The Third Key (The Alaesha Legacy Book 1) (10 page)

She smiled as Ollie bounded off toward the woods once more. "That would be wonderful."

"Fantastic. This way first. I'll show you the stables."

"I'm not much of a horse person." Edith's stomach did a small flip. When she was a little girl, she had ridden a horse once. It had been jittery and poorly trained. The thing jumped like a frog at every loud noise, and considering the horse was at a fair, there were quite a few loud noises. She nearly fell off more times than she could count and since then, she kept her feet firmly on the ground.

Charles gave her a sidelong grin. "Oh, these are not just any horses. Just wait. They may make you change your mind."

Chapter 10

As they rounded the corner of the house, Edith gasped in amazement at how big Charles's home was. From the patio, it had seemed fairly small, like an old castle that belonged to a minor lord. But from this view, it would put Buckingham Palace to shame. Charles leaned over to bump her gently. "I guess I'll have to give you a better tour of the inside once we're done out here, eh?"

She nodded, not looking at him as she took in the beautiful structure. He turned her attention to the other side of the small road they walked along, where three large stone buildings formed a small open-ended courtyard. In the middle was a usable well and a young boy was drawing water.

"Hello, Edson," Charles said by way of greeting.

The boy bowed slightly, the motion made difficult by the three wooden buckets he was carrying. " 'ello Master Charles."

"Allow me." Charles reached out and relieved the boy of two of the three buckets. "Where are we headed?"

"These are for Nadine. She's been quite thirsty lately, what with the little one and such."

Charles turned a mischievous smile toward Edith. "You're going to love Nadine."

He winked at Edson, who took on a similar grin and nodded. Nervous about encountering large, unruly creatures that could crush her foot without a care, Edith followed the two boys into the building on the right. What she saw took her breath away. Where she had imagined would be ginormous brown beasts taller than she was stood small white beauties that barely came up to her shoulder. They had long, flowing silver manes and tails and eyes the color of the sea on a clear day. Long, spiraled horns grew from the middle of their heads, glistening whenever the sun fell across them from the several windows around the barn. When they neighed, it sounded like a dozen beautiful glass wind chimes all tinkling at once. But their most spectacular features were long wings that sprouted out from their backs and trailed along behind them as they walked.

The floor to the building was mostly open, allowing them the freedom to wander where they wished. They huddled in groups of twos and threes, some nuzzling each other, some sleeping with their wings wrapped tightly around their bodies. Others stood near an open trough where they munched happily on straw, oats, or fruit. Edson unlocked a door in a fence that led to a small section that had been walled off from the rest of the area. Inside lay a mare and her foal. The baby was tiny, about the size of Ollie's head. It had no horn, its wings were little nubs with no feathers, and its bristly mane stood out straight from its skinny neck. When the door opened, it whinnied and tried to stand, stumbling twice before succeeding. Once on its feet, it trotted over to the intruders, sniffing them out.

"Morning, Lago," Charles said, running a hand across the foal's neck. "Come say hi, Edith."

She stepped forward, too amazed to be afraid any longer. The creature's coat was soft and smooth. The little horse nuzzled Edith, sniffing at her hand, then her pocket. When it didn't find anything of interest, it snorted and turned away, trotting off to join its mother at the water trough. Charles reached up to a shelf high on the wall and took down a small bucket. He pulled a few peppermints from inside

"Here," he said, handing them to Edith. "Just hold your hand out flat, so he doesn't bite your fingers off."

Edith stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. She put the peppermints in her hand, her heartbeat speeding up as she held them out to the little foal. It trotted back over to her, its sensitive nose picking up the smell of its favorite treat. Edith's eyes grew wide as the foal reached out and she forced herself to remain still as it peeled its lips back and headed for her hand. Then she realized the creature had no teeth. The shock was evident on her face.

Charles laughed from behind her. "Unicorns only have molars. They have no teeth in the front. One of the reasons they did not last on your world. The main reason though is they are a docile species, unwilling to fight back unless absolutely necessary. They were hunted by both man and beast."

