Read Online The Black Shard by Victoria Simcox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Simcox
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until they were in the shadow of the ship's stern.
"Stop the horses," Werrien said to her. Kristina tugged gently on the reins. "Now look up," he added eagerly.
Kristina looked up and as soon as she read the large golden letters sprawled across the stern, she felt her stomach twist in a knot.
- 9 -
Five Portraits
T he golden letters sprawled across the stern of the ship read
THE KRISTINA.
Without thinking, Kristina blurted out to Werrien, "Did you actually name the ship after me?"
Werrien's eyebrows lifted and he looked slyly at her. "Whatever gave you that idea? Do you really think that you're the only girl named Kristina?"
"No," Kristina said, shrinking down in her seat and feeling extremely stupid for instantly assuming it was her the ship was named after.
After a long pause, Werrien said, "Come to think of it, you may be the only girl I know named Kristina. Though it was actually my father's and mother's idea to name the ship after you."
"Oh," Kristina said, wishing she knew better not to speak so quickly without thinking first.
Werrien sighed. "And I gave it my approval, as well," he added.
Phew!
Kristina thought, smiling timidly at him through her wind-blowing hair.
Werrien, briefly returned the smile and then jumped down from the carriage onto the dock. Then while he was helping Kristina down, the door to the carriage swung open. Elzwur was the first to step out onto the dock; his pale, stern face gave away that he must have experienced a torturous journey. He held the door open for Leacha, and seeing Leacha's stubby legs poke out, Werrien quickly went to help her to climb down from the carriage as well.
Once Leacha stood on the wide, wood-plank dock, she adjusted the scarf on her head and drew in a deep breath. "If I had to ride another minute with the likes of those two,"—meaning Hester and Davina—"I know for sure that I'd lose my mind and end up doing something to them I might regret," she said exasperatedly. With a perturbed look, Elzwur agreed with her.
Next, Hester stepped down onto the dock, looking bored and miserable, and last to come out was Davina. Seeming in a better mood than the rest, she placed her hands on her hips, and looked out at the sea like she was ready to conquer it.
Hester was the first to notice the golden letters sprawled across the stern, and she promptly elbowed Davina, who was now busy smoothing the wrinkles out of her new outfit."What the heck was that for?" Davina grumbled loudly.
"Would you get a load of this," Hester said.
"I have eyes, you know! I can see that it's a large ship," Davina said, not noticing what Hester was trying to show her.
Hester grabbed Davina by her arm, pulled her close to her, and pointed to the back of the stern. "I meant what's written on the back of it."
Davina looked up at the back of the ship, and she read the golden letters spelling out
THE KRISTINA.
She crossed her arms defensively and gave Hester a cunning look. "You know what?" she said.
"What?" Hester said hotly.
"I'm really sick of her getting all the attention."
"Yeah! I definitely know what you mean."
Footsteps could be heard coming from the south end of the dock. "Hey, you made it," an enthusiastic Heerzek said to them. He was wearing a brown, knit beanie cap, and his shoulder-length black hair hung down under it. Seeing him, Hester suddenly perked up, and instead of acting spiteful and jealous, she became giddy, pretending to act like Davina and she were having a marvelous time.
"This is going to be totally awesome," Hester said, boisterously to Davina, just before letting out an annoying giggle.
"Okay," Davina said, giving Hester an odd look. Then Davina finally realized why Hester had changed her mood so suddenly—it was because Heerzek was approaching. "Get a grip, would ya!" she said sternly to her.
The wind blew Heerzek's hair about, revealing silver, hoop earrings in each of his pointy ears. Seeing them, Hester got even more animated, though Heerzek didn't seem
"Stop the horses," Werrien said to her. Kristina tugged gently on the reins. "Now look up," he added eagerly.
Kristina looked up and as soon as she read the large golden letters sprawled across the stern, she felt her stomach twist in a knot.
- 9 -
Five Portraits
T he golden letters sprawled across the stern of the ship read
THE KRISTINA.
Without thinking, Kristina blurted out to Werrien, "Did you actually name the ship after me?"
Werrien's eyebrows lifted and he looked slyly at her. "Whatever gave you that idea? Do you really think that you're the only girl named Kristina?"
"No," Kristina said, shrinking down in her seat and feeling extremely stupid for instantly assuming it was her the ship was named after.
After a long pause, Werrien said, "Come to think of it, you may be the only girl I know named Kristina. Though it was actually my father's and mother's idea to name the ship after you."
"Oh," Kristina said, wishing she knew better not to speak so quickly without thinking first.
Werrien sighed. "And I gave it my approval, as well," he added.
Phew!
Kristina thought, smiling timidly at him through her wind-blowing hair.
Werrien, briefly returned the smile and then jumped down from the carriage onto the dock. Then while he was helping Kristina down, the door to the carriage swung open. Elzwur was the first to step out onto the dock; his pale, stern face gave away that he must have experienced a torturous journey. He held the door open for Leacha, and seeing Leacha's stubby legs poke out, Werrien quickly went to help her to climb down from the carriage as well.
Once Leacha stood on the wide, wood-plank dock, she adjusted the scarf on her head and drew in a deep breath. "If I had to ride another minute with the likes of those two,"—meaning Hester and Davina—"I know for sure that I'd lose my mind and end up doing something to them I might regret," she said exasperatedly. With a perturbed look, Elzwur agreed with her.
Next, Hester stepped down onto the dock, looking bored and miserable, and last to come out was Davina. Seeming in a better mood than the rest, she placed her hands on her hips, and looked out at the sea like she was ready to conquer it.
Hester was the first to notice the golden letters sprawled across the stern, and she promptly elbowed Davina, who was now busy smoothing the wrinkles out of her new outfit."What the heck was that for?" Davina grumbled loudly.
"Would you get a load of this," Hester said.
"I have eyes, you know! I can see that it's a large ship," Davina said, not noticing what Hester was trying to show her.
Hester grabbed Davina by her arm, pulled her close to her, and pointed to the back of the stern. "I meant what's written on the back of it."
Davina looked up at the back of the ship, and she read the golden letters spelling out
THE KRISTINA.
She crossed her arms defensively and gave Hester a cunning look. "You know what?" she said.
"What?" Hester said hotly.
"I'm really sick of her getting all the attention."
"Yeah! I definitely know what you mean."
Footsteps could be heard coming from the south end of the dock. "Hey, you made it," an enthusiastic Heerzek said to them. He was wearing a brown, knit beanie cap, and his shoulder-length black hair hung down under it. Seeing him, Hester suddenly perked up, and instead of acting spiteful and jealous, she became giddy, pretending to act like Davina and she were having a marvelous time.
"This is going to be totally awesome," Hester said, boisterously to Davina, just before letting out an annoying giggle.
"Okay," Davina said, giving Hester an odd look. Then Davina finally realized why Hester had changed her mood so suddenly—it was because Heerzek was approaching. "Get a grip, would ya!" she said sternly to her.
The wind blew Heerzek's hair about, revealing silver, hoop earrings in each of his pointy ears. Seeing them, Hester got even more animated, though Heerzek didn't seem
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