Secrets of the Night Special Edition Read Online Free PDF

wafted from the leather bag. She fingered the cake of soap, and a rush of memories filled her mind, of her happy childhood with her mother and real father, her brother, all the good times they'd shared. Sighing deeply, she dropped the cake back among her clothes and slipped the dress over her shift. She gathered her things together and wended her way down the rocky slope to a nearby stream, blinking her eyes in the early morning light. By the stream, she knelt on the rocky ground to rinse her face and hands, cupping the water in her hands to drink. A golden glow touched trees and bushes, the sunlight a welcome warmth after the coolness of the cave. After she completed her morning ablutions, she plodded farther down the rocky hill, past an outcrop of honeysuckle bushes, to the road that led to Moytura.
    Far to the north loomed the Orn Mountains , their lofty peaks reaching past the clouds. East of the mountains stretched the vast Gorm Forest , a hilly region thick with oaks, pines, and hemlocks, a once mysterious region. The torathors lived there, giants once feared in Avador but now protected by royal decree. These same creatures had helped Queen Keriam defeat the evil assassin and usurper, King Midac, years ago in one apocalyptic battle. [nice]
    Miles later, as the ground leveled, she saw the spires of the capital in the distance, the terra cotta roofs of the mansions gleaming in the sunlight. The sight of the capital thrilled her as always, and despite her despondency since leaving home, a feeling of optimism raised her spirits, as though nothing was impossible, as if she held the city in the palm of her hands. Farmers' carts and riders passed her along the way, the road becoming more crowded the closer she got to the city. Dust filled the air, thick and choking, as more riders cantered past, these with a look of importance, prompting her to wonder if they were soldiers or palace officials. She coughed and brushed the dust from the folds of her dress. Trees and bushes lined the road; cottages squatted on small plots of land, and occasional large farms dominated acres of land. The houses became finer as she neared the city, many of these residences having three floors and iron fences, not to mention spacious manicured lawns.
    In spite of her excitement, her calloused feet ached as she shifted her canvas bag from one hand to another. Hunger and thirst tormented her, but how could she pay for food or drink?
    So many sights, sounds, and smells greeted her as she entered the city, although the cobblestones burned her bare feet. Scads of people clogged the streets, men, women, and children wandering from store to store or hurrying along, a look of purpose on their faces. Vendors hawked their wares, and the smell of roasting meats wafted through the air, borne on a light easterly breeze. City sentries in their dark gray uniforms stood guard at certain busy thoroughfares or rode their horses among the busy throngs. Beggars, too, roamed the streets, pleading for handouts, and she regretted she had no money to give them. She feared she might soon be a beggar herself if she couldn't obtain a position. She passed the shoemakers' street, reminding her–as if she needed a reminder–that she must buy a pair of shoes, whenever she had money. Bakeries tempted her with their sweet aromas, intensifying her hunger. Here and there vendors sold cider or lemonade, making her mouth water.
    Moytura, like just about every city and town of Avador , had a community tack board, where people seeking jobs or employers who needed positions filled nailed their advertisements. Other notices of interest were tacked here, too, for example, of a fair soon to be held on the outskirts of the city. Many people gathered around the board, each one searching for positions or tacking their own messages, prompting her to continually move aside. Men and women jostled each other to see the signs, and smaller women had to stand on tiptoe as they craned their necks,