Read Online The Black Shard by Victoria Simcox - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Simcox
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Werrien teased, laying a friendly hand pat on the dwarf's back.
Elzwur laughed thinly, and then gave Kristina another icy glance, making her stomach queasy all over again.
Is it that he doesn't like me, or is he always this grumpy?
Kristina wondered.
Leacha began unloading the food from her cart into a back compartment of the carriage, and Werrien promptly went to lend her a hand.
"I see that you brought my favorite foods. How thoughtful of you," Werrien said to Leacha. Then he turned to Kristina, Davina, and Hester. "She's a great cook, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes! Kristina especially enjoyed her homemade syrup," Hester said, grinning at Davina.
"Isn't it great?" Werrien said. "We go through a lot of it at the palace."
"It tasted really good," Kristina said, not wanting to make Leacha feel guilty all over again.
Davina, Hester, Leacha, and Elzwur, climbed into the carriage. Kristina was about to follow, but Werrien gently took hold of her arm. "I was wondering if you might ride up front with me," he said.
"Are you going to drive the carriage?" Kristina asked.
"It crossed my mind," Werrien said, smiling.
Kristina's eyes nervously shifted to look at Hester on the other side of the carriage window, arguing with Davina. Then she looked up at Werrien again.
"I guess that I could have Elzwur drive it," Werrien said, "but I actually find it quite boring riding inside, and besides, I thought you might like to give it a try."
"You mean, you'd like me to drive the carriage?" Kristina said uneasily. After falling off the horse on the trail at the Tranquil Trails Ranch, she wasn't sure if she wanted anything to do with any horse again, be it riding it or manning it from a carriage. But then she thought,
These are my friends, Taysha and Lisheng. I guess that I could make an exception for them.
"Sure, I'll give it a try," she said.
"That's more like the girl I knew before," Werrien said as he quickly jumped up on the driver's box. Then he looked down at Kristina. "By the way, you look great in those sailing clothes."
"Thanks," Kristina said coyly. She took notice that out of the three girls' outfits, only her outfit's color matched Werrien's.
Werrien reached his arm down to her to help her climb up to the driver's box as well. Then he handed her the reins. She held them loosely in her hands and stared blankly at them.
Everything seems so perfect,
she thought.
I'm in Bernovem, the place I've dreamed of coming back to for almost three years, and I'm with Werrien, the one person that I've thought about every day since I've been away from him. The party last night was one of the most fun times that I've ever had. And now, I'm going on an adventurous sailing trip with Werrien, so why am I feeling so down?
Werrien waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you okay?" he asked, his lively eyes looking concerned.
Kristina snapped out of her daze. "Yeah, I'm fine. So, what should I do now?" she asked, trying to be enthusiastic.
"Just give the horses a light tap with the reins, and they'll take it from there."
Her tap was not quite as light as Werrien must have meant, because after feeling the stinging snap on her back, Taysha turned her head and said, "Hey, lighten up on the reins a little, would you?"
"Sorry," Kristina said, now feeling even worse than she had before.
It was a beautiful day, and the warm sunbeams streaming downward set the forest ahead of them aglow. They traveled through the palace gardens and then crossed over the moat. Ugan, who was busy trimming a shrub, waved farewell to them, and they waved back to him. Then Kristina stared ahead of the horses with a somber expression on her face.
Werrien looked puzzled at her. "You're pretty quiet. Did you not sleep well last night?" he asked.
"I slept well," Kristina answered, even though she hadn't.
"Hmm ... I know what it is; you're just overly full from eating too many of Leacha's famous pancakes." Werrien was trying to lighten her mood.
Kristina managed a slight
Elzwur laughed thinly, and then gave Kristina another icy glance, making her stomach queasy all over again.
Is it that he doesn't like me, or is he always this grumpy?
Kristina wondered.
Leacha began unloading the food from her cart into a back compartment of the carriage, and Werrien promptly went to lend her a hand.
"I see that you brought my favorite foods. How thoughtful of you," Werrien said to Leacha. Then he turned to Kristina, Davina, and Hester. "She's a great cook, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes! Kristina especially enjoyed her homemade syrup," Hester said, grinning at Davina.
"Isn't it great?" Werrien said. "We go through a lot of it at the palace."
"It tasted really good," Kristina said, not wanting to make Leacha feel guilty all over again.
Davina, Hester, Leacha, and Elzwur, climbed into the carriage. Kristina was about to follow, but Werrien gently took hold of her arm. "I was wondering if you might ride up front with me," he said.
"Are you going to drive the carriage?" Kristina asked.
"It crossed my mind," Werrien said, smiling.
Kristina's eyes nervously shifted to look at Hester on the other side of the carriage window, arguing with Davina. Then she looked up at Werrien again.
"I guess that I could have Elzwur drive it," Werrien said, "but I actually find it quite boring riding inside, and besides, I thought you might like to give it a try."
"You mean, you'd like me to drive the carriage?" Kristina said uneasily. After falling off the horse on the trail at the Tranquil Trails Ranch, she wasn't sure if she wanted anything to do with any horse again, be it riding it or manning it from a carriage. But then she thought,
These are my friends, Taysha and Lisheng. I guess that I could make an exception for them.
"Sure, I'll give it a try," she said.
"That's more like the girl I knew before," Werrien said as he quickly jumped up on the driver's box. Then he looked down at Kristina. "By the way, you look great in those sailing clothes."
"Thanks," Kristina said coyly. She took notice that out of the three girls' outfits, only her outfit's color matched Werrien's.
Werrien reached his arm down to her to help her climb up to the driver's box as well. Then he handed her the reins. She held them loosely in her hands and stared blankly at them.
Everything seems so perfect,
she thought.
I'm in Bernovem, the place I've dreamed of coming back to for almost three years, and I'm with Werrien, the one person that I've thought about every day since I've been away from him. The party last night was one of the most fun times that I've ever had. And now, I'm going on an adventurous sailing trip with Werrien, so why am I feeling so down?
Werrien waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you okay?" he asked, his lively eyes looking concerned.
Kristina snapped out of her daze. "Yeah, I'm fine. So, what should I do now?" she asked, trying to be enthusiastic.
"Just give the horses a light tap with the reins, and they'll take it from there."
Her tap was not quite as light as Werrien must have meant, because after feeling the stinging snap on her back, Taysha turned her head and said, "Hey, lighten up on the reins a little, would you?"
"Sorry," Kristina said, now feeling even worse than she had before.
It was a beautiful day, and the warm sunbeams streaming downward set the forest ahead of them aglow. They traveled through the palace gardens and then crossed over the moat. Ugan, who was busy trimming a shrub, waved farewell to them, and they waved back to him. Then Kristina stared ahead of the horses with a somber expression on her face.
Werrien looked puzzled at her. "You're pretty quiet. Did you not sleep well last night?" he asked.
"I slept well," Kristina answered, even though she hadn't.
"Hmm ... I know what it is; you're just overly full from eating too many of Leacha's famous pancakes." Werrien was trying to lighten her mood.
Kristina managed a slight
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