Read Online Wizard Pair (Book 3) by James Eggebeen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Eggebeen
Tags: Fantasy
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it. "I am the Baron's daughter and I demand you open this door."
The portal opened once more. The face inside looked skeptical and fearful. "How do I know you speak the truth?"
Rotiaqua held her hand up to the portal showing him her ring with the Baron's crest engraved on it. "How about this?"
The portal shut once more, this time with less violence. There was a clatter and the door swung open to reveal a short man half dressed in the uniform of the Guard. The gaol keeper ran his hand through his hair to straighten it. "Apologies, Your Ladyship. I didn't recognize you." He squinted at her. "Why are you here?"
"You have a young man wrongly imprisoned. He was accused of thievery and placed in your gaol to await the headsman. I want him released."
"Well, you know what thieving these folks are doing. There were so many people driven from their land lately, they have infested the city like a plague. They show up in the town without a place to stay or food to eat. Lots of them are turning to thievery to keep body and soul together. Why do you think this one was falsely accused?"
"Because I know him. He says he didn't do it and I believe him. Where is he?"
"What's he look like?"
"He's about fourteen summers old, almost as tall as me, brown hair, farmer's attire ..."
The gaol keeper looked at her. "Sounds like lots of folk who have been arrested lately."
"He said they caught him today and were going to take his hand off." She gestured to her right hand, mimicking the headsman's ax.
"Oh, that one. I think I know who you're talking about."
The gaol keeper hurried down the dark passageway and quickly returned with the young man in tow. He was in chains, his clothes were torn, and he had bruises on his face and arms.
When he caught her eye, he lowered his head and said. "Thank you, My Lady. I don't know how I will ever repay you."
"Take those chains off him." Rotiaqua leveled a gaze of pure vitriol at the gaol keeper, who rushed to unlock the chains and set Zhimosom free.
"Come with me," Rotiaqua said. She turned to leave, only to find the young man collapsed on the floor behind her.
Livery
Zhimosom woke in a strange bed. His thought came to him slowly. He was in a bed, not a cell. He sat up, rubbing his head. There was a lump on the back of it that hurt when he touched it.
"Gently, you hit your head pretty hard. Take it easy."
Zhimosom blinked to clear his eyes. There stood a man in his middle ages, just starting to go bald, dressed in fine clothes. The man stood beside the bed with a tray of bread, fruit, cheese, and meat, and a jug of water.
He set the tray down on the table next to the bed. He fluffed the pillow and placed it behind Zhimosom's back as he helped him into a sitting position.
"What happened?"
"You hit your head when you fell. You must have passed out from exhaustion."
"I was ... I was in the gaol. How did I get here?" Zhimosom looked around the room. It was a nice room in a nice inn. He had only vague memories of the woman who came to get him.
He looked around the room for her, but she was not there.
"The woman who came to get me..."
"She's gone back to the castle. She asked me to stay with you for a few days until you get your strength back."
"Who are you?" Zhimosom asked. Had the Baron's daughter rescued him from the gaol? He thought he remembered that, but why had she left him here? Who was this man caring for him? The questions jumbled through his mind still looking for the answers.
"I am Heyk. I am the manservant to mistress Rotiaqua. She liberated you from the gaol and brought you here last night. She asked me to watch over you until you regained your strength."
"Why did she help me?" Zhimosom recalled meeting her in the flames, and again when she came to him in a dream in the gaol. It was starting to come back to him.
"I don't know why she chose to help you. A manservant does not ask why the Lady does anything."
"Is she really a Lady? Rotiaqua?"
"Of course. She is the Baron's
The portal opened once more. The face inside looked skeptical and fearful. "How do I know you speak the truth?"
Rotiaqua held her hand up to the portal showing him her ring with the Baron's crest engraved on it. "How about this?"
The portal shut once more, this time with less violence. There was a clatter and the door swung open to reveal a short man half dressed in the uniform of the Guard. The gaol keeper ran his hand through his hair to straighten it. "Apologies, Your Ladyship. I didn't recognize you." He squinted at her. "Why are you here?"
"You have a young man wrongly imprisoned. He was accused of thievery and placed in your gaol to await the headsman. I want him released."
"Well, you know what thieving these folks are doing. There were so many people driven from their land lately, they have infested the city like a plague. They show up in the town without a place to stay or food to eat. Lots of them are turning to thievery to keep body and soul together. Why do you think this one was falsely accused?"
"Because I know him. He says he didn't do it and I believe him. Where is he?"
"What's he look like?"
"He's about fourteen summers old, almost as tall as me, brown hair, farmer's attire ..."
The gaol keeper looked at her. "Sounds like lots of folk who have been arrested lately."
"He said they caught him today and were going to take his hand off." She gestured to her right hand, mimicking the headsman's ax.
"Oh, that one. I think I know who you're talking about."
The gaol keeper hurried down the dark passageway and quickly returned with the young man in tow. He was in chains, his clothes were torn, and he had bruises on his face and arms.
When he caught her eye, he lowered his head and said. "Thank you, My Lady. I don't know how I will ever repay you."
"Take those chains off him." Rotiaqua leveled a gaze of pure vitriol at the gaol keeper, who rushed to unlock the chains and set Zhimosom free.
"Come with me," Rotiaqua said. She turned to leave, only to find the young man collapsed on the floor behind her.
Livery
Zhimosom woke in a strange bed. His thought came to him slowly. He was in a bed, not a cell. He sat up, rubbing his head. There was a lump on the back of it that hurt when he touched it.
"Gently, you hit your head pretty hard. Take it easy."
Zhimosom blinked to clear his eyes. There stood a man in his middle ages, just starting to go bald, dressed in fine clothes. The man stood beside the bed with a tray of bread, fruit, cheese, and meat, and a jug of water.
He set the tray down on the table next to the bed. He fluffed the pillow and placed it behind Zhimosom's back as he helped him into a sitting position.
"What happened?"
"You hit your head when you fell. You must have passed out from exhaustion."
"I was ... I was in the gaol. How did I get here?" Zhimosom looked around the room. It was a nice room in a nice inn. He had only vague memories of the woman who came to get him.
He looked around the room for her, but she was not there.
"The woman who came to get me..."
"She's gone back to the castle. She asked me to stay with you for a few days until you get your strength back."
"Who are you?" Zhimosom asked. Had the Baron's daughter rescued him from the gaol? He thought he remembered that, but why had she left him here? Who was this man caring for him? The questions jumbled through his mind still looking for the answers.
"I am Heyk. I am the manservant to mistress Rotiaqua. She liberated you from the gaol and brought you here last night. She asked me to watch over you until you regained your strength."
"Why did she help me?" Zhimosom recalled meeting her in the flames, and again when she came to him in a dream in the gaol. It was starting to come back to him.
"I don't know why she chose to help you. A manservant does not ask why the Lady does anything."
"Is she really a Lady? Rotiaqua?"
"Of course. She is the Baron's
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