Read Online The Call of the Crown (Book 1) by T.J. Garrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: T.J. Garrett
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above them. The indiscernible breeze caught the vapours, lightening the heavy air around it. Gialyn was grateful for the cool spray—brief though it was.
Any other day, he would be happy to take in the view . The Geddy Vale was his solace, his place of consolation, his guardian against the impractical imaginings of his youth. No matter what disappointment he met with, the valley was always there. He would always lose his troubles on a walk along the river—but not today! Today, he was low, depressed, and too miserable to pay the Geddy its well-earned admiration. Today, the vale seemed to taunt him, as if to say, “Look what you will be missing, you fool!”
Gialyn turned away from it and fixed his eye on the distant horizon. The sight of it was nothing new or unusual. Yet, somehow, the view left him cold. The hills, valleys, and meadows—once a familiar backdrop—seemed strangely alien. Looking at them now made his palms sweat and his stomach churn, forcing him to catch a breath. Why should the view make him feel such dread? Was it a fear of the unknown? Again, he turned away.
The state of Gialyn’s backpack was doing nothing to ease his present mood, either. Do we really need all this? Twisting from side to side, he hitched it up, adjusted the straps, twisting his neck and shoulders to find comfort, but couldn’t make it balance nicely on his back. Making do, he pushed his thumbs under the shoulder straps and let it be.
Daric eyed his struggle. “You should have tied the bedroll to the bottom, like I said.”
Gods, that is all I need, thought Gialyn. Barely ten minutes in and he’s already picking fault . He huffed under his breath, giving his pack another tug up his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it now,” Daric said. “You can fix it when we get to the footbridge. We should have some time . Likely as not, that girl, Elspeth, will be late.”
“I doubt it.” Gialyn turned away from his father, mumbling a curse that Daric couldn’t hear—he hoped.
“What makes you say that?”
“She is the only one who actually wants to come on this trip.” The pain in his shoulders distracted Gialyn, as he had resolved to stay silent for a while after his father’s jibe about the bedroll. He saw his father raise a brow and then sarcastically mimic him by shuffling his own pack, smiling as he did so. Gods, this is just…
“What do you think about that?” His father interrupted his thought.
“Think about what?” Gialyn asked. He renewed his grip on his pack, wondering if his father was talking about that or about Elspeth. He hoped he was talking about his backpack.
“About spending nigh on six weeks with that girl you like, maybe more.”
Gialyn sighed. Of course, his father must know about his feelings for Elspeth—it was hardly a secret; half the town knew, probably Elspeth, too—yet he had never spoken to him about it before, and Gialyn was thankful for that. So why now? Why the sudden interest? Was he trying to make up for lost time? Had mother mentioned something?
“I doubt she will notice. She is always too busy with her—”
What am I doing? Why are we talking about his? Bad enough he wants to talk at all, but not this, not Elspeth… Please, gods, no! Gialyn glanced nervously to his side, wondering if his father would continue.
“You are going to be stuck in close quarters with the girl . There will be no escaping it. You had best figure out a way to deal with it—and quick—before it turns into a problem,” Daric said.
“What do you mean, ‘deal with it?’” Gialyn asked. Then, once more, immediately wondered why he did.
Daric put a hand on Gialyn’s shoulder and moved closer. With a half-smile on his face, he spoke. “Decide how you’re going to treat her beforehand. I would go for the practical approach if I were you. Keep everything simple. If you need to ask her something, then ask her as though she were a work mate. If you need to tell her something, just come out and
Any other day, he would be happy to take in the view . The Geddy Vale was his solace, his place of consolation, his guardian against the impractical imaginings of his youth. No matter what disappointment he met with, the valley was always there. He would always lose his troubles on a walk along the river—but not today! Today, he was low, depressed, and too miserable to pay the Geddy its well-earned admiration. Today, the vale seemed to taunt him, as if to say, “Look what you will be missing, you fool!”
Gialyn turned away from it and fixed his eye on the distant horizon. The sight of it was nothing new or unusual. Yet, somehow, the view left him cold. The hills, valleys, and meadows—once a familiar backdrop—seemed strangely alien. Looking at them now made his palms sweat and his stomach churn, forcing him to catch a breath. Why should the view make him feel such dread? Was it a fear of the unknown? Again, he turned away.
The state of Gialyn’s backpack was doing nothing to ease his present mood, either. Do we really need all this? Twisting from side to side, he hitched it up, adjusted the straps, twisting his neck and shoulders to find comfort, but couldn’t make it balance nicely on his back. Making do, he pushed his thumbs under the shoulder straps and let it be.
Daric eyed his struggle. “You should have tied the bedroll to the bottom, like I said.”
Gods, that is all I need, thought Gialyn. Barely ten minutes in and he’s already picking fault . He huffed under his breath, giving his pack another tug up his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it now,” Daric said. “You can fix it when we get to the footbridge. We should have some time . Likely as not, that girl, Elspeth, will be late.”
“I doubt it.” Gialyn turned away from his father, mumbling a curse that Daric couldn’t hear—he hoped.
“What makes you say that?”
“She is the only one who actually wants to come on this trip.” The pain in his shoulders distracted Gialyn, as he had resolved to stay silent for a while after his father’s jibe about the bedroll. He saw his father raise a brow and then sarcastically mimic him by shuffling his own pack, smiling as he did so. Gods, this is just…
“What do you think about that?” His father interrupted his thought.
“Think about what?” Gialyn asked. He renewed his grip on his pack, wondering if his father was talking about that or about Elspeth. He hoped he was talking about his backpack.
“About spending nigh on six weeks with that girl you like, maybe more.”
Gialyn sighed. Of course, his father must know about his feelings for Elspeth—it was hardly a secret; half the town knew, probably Elspeth, too—yet he had never spoken to him about it before, and Gialyn was thankful for that. So why now? Why the sudden interest? Was he trying to make up for lost time? Had mother mentioned something?
“I doubt she will notice. She is always too busy with her—”
What am I doing? Why are we talking about his? Bad enough he wants to talk at all, but not this, not Elspeth… Please, gods, no! Gialyn glanced nervously to his side, wondering if his father would continue.
“You are going to be stuck in close quarters with the girl . There will be no escaping it. You had best figure out a way to deal with it—and quick—before it turns into a problem,” Daric said.
“What do you mean, ‘deal with it?’” Gialyn asked. Then, once more, immediately wondered why he did.
Daric put a hand on Gialyn’s shoulder and moved closer. With a half-smile on his face, he spoke. “Decide how you’re going to treat her beforehand. I would go for the practical approach if I were you. Keep everything simple. If you need to ask her something, then ask her as though she were a work mate. If you need to tell her something, just come out and
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