Read Online The Call of the Crown (Book 1) by T.J. Garrett - Free Book Online
Authors: T.J. Garrett
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tight. Blinking, she turned her gaze away and looked towards the blacksmiths. “I expect I will do very well. Of all the women chosen to guard the court, I’m sure none will be able to shoot like me.”
“Doubt you will have much chance,” Gialyn mumbled.
“What was that?” Elspeth asked. She sounded annoyed now. “You really should speak up.”
Gialyn huffed indignantly. Damn her if she thought to get the better of him —not tonight, of all nights. “Most of the women who guard at the courts are little more than housemaids who know how to fight. You will probably spend most of your time fetching and carrying for one of the ladies of the court. You might be lucky and be assigned to a princess. But then, I don’t know if you would call that luck ; she will probably have you hemming her dresses.”
“ Pft … I won’t do it!”
“You will do what you are told!”
“I… argh… I don’t believe you.”
Gialyn felt strangely empowered, using his knowledge of Bailryn to get the better of her. No. Stop it. Stop teasing, you fool.
He lowered his tone. “All the guards do their share of fetching and carrying, Elspeth. Even my father did, and he was a captain. And if there is a war… If there is a war, you will fight alongside the men—and die alongside them, too.” He whispered the last part.
Elspeth bit her lip. Her face flattened at his last comment. She stood, brushed down her breeches, and straightened her blouse. “I should be getting back. It’s late.”
Gialyn stood, too, and bowed, then immediately wished he had not. Why do I keep doing that? They don’t bow around here. He coughed in embarrassment.
Elspeth laughed a little. Once again, she mimicked a curtsy—f it wasn’t so dark, he might have seen the red in her cheeks and the glint in her eye. He did another half bow before turning for home. Now and then, he watched her over his shoulder. Elspeth walked back over to Gobin’s, probably to gather her belongings. A second later and she was gone. She didn’t turn back.
Gialyn sighed before he, too, turned back toward the road. He wondered if he could sneak around back without anyone noticing, he didn’t want any more talk, not tonight at least
CHAPTER 4
New Friends
The path to the footbridge was hard-baked—same as all the rest—by the seemingly ever-present sun. The thickening afternoon air lay still and heavy around Gialyn, making him blink dusty pollen away as he eyed the early shoots of lemon grass that lined the edge of the field. They stood tall in their roadside battle for the sun, a contrast to the short-cropped grass of the king’s pastureland, which lay beyond the colourful border. Silky dogwood grew along the boundary, too. Their green-topped leaves with silver bellies flickered in the high sun. White blossoms hung in clusters, dancing at the faintest unfelt breeze, as if poked by an invisible finger. The buds of their pale fruit—a rare feast for the birds come summer—were just beginning to show on the thinly-lined, green-stick branches.
The path rose in a gentle incline as it turned slowly north towards the fork in the road, the place where Gialyn and his father had arranged to meet the Tanners. The track was never busy at this time of day. Indeed, it was never particularly busy at anytime. A horse and cart, now a hundred paces ahead, had thrown up a thin mist of dust that still lingered where they walked. Yet neither the noise of the horse’s footfalls nor the clattering of cart wheels was heard above the Geddy River as it surged—still fat with the spring melt—down through the weirs of the Alber canal, scarcely ten feet to the right of the path.
Afternoon rays from the late-spring sun sent shards of brilliant light prancing off the Geddy’s mirrored surface. The patterns they made danced frantically in the shadows of the steep riverbank. At the base of the weir, white foaming crests formed where rocks stood proud above the surface. A pale mist twisted airily
“Doubt you will have much chance,” Gialyn mumbled.
“What was that?” Elspeth asked. She sounded annoyed now. “You really should speak up.”
Gialyn huffed indignantly. Damn her if she thought to get the better of him —not tonight, of all nights. “Most of the women who guard at the courts are little more than housemaids who know how to fight. You will probably spend most of your time fetching and carrying for one of the ladies of the court. You might be lucky and be assigned to a princess. But then, I don’t know if you would call that luck ; she will probably have you hemming her dresses.”
“ Pft … I won’t do it!”
“You will do what you are told!”
“I… argh… I don’t believe you.”
Gialyn felt strangely empowered, using his knowledge of Bailryn to get the better of her. No. Stop it. Stop teasing, you fool.
He lowered his tone. “All the guards do their share of fetching and carrying, Elspeth. Even my father did, and he was a captain. And if there is a war… If there is a war, you will fight alongside the men—and die alongside them, too.” He whispered the last part.
Elspeth bit her lip. Her face flattened at his last comment. She stood, brushed down her breeches, and straightened her blouse. “I should be getting back. It’s late.”
Gialyn stood, too, and bowed, then immediately wished he had not. Why do I keep doing that? They don’t bow around here. He coughed in embarrassment.
Elspeth laughed a little. Once again, she mimicked a curtsy—f it wasn’t so dark, he might have seen the red in her cheeks and the glint in her eye. He did another half bow before turning for home. Now and then, he watched her over his shoulder. Elspeth walked back over to Gobin’s, probably to gather her belongings. A second later and she was gone. She didn’t turn back.
Gialyn sighed before he, too, turned back toward the road. He wondered if he could sneak around back without anyone noticing, he didn’t want any more talk, not tonight at least
CHAPTER 4
New Friends
The path to the footbridge was hard-baked—same as all the rest—by the seemingly ever-present sun. The thickening afternoon air lay still and heavy around Gialyn, making him blink dusty pollen away as he eyed the early shoots of lemon grass that lined the edge of the field. They stood tall in their roadside battle for the sun, a contrast to the short-cropped grass of the king’s pastureland, which lay beyond the colourful border. Silky dogwood grew along the boundary, too. Their green-topped leaves with silver bellies flickered in the high sun. White blossoms hung in clusters, dancing at the faintest unfelt breeze, as if poked by an invisible finger. The buds of their pale fruit—a rare feast for the birds come summer—were just beginning to show on the thinly-lined, green-stick branches.
The path rose in a gentle incline as it turned slowly north towards the fork in the road, the place where Gialyn and his father had arranged to meet the Tanners. The track was never busy at this time of day. Indeed, it was never particularly busy at anytime. A horse and cart, now a hundred paces ahead, had thrown up a thin mist of dust that still lingered where they walked. Yet neither the noise of the horse’s footfalls nor the clattering of cart wheels was heard above the Geddy River as it surged—still fat with the spring melt—down through the weirs of the Alber canal, scarcely ten feet to the right of the path.
Afternoon rays from the late-spring sun sent shards of brilliant light prancing off the Geddy’s mirrored surface. The patterns they made danced frantically in the shadows of the steep riverbank. At the base of the weir, white foaming crests formed where rocks stood proud above the surface. A pale mist twisted airily
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