Teleporter (a Hyllis family story #2) by Laurence Dahners Read Free Book Online
Authors: Laurence Dahners
dangerous out there on the road. Are you sure you want your youngsters out in that environment?” Norton glanced over at Tarc, who’d been standing silently taking this all in.
Daum suddenly looked over and recognized that Tarc had quietly been standing there as well. He frowned, “Well, I suppose you heard all that. What do you think?”
Tarc shrugged, “I don’t want to stay here. Not the way people have been looking at me. If we move, we’re going have to get to the new place somehow, so we’ll have to join a caravan anyway, won’t we?”
Daum scratched at an ear, “That’s true, but if we tried to leave with the Nortons, we’d be leaving so soon we couldn’t possibly negotiate a good deal for the tavern.” He glanced upward for a moment, thinking. “And we’d need to get a wagon built. Even one of their big wagons won’t take all the stuff we’d like to take with us.” He turned back to Norton, “I expect you’ll be leaving in just a few days, right? Because we couldn’t possibly be ready in that short a time.”
Norton tugged at his lip, “We usually stay four or five days, depending on how good the business is. You couldn’t get a wagon built in that time. Is there someone in town who might have a wagon to sell?”
Daum shook his head, looking a little despondent. “And I don’t think we’ll want to stay here until you come around again, Norton. Much as I’d love for us to travel with you, it doesn’t look like it’s in the stars. We’ll probably have to go with the next caravan to come through instead.”
Norton grinned and said, “Well then, how about some business for those tubs of yours? If you’re going to survive until the next caravan comes through, I’d better help you earn some more money.” He glanced at Tarc, “You up to hauling some water young Hyllis?”
As Tarc hauled bucket after bucket of water to the tubs, more buckets to the heating tank in the chimney above the fireplace and more wood to the fireplace, he thought to himself how much he used to hate it when people wanted to use the tubs. Now he was glad that it was going to bring in some more money. He had a feeling his family was going to need the cash in the near future.
***
The next morning, Daussie woke Tarc a little earlier than usual. The caravan’s merchants wanted breakfast early so they could set up their stalls. Soon Tarc was hauling wood and water and helping in the kitchen. He checked the big room frequently, hoping for a glimpse of the cinnamon skinned young woman. After all his watching for her inside, he was surprised when he entered the stable and found her out there caring for a horse.
“Hello,” she smiled, showing even white teeth, “does the fee for stabling a horse include some of the oats?”
“Oh,” Tarc said, a little startled to have her talking to him after he’d been mooning over her. “Yes, yes it does. Let me get you some.” He headed towards the back, calling back over his shoulder, “Are you working as a guard for the Nortons?”
“Yeah,” she laughed in amusement. “Are you one of those guys who doesn’t think a woman could be a fighter?”
Tarc blinked as he scooped up some oats, realizing that he had sounded a little incredulous when he’d asked her his question. “Um, no. Well, maybe. I’ve never met a girl caravan guard before. Sorry if I offended you,” he said carrying the oats back out to her horse and setting the bucket down in front of it.
She arched an eyebrow and pulled out a pair of wooden practice swords, “You want to try me?”
His eyes widened, “Oh, no! I haven’t had much training with the sword!” And, I sucked at it, he thought.
“Oh, come on,” she winked at him, “I’m just a girl.” She held out one of the practice swords, hilt first.
Tarc reluctantly took it and slowly followed her as she walked out into the middle of the open space in the stable. He had started to lift his sword into the guard position, when
Daum suddenly looked over and recognized that Tarc had quietly been standing there as well. He frowned, “Well, I suppose you heard all that. What do you think?”
Tarc shrugged, “I don’t want to stay here. Not the way people have been looking at me. If we move, we’re going have to get to the new place somehow, so we’ll have to join a caravan anyway, won’t we?”
Daum scratched at an ear, “That’s true, but if we tried to leave with the Nortons, we’d be leaving so soon we couldn’t possibly negotiate a good deal for the tavern.” He glanced upward for a moment, thinking. “And we’d need to get a wagon built. Even one of their big wagons won’t take all the stuff we’d like to take with us.” He turned back to Norton, “I expect you’ll be leaving in just a few days, right? Because we couldn’t possibly be ready in that short a time.”
Norton tugged at his lip, “We usually stay four or five days, depending on how good the business is. You couldn’t get a wagon built in that time. Is there someone in town who might have a wagon to sell?”
Daum shook his head, looking a little despondent. “And I don’t think we’ll want to stay here until you come around again, Norton. Much as I’d love for us to travel with you, it doesn’t look like it’s in the stars. We’ll probably have to go with the next caravan to come through instead.”
Norton grinned and said, “Well then, how about some business for those tubs of yours? If you’re going to survive until the next caravan comes through, I’d better help you earn some more money.” He glanced at Tarc, “You up to hauling some water young Hyllis?”
As Tarc hauled bucket after bucket of water to the tubs, more buckets to the heating tank in the chimney above the fireplace and more wood to the fireplace, he thought to himself how much he used to hate it when people wanted to use the tubs. Now he was glad that it was going to bring in some more money. He had a feeling his family was going to need the cash in the near future.
***
The next morning, Daussie woke Tarc a little earlier than usual. The caravan’s merchants wanted breakfast early so they could set up their stalls. Soon Tarc was hauling wood and water and helping in the kitchen. He checked the big room frequently, hoping for a glimpse of the cinnamon skinned young woman. After all his watching for her inside, he was surprised when he entered the stable and found her out there caring for a horse.
“Hello,” she smiled, showing even white teeth, “does the fee for stabling a horse include some of the oats?”
“Oh,” Tarc said, a little startled to have her talking to him after he’d been mooning over her. “Yes, yes it does. Let me get you some.” He headed towards the back, calling back over his shoulder, “Are you working as a guard for the Nortons?”
“Yeah,” she laughed in amusement. “Are you one of those guys who doesn’t think a woman could be a fighter?”
Tarc blinked as he scooped up some oats, realizing that he had sounded a little incredulous when he’d asked her his question. “Um, no. Well, maybe. I’ve never met a girl caravan guard before. Sorry if I offended you,” he said carrying the oats back out to her horse and setting the bucket down in front of it.
She arched an eyebrow and pulled out a pair of wooden practice swords, “You want to try me?”
His eyes widened, “Oh, no! I haven’t had much training with the sword!” And, I sucked at it, he thought.
“Oh, come on,” she winked at him, “I’m just a girl.” She held out one of the practice swords, hilt first.
Tarc reluctantly took it and slowly followed her as she walked out into the middle of the open space in the stable. He had started to lift his sword into the guard position, when