Page 9 of Spirit Trials
“They were the only ones close enough to fitting you,” Hector says gruffly.
My eyes find the younger, quiet guy. “Thank you—”
“Jamik,” he supplies.
I smile. “Nice to meet you, Jamik. Good thing it only took me a few weeks to learn your name,” I tell him good-naturedly.
He scowls. “My brother wouldn’t let me tell you at first.”
I stare at him as it suddenly fits together. The leader and the younger guy are brothers. Now that I know, I wonder how I didn’t see it before. “Well, since we’re sharing now, how about you tell me your brother’s name,” I say, hoping he’ll finally let me in. It’s annoying interacting with him and not knowing his name.
“Rysden.”
That comes from the man himself. He doesn’t turn back as he says it, and I lock it away.Rysden.It fits him.
Chapter 8
It’s mid-morning when I see the city come into view. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Of course, I’ve never been past the woods outside our village. So, I don’t really have anything to compare it to. When we get closer, I can see that there’s a thick wall that runs all the way around the city. I can only imagine that having a wall would keep you so much safer; I’m suddenly envious. If we had a wall around our village...I let the thought drop. It doesn’t do any good to dwell on what-if's. We ride toward two huge scarlet doors. They’re open right now, but I assume they close at night. There are guards patrolling the entrance. Rysden takes the lead as we move towards the scarlet doors. I watch as he leans down and talks to one of the guards. I feel the guard’s eyes on me, but I keep my head held high. It takes a few minutes but finally, the guard waves me forward. I follow Rysden; and Lox, Hector, and Jamik ride behind me.
“Welcome to our city,” Lox says easily. I don’t say anything in response because I’m too busy taking in absolutely everything. The streets are made of thick stone that the horses traverse easily. There are homes and signs of life everywhere I look. Carts with colorful flags line the streets and people sell food and other items, calling out loudly to passersby. There’s a large group working together to build what looks like another home. A lady is shaking out a bed sheet. Children run through the streets, laughing and yelling. It shocks me how many people are out and about when it’s this cold. A shiver runs through me. I glance at the leader and notice for the first time that he has his fur pulled up around his head, keeping his face closed off. I wonder what he’s hiding; it’s obvious he doesn’t want to be seen. I noticethat the other three have disappeared, leaving me with just the leader.
Eventually, we arrive at what must be a castle. It’s way bigger than the other homes we’ve passed. Rysden dismounts and leads us over to a small barn, where Lox, Hector, and Jamik have already started caring for their horses. I follow their example, leading mine into the last stall. I look around for a brush, but Jamik stops me.
“I’ll take care of it.”
I pause only a moment before agreeing. “Thank you.” I follow Lox, Hector, and Rysden inside and stare in awe. The walls are made of large, oval stones. Cut into the stones are huge, round windows. Everywhere I turn, I can see out a window. It makes the room bright and airy, even though it’s made of stone. I follow the men and walk under a large stone archway that opens up into a large dining area. There's a long wood table with chairs to my right, as well as another large window. A wooden chandelier with candlesticks hangs from the ceiling; only there is no fire. They’re just glowing with soft light.
“It’s permalight,” Lox says when he sees me staring at the fixture. My eyebrows rise. “It never goes out,” he adds. When I turn to him, his eyes twinkle. “I take from your expression that you’ve never seen something like that before.”
“No, never.”
To our left is a sitting area with soft chairs in front of the largest fireplace and hearth I’ve ever seen. Rysden is already adding wood and starting a fire. Along the back wall is a long counter and above it several wood shelves line the wall holding plates and cups. There’s a large wood-burning stove as well. There are more lights on the wall and long wooden beams overhead. The entire house is strong and sturdy and built well. It’s not feminine or soft in any way, but it’s safe and warm. Ilook around for servants or somebody to help keep up the house. “Who does the cooking?”
“We take turns,” Lox says, causing Hector to snort.
“What?” Lox asks. Hector gives him a look. “Okay, Hector cooks, and we eat it.”
“More like it,” Hector grunts.
“Yeah, you burnt the game every time you were in charge on our way here,” I say absently.
“Hey now,” Lox defends himself.
My eyes widen in surprise when I see the large stone basin. “You have water inside the house.”
“We do,” Lox says. “Comes in really handy for hot baths.”
“I bet it does,” I say, shaking my head. I walk over to the sink and look out the huge circular window. I gasp in surprise because outside the window is the most gorgeous view. The window looks out on the mountains in the distance, mountains that are currently covered in snow. “It’s beautiful,” I say softly.
“It’s my favorite view,” Rysden says from close to me, startling me. I turn to look at him. He’s watching me with those intense eyes with an expression I can’t read. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can stay while you’re here.”
“Is it a dungeon?” I ask, only slightly kidding.
“It’s a room,” he responds.
“Hmmm. You kidnap me and then bring me to your home and give me a room?”
He shoots a glance back at me. “Yeah, well don’t get too comfortable. You won’t be here long.” With those ominous words, he leads me up a set of stone stairs.
