Call of the Herald Read Online Free Page B

muffled cries. Running as fast as she could toward the nearby
sound, she burst into the clearing. Osbourne was near the center on
his hands and knees. Blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth,
and he clutched his side. Peten Ross, Carter Bessin, and Chad Macub
were on horseback and appeared to have be taking turns riding past
Osbourne, beating him with their wooden staves.
    "Stop this madness!" Catrin shouted as she
ran to Osbourne's side. She crouched over his body, hoping to
protect him yet knowing she could not; she was overmatched. He
whimpered beneath her, spitting blood through his ruptured
lips.
    "Out of the way, farm girl, or you'll share
this one's fate. He needs a lesson in showing respect to his
betters," Peten said as he spurred his horse. As he swept past, he
swung his staff in a powerful arc, landing a solid blow on Catrin's
shoulder. She barely had time to recover from his attack before
Carter approached. His mount was blowing hard from the workout,
sweat frothing around saddle and bridle alike.
    His staff swung wide, striking her on her
hip, but she barely felt the pain. As Peten wheeled his horse and
dug in his heels, his eyes were those of a madman. He seemed intent
on killing her and Osbourne, and Catrin became convinced her death
approached. Peten was a well-muscled athlete who had trained in the
jousts for as long as he could ride. He would not miss his target
again, and her defiance clearly enraged him, leaving little chance
of mercy.
    Time slowed, and as she cried out in fear,
her voice sounded hollow and strange in her ears. Still Peten came,
aiming his mount so close that she feared they would be trampled.
He did not run them down, though; instead he brought his horse just
close enough to provide a clear shot at Catrin. She watched in
horror as his staff swung directly at her head, and she saw her own
terrified reflection in its highly polished surface as it blocked
out the rest of the world. Intense sadness overwhelmed her as she
prepared to die. Though she hoped Osbourne would survive the
encounter, it seemed unlikely.
    In the next instant, Catrin's world was
forever changed. Her body shuddered, and a sound louder than
thunder ripped through the clearing. She tried to make sense of
what she saw as the world seemed to fly away from her. Everything
took on a yellowish tint, which faded to blackness as she crumbled
to the ground.
     
    * * *
     
    Nat Dersinger turned his nose to the wind and
inhaled deeply. The wind carried the smell of misfortune, and he
had learned better than to ignore his instincts. Despite the fact
that he'd caught no fish, he pulled in his nets. Looking out at the
clear skies, broken by only fluffy white clouds that seemed frozen
in time, he wondered if he was just being silly, but the ill
feeling persisted and grew more intense with every passing
moment.
    With a sense of urgency, he raised his sails
and guided his small craft back to the harbor. Along the way he
passed other fishing vessels, but no one waved or shouted out in
greeting, as they did with other fishermen. Most just cast Nat
suspicious glances, others glared at him until they were lost from
sight. Nat tried not to let any of it bother him, but he soon
realized he was grinding his teeth and his hands were clenched into
fists. Too many times he'd been treated as an outcast, as if he
were not even human. With a long sigh, he released his frustration
and concentrated on avoiding the scores of hidden rock formations
that flanked the harbor entrance.
    At the docks, he received more strange
looks--partly because he was back long before most of the other
fishermen would return, and partly because he brought no fish to
the cleaning tables, but mostly it was because he was Nat
Dersinger, son of a madman. Most would rather see him dead or
exiled; others simply tolerated him. There were few people he
trusted and fewer still who trusted him. It was a lonely and
unforgiving existence, but he had to believe it was all for