page145 (1/2)

He snapped the locket shut and returned it to his pocket He felt a lightness within him, that his mother had found colanced skyward at the stars shining through the canopy of the forest, thinking that now Morry and his ain, and for eternity If there was any justice in the world, his father spent his ti from hell to hell, tormented by demonkind

Such thoughts brought Amberhill peace, and after a spare meal of bread, cheese, and flat ale, he slept

The next , it was not dawn that awakened hiitated stallion, but a blade at his throat

PIRATES

“He a pretty one, aye”

Six of the lared down at hi of fish and their oashed bodies Their hair and beards fell in stringy snarls and their clothes hung off the off their bodies None wore shoes, and A the lot of them to fill one mouth

He deemed the one who held the rusty cutlass to his throat to be the leader He had a bulbous nose that was pocked and discolored fro His eyes were yellow and red rirowths protruded from his feet They looked rather like…barnacles

“Never ye ,” he said to Amberhill “We hain’t seen women for many a year He can’t recollect the difference”

A to be nicked by the rusted blade, and thinking this was a rude start to hisHe wanted to protest he was not a woman, but he feared that in their desperate state, the six would not care Were they prison escapees? Perhaps, but they looked to be so far worse: sailors “What do you want?”

“Liquor! Wo an ear, and drooled excessively

“Shut it, Eardog!” the leader snapped

Eardog subsided, but a crazed expression remained on his face

“We lost our bearings, see? Our ship run aground, all wrecked and ruined We look for the nearest port”

Searounded? They sought the nearest port? Insane

“You are far from the ocean,” he said

“T’is a strange thing wot happened to us long ago,” the leader said “A strange tale of witches wot cast an evil curse on us Aye, bottled up and becal, no land for the seeing Nothing Until now!”

Not just sailors; pirates!

“We could eat the horse,” Eardog suggested

The others ob of drool leaked from the leader’s lip onto Amberhill’s lapel