Maggie of the Mist by Madeleine M. (best ebook reader for ubuntu txt) 📕

Keith knew that something was wrong with him from the moment he had opened his eyes that morning. His head was pounding as his thoughts began to swim. Every so often he would have shivers run up and down his spine. He was sore and aching. He had sensations rotating between being cold and tried to warm and restless. With eyes darting everywhere, Keith found it hard to concentrate on one thing. To make matters worse – because he didn’t want to wound his pride – he didn’t say a word about it to anyone. He had felt so good the night before.

Angus, on the other hand, had been giddy since dawn. And for Angus that was very rare. As they neared the first town Keith had seen since he had met this strange trio of cousins, Maggie let Angus go on ahead to announce their arrival.  Seconds after Keith stumbled off Scott, all that was left of Angus was a cloud of dust. Silently, Keith was wondering why Angus was so excited about seeing their trainer. Walking to catch up, he turned to face Maggie. She was riding between Vika and himself, and he made a face. She seemed to read his mind before he even moved – this part of her always amazed him.

“Redd is Angus’s older brother. They haven’t seen each other in just over a year,” Maggie explained with another one of her genuine smiles. “He’ll hopefully join us.” Keith glared at the uneven dirt road. He shouldn’t be upset; this man could help him figure out these three a little more. Still, his mood soured.

Approaching the village’s center, the girls dismounted and walked their horses towards an odd assortment of vender stalls. Everywhere people milled around. Keith lost count of how many times he was jostled or shoved. Maggie seemed to shrink beneath her cloak; Vika only took on a more dominant stance. The two were almost complete opposites. Just like the bright colours of the awnings and the dusty venders beneath them.

Amid the din of bargainers’ cries, the unorganized motion and a pounding head, Keith found himself searching for his brother. He had to stop himself several times. Daileas wouldn’t be caught dead in a lowly village market. There was no point in even thinking he’d find the boy. Suddenly, he felt something brush against his side. When he turned, Keith saw a rather dirty boy in tattered clothes digging into the coin purse he had slung over his belt. Shoulder length greasy hair flew back as the slim face with hollowed cheeks looked up at him.

“Hey!” Keith wrenched the bony hand out of the pouch. “What do you think you’re doing?” People had stopped to stare as he lifted the child off the ground by the scruff of the shirt. The boy let out a small whimper after kicking frantically without getting anywhere. Keith closed his eyes for a moment to ward off the unexpected dizziness that overcame him.

“Keith,” Maggie’s quiet voice was right next to his shoulder. He turned his head and saw her light blue diamond eyes looking at him pleadingly from under her hood. “Put her down. Gently.” Keith stared at Maggie in astonishment. Her? He looked at the girl, whose eyes were cast to the ground. It was then he noticed that the pickpocket was wearing an ankle length skirt. Trying hard to hide the shock on his face, Keith slowly lowered her until her feet were firmly planted on the dirt. As soon as he let go of her shirt, she tore through the square and disappeared into a side ally way. “You need to practice paying attention to your surroundings,” Maggie hooked her arm in his and steered them through the crowd. Vika followed closely behind giving anyone who looked their way a nasty glare. “Especially, if you’re trying to pass as a commoner. That was a typical noble reaction. I know you probably aren’t used to being anywhere this crowed without a guard, or something, but you need to learn.”

The three of them stopped at a small table at the opposite end of the market and admired the cheap trinkets as they waited for Angus. It wasn’t long before he found them.

“I looked all over,” Angus reported with disappointment. “I couldn’t find him.” Just then a shadow landed on him. Angus turned to face a young man and was the same height as the stranger’s shoulder. The two of them burst into laughter and began a series of complicated arm clasps, high-fives, and back slaps.

“Well, it sure has been awhile,” a warm, deep voice came from the tall young man. Laughing pale blue eyes with a hint of green hid under rather shaggy reddish hair that reached to darker eyebrows. This man was of a very able body, and he seemed almost twice as big as Keith. “I hear that you are all of to Koal.” He said starting to go around to all the travellers and shaking their hands.

“Redd, you remember Vika,” Angus said the good natured man, “She’s Aunt Evanna’s oldest.”

“’Course I do. I trained her myself, didn’t I?” Redd cried in a hearty voice. Keith began to wonder what he would be like if Vika was his student.

“Ah, young blacksmith!” said the tall young man in disbelief.

