The Realms of Animar by Owen Black Read Free Book Online Page A

flowing golden waves. Although winter was just a few months away it was still warm enough to enjoy a soak in the river. Such outings were quite rare and never possible without a great deal of convincing. Trussil hated keeping her students cooped up in the village and the possible sighting of a vulture a few days prior wasn’t about to scare her away. There had not been any confirmed sightings of predators in the area for quite some time but as the open fields gave way and the dark forest crept closer so did the danger.
    Dugan, known for his fondness of Trussil, had tried to talk her out of this particular trip. In fact, he always opposed unnecessary trips into the wild. His motivation was caution but he was not generally thought of as a particularly brave man. For two days he had stared into the forest from atop the village walls, hoping to spot the vulture. Despite his efforts, he never saw anything out of the ordinary. The girl must have been mistaken.
    Along with Dugan, Trussil had been forced to take Semu, the hulking Guard Captain, as well as two other guards. Together the four men led the teacher and her caravan of students down a makeshift path that sliced through the fields, stopping frequently while Semu surveyed the surroundings.
    Dugan strolled alongside Trussil as they walked. His company was welcome but she knew his intentions. They were quite obvious.
    “You are a stubborn one you know,” Dugan said.
    “Yes, I know,” she replied with a smile.
    “We should have brought more guards.”
    “They make the children nervous. It’s bad enough you had to drag Semu along.”
    She blushed when Semu, who was walking several feet in front of them, turned his head slightly. His ears were better than she had thought.
    “Well, you remember what happened last year?” Dugan argued. “If he had been with us that day, we might not—”
    Trussil quickly raised her hand to his mouth and touched his lips. “Quiet down. It will be fine.”
    Dugan paused and then grasped her hand with his and lowered it back to her side. An awkward silence followed and Trussil quickly changed the topic.
    “At least enjoy the morning!” she demanded. “It is a marvelous day for a trip. You must admit that at least.”
    “Very true,” Dugan replied. He then looked around nervously before leaning in and whispering, “I don’t suppose you have thought any more about my offer, have you?”
    Trussil walked in silence for a moment as she collected her thoughts.
    “Dugan you are sweet, but you know my heart is spoken for.”
    “I know, I know but even you admit that you have no idea where he is. It’s been what…five…six years since you last saw him?” He thought a moment then continued, “You even once said that you two could never be together. For what reason…I just don’t know but I just hope that if you do decide to move on you would consider me.”
    Trussil felt sorry for Dugan. He was a very nice man but he was extremely tall and awkward and was one of the few of his kind in the village. She was appreciative of his feelings but had done her best to explain to him that she would not love again. That part of her life was behind her.
    “Oh Dugan, you know I think you are a wonderful man. I suppose I should move on but I just don’t think I can love another. I just wish things could have been different.”
    “So why didn’t he come with us? What kind of fool would let you go?” He hesitated and then added, “You are so beautiful. How could he leave you?”
    Trussil stopped and looked down at her feet and then at Dugan. “I left him,” she replied abruptly. She then pulled ahead and added over her shoulder, “Please, I have this conversation enough in my own head. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
    Dejected, he called after her. “I’m sorry. Just, well, you know where I stand.”
    Semu suddenly raised his right arm, halting the procession behind him. He glanced from side to side with his head slightly tilted