Friday Teaser

This is a snippet from my latest chapter, taken from book three “Healer”

*****

Upon entry, he found Ashpin leaning against the window overlooking the front yard. A few voices floated in from below, those of merchants and items being loaded onto carts.

“You all right?” Wisdom asked. “You were quiet on the ride back yesterday.”

Ashpin shrugged. “Just… thinking.”

Wisdom left the door open as he strolled closer to the window. A series of squeaking carts from below confirmed the merchants leaving for town. “About what Lord Gracie said?”

The boy continued to watch the merchants as he spoke. “Sometimes I have to wonder about all the things my mother talked about while she was sick. I learned to believe the ones when I knew she was aware, and just listen to the ones when I knew it was just…” He finally looked over to the prince. “You know.”

Wisdom remained quiet, and only gave a slight nod in understanding. He recalled when his own mother had taken ill. Never once had he doubted her words to discover what he was or where he came from. Then again, she had been well enough to tell him before the illness completely claimed her, while Ashpin’s mother had lingered in uneasy cycles between truth and fiction.

“Did she ever mention if anything happened to your father?” he asked.

“No.” Back to the window again.

An awkward silence lingered while the prince thought of a way to liven the mood. News of the boy’s father darkened the room; its presence was a testimony to Osha’s warning. There were no more carts outside. The last of the merchants had disappeared under the draping trees a few minutes back heading into town. It was there the prince needed to be, and with that thought an idea emerged.