A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,138
have my stablehands have your horses ready."
The next morning, as the group was preparing to leave, Jake was glad to be back on Dontas' back, looking forward to a ride. Dontas was anxious to be out as well, shifting and stomping his hooves; Jake controlling him with short tugs on the reins. Along with Dominic and Captain Deepwood, ten soldiers were accompanying them.
Soon, all were ready and they rode through the tunnel to the main hall, then out of the entrance towards the garden. Jake could see several people were in the garden, taking in the morning light. He had gone to the garden several times, the lush greens and other colors refreshing after being surrounded by the gray stone of the Keep. He had found them peaceful and restful, lying on the grass, staring up at the sky and stars.
They passed out of the main gate, Deepwood returning the salutes of the soldiers stationed there, and picked up the pace. Jake took in the surroundings as they rode. The tall evergreen trees that grew on the mountains contrasted with the gray stones and the blue sky. He saw birds winging between trees, hearing bits of their songs through the rumble of the horses' hooves. The road made several curves, then straightened out.
After several miles, the terrain began to change as they rode into the foothills. The evergreens gave way to a variety of deciduous trees lining the hills. On the horizon beyond the hills, Jake could just make out the open grasslands of northern Sanduas and southern Beragan. They rode through the hills, passing other travelers on the road, including a couple of large slow-moving flatbed wagons, pulled by teams of eight to ten horses, loaded with fallen trees, and finally reached Numaria.
Numaria was a medium-sized stone-walled town, situated at the foot of the hills, facing out towards the grasslands. Jake saw that it was a lively place, with a lot of hustle and bustle going on. Down the road from the town was a large area, surrounded by a tall wooden fence, where the wagons carrying the trees were headed. He asked Deepwood about it.
"It is the lumber yard and sales area." He replied. "Logging is a big business here, with the finished lumber shipped off to the various cities. My soldiers are here to help the locals deal with the influx of wagon teams, loggers and the merchants who buy the wood. Add alcohol from the taverns and their disagreements can get out of hand."
They rode up to the town gates, greeted by the soldiers standing with what Deepwood identified as the town watch. Jake noticed that the men in the town watch wore matching brown leather jerkins and pants, carrying daggers on their belts and cudgels on their shoulders. They seemed a rough bunch compared to Deepwood's polished soldiers.
After a quick conversation with the soldiers and town watch, they continued on into the town, passing slowly through the crowded streets.
...
Martis was standing outside a tavern, watching the crowd passing by. He had been in this miserable town for several weeks now, not sure what to do. He had been shaken by the sudden disappearance of the demon, but could not decide his next course. He and his men had not heard of anyone who had seen the boy pass through. He had heard some say that a boy like that was at the Keep, but he could not confirm it was the boy they were looking for. Unsure if or when the demon would suddenly reappear, he knew he needed proof before he left this place.
So he sat here, watching his coin dwindle as his men drank and grumbled. Frader and Ranech were growing impatient with the delay. They wanted to go up and scout out the Keep to see if they could find the boy. Having seen the hesitation that the demon had even coming to this area, he was not about to risk the Keep.
He was standing there, not really paying attention, when a large party of soldiers rode by on horses. He glanced up and, to his shock, saw the boy and the scarred warrior Dominic riding with them. Frozen by his surprise, he simply stood there and stared. He watched as the boy turned towards him and saw him staring. Martis, realizing that he was exposed, gave a sudden start, a cold sweat bursting from his pores, and ran back into the tavern, collecting his men and running out the back door.