pillows.
When she was done she put the potion in a vial and left it
in the kitchen. She had to go do some gardening and then she had promised to
help her aunt with some rug cleaning. She wasn’t looking forward to the rest of
her day.
“Don’t forget, you’re on kitchen duty tonight,” said Bonnie.
“I won’t forget.” Since the castle was so short-staffed,
everyone took turns filling in for the missing personnel. Kyla hurried off to
find her aunt—not easy in a castle with over three hundred rooms—and found
herself flapping rugs out the windows to air them, which was how she saw the
messenger.
A horseman galloped over the drawbridge, his shadow running
before him, the setting sun making his cloak, streaming in the cold wind, look
like a flame. Perhaps he had news from her brothers! Kyla tossed the rug on the
floor, closed the window and hurried from the room. She took a secret passage
that led to the hidden panel behind the reception room. It was dark, but she’d
been using the secret passages since she was a child and she didn’t miss a
step. She arrived just as the messenger was shown into the reception room. She
put her eyes to the peephole. He took off his cloak and ran his hand through
hair the color of new copper. An elf! How fascinating. She hadn’t seen one in
ages. They didn’t usually come so far south.
He was obviously exhausted. He sat on the plush velvet chair
in front of the fire and held his hands out to its warmth. Her aunt came in and
Kyla pulled back a fraction. She didn’t want her aunt to know she was spying.
“Merlin!” Her aunt rushed up to the messenger. She knew him?
Kyla’s curiosity made her press closer to the peephole.
The messenger stood up, towering over her aunt, his face
terribly pale. “I came as fast as I could. Has Sebring arrived yet?”
Her aunt looked stunned. “Your brother? No, why? What’s
happening? Sit down, please, you look tired. I’ve called for some refreshments,
but first, tell me the news.”
Merlin’s voice was drained of emotion, but his words made
Kyla’s heart pound. “The news from the war is not good. The Mouse King has
returned. He’s somehow managed to convince the barbarians from the north to
join his cause, and he’s also recruited the behemoths to his army.”
“Oh no.” Her aunt sank to the ground at Merlin’s feet and
put her hand on his knee. Kyla almost gasped. Her aunt had never been familiar
with a messenger before.
“Sebring is meeting me here. We’re taking one of the ships
and heading south. Branagh thinks we can convince the Southern Isles to fight
with us.”
This time Kayla couldn’t suppress her gasp of surprise.
Luckily her aunt gasped as well. “But the Southern Isles refuse to get involved
with our politics.”
“That was before the Mouse King returned. Now they will be
obliged to help us. King Branagh had conferred this mission on Sebring and I,
and we mustn’t fail. The future of Hivernia hangs by a thread. We have to leave
as soon as possible.”
“I will order a boat prepared for you.”
“We’ll need the swiftest boat you have.”
Kyla’s aunt looked even more troubled, but said, “My fastest
ship will be put at your disposal.”
“Thank you.” He looked around. “I’m parched, is the
refreshment coming?”
“Oh Mistral! Where is that girl? Hold on, I’ll go see what’s
keeping Kyla.”
Kyla clapped her hand to her mouth. She was supposed to be
on kitchen duty tonight. Her aunt had probably pulled the bell ropes to her
room and the kitchen, but she’d been gone. Holding her skirts high, she ran toward
another, even smaller secret passage that led to the kitchen pantry. She
arrived before her aunt did and hooked a pot of water on the chain over the fire,
then she grabbed two cups and put them on a tray just as her aunt pattered into
the room.
“What have you been doing? Hurry, we have a guest!”
“I’ll bring a tray in to him. Where is he, in the reception
room?” Kyla
When she was done she put the potion in a vial and left it
in the kitchen. She had to go do some gardening and then she had promised to
help her aunt with some rug cleaning. She wasn’t looking forward to the rest of
her day.
“Don’t forget, you’re on kitchen duty tonight,” said Bonnie.
“I won’t forget.” Since the castle was so short-staffed,
everyone took turns filling in for the missing personnel. Kyla hurried off to
find her aunt—not easy in a castle with over three hundred rooms—and found
herself flapping rugs out the windows to air them, which was how she saw the
messenger.
A horseman galloped over the drawbridge, his shadow running
before him, the setting sun making his cloak, streaming in the cold wind, look
like a flame. Perhaps he had news from her brothers! Kyla tossed the rug on the
floor, closed the window and hurried from the room. She took a secret passage
that led to the hidden panel behind the reception room. It was dark, but she’d
been using the secret passages since she was a child and she didn’t miss a
step. She arrived just as the messenger was shown into the reception room. She
put her eyes to the peephole. He took off his cloak and ran his hand through
hair the color of new copper. An elf! How fascinating. She hadn’t seen one in
ages. They didn’t usually come so far south.
He was obviously exhausted. He sat on the plush velvet chair
in front of the fire and held his hands out to its warmth. Her aunt came in and
Kyla pulled back a fraction. She didn’t want her aunt to know she was spying.
“Merlin!” Her aunt rushed up to the messenger. She knew him?
Kyla’s curiosity made her press closer to the peephole.
The messenger stood up, towering over her aunt, his face
terribly pale. “I came as fast as I could. Has Sebring arrived yet?”
Her aunt looked stunned. “Your brother? No, why? What’s
happening? Sit down, please, you look tired. I’ve called for some refreshments,
but first, tell me the news.”
Merlin’s voice was drained of emotion, but his words made
Kyla’s heart pound. “The news from the war is not good. The Mouse King has
returned. He’s somehow managed to convince the barbarians from the north to
join his cause, and he’s also recruited the behemoths to his army.”
“Oh no.” Her aunt sank to the ground at Merlin’s feet and
put her hand on his knee. Kyla almost gasped. Her aunt had never been familiar
with a messenger before.
“Sebring is meeting me here. We’re taking one of the ships
and heading south. Branagh thinks we can convince the Southern Isles to fight
with us.”
This time Kayla couldn’t suppress her gasp of surprise.
Luckily her aunt gasped as well. “But the Southern Isles refuse to get involved
with our politics.”
“That was before the Mouse King returned. Now they will be
obliged to help us. King Branagh had conferred this mission on Sebring and I,
and we mustn’t fail. The future of Hivernia hangs by a thread. We have to leave
as soon as possible.”
“I will order a boat prepared for you.”
“We’ll need the swiftest boat you have.”
Kyla’s aunt looked even more troubled, but said, “My fastest
ship will be put at your disposal.”
“Thank you.” He looked around. “I’m parched, is the
refreshment coming?”
“Oh Mistral! Where is that girl? Hold on, I’ll go see what’s
keeping Kyla.”
Kyla clapped her hand to her mouth. She was supposed to be
on kitchen duty tonight. Her aunt had probably pulled the bell ropes to her
room and the kitchen, but she’d been gone. Holding her skirts high, she ran toward
another, even smaller secret passage that led to the kitchen pantry. She
arrived before her aunt did and hooked a pot of water on the chain over the fire,
then she grabbed two cups and put them on a tray just as her aunt pattered into
the room.
“What have you been doing? Hurry, we have a guest!”
“I’ll bring a tray in to him. Where is he, in the reception
room?” Kyla
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