Defenders of The Sacred Land: Book One of The Sacred Land Saga by Mark Tyson

ragged. Sylvalora received the brunt of her foul mood by asking her where Gondrial had gone. Sylvalora and Tatrice decided to go shopping for dry goods without her.
    Dorenn and his companions went to the docks to load the ale as Lady Shey returned to her room with Rodraq and his men close behind.
    “I bet that scoundrel Gondrial is behind Lady Shey’s foul mood. I would bet my right eye on it,” Rennon speculated.
    “I don’t think so, Rennon. He seemed too drunk to bother with anything but sleeping it off last night. I think she must have had some trouble falling asleep. Perhaps you should give her a sleeping power tonight,” Dorenn said as the two young men climbed up onto the red wagon.
    “I will if she needs one,” Rennon replied, “but I still think it’s Gondrial.”
    Dorenn rolled his eyes. “All right, if you say so.”
    Vesperin chided Rennon. “I think Dorenn is right. She appeared to me as someone who had stayed up all night.”
    Rennon became irritated. “All right, if she is unable to sleep at night I will ask her if she wants a sleeping powder.”
    The four young men had no trouble finding the dock and loading the shipment of ale. After paying the dock master, they drove the wagonload of ale back to the Dragon’s Eye Inn and waited for Tatrice and Sylvalora to return with the dry goods. As midday approached, Tatrice and Sylvalora finally returned.
    After a quick midday meal, Sylvalora roused Lady Shey from a nap, and the party packed up in preparation for the return trip. Trendan began driving the second wagon with Vesperin at his side. Rennon and Dorenn remained on the red ale wagon, and Rodraq assumed the scouting duties. Lady Shey’s two guards took their place at the rear of the small caravan, and Lady Shey sat on the rear of the dry goods wagon with Tatrice and Sylvalora riding on the top support behind the driver. Dorenn’s merchant caravan entered the final gate check in the early afternoon where two gate guards inspected both wagons.
    Dorenn thought the guards had found something amiss on the dry goods wagon, but, after some talk, they waved both wagons onward, and the caravan moved out of the gate and back onto the main road home.
    “I wonder what was so interesting about the dry goods wagon,” Dorenn said to Rennon.
    “I cannot say, but as soon as we get a bit farther out of the city we will stop and check the wagon ourselves,” Rennon replied.
    Dorenn nodded his approval.
    Lady Shey climbed down from the back of the dry goods wagon, opened the door, and stepped inside, watching the city of Symbor slowly fade in the distance. She pulled the silver-bound tome from beneath her dress and held it to her bosom as thoughts of Gondrial entered her mind. Suddenly, she regretted leaving him at the castle, and she feared the worst. Her worry shifted to sadness. “Goodbye, Gondrial,” she said aloud. “I hope you made it out of the palace all right.” Then she remembered him kissing the queen and she became angry again.
    “Goodbye? But I just got here. Those guards almost found me until I distracted them.” Gondrial pushed a bag of beans off him and moved to sit on a crate next to Lady Shey.
    “Gondrial!” Lady Shey said with a start. Setting the book aside, she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. Then she remembered she was still angry with him, and she pushed him back just before she slapped him squarely in the face.
    “What was that for?” Gondrial asked as he rubbed his stinging cheek.
    Lady Shey did not reply. Instead she hugged him warmly, and then followed her hug immediately with another slap in the face.
    Gondrial grasped Lady Shey’s arms. “Okay, now I’m confused, and I implore you to stop slapping me in the face, my lady.”
    Lady Shey took the book from the crate and turned her back to Gondrial.
    “I see you found the book we were after. I assumed you had since you neglected to meet me in front of the stables near the inn at the agreed time. I—”
    Lady