Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Author:Sarah Glenn Marsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2019-01-21T16:00:00+00:00

XVIII

Shouts greet me as I draw near the edge of the palace grounds, coming within view of the seaside market on the lower cliffs that’s mostly frequented by nobles and servants. Instinctively, I reach for my blade, ready to put a stop to whatever destruction of Valoria’s brilliance and hard work Devran and his companions have under way now—when I realize one of the sounds I’m hearing is the distinct clap of wooden swords banging against one another.

The market itself seems deserted, but across from it, amidst tall golden grass and the husks of late-season flowers in an ill-used palace field, a small group of people practice their sword work.

Slinking through the grass toward them, I instantly recognize Freckles and Sunshine, Valoria’s favorite ladies-in-waiting.

“Shouldn’t you be with our queen, putting your new training to use by watching her back?” I call, announcing my approach, though the words are somewhat muffled by my scarf. There’s no real anger behind the question. Valoria was with me all morning, and besides, she has plenty of guards at the palace, ones who actually know how to wield a blade.

Freckles frowns at me, which I guess I deserve. I haven’t been very friendly to her or Sunshine, though it’s not their fault that Valoria likes them well enough to call them friends. I can’t even remember their real names.

“There wasn’t much to do by way of hair dressing, gown fastening, or guard duty this morning,” Freckles says coolly. “I expect you know more about that than we do.” Pointing her wooden sword toward the ground, she adds, “We decided to take advantage of the quiet to practice.”

Gazing around, I see that we means most of the volunteer army we’ve been assembling. They’ve come here to keep sharpening their skills, choosing not to leave the city, to keep fighting for their queen as long as they’re healthy.

“Don’t worry,” Freckles adds as I scan the faces of those practicing for any signs of the fever. I don’t like the lack of scarves over their mouths, though most are wearing gloves, at least. “No one here is sick. We’re not letting anyone onto the palace grounds who doesn’t belong, and neither are they.” She motions to a swell of land on the horizon where several archers stand at attention.

“Good,” I mutter. I turn to go. I shouldn’t be here. I need to find Jax. Besides, there’s probably no need for the volunteers to practice anymore now that we have metal soldiers with ten times their strength and Karston’s magic to guide them if the need ever arises.

Yet something stops me in my tracks as I walk past people sparring on either side of me, sweat flying off their foreheads, their breathing labored. There’s something here I didn’t see among the volunteers before, perhaps because I wasn’t looking hard enough: potential. If they’re this determined to learn to fight, I’ll do my best to teach them.

Turning around, I hold out my hand to Freckles.

“Let me help you,” I say over the wind rustling the grass around us.

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.