Read Online The Death of Yorik Mortwell by Stephen Messer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen Messer
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twig. The twig moved along the sky, across the length of the bright Milky Way, the river of stars. The white Way glowed ever brighter as the twig traced its path.
“A girl was once given charge of a river,” came the Princess’s hushed voice, soft and sad. “A bright, clear, shining river.”
As Yorik watched, the leafy twig twisted. In the river there appeared swift black shapes, dipping and rushing in the flow, free and happy in their swimming.
“What are those?” he asked.
“They are dolphins,” said the Princess. “They asked the girl to come and play with them, and swim in the waters.”
“Did she?”
“At first,” she said. “The girl would come to the river’s edge each morning and call to them, and they would come to her and she would swim with them, up and down the river’s length, from its source in mountain springs to its end, where sea winds blew over salt waters.”
Yorik watched the white Way glitter and gleam. It filled with more of the dark swimmers, and the stars around them seemed to dance.
The Princess went on. “All was well, in the beginning. But in time, the girl grew bored. She became angry with her father for giving her only this river, when she thought she deserved so much more. And so she left it behind, and went to otherplaces she thought more worthy of her. She ignored the shining river.”
The stars that had seemed to dance slowed and then stopped. The happy swimming of the dark shapes changed too, becoming frantic and crowded. Something was terribly wrong, and despite himself,
Yorik felt afraid. He almost did not want the Princess to continue. At last he spoke. “Go on.”
“A long time passed,” whispered the Princess. “Then one day, the girl remembered her river. And she returned.”
She twitched her twig in a sudden slash, and the bright, clear river darkened. The swimmers disappeared.
“She had been gone for many years. In her absence, the river had become black and poisonous. When she saw what had happened, she raced to the river’s edge and called to the dolphins as she always had … but this time they did not answer. They were all long dead. There were none of them left.”
Yorik felt as though his heart would break. “Princess …,” he said.
The girl moved her twig, and the night skybecame itself again. She sank back through the boughs, Yorik following. He knelt next to her as she huddled on the ground.
“Now you know,” she said, her voice breaking. “Now you know why Father banished me to this glade, and why I may never leave.”
“But, Princess,” said Yorik. “Look at all you have done. Your glade is so beautiful, and you’ve sheltered Erde here, and you protected the birds, and you fixed me when I was broken, and—”
The Princess’s voice was harsh and ruthless. “It doesn’t matter. They’re dead, all dead forever, and it’s my fault. It is an unforgivable sin. I deserved to be punished. Father was right.”
“Princess …,” said Yorik. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” screamed the Princess. Bolts of lightning shot from her twig, and Yorik was hurled backward. The pheasants, disturbed from their roosts, flew muttering down from their trees.
The Princess sat with her face in her lap, crying brokenly. Beyond was the grassy cradle where Erde lay helpless and dying.
The Princess had done something terrible, and so had Thomas. Yorik remembered the flickering image the Princess had shown him, of the Dark Ones whispering to Thomas in the glade before he threw the rocks—
he’ll find out what you did
.
He’ll find out what you did
. Whatever Thomas had done, it had happened before Yorik’s murder.
Yorik had to find out what it was.
Chapter Twelve
Y orik found Thomas hiding in the corridor outside his father’s study, where the Matron, with two Dark Ones on her shoulders, was confronting Susan.
“Girl, what are you doing with that?” the Matron snarled, pointing at the supper tray Susan
“A girl was once given charge of a river,” came the Princess’s hushed voice, soft and sad. “A bright, clear, shining river.”
As Yorik watched, the leafy twig twisted. In the river there appeared swift black shapes, dipping and rushing in the flow, free and happy in their swimming.
“What are those?” he asked.
“They are dolphins,” said the Princess. “They asked the girl to come and play with them, and swim in the waters.”
“Did she?”
“At first,” she said. “The girl would come to the river’s edge each morning and call to them, and they would come to her and she would swim with them, up and down the river’s length, from its source in mountain springs to its end, where sea winds blew over salt waters.”
Yorik watched the white Way glitter and gleam. It filled with more of the dark swimmers, and the stars around them seemed to dance.
The Princess went on. “All was well, in the beginning. But in time, the girl grew bored. She became angry with her father for giving her only this river, when she thought she deserved so much more. And so she left it behind, and went to otherplaces she thought more worthy of her. She ignored the shining river.”
The stars that had seemed to dance slowed and then stopped. The happy swimming of the dark shapes changed too, becoming frantic and crowded. Something was terribly wrong, and despite himself,
Yorik felt afraid. He almost did not want the Princess to continue. At last he spoke. “Go on.”
“A long time passed,” whispered the Princess. “Then one day, the girl remembered her river. And she returned.”
She twitched her twig in a sudden slash, and the bright, clear river darkened. The swimmers disappeared.
“She had been gone for many years. In her absence, the river had become black and poisonous. When she saw what had happened, she raced to the river’s edge and called to the dolphins as she always had … but this time they did not answer. They were all long dead. There were none of them left.”
Yorik felt as though his heart would break. “Princess …,” he said.
The girl moved her twig, and the night skybecame itself again. She sank back through the boughs, Yorik following. He knelt next to her as she huddled on the ground.
“Now you know,” she said, her voice breaking. “Now you know why Father banished me to this glade, and why I may never leave.”
“But, Princess,” said Yorik. “Look at all you have done. Your glade is so beautiful, and you’ve sheltered Erde here, and you protected the birds, and you fixed me when I was broken, and—”
The Princess’s voice was harsh and ruthless. “It doesn’t matter. They’re dead, all dead forever, and it’s my fault. It is an unforgivable sin. I deserved to be punished. Father was right.”
“Princess …,” said Yorik. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” screamed the Princess. Bolts of lightning shot from her twig, and Yorik was hurled backward. The pheasants, disturbed from their roosts, flew muttering down from their trees.
The Princess sat with her face in her lap, crying brokenly. Beyond was the grassy cradle where Erde lay helpless and dying.
The Princess had done something terrible, and so had Thomas. Yorik remembered the flickering image the Princess had shown him, of the Dark Ones whispering to Thomas in the glade before he threw the rocks—
he’ll find out what you did
.
He’ll find out what you did
. Whatever Thomas had done, it had happened before Yorik’s murder.
Yorik had to find out what it was.
Chapter Twelve
Y orik found Thomas hiding in the corridor outside his father’s study, where the Matron, with two Dark Ones on her shoulders, was confronting Susan.
“Girl, what are you doing with that?” the Matron snarled, pointing at the supper tray Susan
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