The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series Read Free Page B

point to another, trying to grasp at anything that could resonate with him.
    They traveled along for another hour when Kos decided to speak up. “Thar be the gates of Havenbrook. I suggest you ready yourself for our arrival.” Kos’ eyes grew wide as he began to think about the gold he would make when he exchanged the man in town.
    The man looked around. He recognized the gates of Havenbrook—they looked a little too clean—and noticed the unclaimed pastures rolling by . He felt lost and confused. The cart continued for another ten minutes and nothing he saw put him at ease.
    They reached the gates, and just as the man thought, they were pristine and clean as if new. Two of the guards motioned for the cart to stop so they could inspect it.
    “Well, what do we have here? A couple of Goblins.” His eyes drifted toward the man sitting in the back of the wagon. “And who might you be?” The guard eyed him and his armor with an expression of curiosity on his face.
    “We found this man layin’ by the river a ways back. We picked him up to bring him to town,” Kos said.
    The first guard looked at the second a little perplexed. “This is no knight that I know.” He looked at the second guard again for confirmation.
    “We’re bringin' him to town to see if somebody be missin' him. He don’t seem to know who he be. Maybe his answer will lay here. That be why we be bringin' him with us,” Kos said.
    The second guard decided to speak up, “I don’t know if I believe your story. Is this the truth, young knight?” He stared long and hard at the large sword on the man’s back.
    “These Goblins speak the truth, sir. I can remember many details regarding the land, but can remember nothing of myself. If I can be given an audience with the king or queen, I will be on my way.”
    “King or Queen? Where have you come from?” The guard said while holding back laughter. “There has been no monarch in Havenbrook for a few hundred years.” He guffawed, before turning his attention to the Goblins. “As for you two, state your purpose!”
    “We be bound for Roswood to trade and sell our goods. We be merchants and were hopin’ to gain passage on the Silent Whisper when she be leavin’ this afternoon. We also be hopin’ that returnin’ this man to the lord might mean a reward or gift of some sort. We’ll wait till we be needin' to take voyage...”
    One of the guards interrupted Kos mid-sentence. “You can try and make your arrangements for passage, but you’re instructed to keep yourselves confined to the merchant ring and the docks. No Goblin is allowed to enter the inner rings, and you won’t be warned again. Now be off with you!”
    “But good sir, there must be some kind of reward for bringin’ such a man back to town. We be goin’ out of our way to help him, and we be demandin’ to be paid for our troubles,” Kos insisted.
    Tuk rolled his eyes as he accepted what he knew would happen. He wanted to stop Kos from continuing his useless banter, but decided maybe it best if they threw him in the cells for misspeaking to a guard. Then he could take control of his own life.
    As Kos continued to plead and beg for some sort of reward, the second guard cut him off, “Silence! I will waste no more time on you. We don’t know who this man is, and we’ve offered no reward. Keep up your complaining, and we won’t allow you to enter town. It’s a long ride to Melina, which would be your next chance at port. Better yet, I could lock the both of you up in cells for not remembering your place. Move along, or we’ll bring swift justice.”
    As the bickering took place, the man left the cart and watched the exchange.
    Kos looked upset, and exchanged angry looks with Tuk, who had somehow remained silent throughout the entire exchange.
    “What a lot of good ye be. Sit there silent the whole time. If ye weren’t ma kin, I would’ve left ya years ago,” Kos said. “I know ma sis raised you better than this.”
    Tuk just