The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [32]
Long before he has any desire to shed the veil of sleep, an annoying rooster beneath his window begins to crow; making a general nuisance of itself. The insistent crowing prevents him from being able to return to sleep. Every time he was about to fall asleep, the rooster would crow, startling him back to consciousness.
Sighing, he realizes that further sleep is simply impossible with that racket going on outside. He lies in bed for some time hoping the rooster will stop, but the annoying bird seems content to crow all morning long. Exasperated, he finally gives up completely and sits on the edge of the bed. Feeling better for the full night’s sleep, but wishing the rooster had picked a spot farther removed from his window to greet the morning, he gets out of bed and makes his way to the window. It’s a little rooster that stands beneath his window. It cocks its head to one side and looks up at James out of one eye as if to say “Yes? You want something?”
“Shoo!”
As if in spite, the rooster crows one last time before walking away.
The world outside looks to be the beginnings of a beautiful, summer day. The sun has already risen a good distance over the horizon and he spies Corbin and Devin out in the nearby field hard at work. The faint odor of bacon is in the air and his stomach growls. Starving, James makes his way from his room.
He finds Mary shelling peas at the table where they had dinner the night before. She glances up as he emerges from his room. “Feeling better?”
About to answer, he waits as a yawn that could not be denied expresses itself. “A little.” His leg did throb, but not nearly to the degree it had yesterday. It must be on the mend.
“We thought it best not to wake you. Ceryn came by earlier and picked up his wagon. He left for home an hour ago.” Taking another pod, she cracks it open and empties the peas into a bowl already half filled with the round objects. “Corbin and Devin are out in the field, as is Elizabeth. Cyanna is around here somewhere. Are you hungry?”
The growl from his stomach is all the answer she needs. Smiling, she rises and says, “I know how to fix that.” She taps the chair next to her. “Sit here and I will bring you something.” She sets the empty pod on the discard pile before disappearing into the kitchen only to return a short time later with a plate full of biscuits and a small jar of jam. She places the plate in front of him then returns to the kitchen. When next she emerges, she bears a skillet containing eggs and potatoes from breakfast. She scrapes the rest onto his plate. “The eggs may be a bit cool, they’ve been ready for a while.”
Cool though the eggs may be, they are very good. He puts a hearty helping of jam on his biscuit and takes a bite. The taste brings back the memories of his grandmother’s biscuits and produces a touch of homesickness.
“Good breakfast, it reminds me of home.”
Returning to her peas she smiles at the compliment. “Ceryn says he found you lost in the woods, almost ready to be killed by a pack of wolves?” More a question than statement, she cast him a glance as another pod split under her expert hands.
“That’s true, he did. If it wasn’t for him I’d be dead.”
“How did you get in those woods in the first place, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Not sure what to say he settles for, “It’s kind of hard to explain, really. I don’t exactly know how I got there to tell you the truth.” It was the truth in that he couldn’t tell her exactly, but he did have a few unsubstantiated theories.
“Poor boy. Are you planning