The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two by Ashley Delay, Jack D. Albrecht Jr Page B
Authors: Ashley Delay, Jack D. Albrecht Jr
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patience, and his mind was racing to find the answers to questions he hadn’t imagined a few short months before.
“So, what is it, exactly, that you Maidens do here?” Gus certainly wanted to know more about the Maidens, and Bridgett had been notably vague in her explanations since he had met her.
Just as Fallon was about to respond, a burst of white fur came from somewhere behind her. The dog stopped a short distance away, but Gus was rapidly attempting to retreat in alarm. The dog saw the movement, crouched, and began to spin in a circle, barking. It raised its head after every few turns and Gus found himself a few feet closer to the dog.
A course of laughter broke out as Gus repeatedly scurried backward, yet found himself inevitably moving closer to the swirling, stub-tailed hound.
“Help!” Gus began to panic. Knowing he was caught in the dog’s Beckoning gift, he feared he would soon become a fine meal.
Laughter grew from the bystanders, and Gus looked back pleadingly. He couldn’t understand why they thought it was so funny. The two women were laughing hysterically and holding their stomachs, and Pebble was jumping up and down with excitement. Gus was losing ground, and he could feel the air coming off of the dog as it spun. He was forced to the ground and could feel paws holding him down as a tongue covered his face.
“Happy,” Bridgett spoke through her laughter, a tear running down her face, “Happy, leave him alone. He is too old and grumpy to play.”
“Play?” Gus felt the pressure let up, and looked back at the women in confusion.
“I’s wantsta play!” Pebble ran on all fours at the dog and dived to one side. Happy saw a chance to play and followed him, barking, as they crested the slope of a nearby hill. “Come get’s me, Happy!”
Gus wiped the drool from his face as he watched Pebble giggling in the distance. He lost sight of them playing when they disappeared over the slope. He turned an angry eye up at Bridgett and Fallon as they laughed.
“If that thing kills my only Wand-Maker son, I’ll hex you both!”
“Oh, relax. Happy is the nicest dog you will ever meet,” Bridgett spoke, her lower lip sticking out, mocking Gus for his attitude.
“Yeah, and he knows Happy’s name. If you know his name, you’re his best friend, whether you like it or not.” Fallon snickered and looked back at Bridgett.
“Sure, you say that now, but just wait ‘til you forget to serve him his dinner on time.” Gus walked in the direction Pebble had gone. He felt more worry than he expected at that moment. Pebble was his only Wand-Maker born child, and his only chance to pass on the skills he had honed through his life. The thought of losing him to a dog was wreaking havoc on his nerves.
“Oh, come with us, you old grump.” Fallon turned and began to walk toward a large, hilled area of the grove. “He doesn’t eat anything unless it’s cooked, and he waits patiently for our leftovers. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Gus eyed Fallon with uneasiness, but Bridgett winked at him and gestured for him to follow. He did trust Bridgett, so he was put at ease a bit by her attitude. The slopes grew as they ventured farther into the grove, and Gus found himself standing on top of a large hill very unlike the others.
The hill was flattened on top, which was obvious to Gus as a prairie dog. Although whoever, or whatever, had flattened the hill had done a fantastic job. It would look natural to anyone but a ground dweller. There was no sign of flat-topped hills anywhere in the distance, nor was there any evidence of streams or glacier movement, so that only left manual manipulation of the terrain. Gus had spent a great deal of his life walking through various open spaces. He had witnessed many different methods for clearing land for whatever purpose men had in their heads, and he recognized the signs in the landscape. All around him were rolling hills and trees. Someone had flattened the hill
“So, what is it, exactly, that you Maidens do here?” Gus certainly wanted to know more about the Maidens, and Bridgett had been notably vague in her explanations since he had met her.
Just as Fallon was about to respond, a burst of white fur came from somewhere behind her. The dog stopped a short distance away, but Gus was rapidly attempting to retreat in alarm. The dog saw the movement, crouched, and began to spin in a circle, barking. It raised its head after every few turns and Gus found himself a few feet closer to the dog.
A course of laughter broke out as Gus repeatedly scurried backward, yet found himself inevitably moving closer to the swirling, stub-tailed hound.
“Help!” Gus began to panic. Knowing he was caught in the dog’s Beckoning gift, he feared he would soon become a fine meal.
Laughter grew from the bystanders, and Gus looked back pleadingly. He couldn’t understand why they thought it was so funny. The two women were laughing hysterically and holding their stomachs, and Pebble was jumping up and down with excitement. Gus was losing ground, and he could feel the air coming off of the dog as it spun. He was forced to the ground and could feel paws holding him down as a tongue covered his face.
“Happy,” Bridgett spoke through her laughter, a tear running down her face, “Happy, leave him alone. He is too old and grumpy to play.”
“Play?” Gus felt the pressure let up, and looked back at the women in confusion.
“I’s wantsta play!” Pebble ran on all fours at the dog and dived to one side. Happy saw a chance to play and followed him, barking, as they crested the slope of a nearby hill. “Come get’s me, Happy!”
Gus wiped the drool from his face as he watched Pebble giggling in the distance. He lost sight of them playing when they disappeared over the slope. He turned an angry eye up at Bridgett and Fallon as they laughed.
“If that thing kills my only Wand-Maker son, I’ll hex you both!”
“Oh, relax. Happy is the nicest dog you will ever meet,” Bridgett spoke, her lower lip sticking out, mocking Gus for his attitude.
“Yeah, and he knows Happy’s name. If you know his name, you’re his best friend, whether you like it or not.” Fallon snickered and looked back at Bridgett.
“Sure, you say that now, but just wait ‘til you forget to serve him his dinner on time.” Gus walked in the direction Pebble had gone. He felt more worry than he expected at that moment. Pebble was his only Wand-Maker born child, and his only chance to pass on the skills he had honed through his life. The thought of losing him to a dog was wreaking havoc on his nerves.
“Oh, come with us, you old grump.” Fallon turned and began to walk toward a large, hilled area of the grove. “He doesn’t eat anything unless it’s cooked, and he waits patiently for our leftovers. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Gus eyed Fallon with uneasiness, but Bridgett winked at him and gestured for him to follow. He did trust Bridgett, so he was put at ease a bit by her attitude. The slopes grew as they ventured farther into the grove, and Gus found himself standing on top of a large hill very unlike the others.
The hill was flattened on top, which was obvious to Gus as a prairie dog. Although whoever, or whatever, had flattened the hill had done a fantastic job. It would look natural to anyone but a ground dweller. There was no sign of flat-topped hills anywhere in the distance, nor was there any evidence of streams or glacier movement, so that only left manual manipulation of the terrain. Gus had spent a great deal of his life walking through various open spaces. He had witnessed many different methods for clearing land for whatever purpose men had in their heads, and he recognized the signs in the landscape. All around him were rolling hills and trees. Someone had flattened the hill
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