Eramane by Frankie Ash Read Free Book Online Page A

chance to take him in has passed.
    “Eramane,” Lebis greets me with a gentleman’s bow.
    “Hello,” I say, taking my time down the steps, favoring my injury.
    “What happened?” Lebis asks, offering his hand to steady me down the last few steps.
    “I stepped on a shard of glass last night.”
    “Does it hurt?” Lebis asks.
    “Only when I am awake,” I say with sarcasm. Samiah remains silent, his lips tight, as if trying to keep from revealing the world’s biggest mystery. Lebis makes sure I am steady before releasing his grip. Our bodies are close, and my heart begins to race. Face-to-face, we stare at each other for a moment. His bright blues eyes make me smile. “This is for you,” Lebis says, as he presents me with a cherrywolf flower he had tied to his belt. “It is not as beautiful as you, but when I saw it, I thought of you.” His sincerity is heartfelt, and my nervousness is beginning to subside. Lebis is chivalrous and deserving of my attention.
    “Where did you find it?” I ask.
    “On my way here, just down the path there. It caught my attention, so I stopped Kelwyn and picked it.”
    “These are not supposed to grow around here,” I say.
    “A bird must have dropped a seed from a bloom it carried,” Samiah explains.
    Lebis lifts the flower to my head, tucking it just below my bird-wing clip. I feel I cannot catch my breath. How am I supposed to go through with this when a simple gesture pummels me with panic? Breathe, Eramane, you must breathe .
    “Thank you,” I say. That is all I can manage to say.
    Samiah breaks in, “Lebis, how is the sword coming along?” he asks, stepping forward.
    “Very well, my friend,” Lebis says. “Most of my recent work has been directed to travelers. But I was able to give your weapon some much-needed attention earlier this morning. A few more sessions and it will be quite a remarkable sword,” Lebis says, his tone proud. His attention focuses back to me. “Your brother and his Riders keep me very busy. I cannot believe an unimaginable number of requests were not waiting for me this morning,” Lebis says laughing. He leans in close to me and says, “They just wish they were the man standing here right now.” I blush.
    “Well, I will not hold the two of you any longer. Get going.” Samiah puts his hands on our backs and pushes us toward Lebis’s horse. Lebis helps me up, since I should not put much weight on my foot, and turns to Samiah.
    “I will be nothing less than a gentleman,” he says.
    “I have complete faith in that, Lebis. You are an honorable man; otherwise, I would have already run you through.” Samiah’s eyes widen. He was mostly serious. They shake hands again and Lebis jumps onto his tan mare, Kelwyn. Lord Danius gave Lebis this mare because of his outstanding craftsmanship. Lord Danius has not lost any of his conflicts since Lebis has been crafting their weapons. Lord Danius believes that the strength and durability of the weapons has a major role in that feat. When the enemies’ swords would break off into pieces, Lebis’s weapons held strong. Giving Lebis the mare as a token of gratitude made Kelwyn special to Lebis, and her bloodline makes her irreplaceable, since the line is usually only passed to nobility. Kelwyn is like Lebis’s workmanship: strong, lasting, and dependable.

    We ride slowly up the hill that leads to the river. Once we top the hill, I lean up to Lebis’s ear. “Let her go!”
    Turning his head slightly, he asks, “Are you sure?”
    “Yes!” I confirm.
    “She is really fast,” he shouts proudly.
    “Yes! Yes! I am sure! Let her go!” My excitement reassures him, and he gives his beautiful horse the command. Kelwyn does not hesitate. She lunges and we gallop down the hillside into the meadow. The mare runs so fast that the wind whistles as it passes my ears. The flowers part as we trample through them. Insects fly in all directions to avoid our sudden and unstoppable intrusion. The moment engulfs