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

“They’re here?” Maggie whisper and felt the others lean closer to hear what she said, but she ignored their comments. Not ten paces from the corner stood the copper-haired woman and her three goons. They were searching the square for something. Maggie had a sickening feeling that they were looking for her.

Marco and Jay – the two guards from the pub stables – were scouring over the heads of scurrying shoppers. Their boss stood in between them, her arms crossed, not looking too pleased. While Andes – the big scary quiet guy – stood slowly pivoting, scanning the dark corners and crevices. His eyes shifted closer to the place the little pickpocket was hiding. Just as his gaze came closer, the stone burned cold once again and Maggie’s vision went fuzzy, then black as it had before.

Her sight returned to her. She saw that she was back in Redd’s kitchen. Not that she really left, though. Keith and the three cousins hovered over her head. Maggie spread her hands out and realized she was lying on the floor. She sat up with some help from Vika and Angus. The scene still fresh in her mind, Maggie tried to stand up. They had to move, and now. She stood up too fast and almost fell over. Keith caught her.

“Maggie, what in the name of Veil’s Guard…” His face was pale under his red fringe. “Are you alright?” Maggie looked into his green eyes and felt a pang as she saw the resemblance to Uncle Will’s concern.

“Of course she not ‘alright’!” Vika shoved Keith away and jerked her face closer to Maggie’s. “Hey, what the Veils was that?”

“I don’t know, and frankly right now, I am not in the mood to care.” She turned and addressed Redd. “How ready are you to leave?”

“Just let me grab a few things first. Why?” The trainer rushed around the house, stuffing things into several saddle bags.

“There isn’t ant time to explain. Angus, take Keith and get the horses ready. Vika I need you to gather all of our stuff. I need to pack some food before we run out of time.” Maggie tried to continue wrapping up her sandwiches, but Vika grabbed her arm.

“Maggie! Tell us what’s happening!” Vika was impatient. Maggie sighed in annoyance. She didn’t have time for this.

“We have to leave, right now!” She tried to pull her arm away, but Angus caught her other arm.

“We’re not going anywhere until you tell us what’s going on.” The boy looked at her with such seriousness, he looked beyond his years.

“Because those we had the pleasure of meeting before, have happened to follow us. I will explain once we’re far enough away, but time’s running out. Now let go!” Maggie broke free and marched to the counter. Behind her she heard the three of them leave and the door close. She sighed heavily.

A floor board creaked behind her. Maggie jumped and turned to face Keith.

Maggie suddenly felt uneasy being alone with him. If he was a spy from the King’s Elite, she wasn’t sure she could keep quiet about her reason for going to Tírbogha. He would stop her from reaching Ajax’s pass. He might steal her stone, but he would wait until they reached the bog women. Unless he knew more about it than her, he would need the same information she did. She definitely couldn’t trust him.

That was, if he was a spy for the King’s Elite…

“Maggie,” Keith slowly approached her moving across the worn floor boards of Redd’s kitchen. “What’s going on?”

“I told you to help with the horses.” She clipped off as she brushed past him. With her arms full of food, Maggie pushed the front door open with her hip and stalked out towards the stables. Keith was hot on her heals.

“Why won’t you tell me?” he questioned.

“Because it has nothing to do with you.” Maggie grabbed her aunt’s cloak and began stuffing their future meals into several of the inside pockets. She was momentarily surprised at how much fit in.

“It has everything to do with me!” Keith shouted. Maggie rolled her eyes. He followed her out to the well, but kept a few steps back. Maggie set some empty water skins on the rock wall and lowered the bucket. “Since you’re all forcing me to go with you, don’t I at least have the right to know what I’m in for?”

Maggie pulled the bucket up and dunked a water skin into the cool water. “No, I believe you have no right to know exactly what’s going on.” She knew that she had just provided a loop hole for the Tine’la, but she wanted to test him. His face was impassive, but in his eyes, Maggie saw that he had picked up on her hint. Keith stayed silent as he came closer and picked up an empty water skin. Maggie half smiled and plunged another water skin. “But, it might be best if you keep that fancy sword of yours handy. You might need it sooner than you think.”

With Keith’s help, the water skins were filled and stopped with pieces o cork. Neither spoke a word. At first the Tine’la seemed insecure about being alone with Maggie at the well, but he eventually relaxed. They returned to the stables to find the others already assembled. Maggie fastened the full skins to the horses’ loads while Vika watched the Tine’la warily.

“So,” Maggie’s cousin glanced over her shoulder to Keith’s sword as it leaned against a stall door. The girl had her knives out and pointed at their prisoner. Not once did their points waver. “You really gonna give it to him, huh?”

