Shadows of the Realm (The Circle of Talia) Read Online Free PDF Page B

from the Shire's coach business, for a fee of course, and the children would be led on a ride. Most people in the village didn't have the resources to keep a horse and few required their services. Two, three, or four families would join their resources and share a horse; as such they were rarely ridden for fun.
    "When do we leave?" Bronwyn was suddenly eager to be on her way.
    Avruellen smiled at her change of heart. "After breakfast." Avruellen anticipated the next question and answered before her niece had a chance to speak. "The walk to Bayerlon will take about nine or ten days." Bronwyn shut her half-open mouth, knowing better than to ask her aunt how she had known what she was going to ask.
    They repacked their belongings and set out for what, to Bronwyn, was the unknown. Flux led them out of the forest the way they had come, skirting around the village. Bronwyn said a second silent goodbye to her previous life as they passed, however she didn’t feel as sad as the last time she had bidden her home farewell. At the outskirts of the village they continued on a southeasterly course, and by midday they had covered half the distance Avruellen wished them to travel that day. Bronwyn was happy when her aunt turned off the road, stopping under a small copse of trees, where they sat and ate lunch. 
    They were not travelling via the main road to Veresia's capital, but on a little-used smuggler’s track. It ran parallel to the main road, with the exception of intermittent meandering turnings to avoid a tree or small boulder, and was distant enough to mask their identity from any who glimpsed them from the main thoroughfare. Not many used the track, for it was rutted and unkempt, the occasional fallen tree crossing its path. Bronwyn had never seen the track before and was quite amazed at her ignorance of its existence. Using a smuggler’s route instead of the king's road made the whole journey even more exciting.
    After lunch they continued into the clear and cooling day. Flux sometimes scouted ahead or ran to the side, out of sight, and sometimes trotted next to his mistress. Occasionally he would look up at Avruellen, and Bronwyn knew they were talking about something she couldn't hear. Realmists were granted a unique bond with their creatura. Bronwyn wondered if she would have one of her own one day. What animal would she choose? An animal that was strong, intelligent, and of course warm and cuddly. She knew, after growing up with Flux, that wherever you went, so did your creatura. If you had to spend so much time with them you would be silly to choose one that was unpleasant or smelly. She smiled to herself as she discounted one animal after another. Finally, she knew what she wanted and felt that somehow she had known all along.
    Bronwyn spent the rest of the day imagining all the fun she was going to have with her creatura and was deep in daydreams when her aunt called a halt. The sun was low on the horizon, the air cooling rapidly. Avruellen steered Bronwyn to a suitably hidden patch of ground Flux had found.
    They set up their small camp under the sky. Avruellen had not been able to acquire a tent in their village, as she didn't want to draw attention to the fact they were leaving. Her weather sense told her fine weather would prevail for a few more days. She hoped that would be enough to see them reach a town large enough where they could find the tent they would surely need in the coming weeks.
    It had automatically fallen to Bronwyn to collect firewood; she felt this was only fair considering her aunt's age. They fell into a companionable routine. Her aunt would start the fire and cook dinner; it was a small reminder of home. They waited almost until total darkness before starting the fire, as Avruellen didn't want anyone seeing the telltale smoke. No one was looking for them yet, however there could be villainous characters travelling the roads, taking advantage of whomever they found.
    After dinner they snuggled