Chapter 4
The next day Liam woke to the sounds of birds and the sun peeking through the trees. He lay on the soft straw watching the play of light and shadow cast by the leaves. His mind wondered back to Belinda. He smiled. Yesterday seemed like a dream. He didn’t want to move and shatter the mood but the smell of wood smoke and Mica’s cooking brought a growl to his stomach. With a yawn and a sigh he threw off his blanket and joined Mica at the fire.
“Morning to you Liam! If it’s hungry you be then its lucky you are. Come and see what the Doormaster has sent for breakfast.” Mica sat on a stump leaning over the fire with a smile on his face and a long handled skillet in his hand.
Liam did feel lucky. “Hurrah! No porridge for us. Today it’s flat cakes and hen’s eggs!”
Mica flipped the last flat cake out of the skillet onto the top of the huge stack. “Check the basket.”
When he looked, Liam found honey-butter for the cakes. He pulled out two chilled jars of milk. Thick cream floated at the top. Frost still clung to the outside.
In the bottom of the basket, wrapped in a cloth, were a dozen fresh strawberries. Liam looked up at Mica. “It seems the Doormaster is pleased with our effort.”
Mica set aside the skillet and picked up a plate. “And I with his! Let us be sure it’s not wasted.”
Laughing at Mica, Liam grabbed his own plate and a stack of flat cakes. Together the boys worked their way through the huge breakfast.
Liam gathered up the dishes. “I’ll take care of these,” he said. Still in high spirits, he whistled a few notes as he carried the dishes back to the cart. A sudden smile broke across his face as he realized it was the same tune that Belinda whistled last night in the shell. The thought of her made even the mundane tasks easy.
He was still smiling when he slung back the lid on the cart seat and stacked the dishes inside. He was about to close it when something caught his eye. There in the corner sat two small brown pouches and a note.
Mica must have missed these, he thought. The pouches jingled merrily when he lifted them.
The note was written in the Doormaster’s flowing script. “Well done lads, the king’s men are pleased with your labor. Here is a little coin for each of you. Spend it wisely or lavish it on fancy. It is yours to enjoy. Have a care traveling the road.” It was signed, Doormaster Ogden.
Across the bottom he had added. “Even Hodekin is wishing you a speedy return, although I suspect that may be due to the extra dishes he has had to clean lately.”
With a whoop Liam dropped the lid and danced back to the fire where Mica was sitting. “The master was more pleased than we thought,” he said. “Your share of the bounty.” He tossed one of the pouches to Mica. “To spend however you may wish.”
Mica weighed the pouch in his hand and smiled when he looked inside. “You are apprenticed to a generous man. The amount is more than fair.”
They wasted little time breaking camp. By midmorning Little Smoky was hitched up and the cart was pointed towards home.
With Mica at the reins Liam looked back at the camp one last time. A lot had happened there in just a few short days. Almost to himself he said, “I wonder how often the king will even visit here. A shame to waste such a pleasant place.”
He turned his head back to the trail and caught a glimpse of deep blue wings and a bright yellow head sailing through the trees. He opened his mouth to tell Mica, but before he could even blink the Emperor Bird was gone. Seeing the rare bird again so soon was almost too much to believe. Maybe he would tell Mica later.
Mica skillfully guided Little Smoky down the faint trail through the woods. Liam’s eyes drooped. Tall trees blocked out most of the sun. His full stomach and the cool green shadows made him sleepy. How nice it would be to stretch out in the back of the cart and sink down into the soft straw.
The wheels bumped over a tree root jarring him out of the pleasant thoughts. Sighing, he shifted on the hard seat and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t be comfortable sleeping while Mica did all the work. So he decided to make the best of it and enjoy the sights and smell of the woods. But the jolts along the way made it difficult. It was a relief when the trail finally joined the main road and the ride became smoother.
The trees lining the road still provided patches of shade, but nothing like the shadows of the deep woods. Little Smoky was well rested. Her hooves nearly danced down the road. It was a perfect day to travel.
By early afternoon they reached the campsite where Liam had spent his restless night watching for goblins. Mica pulled the cart off the road and stopped near the sagging hovel. Little Smoky stamped the ground and tossed her head. Liam was ready to get down and stretch his legs. He stood up, but Mica placed a hand on his arm. “Something's not right here.”
Liam sat back down. In a low voice he asked, “What is it?” Little Smoky stomped her front feet again.
“I don’t know. Something is spooking Lit' Smoky...maybe goblins. Let’s go on down the road and find a place where the goblins might not think to look for sleeping travelers.”
With a nod, Liam sat down. They turned the cart back to the road and traveled several leagues until they found a spot to their liking.
For two days they avoided the established camps and fell into a watchful routine. Well before nightfall, they pulled the cart far off the road and made do without a fire. They took turns keeping watch and didn’t stray from camp after dark.
Just before sundown, Mica scouted around the camp. Liam placed the shell behind his ear and talked to Belinda. They laughed together over the antics of the court dandies and their petty intrigues. He downplayed the danger of the goblins, but told her about the rough road. When he described the beautiful colors of the emperor bird, he was surprised that she knew about the birds and had seen them at the castle.
The Doormaster's Apprentice Page 7