Royal Exile: Book One of the Valisar Trilogy by McIntosh Fiona

Author:McIntosh, Fiona [McIntosh, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Published: 2008-12-28T00:00:00+00:00

After running full pelt for as long as their lungs would permit, they’d stopped, bent over and sucking in air. Gavriel felt as though they’d been crashing through the woodland for an eternity.

Leo recovered more quickly than he did. ‘We’ve made some good ground,’ the king said, breathing hard.

‘I worry they’ve seen us,’ Gavriel gasped.

The king replied with a confident shake of his head. ‘We’d hear horses if they had.’

‘We have to keep moving,’ Gavriel said, straightening but feeling his chest protest.

‘Where to?’

Gavriel shrugged. ‘Let’s follow the line of the woods — the Deloraine Forest thickens as it goes north. Where is the rebel you spoke of?’

Leo shrugged. ‘No idea. North is all I know. I wasn’t paying enough attention.’

‘Well, we can’t fret on that now. We have to get you away — as far away from Loethar as possible. Come on.’

‘Look!’ Leo suddenly said.

‘What?’ Gavriel frowned, looking up to where the king pointed. ‘Oh, sod it!’

‘He can’t hurt us.’

‘Look how he watches us. He’s so sinister.’

‘He looks like a raven, Gav.’

‘I think he’s evil.’

‘You and everyone else. Why are ravens hated so? I’m told they’re extremely intelligent.’

‘That’s the problem. Corbel said you can teach them to speak.’

Leo’s eyes sparkled. ‘Perhaps Loethar’s taught this one.’

Gavriel shook his head. ‘No, we’ve spied on him enough that we’d have heard the bird say something if that were the case. But I think its silence is just as horrible, especially combined with that sly look. Don’t you think it always appears to be thinking… calculating?’

Leo gave a mirthless laugh. ‘It’s strange that it’s found us specifically and when we least want to —’ He stopped abruptly as Gavriel whipped around.

‘Run, Leo! Don’t you see? This is no coincidence. He will mark our position! Maybe he has been trained. Maybe he is able to follow us.’ Gavriel took off, making sure Leo followed him deeper into the woods. ‘This way,’ he hissed over his shoulder. ‘We mustn’t lose direction.’

‘You don’t really believe —’

‘Save your breath. Just run,’ Gavriel snarled, looking up, trying to see the raven. He couldn’t sight him but he suddenly didn’t trust that the bird wasn’t a spy of sorts.

They ran until they both fell to the undergrowth, exhausted.

‘I feel sick,’ Leo gasped. ‘I’ve never run that far ever.’

Gavriel’s words came out ragged. ‘I know. I shouldn’t have frightened you. I’m sorry. We’re fine now.’

‘Is he here?’

‘No,’ Gavriel said, sliding back to sit against a great trunk of a tree, his breathing finally becoming shallower, easier. ‘I spooked us both. I shouldn’t have —’

He broke off as Vyk swooped down, landing heavily in front of them.

Leo scrabbled backwards, bumping into Gavriel, who hauled him behind his own body, up against the tree.

‘Gavriel —’ Leo muttered but he didn’t finish his thought. His wide, fearful eyes said enough.

‘Be calm,’ Gavriel said, staring at the bird, who was eyeing them with a sinister appraisal. It hopped closer and both boys flinched. ‘It’s a bird, that’s all. It cannot hurt us,’ Gavriel soothed, as much for his own benefit as Leo’s.

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