The Red Fox Clan by John Flanagan

Author:John Flanagan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2018-08-20T16:00:00+00:00

22

Maddie rode out early the next morning on Sundancer, heading for Warwick’s farm. Mindful of Cassandra’s instruction not to “disappear,” she had checked with her mother and ascertained that her Skandian guests wouldn’t be arriving before midday.

“But that means you have to be back here by half past the eleventh hour,” her mother warned her. “I want to ride down to the dock to welcome them.”

Maddie promised that she would be back well before that time, and went to saddle her horse.

She rode through the portcullis and across the drawbridge, nodding a friendly greeting to the sentries there, who came to attention to salute her. Once she was in the parkland, she set Sundancer to a gentle canter, enjoying the wind in her hair as the Arridan loped across the neatly tailored grass, his hoofbeats sounding a dull tattoo on the soft ground. When she entered the forest, she had to slow down to a trot. The trees grew too close together here to permit any higher speed, unless in the case of a dire emergency.

She whistled as she rode, and Sundancer, sensing her cheerful mood, tossed his head and shook his mane at her. She leaned forward and patted his neck. He was a good horse, but her mood was caused by the fact that she would be seeing Bumper. She hadn’t visited the farm in several days, and she was missing her shaggy little companion.

“If it weren’t for him, you’d be my favorite horse,” she said, and Sundancer tossed his head once more at the sound of her voice. Unlike Bumper, however, he didn’t reply.

Warwick was working in the barn when she rode into the farmyard. He had the big doors open to admit light and was repairing the leather traces on a plow. He strolled out to meet her as she dismounted and then tethered Sundancer to the post by the farmhouse door.

“Morning, Maddie,” he said cheerfully. “Come to see Bumper, have you?”

“That’s right, Warwick. And you, of course,” she added with a grin, which he matched. She had her Ranger cloak rolled up and tied behind her saddle. She took it down now, shook it out and swung it around her shoulders. The simple act of wearing it made her feel more positive, more confident. The cloak was a symbol of who she was and what she did.

“Thought I’d scout around the area,” she said. “Has anything been going on?”

Warwick screwed up his face thoughtfully before answering. “Not sure,” he said. “Barnaby Coddling at Coddling Farm says he thought there’d been people up at the abbey again the other night. But Barnaby’s inclined to imagine things. Once he hears there’s been activity there, he’s bound to think he’s seen it. Likes a bit of drama, does Barnaby.”

“Maybe I should take a look,” Maddie said. She had loosened the girth straps on Sundancer’s saddle and was heading for the barn to saddle Bumper. “Can you feed and water Sundancer for me?” she asked.

Warwick nodded. “Be pleased to,” he said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.