They spent some time with the unicorns. Charles was even able to convince Edith to climb atop one for a brief period, though she refused to let him lead her around the barn. She wanted the animal stationary. When Edson declared that it was time to let the beasts out into the forest for the day, Charles and Edith bid him farewell and headed out into the courtyard. Edith glanced around.

"There are no fences. How do you keep them from running off?"

Charles smiled. "Unicorns are smarter than the average animal. I would almost compare them to cats in a way. We take care of them because that's what they expect. They come back every night because this is where they get fed, watered, what have you. If they are sick, they know we will tend to them. It is a symbiotic relationship. We very rarely need something from them, but when we do, they offer it without hesitation or question. They are loyal if you treat them well, and I make sure my unicorns are."

He showed Edith around the other two barns. They contained cows, chickens, and a variety of other animals suitable for manor living. Most of the creatures were recognizable, but a few were strange beasts that Charles explained provided food of some sort or another. After the tour of the barns, Charles took Edith's arm again.

"Shall we wander down to the woods?" He had a glint in his eye as he spoke and it set her on edge.

"What's in the woods?" she asked, pulling back a little.

"Aside from Ollie and the unicorns, probably nothing too dangerous." He leaned in a bit. "And it will give us a chance to talk in private."

Her heart sped up and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She pressed her lips together and nodded, refusing to speak for fear that she would say something utterly stupid. The corner of his lip quirked up and he led on.

They followed a dirt path that led from the courtyard down across the lawn. A wooden bridge crossed over a small stream right at the edge of the forest and they paused for a moment, watching the multicolored fish dart back and forth in waters swollen from the storm. A large toad sat on a rock in the middle of the water, croaking softly as it enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Edith glanced at the man beside her and found him watching her intently. Their eyes locked briefly and his lips parted as if to say something. His head tilted in ever so slightly, drawing closer to hers. She braced herself, wanting to rush in and press her lips to his, but right then, a loud bark sounded nearby. Startled, she jumped and squeaked, and Charles laughed. The moment was broken and Charles grabbed her hand, dragging her toward the noise.

Ollie was racing up the path from the woods, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he ran. He caught up with them and raced around, barking excitedly and wagging his tail before darting back into the trees.

"Come on," Charles prodded as he started jogging.

Edith groaned inwardly, but Charles had not dropped her hand and she was reluctant to let go, so her only choice was to match his pace. Together, they trotted into the cover of the woods. The path branched three ways, two of the dirt tracks well worn. The third was barely visible and rarely used. That was the one Charles picked. He slowed his pace, tugging gently on Edith's hand to pull her in closer. Their arms were pressed against each other by the time they reached a small clearing. The grass there was lush and soft, thick enough to make a suitable bed in a time of need. The stream had doubled back somewhere in the woods and ran through the middle of the clearing. A wooden bench was placed along its bank, with fishing poles, nets, and other gear arranged on a wooden rack nearby. Along the edge, under the cover of the trees, stood a pagoda. Edith was amazed to find that it housed a small couch, a comfortable reading chair, and several bookcases full of books. She looked at Charles with wonder in her eyes.

He spun in the middle of the clearing, holding his arms out wide. "Welcome to my secret hideout." He stepped close to her, putting an arm around her waist as he pulled her near. "If you promise not to tell a soul about it, you can come here whenever you want."

He brushed a lock of hair from her eyes and she leaned into him, nodding. "I promise."

He grinned. "Good."

As he pulled away again, frustration washed over her, but he distracted her by grabbing her hand and leading her into the pagoda. He sat on the couch, patting the seat beside him. She sat down, trying to sit as close to him as possible without it looking that way. He turned to her, taking her hands in his.

"Edith, I..." He paused, looking at the ground as he chewed on his lip. She looked at him expectantly.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm going after the keys. I'm the most experienced, most capable fighter. Boxy, Veth and Edlaner are good, but they need my help and none of the other advisers can risk going. They have to protect their Keepers."