“Hello, Redd. It’s been a few moon phases.” She grinned at him from under her hood. It almost sickened Keith to think that she would ever know such a person. Wait. Why did he call her ‘young blacksmith’? Apparently he knew absolutely nothing about this girl in the dark hood. This had to be the first time Keith had actually seen Maggie talk of her own free will. He was a little jealous it wasn’t him.

“I hardly recognized you. My you’ve grown – and ever more beautiful. I hope that you’ve been practicing your archery skills. You were the best archer I have taught so far…” He blundered on like this for some time. Keith was irritated at how much attention this Redd fellow was giving Maggie, and even more so at her reaction. She was answering his every question without hesitation, and her hood was back far enough that you could see her face – she was actually smiling! A hot throbbing pain shot through his skull and he touched his head gently. Either his fingers were really cold or he had a temperature.

Keith cleared his throat. It was then that Redd noticed him standing right next to him. “Beg your pardon, lad,” said Redd as he turned to face Keith and extending his hand. “I don’t believe I know you. I didn’t catch your name, boy.”

Cringing on the inside but smiling and politely shaking hands on the outside, Keith replied, “I’m Keith. Nice to meet you.” Total lie. Keith just didn’t like that way this ‘trainer’ did, well, anything. Keith seemed to hold a grudge against him, but had no idea why, unless… He stopped his train of thought. It couldn’t possibly be because of one girl. Coming back to the present, he realized that Redd was giving him the strangest of looks. Giving Keith’s hand one last shake, he let it go and turned back around to the two girls as they were readjusting their packs.

“Some friend you got here,” he gave Maggie a big teasing grin. “Come on, we should go someplace quieter to talk particulars. My house isn’t that far out of town.” Angus and Vika followed Redd through the crowd with the horses trailing behind. The world began to sway slightly as he struggled to keep up with the others. Before he knew it, they were out of the hustle and bustle of the crammed market and walking across a much smaller courtyard. It must have been on the edge of the village because the harsh trees of the Curtian Forest lined two of the four sides. Excepting his captors, the dirt area was empty. The only evidence of its use was a stone walled well in a corner where the tree line and mud brick buildings met.

“Hey! Will you be standing there dreaming all day? Or are you going pay more attention before I get the urge to throw something!” Vika was looking at him with angered eyes while she yelled at him. Maggie was staring too. Everyone was. Keith didn’t realize she had been yelling at him until now. He felt so stupid. He began to shake his head trying to get rid of the pain that grew worse when Vika raised her voice. Vika let an amused smile spread across her lips. “Looks like he’s finally with us again,” hands on her hips as she said, “Welcome back.” With that, the others filed out into the mighty forest. None of them bothering to look back. Keith tried to follow, but tripped over his own feet as his vision blurred and spun. He hung his pounding head and covered his face in clammy hands. Letting out a sigh, he began to slump against the tree behind him; without knowing it was there in the first place. He slid to the ground under the tree. Running his fingers through his hair, Keith tried to relieve the pressure in his head by pressing down on his scalp with his fingertips. It helped a bit.

“Are you alright?” The sudden quiet voice made him jump. He looked up to find Maggie standing just a few strides in front of him. He had no idea how long she had stood there, he thought she went back with the others. He let out another sigh. “Keith?” She sounded concerned under the shyness of her voice. He looked up again. Her deep blue eyes were sad – why did he know what colour her eyes were?

Then he looked at her for the first time. Not that he couldn’t see her before, but this was the first time he actually saw her as just another person. Not his captor, not his fictional wood nymph, she was just a human being concerned for another. Her blonde hair was straight again, and with her hood off it fell about half way down her back. Her face was a little pale, but with some colour in her cheeks. Well, that was what he could see peeking out from under the dust on her face. If he looked beyond the dirt smudges, he was sure he would find some freckles. There was a glimmer behind her eyes that seemed to call to him. He thought that he could see something she was trying hide, but it wasn’t clear.

“Keith, do you feel well?” Maggie slowly stepped closer, almost like she was afraid she might scare him away. “You look flushed.” 

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and brushed himself off. “I just have a slight headache. Nothing that a bit of rest won’t fix.” He wobbled a bit. Maggie reached up and placed her cold fingers on his forehead. Now he believed what Angus had said about her being motherly. “I’m fine woman!” he said swatting her hand away. He hoped that it didn’t come out angry.

“No, you’re not,” she insisted, replacing her hand to his head. “You’ve got a fever. How long did you sleep last night? Maybe I shouldn’t have given you that much dew at once. You didn’t change your clothes, did you?” Her concern was shifting