Read Online Taming the Elements: Elwin Escari Chronicles: Volume 1 by David Ekrut - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Ekrut
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himself looking down. Feffer seemed smaller at the other end. His red hair moved about as he struggled to gain a better hold on the ladder.
The ground blurred, and the roof began to rock again. Elwin almost loosed the ladder, but Feffer’s mocking laugh made him tighten his grip. He would not let Feffer get the best of him. He pulled with all his strength and gained an inch, then two. Then a foot. Then two. And then the ladder stopped moving.
He pulled for several moments without gaining half an inch, when an idea occurred to him. Elwin dropped flat to the roof, using the edge of the building as leverage. He put all of his weight into the pull.
CRACK.
Elwin tumbled backward, holding the ladder.
He stood up clutching his fragment. It was not quite as tall as he was. Ruined. The ladder was ruined. He peered over the ledge. His opponent stood, nursing his rump and holding the other half of his ladder.
“Now how am I going to get down?” Elwin said.
“I don’t know,” Feffer shrugged and threw his larger half on the ground. “You shouldn’t have broken the ladder.” Feffer smiled and ran toward the front of the building.
“Hey!” Elwin called. “You can’t leave me up here!”
Elwin looked at the broken ladder in his hand. “He did. He left me up here.”
He picked up the strapping that he had dropped during the scuffle and walked toward the center of the roof. Then, he noticed a trapdoor at the roof’s center, a pace away from the front awning. His heart skipped a beat as he ran to it. Grasping the handle, he gave it a tug.
It didn’t budge.
“Locked. Curse it all to the abyss!” Elwin looked around on impulse to make sure no adult had heard him swear. Then he remembered he was stuck on a roof. Alone.
Looking around for options, he noticed a couple of empty buckets next to two buckets full of water. Not sure how that would help him, he peeked over the edge and could see Faron and the others at the town square.
Elwin opened his mouth to call for help but stopped when he noticed movement off to the west. Several soldiers armed with long poles with axes at their heads walked alongside a horse-drawn carriage. Each wore silver armor made of chained links and had a sword at their belts. Chain mail, Elwin had read it was called. Stitched into the center of their red tunics and their cloaks was the right hand of a palm, facing outward.
The White Hand! These were the king’s men.
“That could only mean …”
What? What did it mean? Surely it wasn’t the King. Who could it be?
“Wow, that’s the White Hand of Justice, the King’s elite Guard!” Feffer said.
The surprise so close to his ear made Elwin jump.
“Feffer!” Elwin accused. “You trapped me up here!”
Feffer pointed to the procession. “But aren’t you glad I did?”
Elwin opened his mouth to argue, but decided it could wait. “Why do you think they are here?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go find out.”
Elwin turned to follow Feffer back toward the opened trapdoor and tripped over a water pail. The bucket sloshed and tumbled with him, spilling its water down the stairs.
Below, he heard a muted curse.
Elwin and Feffer looked at one another. Feffer’s wide eyes spoke volumes. Before Elwin could ask, Willem stomped up the steps and peered onto the roof. His half-soaked head poked over the lip, and his glower made Elwin back up a step.
With surprising calm, Willem said, “Feffer. Hanck. Madrowl. You go downstairs and hitch old Hilga to the wagon and wait for me there.” Turning his attention back to Elwin. “As for you, I think we need to go have a long talk with your father, young man.”
“But it was Feffer.”
“That’s enough out of you. Come with me.”
Elwin sat on the porch swing next to Feffer, not much in the mood for swinging. Feffer, however, swung his end. Several times Elwin put his feet down in an attempt to stop it, but his heart wasn’t much into another battle just now.
The sun hung just above
The ground blurred, and the roof began to rock again. Elwin almost loosed the ladder, but Feffer’s mocking laugh made him tighten his grip. He would not let Feffer get the best of him. He pulled with all his strength and gained an inch, then two. Then a foot. Then two. And then the ladder stopped moving.
He pulled for several moments without gaining half an inch, when an idea occurred to him. Elwin dropped flat to the roof, using the edge of the building as leverage. He put all of his weight into the pull.
CRACK.
Elwin tumbled backward, holding the ladder.
He stood up clutching his fragment. It was not quite as tall as he was. Ruined. The ladder was ruined. He peered over the ledge. His opponent stood, nursing his rump and holding the other half of his ladder.
“Now how am I going to get down?” Elwin said.
“I don’t know,” Feffer shrugged and threw his larger half on the ground. “You shouldn’t have broken the ladder.” Feffer smiled and ran toward the front of the building.
“Hey!” Elwin called. “You can’t leave me up here!”
Elwin looked at the broken ladder in his hand. “He did. He left me up here.”
He picked up the strapping that he had dropped during the scuffle and walked toward the center of the roof. Then, he noticed a trapdoor at the roof’s center, a pace away from the front awning. His heart skipped a beat as he ran to it. Grasping the handle, he gave it a tug.
It didn’t budge.
“Locked. Curse it all to the abyss!” Elwin looked around on impulse to make sure no adult had heard him swear. Then he remembered he was stuck on a roof. Alone.
Looking around for options, he noticed a couple of empty buckets next to two buckets full of water. Not sure how that would help him, he peeked over the edge and could see Faron and the others at the town square.
Elwin opened his mouth to call for help but stopped when he noticed movement off to the west. Several soldiers armed with long poles with axes at their heads walked alongside a horse-drawn carriage. Each wore silver armor made of chained links and had a sword at their belts. Chain mail, Elwin had read it was called. Stitched into the center of their red tunics and their cloaks was the right hand of a palm, facing outward.
The White Hand! These were the king’s men.
“That could only mean …”
What? What did it mean? Surely it wasn’t the King. Who could it be?
“Wow, that’s the White Hand of Justice, the King’s elite Guard!” Feffer said.
The surprise so close to his ear made Elwin jump.
“Feffer!” Elwin accused. “You trapped me up here!”
Feffer pointed to the procession. “But aren’t you glad I did?”
Elwin opened his mouth to argue, but decided it could wait. “Why do you think they are here?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go find out.”
Elwin turned to follow Feffer back toward the opened trapdoor and tripped over a water pail. The bucket sloshed and tumbled with him, spilling its water down the stairs.
Below, he heard a muted curse.
Elwin and Feffer looked at one another. Feffer’s wide eyes spoke volumes. Before Elwin could ask, Willem stomped up the steps and peered onto the roof. His half-soaked head poked over the lip, and his glower made Elwin back up a step.
With surprising calm, Willem said, “Feffer. Hanck. Madrowl. You go downstairs and hitch old Hilga to the wagon and wait for me there.” Turning his attention back to Elwin. “As for you, I think we need to go have a long talk with your father, young man.”
“But it was Feffer.”
“That’s enough out of you. Come with me.”
Elwin sat on the porch swing next to Feffer, not much in the mood for swinging. Feffer, however, swung his end. Several times Elwin put his feet down in an attempt to stop it, but his heart wasn’t much into another battle just now.
The sun hung just above
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