘Uh, Kelko, there’s something I’d like to ask.’
‘… smug, mischievous, low-down …’
‘Hello, Kelko!’
‘… squinty-eyed, tricky, bamboozling …’
‘Kelko, please, it’s important!’
‘… shifty, nasty piece of work …’
‘KELKO!’ snapped Charlie, finally losing her patience and stamping her foot.
‘Uh, oh, sorry, Charlie,’ said Kelko. Sighing, he gave his backside one final rub. ‘Wot can I do for ya?’
‘Can you teach me K’Changa?’
Kelko blinked and, forgetting his burnt backside, eyed Charlie as though weighing her worth. ‘Ya want ta learn K’Changa, eh, blossom? Hmm, let me see.’
Reaching over, he undid her messy ponytails. He then pulled out a wooden comb and gave her hair a couple of quick strokes before, with nimble hands, retying her hair into a topknot. Taking one of his wooden bracelets from his wrist, he fastened it round her newly shaped hair. He stepped back and gave her a steady appraisal.
‘Teach ya K’Changa?’ he said with a bright smile. ‘That, me little lass, is something I can do!’
9
Troubled Thoughts
‘C’mon, lass, wake up!’
‘Uh?’
‘Wake up, sleepy head, it’s time ta do some work,’ said Kelko, giving Charlie’s shoulder another shake.
Charlie looked around and groaned. The sky was still dark; it was before dawn. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying to pat her hair into some kind of shape, she staggered after Kelko.
‘All right, then, lass, just follow me and copy me movements. Nothing too difficult ta start with, OK?’
And so Charlie’s lesson began. Kelko worked her hard, showing her the basics and getting her to repeat each movement time and time again until he was satisfied. As dawn began to filter light into the forest, Charlie was exhausted, her muscles were stiff and cramping, her ligaments protesting and her back was aching beyond belief.
‘Ow! Kelko, I can hardly move. Is it always going to be this hard?’ moaned Charlie. Although she was good at gymnastics, she found all of this K’Changa training really difficult.
‘Well, blossom, do ya wanna be good at K’Changa?’
‘Of course!’
‘Well, then, always remember dis: “The first step is always the hardest.” Starting something new is always difficult, but with time hardships become easy. Once yer body has become accustomed ta wot K’Changa demands and once yer mind can flow, things will become easier. But till then, yup, it’ll be hard!’
‘But do I have to keep repeating every movement over and over?’ asked Charlie. ‘It’s so boring!’
‘Maybe, but it’s the best way ta learn. Ya’ll remember each movement perfectly and if ya learn it right now ya won’t be making bigger mistakes later. Or, as me father used ta say ta me when I was learning, “He that corrects not small faults, will not control great ones.” In other words, blossom, there’s two ways ta learn K’Changa: the fast way, which is sloppy, and me way, which’ll make ya great.’
Charlie looked around the forest clearing to where the other Tremen were beginning to wake, doing their early-morning chores and preparing for the coming day. She then looked down at her blistered hands. She could feel bruises running up and down her back from where Kelko had repeatedly made her tumble along the ground. Taking a large breath of forest air, which smelt of moss,
‘Do you think they would?’
‘Sure, Charlie, of course they would. Tell ya wot, why don’t ya go and ask Kelko? I’m sure he would give ya a couple of lessons.’
Charlie flashed Stotch a big grin. Jumping up from her seat, she ran over to Kelko. ‘Kelko, I had no idea you could move like that!’
‘Ahh!’ groaned Kelko in relief as he poured more water over his blackened trousers. ‘Oh, me poor backside! One of these days I’m gonna beat that cheeky Treman! Boss or no boss, he’s still a cheating, good for nothing …’
‘Uh, Kelko, there’s something I’d like to ask.’
‘… smug, mischievous, low-down …’
‘Hello, Kelko!’
‘… squinty-eyed, tricky, bamboozling …’
‘Kelko, please, it’s important!’
‘… shifty, nasty piece of work …’
‘KELKO!’ snapped Charlie, finally losing her patience and stamping her foot.
‘Uh, oh, sorry, Charlie,’ said Kelko. Sighing, he gave his backside one final rub. ‘Wot can I do for ya?’
‘Can you teach me K’Changa?’
Kelko blinked and, forgetting his burnt backside, eyed Charlie as though weighing her worth. ‘Ya want ta learn K’Changa, eh, blossom? Hmm, let me see.’
Reaching over, he undid her messy ponytails. He then pulled out a wooden comb and gave her hair a couple of quick strokes before, with nimble hands, retying her hair into a topknot. Taking one of his wooden bracelets from his wrist, he fastened it round her newly shaped hair. He stepped back and gave her a steady appraisal.
‘Teach ya K’Changa?’ he said with a bright smile. ‘That, me little lass, is something I can do!’
9
Troubled Thoughts
‘C’mon, lass, wake up!’
‘Uh?’
‘Wake up, sleepy head, it’s time ta do some work,’ said Kelko, giving Charlie’s shoulder another shake.
Charlie looked around and groaned. The sky was still dark; it was before dawn. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying to pat her hair into some kind of shape, she staggered after Kelko.
‘All right, then, lass, just follow me and copy me movements. Nothing too difficult ta start with, OK?’
And so Charlie’s lesson began. Kelko worked her hard, showing her the basics and getting her to repeat each movement time and time again until he was satisfied. As dawn began to filter light into the forest, Charlie was exhausted, her muscles were stiff and cramping, her ligaments protesting and her back was aching beyond belief.
‘Ow! Kelko, I can hardly move. Is it always going to be this hard?’ moaned Charlie. Although she was good at gymnastics, she found all of this K’Changa training really difficult.
‘Well, blossom, do ya wanna be good at K’Changa?’
‘Of course!’
‘Well, then, always remember dis: “The first step is always the hardest.” Starting something new is always difficult, but with time hardships become easy. Once yer body has become accustomed ta wot K’Changa demands and once yer mind can flow, things will become easier. But till then, yup, it’ll be hard!’
‘But do I have to keep repeating every movement over and over?’ asked Charlie. ‘It’s so boring!’
‘Maybe, but it’s the best way ta learn. Ya’ll remember each movement perfectly and if ya learn it right now ya won’t be making bigger mistakes later. Or, as me father used ta say ta me when I was learning, “He that corrects not small faults, will not control great ones.” In other words, blossom, there’s two ways ta learn K’Changa: the fast way, which is sloppy, and me way, which’ll make ya great.’
Charlie looked around the forest clearing to where the other Tremen were beginning to wake, doing their early-morning chores and preparing for the coming day. She then looked down at her blistered hands. She could feel bruises running up and down her back from where Kelko had repeatedly made her tumble along the ground. Taking a large breath of forest air, which smelt of moss,
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