Read Online The Apprentice by Alexander C. Hoffman - Free Book Online

dark with the shadow of night. Brennon had always made Petar and
Rowan rise early, but never this early.
    “You’ve
rested long enough. It is a good thing you got up when you did. I was about to
douse you with cold water. I almost regret your waking, as the water would have
served you twice, once for waking and again for a bath.”
    Rowan
did not know if the knight was joking, but he didn't find out. He shivered with
chill as he rose and pulled his cloak tightly about him. As he moved to ready
himself, he found his body stiff and aching. He felt as though rocks had grown
under him during the night, digging into his back and making it painful to
bend. His legs protested his weight even before he shouldered his pack.
    As he
gathered his belongings, Rowan noticed that the fire had been put out and
covered and their campsite had been cleaned and cleared. He realized that Baird
must have done this while he slept and he felt a tinge of guilt.
    “Are you
ready to go?”
    Nod.
    With
that, Baird shouldered his pack and began walking. Rowan followed. His muscles
ached and he wanted nothing more than to sleep, but he did not complain. The
movement and the cool morning air slowly began to wake him. The road, as it
could now properly be called, was not very hard to travel, though it was hilly.
Much like the day before, they met no one while they walked.
    Very
quickly, Rowan’s stomach began to growl. “When are we going to eat?” Rowan
asked. In response, Baird opened his pack open and tossed Rowan a slice of meat
and a stale bit of bread. Rowan stared dumbly at the food in his hands
    “We will
eat while we walk to save time,” Baird said.
    Rowan’s
expression soured. Not only was he losing rest by eating on the move, his meal
was pitiful. Yet his stomach was insistent and he ate quickly, taking some
small pleasure in knowing that by eating from Baird’s pack, he had saved some
of his own food. That would mean a better lunch or supper.
    “Starting
today, I will begin your training. Perhaps I will start by showing you how to
use that bow you brought. Once we have left the Vale behind us and cross into
the grasslands, food will be scarce. I do not expect that we will need to hunt,
but it is better to prepare for the worst than to expect the best. Besides, if
we run out of supplies, I will not do all of the work.”
    “I know
how to shoot a bow,” Rowan stated. This knight may be more experienced than him
in many things, but Rowan knew how to shoot a bow. Living in the mountains, it
was a necessary skill. He was not as good as his brother, but even so, he
rarely missed a target.
    “You may
be able to shoot well,” Baird said, “but I can teach you to be better. I can
teach you much and more, about many things.”
    “I know
how to shoot a bow.” Rowan repeated stubbornly. He met the knight’s stare and
after a moment it seemed that the matter was settled.
    They
continued to walk and the land around them continued to change. Shortly before
midday, they reached a place that forced Rowan to pause. He stood staring up at
the Sentinel, a massive stone that stood alone at the crest of the tallest hill
in sight. It was the farthest point he had ever travelled from home.
    Several
years back he had thought himself ready to leave home, and this was as far as
he had made it. He had taken enough supplies to go further and nothing had held
him back, but in the end he found himself turned around and heading home. Going
any further seemed to mark the true beginning of his journey and the growth of
his world.
    “Is
something wrong?”
    Baird
had noticed that Rowan had stopped walking. His tone held no sense of urgency,
but his stance indicated that he wanted to continue on.
    Rowan
glanced back at the Sentinel.
    “Something
caught my eye, but it is gone now. It is behind me.”
    “Then
allow us to continue. I hope to be well into the Lost Hills by nightfall and in
Attica within a day or two.”
    “Is that
a village like