The Watcher of the Night Sky: Part One (The Aronia Series Book 1) by Rachel Pudsey

Author:Rachel Pudsey [Pudsey, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-05-23T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Mallory Payne

Night had well and truly defeated day by the time the group reached Leyton, leaving only the occasionally placed oil lamp to guide their path. It was a colourless town, with an ever present grey haze lingering over its flat-roofed buildings. If that weren’t enough to make someone think twice about entering the place, the entire town was built upon a steep hill that proved difficult to climb at the best of times, regardless of the instability of the rocks that formed it. As such, no methods of transportation aside from foot walking was permitted within the town.

Meeting Selwyn at the entrance of the town, then leaving the horses at the first inn they could find, the group followed the prince as he rushed ahead, practically on his hands and knees, giving the appearance of an energetic dog set free after a day spent indoors.

“The inn – keeper said – it was – near here,” he called to them, panting between every other word.

“It better be,” muttered Eric.

Selwyn stopped a few feet ahead and stood pointing at a building while the rest of the group caught up.

Before them was a dilapidating store that exuded abandonment. A large, multi-panelled window took up most of the store front, yet there were more wooden panels than glass. Hanging precariously above the swollen front door was a sign that could have once announced the purpose of the store, were it not covered in a dark liquid that looked suspiciously like blood. To add to the neglected feel of the place, a smell that could only be compared to that of sewage attacked their nostrils with each step closer.

Etva pressed his face against the only panel of glass that wasn’t cracked and caked in dirt while the rest of the group stepped back as if his behaviour was completely repulsive.

“I see a lot of dust,” he said.

“It seems no one's been here for months,” said Clay, joining the dwarf in assessing the possible horrors within.

“Impossible,” Selwyn said with a tone of mockery. “The good fellow with the bulging eyes I met at the inn said this was the only herbalist in town.”

His words did nothing but instil an even greater fear into those who had eaten the poisonous fruit. Eric, abandoning his persona of a fearless prince, released a howl like an injured animal and ran his bulk into the door of the store. He crumbled to the ground clutching his shoulder.

“Move aside ye dafty,” said Al, picking up the prince and plopping him away from the entrance. “I’ll show ye how we get stuff done where ah come fae.”

With a running start Al threw his massive build against the door.

And nothing happened.

Again and again the giant of a man tried before the group’s alerting cries sent him diving aside, the precarious hanging sign finally submitting to gravity and shattering into pieces where he had stood moments before.

Eric and Algernon decided to pound their fists upon the door as the next appropriate course of action.

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.