Read Online The Little Mermaid (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenni James
Tags: Fantasy
Ads: Link
name as he worked and bucked and plucked at the knot holding him captive. Eventually, he felt the thing loosen, and the whole of the rope seemed to melt around him. In an instant, the covering was off and he went to Pearl.
Locating her bindings, he began to free them as he cradled her upon his lap. “Pearl. Wake up. I need you to wake up, sweetheart. It will be deuced awkward to escape with you asleep in my arms.”
Just as he released the largest of the knots, the rolling box halted. Quickly, he began to remove the rope from around her and then pull the large sack up and over her head. He heard shouting, but did not waste a moment looking around before gently picking her up. As he turned the sleeping girl in his arms and hoisted her near his shoulder, he gasped at the sight of blood oozing upon the coarse brown fabric below.
As tenderly as possible, he held her head within his hand and cringed. So much crimson wetness seeped from her. How hard had they thrown her to cause such damage? His stomach churned at the brutality of the human race. Who would do such a thing to another living creature?
The box lurched slowly into movement again. Keel glanced around, surprised to see that no one was coming aboard to harm them further. The prince and another man sat in front of the thing, whipping at animals that were forced to pull them forward. In fact, as they made their way past a group of curious onlookers, he realized they must have been who the prince was shouting at. Both sides of the streets were lined with village merchants, some with wares to sell in wheeled carts, and others with children.
He felt the ground shift and harden slightly, and he noticed they were beginning to leisurely travel upon a narrow bridge of some sort that led directly into the heart of the castle. The gate to the fortress looked like a large stone and iron mouth, waiting to clamp down and seal them within the palace grounds forever. Keel’s heart raced as he wondered at all the horrors awaiting them. If they did not leave now, he would never get the princess to safety.
With as much care as possible, he scrambled with Pearl over to the edge of the box. Just as he was about to jump over the thing and wish for the best, he found a type of rope latch securing the back end to the main frame of the wood. Keel released it with a loud thud and panicked. But as he glanced toward the front, he noticed that the drivers of the contraption had not heard. Neither of the two men had even looked back once to see that all was not well with their cargo.
Were all humans this dense? Perhaps they did not believe merpeople were intelligent enough to think and fight on their own.
Whatever the reason, Keel honestly could not have cared one jot in that moment. In fact, he simply took it as a sign from the great sea gods that they were being watched over. Thank goodness the bridge was so narrow that the traveling box could not move as fast as it had been. As swiftly as possible, he tucked Pearl against his chest, one hand holding her tightly against him while the other hand clutched the rope that connected the gate to the rest of the thing. Several of the people had already begun to follow them and were walking upon the bridge again.
Keel slid to the edge of the gate and pushed off. He stumbled upon the stone, but through the great mercy of fate, he was able to stay his balance enough to collect himself before they both toppled over.
Then as he hoisted her higher upon his chest, Keel took one final look back at the now halted box and ran through the crowd waiting below him.
Drake must have felt the weight of the box shift significantly enough to glance back and see them escaping.
Keel ignored the shouting that followed. He did not look back. He knew he only had a few moments of shocked reaction from the onlookers before they realized what had really happened and went after him. So he took every precious moment he had and fled with Pearl in his arms as quickly and as
Locating her bindings, he began to free them as he cradled her upon his lap. “Pearl. Wake up. I need you to wake up, sweetheart. It will be deuced awkward to escape with you asleep in my arms.”
Just as he released the largest of the knots, the rolling box halted. Quickly, he began to remove the rope from around her and then pull the large sack up and over her head. He heard shouting, but did not waste a moment looking around before gently picking her up. As he turned the sleeping girl in his arms and hoisted her near his shoulder, he gasped at the sight of blood oozing upon the coarse brown fabric below.
As tenderly as possible, he held her head within his hand and cringed. So much crimson wetness seeped from her. How hard had they thrown her to cause such damage? His stomach churned at the brutality of the human race. Who would do such a thing to another living creature?
The box lurched slowly into movement again. Keel glanced around, surprised to see that no one was coming aboard to harm them further. The prince and another man sat in front of the thing, whipping at animals that were forced to pull them forward. In fact, as they made their way past a group of curious onlookers, he realized they must have been who the prince was shouting at. Both sides of the streets were lined with village merchants, some with wares to sell in wheeled carts, and others with children.
He felt the ground shift and harden slightly, and he noticed they were beginning to leisurely travel upon a narrow bridge of some sort that led directly into the heart of the castle. The gate to the fortress looked like a large stone and iron mouth, waiting to clamp down and seal them within the palace grounds forever. Keel’s heart raced as he wondered at all the horrors awaiting them. If they did not leave now, he would never get the princess to safety.
With as much care as possible, he scrambled with Pearl over to the edge of the box. Just as he was about to jump over the thing and wish for the best, he found a type of rope latch securing the back end to the main frame of the wood. Keel released it with a loud thud and panicked. But as he glanced toward the front, he noticed that the drivers of the contraption had not heard. Neither of the two men had even looked back once to see that all was not well with their cargo.
Were all humans this dense? Perhaps they did not believe merpeople were intelligent enough to think and fight on their own.
Whatever the reason, Keel honestly could not have cared one jot in that moment. In fact, he simply took it as a sign from the great sea gods that they were being watched over. Thank goodness the bridge was so narrow that the traveling box could not move as fast as it had been. As swiftly as possible, he tucked Pearl against his chest, one hand holding her tightly against him while the other hand clutched the rope that connected the gate to the rest of the thing. Several of the people had already begun to follow them and were walking upon the bridge again.
Keel slid to the edge of the gate and pushed off. He stumbled upon the stone, but through the great mercy of fate, he was able to stay his balance enough to collect himself before they both toppled over.
Then as he hoisted her higher upon his chest, Keel took one final look back at the now halted box and ran through the crowd waiting below him.
Drake must have felt the weight of the box shift significantly enough to glance back and see them escaping.
Keel ignored the shouting that followed. He did not look back. He knew he only had a few moments of shocked reaction from the onlookers before they realized what had really happened and went after him. So he took every precious moment he had and fled with Pearl in his arms as quickly and as
Similar Books
