The next few days passed without incident. Sir Jethro taught, Rolen learned, and Dunderhead slacked off. But that day it was riding practice again... Rolen expected to be sent for a day of hard riding around rough countryside, but instead he was sent into town. Errands, of course, and riding practice.
Just like Sir Jethro to do that...
As he rode towards town, Rolen made inventory of the errands he had to run. Bring this to the postman, go to that shop, ect.
*******************************************
The Book-cart Man sat on his Book-cart, ringing the bell that was attached to a cord so that it would ring the bell whenever he needed to without leaving the seat. The cart was painted in gaudy colors, and readily attracted attention.
The Book-cart Man made his money in this way: he collected books, and carried them in his cart. For a fee, he allowed people to borrow a book. Then they could keep the book for a little while, and then they would return the book. They could also exchange books for a very small price. Even the poor people sometimes exchanged books. He was a well known person in the town, and he knew many of the people as well.
*******************************************
Rolen made his way through town, stopping to tie his horse at the inn. He picked up a satchel which was filled with the things he would need for errand running... and some books. He intended to switch out his book, and Squire Dunderhead’s as well. If he had time to find the Book-cart Man, that is. Just then, the Book-cart man turned the corner onto the very street he was on! That was extraordinary good luck.
He waved to the man, who waved back and stopped the cart. Rolen handed over the two books in his bag, and then began to search through the shelves and piles of books that littered the inside of the cart.
Meanwhile, a young lady in a blue dress had gone in pursuit of the Book-cart after missing it. It had stopped by her mansion, but she had not made it down in time to return her book and get a new one... so here she was, walking through the town. She had decided against riding, since it would take much time to get her mount saddled and ready on such short notice. She arrived at the Book-cart, on the opposite side from Rolen. She returned her book and began to look through the pile, especially for a new story, or maybe a book of history or something.
Buried in the stack was a book. The Royal Crown: Magik of the Mage. As the two began searching through the books, more and more books were removed from on top of it. And then... Rolen grabbed the book. And so did the girl. And as they both tried to pick it up at once and found a resistance, they both began to pull. And even though the girl was strong, Rolen had the advantage of his morning Exercises. He was able to pull the book away, and read the title.
Finding the book torn away from her, the girl walked around the cart, correctly deducing that someone had been pulling from the other side of the cart. At first she didn’t recognize the person... and then she realized it was the one who had pushed her in the Market. Rolen didn’t see her, since he had opened the book to check it out. Suddenly the book was snatched out of his hands and he was looking into the face of an angry girl.
“You!”
The girl shrieked at him. He then recognized her, and began stammering,
“Hey, listen, that cart was abou-“
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, you little- first pushing me, then stealing the- you...”
“The cart was about to hit you! I was trying to keep you from getting hit!”
A voice came from behind them.
“Now, now. No fighting children.”
Leed stood, grinning. He had just walked out of the inn and had seen the whole thing, and had been about to approach Rolen when the girl appeared. Rolen whipped around.
“Leed!”
“Yes, Rolen. So what are you two squabbling about? A book? You pushed a girl over a book?”
“No, on Market day she was about to get hit by a cart and-“
“He pushed me, my head was bumped and my dress got dirty.”
The girl glared at Rolen. She was still mad at him... but if he really had rescued her from being hit by a cart... her pondering was interrupted by the man whom the boy had called Leed had walked over to her and taken the book out of her hand. She was about to begin scolding when he interrupted.
“Excuse me for taking this book... but magic is always interesting to me...”
The other two could not see it, but there was a very faint blue and purple glow around the book. Only Leed saw this, as he hummed a tune. As soon as he stopped humming the glow faded.
“You two... this book is special. From what I saw, you both want it... so, I suggest you work together.”
“What?!”
Just like Sir Jethro to do that...
As he rode towards town, Rolen made inventory of the errands he had to run. Bring this to the postman, go to that shop, ect.
*******************************************
The Book-cart Man sat on his Book-cart, ringing the bell that was attached to a cord so that it would ring the bell whenever he needed to without leaving the seat. The cart was painted in gaudy colors, and readily attracted attention.
The Book-cart Man made his money in this way: he collected books, and carried them in his cart. For a fee, he allowed people to borrow a book. Then they could keep the book for a little while, and then they would return the book. They could also exchange books for a very small price. Even the poor people sometimes exchanged books. He was a well known person in the town, and he knew many of the people as well.
*******************************************
Rolen made his way through town, stopping to tie his horse at the inn. He picked up a satchel which was filled with the things he would need for errand running... and some books. He intended to switch out his book, and Squire Dunderhead’s as well. If he had time to find the Book-cart Man, that is. Just then, the Book-cart man turned the corner onto the very street he was on! That was extraordinary good luck.
He waved to the man, who waved back and stopped the cart. Rolen handed over the two books in his bag, and then began to search through the shelves and piles of books that littered the inside of the cart.
Meanwhile, a young lady in a blue dress had gone in pursuit of the Book-cart after missing it. It had stopped by her mansion, but she had not made it down in time to return her book and get a new one... so here she was, walking through the town. She had decided against riding, since it would take much time to get her mount saddled and ready on such short notice. She arrived at the Book-cart, on the opposite side from Rolen. She returned her book and began to look through the pile, especially for a new story, or maybe a book of history or something.
Buried in the stack was a book. The Royal Crown: Magik of the Mage. As the two began searching through the books, more and more books were removed from on top of it. And then... Rolen grabbed the book. And so did the girl. And as they both tried to pick it up at once and found a resistance, they both began to pull. And even though the girl was strong, Rolen had the advantage of his morning Exercises. He was able to pull the book away, and read the title.
Finding the book torn away from her, the girl walked around the cart, correctly deducing that someone had been pulling from the other side of the cart. At first she didn’t recognize the person... and then she realized it was the one who had pushed her in the Market. Rolen didn’t see her, since he had opened the book to check it out. Suddenly the book was snatched out of his hands and he was looking into the face of an angry girl.
“You!”
The girl shrieked at him. He then recognized her, and began stammering,
“Hey, listen, that cart was abou-“
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, you little- first pushing me, then stealing the- you...”
“The cart was about to hit you! I was trying to keep you from getting hit!”
A voice came from behind them.
“Now, now. No fighting children.”
Leed stood, grinning. He had just walked out of the inn and had seen the whole thing, and had been about to approach Rolen when the girl appeared. Rolen whipped around.
“Leed!”
“Yes, Rolen. So what are you two squabbling about? A book? You pushed a girl over a book?”
“No, on Market day she was about to get hit by a cart and-“
“He pushed me, my head was bumped and my dress got dirty.”
The girl glared at Rolen. She was still mad at him... but if he really had rescued her from being hit by a cart... her pondering was interrupted by the man whom the boy had called Leed had walked over to her and taken the book out of her hand. She was about to begin scolding when he interrupted.
“Excuse me for taking this book... but magic is always interesting to me...”
The other two could not see it, but there was a very faint blue and purple glow around the book. Only Leed saw this, as he hummed a tune. As soon as he stopped humming the glow faded.
“You two... this book is special. From what I saw, you both want it... so, I suggest you work together.”
“What?!”
