Little Orphan Anvil: The Complete Trilogy by Joseph Beekman (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

“Aleeria!” he shouted, holding the tarp above hishead to protect his face from the pounding hail. “Couldyou possibly get a bird’s eye view of our area from highabove us?”

Aleeria turned around to face Will, then tilted herhead towards the blurry, stormy sky.

“I’ll see what I can do!” she replied, shaking herhead. “You know, for an old blacksmith, you sure dohave some smarts about you!”

Will strained to hear what she had said, butdismissed it with a shrug.

“Anyways, it was just a thought!” he hollered,and quickly ducked back into the covering of the tarp.

Under the tent-like tarp, Tabitha watched Will ashe entered and curled back down into his blanket. Shewas huddled next to Anvil, shivering, while the boyswere fast asleep. Tinspar was in his own world, leaningagainst the crate that held the spider’s body. He wassharpening the iron-bladed pole with some kind ofstone, oblivious to the loud pattering of the hail uponthe tarp. A soft, orange glow flickered about from aniron lantern in the center of the raft.

“Is Aleeria going to do it?” Tabitha asked, hereyes focused on Will. “Is she going to fly up throughthe storm to see how far we have come…or even wherewe are at?”

Will shuffled his body about on the blanket,trying to gain some level of comfort. “Not quite sure,my dear,” he said dryly. “Couldn’t make out what shesaid through all the noise of that icy hail!”

Tabitha lowered her eyes. “I sure hope she’ll beokay if she decides to do that…”

“Oh, I’m quite certain she will be; she is a spirit,after all! And you and I both know how tough it can beto harm one of those!” He gave her a smirk, then laidhis head down and closed his eyes.

“Try to get some rest, dear…we’ll get off this oldraft soon enough.”

She lowered her hood over her eyes and leanedback against Anvil’s iron body. The robot bleepedsoftly. Closing her eyes, Tabitha listened to the pitterpatter of the hail and the sound of Tinspar sharpeningthe iron blades.

She had soon fallen into a deep sleep.

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The next morning, the storm had passed. Tinsparand Will had decided to exit the covering of the tarp,concerned about the centipede. They felt as if it wasrunning out of its energy: its movement was not as fastas it had first been, and it could be heard emittingtiresome groans. The three teens decided to remainunderneath the tarp, wrapped up in their blankets.

The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the airwas bitter cold. Tinspar darted his big bug-like eyes toboth sides of the passage, studying the giant walls ofice that were cut with deep grooves and slashes. Someof the light that filtered down from the sky created darkshadows within the walls.

“I think this centipede has just about had it, I’ddare say,” Tinspar voiced, carefully stepping forward tothe front of the raft to focus on the centipede creature.

Will, who was peering about into the shroudedsky, had been more concerned with the whereabouts ofAleeria. He was lost to what Tinspar had just said.

Tinspar stopped at the edge of the raft and lookedupon the great creature. After a moment, he turnedtowards Will. “Will—did ya hear what I said?”

Will startled, and looked at Tinspar. “Oh, sorry!I was just concerned with what has happened to ourghostly companion!”

Tinspar now looked around, wondering himself.“Hmm…she probably took your advice and is somewhere high above us.” He batted his eyes at the sky.

“Maybe so,” he said suspiciously, “but you’dthink she would have been back after an entire day…”

He then moved under the tarp, returning amoment later with Anvil. The robot was bleepingawkwardly as if it had just been awakened from adream; its eyes were blinking with flashes of light, andit hovered along in a stupor.

“So what do you plan on doing with your robot?”Tinspar asked curiously.

Will hunched down next to Anvil and pressed afew buttons on the robot’s side panel.

“My dear sir, I plan to see if ol’ Anvil can detecther presence somewhere in that dreadful sky!”

Tinspar shook his head in disbelief. “Are yougoing a bit nuts from this long journey, old man?”

Will shot him a sour look. “And what is that tomean?”

“Have you already forgotten that those others—those witches, and possibly the witch-lady herself—might be alerted to our presence?”

“Now, you listen here,” Will growled; “I mean tofind out if we are about to reach land! Even if it issome crazy glacier, it’s still land that I’d very much liketo plant my tired soul upon!”

Tinspar chuckled loudly, waving his long armsabout in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, now don’t getyourself all frazzled! I was only saying…” He turnedback to face the centipede. He frowned, knowing thecreature couldn’t keep this journey up for much longer.

Will returned his focus to adjusting one of therobot’s eyes. “Tinspar, my good fellow…I’m sorry; I’mjust a bit weary and anxious.”

“It’s quite fine,” Tinspar said, keeping his eyes onthe centipede. “My only concern was for the robotbeing struck by lightning. Who’s to say those lightningtentacles won’t suddenly strike from out of that witchlady’s dark trail in the sky?”

“Yes, I am aware,” Will said as he watched Anvillift off the raft. “But if we’re to reach our goal anddefeat these witches, then we have to use all availableresources, such as Anvil, to do just that!”

Tinspar nodded his misshapen head, reflecting onthe last time they had been faced with that decision, andhad used Anvil as a burial coffin for the witch’s darksoul.

“You’re right! Let’s just hope that little robotfinds her safely…” He craned his neck back, watchingAnvil drifting into the shrouded sky.

“Come on,” Will said. “Let’s get some of thatdried fish the kids have been wolfing down while wewait!”

Tinspar nodded. He took another look at thecentipede, his eyes glistening over with a few tears.“Thank you for carrying us upon your old soul,” hewhispered.

As Will and Tinspar moved back to the makeshiftshelter, the raft suddenly shook with an abrupt, violentstir, knocking them both off their feet.

“What in the hallowed