Read Online The Unwilling Adventurer (The Unwilling #1) by Heidi Willard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heidi Willard
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wrapped around the entire thing; then she handed it back. "Looks strong enough to beat a chicken. Is he expecting us to run into some fowl trouble?"
Fred shrugged and put the stick back into his belt. "I don't know. He said it'd help if he wasn't around and trouble came up."
"Help? Help how?" she asked him.
Fred shook his head. "I don't know, he just said it'd be useful in protecting-" The boy winced and slammed his mouth shut.
Pat wouldn't let him off that easily. "Protecting what?" When he didn't reply she grabbed his wrist and yanked him over the ring of rocks to her. "Protecting what?"
Fred cringed. "You."
The girl frowned, but released him. Fred pulled away and rubbed his wrist; she had enough strength in that hand as two men. "Me?" she asked him, and he nodded. Pat looked the boy up and down. "You're supposed to protect me?"
"That's just what Ned said, I didn't say it," Fred defended himself.
Pat shook her head and went back to stacking stones. "Just...just forget about it. Doesn't matter, anyway. You're leaving us in a few days, right?"
Fred wanted to ask what didn't matter, but he didn't dare. "Yeah, I guess I am." The joy he expected at saying those words didn't arise. Instead, the boy found himself wondering if he'd be forced from the group.
Fred shook off the feeling in his stomach and went back to work. By the time Ned returned with an armload of firewood the circle was done. He admired the work and smiled at the pair. "You two work very well together when you're not arguing." Fred wished Pat wasn't so good at multi-tasking, then at least he'd only have to deal with working with her or arguing.
The companions settled down for the night. Fred, feeling the odd man out and with new paste attached to his back, went to bed first, but he couldn't sleep. He lay there for an hour with thoughts of Ned's gift to him and Pat's anger at his being made her temporary protector. His insomnia rewarded him when he heard Pat speak to Ned in a hushed tone. "You really made that boy a protector for me?" she asked the old man.
"Maybe," was the mischievous reply.
"Pat's voice wasn't filled with such humor; she was mad. "Do you think this is some sort of a joke? That we can pick up a bunch of farm boys and use them as human shields to protect me? Because that's what they're going to be, meat shields. That boy there doesn't know the first thing about fighting, so he's going to die if we run into some real trouble."
Fred heard a stick play in the fire and cracked open his eyes. Ned had the fire stick in his hand, and the old man stared at the flames and contemplated her statement. "So you think he'll die?" he asked the girl.
"How can he live, especially if Lord Canaver manages to find us?" Pat asked him. Fred was intrigued by this new name; he'd never heard of it before, but from the tremble in Pat's voice he guessed the fellow was someone to fear. Pat sighed and shook her head. "You know I speak the truth, Sir Ned. The boy can't stay with us, even if he chooses to. When we come to the next town, he must go."
Ned chuckled and set the fire stick aside. He took his own staff in hand and stood. His eyes looked down on the girl with a smile. "I told you a title doesn't suit me, and you're always to call me Ned," he softly scolded.
Pat didn't flinched from his gaze. "I'm sorry, Ned, but my argument for the boy still stands. He must go."
Ned pursed his lips together, closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, perhaps you're right. He isn't trained to fight. Yes, we'll leave him at the next town." Ned moved around the fire and Fred stiffened when the old man passed close by him. Ned paused just beside the boy, and turned back to Pat. She had her eyes on the fire now, and her face showed years of worry premature for her age. "I suppose no amount of proof can change your mind?"
Pat sighed and glanced up at the old man. "Only if a miracle happens and he grows a pair."
Ned smiled and Fred felt the tip of the man's staff softly nudge him in
Fred shrugged and put the stick back into his belt. "I don't know. He said it'd help if he wasn't around and trouble came up."
"Help? Help how?" she asked him.
Fred shook his head. "I don't know, he just said it'd be useful in protecting-" The boy winced and slammed his mouth shut.
Pat wouldn't let him off that easily. "Protecting what?" When he didn't reply she grabbed his wrist and yanked him over the ring of rocks to her. "Protecting what?"
Fred cringed. "You."
The girl frowned, but released him. Fred pulled away and rubbed his wrist; she had enough strength in that hand as two men. "Me?" she asked him, and he nodded. Pat looked the boy up and down. "You're supposed to protect me?"
"That's just what Ned said, I didn't say it," Fred defended himself.
Pat shook her head and went back to stacking stones. "Just...just forget about it. Doesn't matter, anyway. You're leaving us in a few days, right?"
Fred wanted to ask what didn't matter, but he didn't dare. "Yeah, I guess I am." The joy he expected at saying those words didn't arise. Instead, the boy found himself wondering if he'd be forced from the group.
Fred shook off the feeling in his stomach and went back to work. By the time Ned returned with an armload of firewood the circle was done. He admired the work and smiled at the pair. "You two work very well together when you're not arguing." Fred wished Pat wasn't so good at multi-tasking, then at least he'd only have to deal with working with her or arguing.
The companions settled down for the night. Fred, feeling the odd man out and with new paste attached to his back, went to bed first, but he couldn't sleep. He lay there for an hour with thoughts of Ned's gift to him and Pat's anger at his being made her temporary protector. His insomnia rewarded him when he heard Pat speak to Ned in a hushed tone. "You really made that boy a protector for me?" she asked the old man.
"Maybe," was the mischievous reply.
"Pat's voice wasn't filled with such humor; she was mad. "Do you think this is some sort of a joke? That we can pick up a bunch of farm boys and use them as human shields to protect me? Because that's what they're going to be, meat shields. That boy there doesn't know the first thing about fighting, so he's going to die if we run into some real trouble."
Fred heard a stick play in the fire and cracked open his eyes. Ned had the fire stick in his hand, and the old man stared at the flames and contemplated her statement. "So you think he'll die?" he asked the girl.
"How can he live, especially if Lord Canaver manages to find us?" Pat asked him. Fred was intrigued by this new name; he'd never heard of it before, but from the tremble in Pat's voice he guessed the fellow was someone to fear. Pat sighed and shook her head. "You know I speak the truth, Sir Ned. The boy can't stay with us, even if he chooses to. When we come to the next town, he must go."
Ned chuckled and set the fire stick aside. He took his own staff in hand and stood. His eyes looked down on the girl with a smile. "I told you a title doesn't suit me, and you're always to call me Ned," he softly scolded.
Pat didn't flinched from his gaze. "I'm sorry, Ned, but my argument for the boy still stands. He must go."
Ned pursed his lips together, closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, perhaps you're right. He isn't trained to fight. Yes, we'll leave him at the next town." Ned moved around the fire and Fred stiffened when the old man passed close by him. Ned paused just beside the boy, and turned back to Pat. She had her eyes on the fire now, and her face showed years of worry premature for her age. "I suppose no amount of proof can change your mind?"
Pat sighed and glanced up at the old man. "Only if a miracle happens and he grows a pair."
Ned smiled and Fred felt the tip of the man's staff softly nudge him in
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