Edith's heart sank at the thought of Charles being in danger and she squeezed his hands. He squeezed back, a small smile sneaking into his frown. "I'm not sure what to do with you yet, though. I'm sure Alex found a way to tell his evil minions where you are. Mags is more than capable of protecting Dana. The girl will be locked in her room the entire time and no one will be able to get the key from Mags, of that I'm certain. But I can't bear the thought of keeping you prisoner in my own home. And if there's an attack and you're not in the room..."

Worry stretched across his face and she reached a hand up, brushing away some of the lines it caused. She examined his features, those green eyes that had captivated her immediately, the lips she once thought thin and plain. She sighed and looked away, watching the trees sway in the light breeze. Could she stay behind while he and the others risked their lives? All her life, she'd dreamed of making a difference, of finding a way to change the world. Now that her fantasies were coming true, would she hide from the danger or face it? Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the answer.

Edith raised her eyes to Charles's."Take me with you then. I can fight." She saw the look on his face and quickly added "If you teach me. I'm sure I can help somehow. And I'll stay out of the way when I need to."

The worry lines returned and he sighed. He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and he kissed her hair. "I don't know, Edith. It'll be very dangerous."

"But it will be dangerous here too, won't it? I'd be safer with you. I've watched enough TV. I think I can handle a sword all right. Maybe a bow. If not, I can punch people in the face." Edith was just spewing words now. She knew she was more likely to cut off her own hand with a sword than stab someone in battle, and who knew where any arrow she shot might land. And just the thought of punching someone made her hand hurt. But she couldn't sit there and do nothing. She would go insane. And if something happened to the others, it would all be for naught anyway. She wanted to help.

He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. The worry lines were gone, replaced with the happy crinkle of a smile. "You are something else, Edith. Something else, indeed."

For a brief moment, Edith thought he was going to kiss her. Part of her secretly begged him to. But a bigger part feared the idea of being with this strange and wonderful man. She didn't need to worry. As Charles pulled back, the excited tension in her shoulders melted into uncomfortable disappointment.

"All right," Charles said.  We'll see what we can do. We have some time before we have to move. If we can get you ready by then, you can go. But if I don't think you're ready, you're staying here." He cut off her protests by pressing a finger to her lips. "We'll begin training after we eat. At the very least, I want you able to wield a dagger. We'll try the bow, but don't hold your breath on that one. And though I think you're beautiful, wonderful and fantastic, there is not a chance in the seven kingdoms I'm letting you touch a sword." 

He grinned at her and she punched him playfully in the shoulder. Standing, he held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go find us some food."

***

True to his word, Charles took Edith to his private training room after they ate. It was in the basement and the stone walls were lined with weapons of every shape and size. Some of them were obvious, like the swords, bows, and maces. But others were of a model she had never seen. She perused the collection while he readied the weapons they would use. A strange object caught her eye. It was almost like a bow, but smaller with a longer string. A strange handle stuck out the bottom and it had a wide piece on the base with several grooves on it. She reached out a hand, stroking the soft wood. It felt warm beneath her fingers and an energy flowed across her skin.

"Ah, I see you are drawn to bows after all. That's called the Gathle Bow, created by William Gathle, a master weaponsmith and magician." He took it off the wall, breaking the connection she felt with it, and gripped the the handle. The wide flat piece was set horizontally when he held the bow like that. "You put the arrows in here." He mimicked nocking several arrows and pulling back the string. "Then when you shoot, they all fly at the same time. The tip of the arrow rests off the base when it's drawn, so you can send flaming arrows without fear of burning the wood. It's a strange bow. It likes to choose its masters."

He hung the bow back up on the wall and took Edith's hand, pulling her over to a table. Her gaze stayed locked on the bow as he picked up a short knife in a leather sheath. "This dagger will be yours.” He nudged her with his elbow, drawing her attention. “Treat it with respect and you'll do just fine."