The Familiars Read Online Free PDF

rather pleasantly by the soft grass beneath his feet. His paws, hardened from a life of pounding the city’s cobblestoned streets, could get used to this!
    Aldwyn reached the bank by a shallow part of the runlet, where he could sit comfortably on the shore while splashing himself gingerly. He began flicking his paw, sending drops of icy water onto his fur. Then something upstream caught his attention: a school of odd-looking tadpoles. Aldwyn rose up on his hind legs to take a closer look at the unusual swarm of baby amphibians. They had white, egg-shaped bodies with veins of red streaking through them. As the tadpoles passed by, something strange happened: they seemed to slow down and stare right at him. That’s whenAldwyn realized that these were not tadpoles: they were swimming eyeballs. Their optic nerves wiggled through the water behind them like tiny tails! By the time this shudder-worthy vision had fully registered with Aldwyn, the school of eyes had been taken swiftly downstream by the current.

    He had to get another look; his first had been so fleeting he couldn’t be sure if what he had seen was really true. Aldwyn hurried along the shore, trying to catch up to the fast-traveling eyeballs. Were they moving freely on their own? Were they the gruesome remains of some hideous crime? Ahead, Aldwyn spied a log that crossed the runlet. If he could reach it in time, he mightbe able to pounce upon it to get a better glance. He sprinted faster and then took a jump for the length of fallen tree. His claws dug into the wet bark as he steadied himself on the slippery birch. Aldwyn peered down to see the escaping eyes rush past him, under the log, and into the light rapids beyond. Aldwyn made a desperate attempt to grab the last of the bobbing and weaving eyeballs, but in his haste took a tumble and found himself neck deep in the freezing runlet. By the time he had waded back to shore, any evidence of his mysterious encounter had disappeared.
    On the walk back from the runlet, Aldwyn shook the wet from his fur and gave some thought as to whether or not to speak of this most recent brush with the unbelievable. Would his new companions think him crazy? Best not to find out, he decided. He still wasn’t sure how much trust he could place in these strangers. Aldwyn knew from his experiences in Bridgetower that most animals were only out for themselves, and he found it hard to believe that these two would be any different.
    Aldwyn approached the front door and entered the cottage. It was a quaint dwelling if ever he hadseen one. Kalstaff and the young wizards were sitting on vine hammocks strung up to the ceiling in front of a fireplace, eating dried mushroom salad. The uneven floor appeared to be made of tree roots woven together, long twisting coils of birch and oak that created a solid surface to stand upon. A collection of antique weapons was mounted on the wall, mostly tarnished swords but also more unusual tools of combat like a spiked club, trident, and halberd—trophies from the valiant battles of Kalstaff’s past. In the center of the room hung a hive of twigs and wax, glowing from the lightning bugs that swarmed inside and around it.
    Aldwyn poked his nose about a bowl of gizzards that had been left out for him, but an unexpected wave of exhaustion overcame him. For the first time in his life, he was too tired to eat. Which made sense, given all the day’s excitement: he had been chased by Grimslade and his demonic shadow hound, seen animals perform feats of extraordinary magic, ventured miles beyond the walls of Bridgetower, and discovered that he would be a young wizard’s familiar. Notto mention his encounter with the swimming eyeballs. He could only imagine what other surprises were in store for him tomorrow. Suddenly, Aldwyn’s eyelids became very heavy, and before he could even find a cozy place to curl up on the floor, he fell into a deep sleep.

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    STORM BERRIES AND BOOKWORMS
    T iny kitten paws hovered above