Fifthwind by Ken Kiser Read Free Book Online Page A

him again."
    "Apparently
there are some who don't appreciate Tad's presence here. I don't know
what has been going on, but just try to blend in until we have a
chance to talk with him."
    Mason
leaned in close. "By the way, you showing off like that before
complicates things. There's going to be eyes on you now for sure."
    Ben
shrugged. "I can't change who I am. Maybe no one noticed."
    Mason
laughed, "What happened to blending in? Or were you just talking
about me?"
    A
young woman delivered a bowl of fruit and two more drinks.
"Compliments of Jimmy, he appreciated what you did to end that
fight earlier. The men can get out of hand sometimes, but you
probably saved someone's life and everyone is already talking about
it. No one has ever seen anything quite like it. Anyway, Jimmy sends
his thanks, and so do I."
    Ben
stopped her before she could step away. "Kyla, right?"
    "Yes,
is there something else I can get you?"
    "No,
I have everything I need. I was just wondering if the inn is always
this busy."
    Kyla
said, "For a few more weeks maybe, at least until the snow comes,
then traffic slows. It doesn't help that the merchants are traveling
with three or four times the normal amount of armed men."
    Mason
asked, "Do thieves really run in big enough packs to warrant that
much protection? I know the roads are dangerous, but these traders
are traveling with a lot of extra men."
    "Who
said anything about thieves?" She looked up across the room and
acknowledged someone with a nod. "I'm sorry but I'm needed
elsewhere."
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    The
morning sun warmed the cold stones of Kishell Springs. All evidence
of the prior night's activity had vanished when the caravans packed
up and moved out in the early morning hours. A forceful silence rode
in on the heels of the retreating clamor and the weary town slipped
back into a state of rest.
    Ben
had risen early to witness the spectacle of a dance rehearsed for
years. Men, horses, and carts moved in perfect harmony in the
practiced ritual of life on the road. It had only taken an hour for
the entire town to awaken and depart. In the resulting void, a gentle
breeze disturbed the fallen leaves of autumn while the distant echo
of a barking dog resonated like a mournful song. The trade wagons had
only just departed and already the town felt abandoned. Lonely.
    He
sat on the veranda of Holton House with his feet propped up on the
railing, sipping from a cup of warm, sweetened goat's milk. The
rising sun bathed him in warmth, though the morning air carried the
unmistakable chill of a coming winter. After months on the road, he
was earnestly enjoying the opportunity to just sit and think.
    He
found himself admiring the rugged construction of the many inns and
realized that the builders of these massive structures had reinforced
them to withstand more than the mere assault of time. It occurred to
Ben as he examined the layout of the town that perhaps these were
once the barracks of an old garrison. It was conceivable that the
town had at one time been a stronghold.
    The
valley was secluded, hidden in the cradle of the majestic Kreggorian
peaks. To the east was the endless green of the great North Torn
forest and in the embrace of its ancient branches, his mind easily
drifted into serene oblivion.
    "Good
morning."
    The
distant voice came to him as a whisper carried on the wind, a tender
voice that swept him up and carried him deeper into the solitary
corners of his own mind.
    "Sir?"
The voice repeated. "Good morning."
    He
opened his eyes and squinted against the morning sun. He raised his
hand to block the glare and saw a young woman leaning against the
railing in front of him. She had long pale-brown hair and a soft,
innocent face. Her eyes were the color of spring cabbage, an icy
green that seemed unnatural but at the same time hauntingly
beautiful. She wore a flowing yellow dress and no shoes, an
unexpected gem of fragility in such a harsh place. He realized he was
staring, and scrambled for