Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta Read Free Book Online Page A

Beatriss and Trevanion's story had ignited the same interest.
    "They are tired, Jenna. They don't have time for telling stories," her father said abruptly.
    Finnikin watched as every adult in the tent looked away or busied themselves with the nothingness of their lives. It was as if the child's request had never been made. Even Sir Topher was focusing on the river outside, and suddenly Finnikin felt lonely for his father, a luxury he rarely allowed himself.
    But Evanjalin was staring at him, refusing to look away. There was something in her expression, a question in her eyes, that made him clear his throat.
    "It was a fierce love," he said gruffly. "Very fierce."
    The little girl's cheeks flushed with pleasure, while the shoulders of the boy slumped with disappointment. The same way Finnikin's would whenever he had to sit through his great-aunt Celestina's ramblings about the wedding vows spoken by the
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    king to his Mont girl. Finnikin would have much preferred to hear about the jousting and fencing entertainment provided by the King's Guard as a part of the celebrations.
    "But I need to go back further, if you will let me," he said to the boy. "To the time when Trevanion of the River defended his people with just one mighty sword and forty dedicated men!"
    Evanjalin bit her lip as if holding back a laugh, and he found himself grinning. The young boy sat up, a look of excitement on his face. He nodded, willing Finnikin to continue.
    "My father was once a lowly foot soldier. As a young man, he watched each year as the barbarians, who lived far beyond the borders of Skuldenore, came down his beloved river with dragonships that seemed to appear from out of the sky. First they would raid Sarnak to our north, and then Lumatere. They were brutal, these foreigners, plunderers of the worst kind."
    "Did they take their tents and food?" the boy asked eagerly, and for a moment Finnikin saw a glimpse of Balthazar's face in his expression. It made him numb with sadness and he failed to find the words to continue.
    He heard a small sound, like the clearing of a throat, and glanced up to see Evanjalin. She had a look in her eye as if she somehow understood, and he found his voice once more.
    "They took gold, of course," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "And silver. Lumatere had the best mines in the land and became the barbarian invaders' dream. Unfortunately the king had inherited a lazy, cowardly Guard headed by his cousin, who made it easy for the foreigners to do what they liked."
    "Where was Trevanion?" the little girl asked.
    "He was protecting a worthless duke on the Flatlands. But things changed in his twentieth year. The barbarians returned and decided that gold and silver were not enough. They would take the young people of the river to work as slaves in their land. The older
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    ones who tried to stop them died in battle. That's how Trevanion lost his parents and sisters. During the same time, my mother died in childbirth, so you can imagine his fury and sadness.
    "One day when the king was visiting the worthless duke, Trevanion pushed past the Guard and stood face-to-face with the leader of the kingdom. He demanded to know what the king was going to do about protecting his people. Little did he know, the king would toss and turn each night, feeling helpless in his palace while his river was plundered and his people were taken. But what could a king with a weak Guard do? He had Trevanion arrested, of course."
    "Did they torture him?" the boy asked in a hushed tone.
    "No. The king had a plan. Each night, while pretending to demand an apology, he would speak to Trevanion about the barbarian invaders and his lazy Guard. Trevanion made him a promise. If the king released him, he would choose forty of the best fighters in Lumatere and put an end to the annual plundering, and the king agreed.
    "Trevanion was ruthless in training his men, but it was worth it. One year later, when the barbarians returned, they failed to