Merlin's Blade Read Free Page B

over the side.”
    â€œAlmost everything?”
    â€œNot the barrow. I know it’s yer father’s, but it was too heavy. We’ll swap for it when we’re done.”
    The wagon hit a bump and jolted them both.
    â€œDidn’t Dyslan try and stop you or attempt to talk Natalenya out of it?”
    â€œOh, him.” Garth yawned. “Nothin’ but a slinky fish. Knocked the wind out o’ him with me head an’ pushed ‘im into the hay trough.”
    â€œYou didn’t!”
    â€œDid so. Workin’ boys are stouter’n those, those —”
    â€œFly catchers?”
    â€œThat’s it.”
    Merlin sat back, thinking about what had just happened. He reached out his hand and felt the softness of the stuffed leather seat and the smoothness of the wooden rails. Something seemed odd about Garth’s account, but he couldn’t think of a reason to doubt Garth, and he wasn’t going back to check. Though why would Natalenya help them? He had just hit her brother on the head.
    Another thought entered his mind. Would Rondroc report him to Tregeagle now? The magister was also the judge for the eastern side of the moor.
    Maybe Natalenya would straighten things out. Or maybe not.
    â€œGarth, promise me you’re telling the truth.”
    â€œI
promise
.”
    Merlin let himself relax. “It certainly makes our job easier. We can get the charcoal in one trip.”
    â€œAn’ yer father’ll make the braces faster for the abbey. This morning Kifferow told me to hurry up ‘cause he’s runnin’ out o’ nails too.”
    â€œDoes he have the roof up?”
    â€œHe’s workin’ on it, but it looked kind o’ wobbly to me.”
    â€œToo bad about our horse … If his hoof pad wasn’t swollen, my father wouldn’t have run out of coal.”
    â€œMerlin?” Garth asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI’m glad we are.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œGettin’ coal. Together,” Garth said. “Gettin’ to know you this past month’s been fun.”
    Merlin tousled Garth’s hair.
    They descended a hill and soon arrived in the valley, where the rushing of the Fowaven grew louder, swollen as it was by the spring rains. The wooden bridge echoed the clopping of the horses’ hooves, and it groaned under their weight. The wagon slowed as the horses trod up the opposite hillside, so Garth kept the reins cracking while they wound back and forth up the incline.
    At the crest, the trees thickened, the shade grew dense, and the coolness felt refreshing on Merlin’s face. A bird chirped as it flew across the path, darting from tree to tree. The scent of moss and mushrooms filled his senses, along with dewy flowers and ever-fragrant pines.
    â€œDidn’t know it was so nice up here,” Garth said.
    â€œI wish we had a forest over the whole mountain. Can you smell it?”
    Garth sniffed the air. “Mmm … Sure, but I smell somethin’
different
!” He took a deeper whiff. “Someone’s roastin’ meat!”
    Merlin raised his nose and inhaled again. “Now I smell it.”
    â€œThe juice must be jus’ drippin’ off the spit.”
    â€œThat’s funny,” Merlin said. “No one lives around here. Where’s it coming from?”
    â€œA bit o’ smoke’s floatin’ from the trees to the left … somewhere in the woods. Must be lots o’ meat roastin’.”
    â€œThe only thing off that direction, I think, is the old circle of stones. But no one goes there anymore.”
    â€œI’d take a big hunk right now if I could —”
    â€œNo. We
need
to get the charcoal.”
    The woods thickened even more, and ancient oaks cast shadows across the path. Garth’s stomach gurgled so loudly that Merlin could tell the boy was still thinking about the roasting meat.
    â€œBe on the lookout,” Merlin said.