Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web - Volume 1 Read Free Page A

the news.
     
    Maynard Kurtz wandered out of the sagging barn beside his house later that evening. The horses were secure for the night. He glanced up at a rich blue sky as the first stars of twilight blinked on. The setting sun painted streaks of purple and orange across the western horizon. Neither the Bear Moon nor the Fox Moon was out tonight.
    As he walked under a towering oak near the corner of his house, Nicholas sauntered across the grass behind him. “I see you’ve mended that break in the pasture fence. I had planned to fix it tomorrow.”
    Maynard turned around. “Hello, Nicholas. So Ned finally let you out to enjoy some fresh air?” Nicholas resided in a small cottage in back of Maynard’s house as a portion of his salary for working part-time on the farm. “I had time to repair the fence this morning. How’re things at the mill?”
    “Busy as usual readying the final shipments before winter. Ned’s bouncing around like a fish out of water.”
    Maynard grinned as he signaled for Nicholas to follow him to the front porch. Maynard sat his large frame down on the top step, pushing his long silvery-black hair behind his shoulders. He was fifty-four, widowed, and the respected head of Kanesbury’s five-member village council. Nicholas stood on the ground adjacent to the steps, leaning an arm on the railing. His green eyes darted anxiously about.
    “I’m simmering some stew over the fire. Join me for supper, Nicholas?”
    “Thanks, Maynard. I will.” He rolled his boot over a fallen acorn, knowing it wouldn’t be easy breaking his news. A part of him felt selfish for wanting to leave the farm, especially after all that Maynard had done for him. Maynard Kurtz was more than just an employer–he was a friend. And on crisp autumn nights like this, when crickets were alive in the fields and dusky twilight framed the trees and houses as silhouettes against a blazing horizon, Nicholas couldn’t envision a better place to live.
    “You’ve been awfully quiet these last few–”
    “Maynard, there’s something I need to tell you,” Nicholas said at the same time.
    Maynard smiled, leaning back on the steps and stretching his legs. “You first. I sensed you’ve had something on your mind lately.”
    Nicholas nodded and sat on the bottom step, staring guiltily at the ground. “I’ve been growing restless here, Maynard, I guess. Not just on the farm though. Kanesbury in general. Thinking maybe I should– Well, just thinking that...” He cleared his throat.
    “Thinking that life’s passing you by while you’re cooped up like a chicken in this little village?” Maynard raised an eyebrow as Nicholas looked up at him.
    “Something like that. How’d you know?”
    “Understandable for a man your age. You feel that the world is waiting for you to conquer it. Yet here you are at nineteen, helping me harvest my fields and keeping track of every sack of flour Ned Adams has stored inside his warehouse.” Maynard sat up and rested his hands on his knees. “Doesn’t feel fair at your age.”
    “I want to make something of my life, Maynard, not that I don’t appreciate living here. I understand that the jobs both you and Ned do are important,” he added, a hint of an apology in his voice.
    “You needn’t justify your feelings to me, Nicholas. I was your age once. I had my own dreams.” Maynard glanced up at the starry sky. “Some came true, others didn’t. I even invented new dreams along the way. Marrying Tessa was the best one of all.”
    “So you didn’t mind staying here when you were my age?”
    “Sure I did–at times. What boy doesn’t dream about going off on an exciting journey? Seeing strange new places or being a hero. But most men tend to settle down once the right woman comes along and the years go by. They make the best of a new life together. Few men are destined to be world travelers, Nicholas. Or heroes.”
    “I’m not looking to be a hero. I was only hoping for a bit of