Straw Into Gold by Schmidt Gary D

Author:Schmidt, Gary D. [Schmidt, Gary D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens, Adventure
ISBN: 9780618056019
Amazon: 0618056017
Goodreads: 650125
Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: 2001-04-23T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

When I woke up, it was full dark. The wind outside whined as it searched for chinks in the walls, then whistled shrilly when it found one and stuck its nose through. It was a cold whistling, and I was not ready to leave the huddle of the rugs when the sexton’s hand shook my shoulder.

“I’ll take you to the abbey now. It’s best to go soon, while it is still dark and we can see the watch fires of Lord Beryn’s Guard.”

I nodded, still half asleep.

“And one thing more. The Grip is not in the mill.”

I was no longer half asleep. I shook Innes awake.

“His body has been moved?” But the sexton only shrugged his shoulders.

The nurse had three packs ready for us and our dark cloaks on her arms.

“There’s more than one time we’ve taken a secret walk at night when Lord Beryn’s Guard have been about,” the sexton explained with a sly wink, “and we’ve enjoyed the venison for it all the next winter.”

The nurse draped the cloaks around us and crushed each of us in turn—even the sexton.

“Be safe, be safe. And when you reach the queen, may you find her well, poor dear.” She clasped us closely once more, then doused the lamps and shushed us out the door. The touch of her hand on my back stayed with me through the night.

And a dark night it was. As dark as we would have wished, and darker. Innes held on to my cloak and I followed the sexton, though it was not easy. His thin self scurried like a rabbit, the stars alone giving him enough light. We did not speak, nor did we ever slow our pace. We moved like the shadow of an owl, and as quietly, while the wind crackled together the icy branches over our heads.

Long before any light even hinted at the dawn—the beginning of our fourth day—the sexton stopped us. “A short rest,” he whispered. “We’ll be there soon enough, and it’s then we’ll see the Guard’s fires.”

I nodded and sat down, my back against the rough bark of a tree. Almost immediately the heat from the walking left me and the ground frost began to work its way up my back. I held my cloak close, while Innes paced back and forth, beating his arms against his sides.

“Heaven only knows how you’ll find the queen,” the sexton whispered. “It’s been eleven years and more since I last saw her, and then she seemed like one who had fallen into herself, what with her sadness. What more years of brooding might do to her . . .” He shook his head at the thought. “She came to Twickenham once, you know, soon after she was crowned and on her way to visit the abbey nuns. Our maids danced for her, and they put flowers in her hair and she danced with them, round and round about. It seemed that hers would be the sweetest reign. Then a year later she came again, alone and at dark.

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