Shepherd's Quest: The Broken Key #1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Freya and her father exited the building through the front door.
    “Freya!” he exclaimed quite happily. He and Freya have been friends for as long as either one could remember. In his heart he has always cared deeply for her and even had thoughts that they may one day be married.
    His mood quickly sobered when she failed to meet his eyes. Her father nodded his head in greeting and gave him a curt, “Riyan.” Then they brushed past him without speaking. He turned to look at them as they left and Freya glanced over her shoulder back to him. Their eyes locked for a brief second before she broke the contact and turned her head forward once more.
     
    He came to a stop as he watched her leave, puzzled by her reaction. Usually she was quite excited to see him. After all, with him out in the fields with the sheep most of the time, there was little opportunity for them to spend any time together.
    “What’s the matter?” one of Rupert’s friends asked as the three of them came and surrounded him.
    “Maybe she doesn’t like him anymore?” another one quipped.
    “Could be she found a better man, one that doesn’t smell like sheep dung,” the third one said. At that he and the others started laughing derisively.
    Riyan ignored their taunts as he knew that to respond in any way would only egg them on. He tried to continue on to the town hall’s entrance but was blocked when the first one stepped in front of him and put his hand on Riyan’s chest.
    His eyes went down to look at the sack Riyan held in his hand. “What do you have there?” he asked.
    “Nothing you’d be interested in,” replied Riyan.
    “Oh yeah?” asked another of them. Then he snatched it out of his hand.
    “Give it back!” demanded Riyan.
    Holding the sack before him, the young man asked, “Or what?” Before Riyan had the chance to reply, Rupert and his father the Magistrate exited the building. The Magistrate quickly grasped what was going on by the way the three young men had Riyan surrounded and how the one young man was holding the sack out before him.
    “What’s going on here?” he asked.
    The three young men turned toward him quickly, startled by his sudden appearance.
    “Uh, nothing.”
    Riyan turned to face the Magistrate and said, “I killed a kidog. I was bringing it to collect the bounty when they took the sack containing its head from me.” The Magistrate’s face darkened as he turned to face the one holding the sack.
    “Was nothing like that your honor,” the young man explained. “Just having a little fun is all.”
    “Give it back Girg,” the Magistrate ordered.
    “Sure thing,” Girg replied. Then he handed the sack back to Riyan. “Here you go.” Riyan snatched the sack out of his hand and then said to the Magistrate, “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcomed my boy,” he replied to Riyan. “Go inside and Ceci will take care of it for you.”
    Riyan nodded and as the young man stepped out of his way, he walked towards the door. Behind him he heard the Magistrate begin to berate his son about the conduct of his friends. Riyan doubted it would do any good, more than likely would cause him to get a beating the next time he and Rupert met.
    He walked through the entrance and then entered the first door on his right. Within he found Ceci, the lady who looked after the town hall as well as paid for the bounties and various other duties. She looked up from her desk and saw him standing there just within her doorway. From the blood stains on the sack, she knew what he was here for.
    He held up the sack and said, “Bagged a kidog yesterday.” She motioned for him to come forward and then took the sack from him when he offered it to her. Opening it up, she saw the severed kidog head and then nodded. She set the sack on the floor behind her and then opened a strong box that was resting on the floor next to her desk. After removing two silver pieces, she handed them over to him.
    “Good work Riyan,” she