Read Online The Unwilling Adventurer (The Unwilling #1) by Heidi Willard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heidi Willard
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going to win this argument.
Ned smiled and patted the boy on the back. "That's the way! You'll make a fine guard for-"
"What are you two talking about?" Pat spoke up. She stopped ahead of them and turned with her arms folded across her chest; her foot tapped the ground and she glared at the pair.
The smile slipped from Ned's face and he quickly shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all."
Pat narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh, like I'm going to believe that. Your faces look guilty of something."
"Perhaps it's just the sun." Ned glanced up at the sky and squinted into the day star. "Very bright today, isn't it, Fred?" When the boy didn't reply, Ned nudged him with his shoulder.
"Oh? Yeah, real bright." Fred didn't want to be in this conversation; heck, he didn't want to be on this road with this strange pair. The boy promised himself that when he left them at the next town, he'd be sure to give back the stick.
"But what are we doing dawdling along like this?" Ned asked them. He hurried forward past Pat with his cloak billowing behind him. "We have places to be and people to see. Come, children, let's be off!" Fred hurried after the old man, and when he passed Pat she glanced down at his waist. He took hold of the stick, gave her a sheepish smile and sped up. When he looked back she followed, but with her suspicions written all over her face.
The journey was a continuation of yesterday's walk. They passed by small and large houses, small villages and through fields of trees and grass. Beyond the trees and grass could be seen hills, and beyond them lay snow-capped mountains with their stony sides. Fred wondered how large the world was with such far afield landscape. He was also curious when they'd reach the next town; his plan was still to separate himself from the pair, but he hadn't thought about it the entire day. Maybe he was getting used to their strangeness.
Fred ventured to ask about the distance when they stopped for camp. "How much farther until we reach the next town?" His feet felt like he'd walked dozens of miles; he didn't even know where he lived anymore.
Ned furrowed his brow and glanced up at the sky. The skyline had a heavier supply of trees; the farther they went the more forested the area became. "I would say another two days of travel should get us to Tramadore."
Pat groaned and sat herself down on a nearby log. She stretched out her stiff legs and winced when her feet cracked. "That far?" she complained.
"That far," Ned assured her.
"Two days..." Fred murmured.
Ned seated himself on a rock and smiled at the boy. "Were you expecting to be rid of us so soon?" he teased Fred.
Pat furrowed her face. "Rid of us? Where's he going?"
Fred held up his hands in front of himself. "No, well, it's just, maybe?" he squeaked out.
The girl glanced between the two men. "What's going on? I thought you bought this boy for a better reason than to take him for a short trip."
"I bought him in bad faith, and can't very well force him to stay with us," Ned pointed out.
"Then you should have left him where you found him. It would have meant a lot less trouble for us," she snapped.
Ned raised an eyebrow at her outburst, and she turned away from his inquisitive gaze. "Yes, well, what's done is done and we should try to make the best of it." He stood up and glanced around. "I'll go look for some wood, and you two try not to kill each other while you make a ring for the fire," he teased.
Ned toddled off into a clump of trees, and the pair got started on the fire pit. They worked silently while they gathered the stones, but when they went to arrange them Pat glanced at Ned's waist. She nodded at the stick. "Did Ned give you that?"
Fred followed her gaze and nodded. "Yeah. He said it'd be useful."
Pat wrinkled her nose. "It looks kind of broken." She held out her hand. "Let me see it." Fred stopped his arranging of the rocks and handed the stick over to her. She examined the ends, the wood, and even the thin strip of leather
Ned smiled and patted the boy on the back. "That's the way! You'll make a fine guard for-"
"What are you two talking about?" Pat spoke up. She stopped ahead of them and turned with her arms folded across her chest; her foot tapped the ground and she glared at the pair.
The smile slipped from Ned's face and he quickly shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all."
Pat narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh, like I'm going to believe that. Your faces look guilty of something."
"Perhaps it's just the sun." Ned glanced up at the sky and squinted into the day star. "Very bright today, isn't it, Fred?" When the boy didn't reply, Ned nudged him with his shoulder.
"Oh? Yeah, real bright." Fred didn't want to be in this conversation; heck, he didn't want to be on this road with this strange pair. The boy promised himself that when he left them at the next town, he'd be sure to give back the stick.
"But what are we doing dawdling along like this?" Ned asked them. He hurried forward past Pat with his cloak billowing behind him. "We have places to be and people to see. Come, children, let's be off!" Fred hurried after the old man, and when he passed Pat she glanced down at his waist. He took hold of the stick, gave her a sheepish smile and sped up. When he looked back she followed, but with her suspicions written all over her face.
The journey was a continuation of yesterday's walk. They passed by small and large houses, small villages and through fields of trees and grass. Beyond the trees and grass could be seen hills, and beyond them lay snow-capped mountains with their stony sides. Fred wondered how large the world was with such far afield landscape. He was also curious when they'd reach the next town; his plan was still to separate himself from the pair, but he hadn't thought about it the entire day. Maybe he was getting used to their strangeness.
Fred ventured to ask about the distance when they stopped for camp. "How much farther until we reach the next town?" His feet felt like he'd walked dozens of miles; he didn't even know where he lived anymore.
Ned furrowed his brow and glanced up at the sky. The skyline had a heavier supply of trees; the farther they went the more forested the area became. "I would say another two days of travel should get us to Tramadore."
Pat groaned and sat herself down on a nearby log. She stretched out her stiff legs and winced when her feet cracked. "That far?" she complained.
"That far," Ned assured her.
"Two days..." Fred murmured.
Ned seated himself on a rock and smiled at the boy. "Were you expecting to be rid of us so soon?" he teased Fred.
Pat furrowed her face. "Rid of us? Where's he going?"
Fred held up his hands in front of himself. "No, well, it's just, maybe?" he squeaked out.
The girl glanced between the two men. "What's going on? I thought you bought this boy for a better reason than to take him for a short trip."
"I bought him in bad faith, and can't very well force him to stay with us," Ned pointed out.
"Then you should have left him where you found him. It would have meant a lot less trouble for us," she snapped.
Ned raised an eyebrow at her outburst, and she turned away from his inquisitive gaze. "Yes, well, what's done is done and we should try to make the best of it." He stood up and glanced around. "I'll go look for some wood, and you two try not to kill each other while you make a ring for the fire," he teased.
Ned toddled off into a clump of trees, and the pair got started on the fire pit. They worked silently while they gathered the stones, but when they went to arrange them Pat glanced at Ned's waist. She nodded at the stick. "Did Ned give you that?"
Fred followed her gaze and nodded. "Yeah. He said it'd be useful."
Pat wrinkled her nose. "It looks kind of broken." She held out her hand. "Let me see it." Fred stopped his arranging of the rocks and handed the stick over to her. She examined the ends, the wood, and even the thin strip of leather
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