Read Online The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold - Free Book Online
Authors: Kyell Gold
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lake, almost a sea, that lay at their feet. Though clouds still hung in the air over them, the plains were bright with sun, and Jonas couldn’t wait to get there.
“ Officially, we've been in Ferrenis for a day,” Alexan said, and pointed a black paw down at the plain. “But that is really Ferrenis.”
Jonas tried to follow the road as it wound down towards the sea of trees and fields. “Are there towns on the way to the city?”
“ Sure. Right there, by the river—see?”
And there was a small collection of buildings there that he hadn’t noticed before. He continued to gaze down at the plain as Alexan started the cart again and the wagon picked up speed. They traveled faster as they descended out of the snow, and with the warming air, Jonas’s mood improved.
They reached the first town in Ferrenis the next day. Foothill was a small town, but Alexan seemed happy to reach it. “The edge of the country,” he called it. “The Royal Patrol takes care of most bandits from here on.”
They saw two patrolmen, a burly wolf and a surly-looking weasel, when they went to get dinner in the local pub. The patrolmen looked up as they walked by and sat up straighter. Jonas thought at first that they knew Alexan, but then realized that they were looking at him. In fact, everyone in the pub was looking at him.
Even after he sat down across from Alexan, he heard murmurs and caught glances in his direction. Alexan didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, it didn’t surprise him. Jonas finally leaned across the table and whispered, “Did I do something wrong?”
Alexan’s ears flicked and he grinned. “No. Why?”
“ Everyone’s looking at me.”
“ Are they?” Alexan looked around, and Jonas felt certain now that he’d noticed and was just pretending he hadn’t.
“ Yes.”
Alexan chuckled. “You really don’t know why? Don’t you know anything about Ferrenis?”
“ No. Just that they don’t understand the Houses of Gaia and they don’t like us.”
“ Religious differences aside, the ruling family of Ferrenis are cougars. All cougars in this country belong to some sort of nobility.”
Jonas didn’t see Alexan’s amused reaction to his surprise. The fox’s growled “your highness” now made sense, and he remembered another fox now who had done something similar; that was where Alexan seemed familiar from. It had been a couple years ago, the fox was some noble at the palace who’d chosen between Jonas and Richy, he recalled. And he’d called him “your highness,” then denied it. Jonas filed that thought away for later reflection.
“ So they think I’m a noble?”
“ My guess is, they’re wondering why you’re so shabbily dressed.”
His clothes weren’t any dirtier than anyone else’s in the place, but Jonas suddenly felt very self-conscious. “Maybe we should go.”
“ Why? Let them look.” Alexan waved to the rabbit walking by with a tray. “Two ales and two dinners, whatever’s hot.”
She nodded and walked away. Alone among the people in the bar, she didn’t seem interested in Jonas at all.
Jonas didn't quite manage to ignore the scrutiny over the course of the evening; he was so used to being in tune to what people wanted of him that he found himself staring back at the pair of mice, the raccoon, the weasel, wondering what they wanted. By the end of the meal, he’d managed to stop himself from looking back at them, but he still felt their eyes on him, like fleas in his fur.
He told Alexan he wanted to eat in the wagon at the next town, but the fox dragged him into the public-house anyway. By the time they got to Caril, Jonas had been stared at more than in his entire career at the Jackal's Staff. When they reached Alexan’s house, he thought, and met his friends, they would get used to him. There, he could feel comfortable.
The house was small but neat, one of ten in a row along a side street not too far inside the western gate. Brick with white wood trim, like all
“ Officially, we've been in Ferrenis for a day,” Alexan said, and pointed a black paw down at the plain. “But that is really Ferrenis.”
Jonas tried to follow the road as it wound down towards the sea of trees and fields. “Are there towns on the way to the city?”
“ Sure. Right there, by the river—see?”
And there was a small collection of buildings there that he hadn’t noticed before. He continued to gaze down at the plain as Alexan started the cart again and the wagon picked up speed. They traveled faster as they descended out of the snow, and with the warming air, Jonas’s mood improved.
They reached the first town in Ferrenis the next day. Foothill was a small town, but Alexan seemed happy to reach it. “The edge of the country,” he called it. “The Royal Patrol takes care of most bandits from here on.”
They saw two patrolmen, a burly wolf and a surly-looking weasel, when they went to get dinner in the local pub. The patrolmen looked up as they walked by and sat up straighter. Jonas thought at first that they knew Alexan, but then realized that they were looking at him. In fact, everyone in the pub was looking at him.
Even after he sat down across from Alexan, he heard murmurs and caught glances in his direction. Alexan didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, it didn’t surprise him. Jonas finally leaned across the table and whispered, “Did I do something wrong?”
Alexan’s ears flicked and he grinned. “No. Why?”
“ Everyone’s looking at me.”
“ Are they?” Alexan looked around, and Jonas felt certain now that he’d noticed and was just pretending he hadn’t.
“ Yes.”
Alexan chuckled. “You really don’t know why? Don’t you know anything about Ferrenis?”
“ No. Just that they don’t understand the Houses of Gaia and they don’t like us.”
“ Religious differences aside, the ruling family of Ferrenis are cougars. All cougars in this country belong to some sort of nobility.”
Jonas didn’t see Alexan’s amused reaction to his surprise. The fox’s growled “your highness” now made sense, and he remembered another fox now who had done something similar; that was where Alexan seemed familiar from. It had been a couple years ago, the fox was some noble at the palace who’d chosen between Jonas and Richy, he recalled. And he’d called him “your highness,” then denied it. Jonas filed that thought away for later reflection.
“ So they think I’m a noble?”
“ My guess is, they’re wondering why you’re so shabbily dressed.”
His clothes weren’t any dirtier than anyone else’s in the place, but Jonas suddenly felt very self-conscious. “Maybe we should go.”
“ Why? Let them look.” Alexan waved to the rabbit walking by with a tray. “Two ales and two dinners, whatever’s hot.”
She nodded and walked away. Alone among the people in the bar, she didn’t seem interested in Jonas at all.
Jonas didn't quite manage to ignore the scrutiny over the course of the evening; he was so used to being in tune to what people wanted of him that he found himself staring back at the pair of mice, the raccoon, the weasel, wondering what they wanted. By the end of the meal, he’d managed to stop himself from looking back at them, but he still felt their eyes on him, like fleas in his fur.
He told Alexan he wanted to eat in the wagon at the next town, but the fox dragged him into the public-house anyway. By the time they got to Caril, Jonas had been stared at more than in his entire career at the Jackal's Staff. When they reached Alexan’s house, he thought, and met his friends, they would get used to him. There, he could feel comfortable.
The house was small but neat, one of ten in a row along a side street not too far inside the western gate. Brick with white wood trim, like all
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