Read Online Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black - Free Book Online Page B

the city.” The sentinel seemed unsure what to do. Rowan was clearly in no condition to travel.
    The sentinel looked up and down the roadway, then mounted his horse. “Wait here until I return. Do not leave, or your fate will be much worse when I find you.”
    The sentinel galloped off to the west. Rowan leaned against Mariah, his only friend in all the kingdom.

THE WORK OF ONE
     
    We must leave, Rowan,” Mariah pleaded. “The sentinel will be back any moment. I’ll help you mount Sierra.”
    “I can’t,” Rowan murmured, slumping closer toward the ground. He seemed to have hit an emotional and physical brick wall.
    Mariah leaned him against a lamppost and paced nearby, searching the roadway for sentinels. Rowan felt like his body was made of lead. All he wanted to do was lie down and close his eyes. Even breathing felt like an ordeal.
    How could Balenteen have betrayed me?
he fumed through the haze of his exhaustion. No wonder the ransom had never been paid. Balenteen must have been hoping the marauders would kill him. And Balenteen was fortunate, because if Rowan had any strength left in his body, the evening would have turned violent.
    Rowan looked over at Mariah and felt sorry for her. She had not chosen this situation; Rowan had pulled her into it.
    She came and knelt down beside him. “You spoke of a Sir Aldwyn once. We can go to his house.” But Rowan had begun to fade.
    “Rowan! You have to get up.” Her voice was tight with worry. “The sentinels are coming!”
    The idea of standing, let alone mounting a horse, seemed impossible. Rowan shook his head. “I can’t. Take your horses and leave me, Mariah.” He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry to have brought this on you. You go. Once they discover who I am, everything will be all right.”
    Mariah grabbed the collar of his tunic and came to within inches of his face. He opened his eyes to see a fiery resolve he had never expected.
    “I don’t think they’re planning on letting you go, and I didn’t risk my life in the moth cave to see you taken prisoner again.” Mariah pulled on his tunic until he was on his knees. “What sort of a champion are you? Now get up!”
    She wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and forced him to stand with her. Out of sheer determination, she pulled, pushed, taunted, and encouraged him until he was precariously perched upon his horse once more.
    “Tell me where Sir Aldwyn lives,” she said as she led their horses down the street in the opposite direction from the one the sentinel had traveled. She rode close to Rowan’s side, trying to keep him upright.
    “Go north”—Rowan could hardly form the words—“across the eastern bridge …”
    Mariah led them as quickly as possible to the north, skirting much of the city. Twice she was forced to divert to avoid more sentinels. Finally, after what seemed like an agonizingly long ride, they arrived at Sir Aldwyn’s modest home.
    Mariah leaned Rowan against the doorpost, then quickly tied the two horses at the back of the home so as not to draw any undue attention. No matter what they found here, this would be the end of their travels tonight, for Rowan was spent.
    Mariah returned and knocked on the door. At first it seemed that no one was home, but after a second attempt, the door opened a crack.
    “What do you want?” a quavering voice asked from the shadow of the doorway.
    “We’re looking for Sir Aldwyn,” Mariah said.
    “No one here by that name.” The old woman began to close the door.
    Did the entire kingdom change while I was away?
Rowan wondered.
    “I am Sir Rowan, a former squire of Sir Aldwyn.” His words were weak and slurred, but they stopped the door from completely closing. After a moment of motionless silence, the old woman spoke softly.
    “The work of One saves many,” she said tentatively.
    It was an odd statement, and Rowan’s head swam in confusion and frustration. Was this some sort of pass code?
    “We are the many,” Mariah quietly