“Why do you even have to ask?” Maggie walked over and lifted the blade she had crafted with her uncle. “I know you were all listening.” Angus and Redd had the decency to pretend to look guilty. Vika only smirked. “I’ve decided to somewhat trust him, yes.”

Keith stared blankly at her, mouth agape. Don’t look so surprised, Maggie thought. I know that you wanted my trust. I’m waiting to see what you plan to do, now that you have it.

“Besides, if he kills us in our sleep, it’s his loss. He’d be lost before he reached the next village.” Maggie smiled wickedly at the Tine’la. His face was slightly flushed in response. Obviously, he was quick to anger.

“Well, if that’s all we have to worry about,” Angus grinned and took the sword from Maggie. “Make sure that when you do me, I won’t feel it. Deal?”

Keith looked amusingly flabbergasted. “Yeah, sure.” He stammered. Angus laughed and handed him his blade. Vika rolled her eyes and marched out into the yard in a huff, Daggers trailing behind her. Maggie and the others followed her out. Keith adjusted the strap so that his sword rested against his hip.

“Hey, I heard that you’ve been sharing Angus’ horse.” Redd playfully nudged Keith before he mounted his reddish stallion.

“Yeah.”

“You can ride with me too if you want,” Redd’s large hand clapped the Tine’la on the shoulder. He really was just a big friendly giant. Only, Keith hadn’t figured that out yet. “Steve and I would really enjoy the company.” Redd gave the red head a genuine smile.

Keith looked confused. “Who’s Steve?” Redd let out a belly laugh and slapped Keith on the back, sending the Tine’la stumbling forward.

“Why, he’s my valiant steed!” The large man replied like it should have been obvious. Keith, on the other hand, just looked at Maggie, probably wanting some kind of explanation.

Maggie mounted Gregor like the rest had, and shrugged. “I did tell you he was a good fighter. I never said he was good at anything else.” Angus and Redd laughed as Keith mounted the oddly named horse.

“Warrior, what have I gotten myself into?” Keith mumbled from behind Redd as they rode deeper into the Curtian Forest.

Hopefully, father away from their pursuers.

And closer to some answers.

“No.”

“Aw, come on. Please, Maggie.”

“Redd, I said ‘no’.” Maggie tried to walk past her old trainer, but it was difficult carrying a pot full of water. She and Redd had gone to get water to cook dinner. Redd seemed to have forgotten that he had come to help. The whole time he had constantly been at her about playing a song. She loved to play; only when no one else could hear her. Her nerves would make her face and neck burn as if on fire whenever she knew someone was watching. She hated that feeling. Maggie decided that it was best to avoid it altogether. She went around Redd, but he side-stepped and cut her off. Cold water splashed against the cotton legs of her pants.

“Just one. Please.” Maggie looked up at the red head. His blue-green eyes reminded her of a dog begging. She was tempted to reach up and tousle his mop of red hair saying, If you do one of your tricks, I’ll do one of mine. Instead, she allowed all emotion to drain from her face, turned on her heel and headed back towards their camp. “I promise, I just want you to play one song, and then I’ll stop bugging you.”

“Redd, you know very well that with you, it will not stop at just one.” She called over her shoulder as she walked through the trees. The early bugs hovered around her damp leggings. She might try to swat at them, but then she would probably spill more water on herself. That would just defeat the purpose.

A dozen or so paces in front of her was their camp’s fire, brightly burning. At the edges of the trees, she put down her sloshing pot to try and regain felling in her fingers and parts of her hand. She stretched her arms above her head and bent down to pick up her pot again. When she straightened, Redd was standing right in front of her. Maggie bulked back in surprise. Since she had already spilled some of the pot’s contents, there wasn’t much left to tip over the brim. “Veils Redd! Do you want to eat or not?”

“Redd, leave her alone, will you? I’m hungry and I don’t really feel like eating you’re charcoal flavoured cooking.” Vika said from where she lounged on a low branch, cleaning one of her many knives. The horses grazed on the new blades of grass near the tree’s base. Maggie brushed past Redd and placed the pot next to the orange flames of the fire.

“At least my cooking is better than yours.” Redd retorted as he sat on a fallen tree and poked the coals with a stick. Angus chuckled from where he was unloading the horses. Keith was just returning from fetching more wood.

“I know, that’s why I want Maggie to make our dinner,” Vika sent the tall man a pointed glare. “So leave her alone.”

“I just want to hear one. Is that too much to ask?” Redd waved the stick around.

“Yes, it is. Now