Maggie of the Mist by Madeleine M. (icecream ebook reader TXT) 📖

His breath stunk of cheap ale, and his rough beard showed ruminants of the drink, as well as bits of food from his last meal.

 

“How many rooms are available?” She tried not to cringe when he smiled at her. His teeth were a grotesque blend of yellow, rotting, and missing.

 

“Depends on how many men have you booked.” He looked her over again with a discomforting gleam in his eye. Maggie resisted the urge to either run back outside for fresh air or slap him until whatever senses he did have were gone. This man was disgusting.

 

Maggie straightened to her full height, which wasn’t much. “Just one room for my friends and I, would be fine.” She attempted a polite tone as she gestured to Angus and Vika. Both of them sent a death glare to the greasy man. If looks could kill, he would be dead twice over. His smile faded.

 

“Rooms are given after meals.” He grumbled and pointed to a sign behind him that stated just that. Maggie nodded her understanding and towed Vika and Angus to an empty table near the stage she had noticed when they first came in. She kept a close hand on Vika’s arm to prevent her from lunging at the next man who whistled at them. Her other hand remained firm on the fiddle case. Angus followed behind them as they shoved through the crowd.

 

Once they were seated, it took a while for a server to take their order. Maggie didn’t mind. It was nice to sit down without being jolted. A nice girl, no older than ten years, with what was considered modest attire – at least in here – came and advised they take the smoked beef sandwiches. She smiled a lot at Angus, who just sunk lower in his chair. Only when she left to get their food, did the boy relax.

 

“Hey, do you play?” a sudden voice behind Maggie made her jump. She turned and came face to face with a young man a good seven summers older than her. He was crouching down to look her in the eye as she stayed in her chair. When she just stared blankly, he sighed and pointed to the case she had set on the chair next to her. “There’s an instrument in there, right?”

 

Maggie nodded and glanced at Vika. Her friend just shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I play,” when the man’s face brightened, she added hastily, “but only a little.”

 

“Are you kidding? I bet you’ll be great. Come on, I’ll back you up,” he grabbed her arm with one big hand and her fiddle case in the other. Before Maggie could refuse, he had dragged her out of her chair and up to the small platform. He handed her the case and bent over another. Without much thought, she had her fiddle out, tuned, and resting on her shoulder, with her bow tightened and rosined. “Oh, name’s Aiden, by the way.” His voice matched his warm face.

 

Maggie hesitated, waiting for the stone to do something. It gave off a comforting heat. It was her choice. She decided Aiden was safe to trust. “I’m, um, I’m Maggie.” She stumbled over her words.  Aiden gave her a reassuring smile and motioned for her to start so he could join in with a box shaped string instrument. She took a shaky breath and pulled the bow across the strings.

 

The whole room fell silent, all eyes on her. Maggie felt her pulse in her throat as she played a traditional tavern song. When she let the last notes float across their heads, the room erupted in applause. Maggie gave a shaky smile and went to put her fiddle away. “Play another, lass!” someone yelled. The patrons broke out with whistles and cheers, calling for her to play again. She sighed and gave a questioning look to Aiden.

 

“Told you,” he grinned, showing a row of perfect teeth. Maggie gave a shy smile in return. “Go on, I’ll be able to keep up.” Taking another deep breath, but with more confidence, Maggie faced the crowd again. The first song that popped into her head was a fast one. Her heart kept time as people cleared the floor in front of the stage for dancing couples. Hands clapped and voices sang the well-known words. Maggie got so caught up in playing she almost forgot to take a break between each song for the dancers to breathe.

 

Maggie played a few more pieces before their dinner arrived and Aiden told her to go eat. As she returned to her companions, he took out another instrument. It was long and slim, with holes down one side. He brought one end to his lips and a high but dreamy melody drifted over the tables. An older woman, with dark hair and tanned skin, walked onto the platform and began to sing in a beautiful foreign language.

 

Maggie, Vika and Angus munched on their delicious meal. Someone at the next table said that the singer was from across the Great Sea. Where the sun burned white sandy beaches and it was hot year round. Almost everyone there had darker skin. The land was called Isles, for the cluster of islands that made it. The three travellers watched in awe. They had no idea what the woman from the Isles was saying, but her facial expressions told a story of happiness.

 

Once Maggie finished, Aiden dragged her back up again. The audience clapped and Aiden brought another instrument on stage. The base of it looked like the lid of a barrel. It had strings stretched up a long, thin neck. He plucked a few strings, making a twang. Maggie played tunes she thought would sound best with Aiden’s current instrument.

 

She was finishing her third song with the twanging strings when the door burst open. Three large men with swords clumsily concealed under cloaks walked into the full pub. A woman, about Maggie’s height strolled casually in behind them. They made their way to the back of the room, where an empty table waited untouched. Most people ignored them, like they weren’t even there, while others openly stared. Maggie felt her supper sink low in her stomach. Keeping her gaze steadily on her fingers, she copied the majority of the room and ignored them.

 

She looked up once done the song and locked eyes with the woman. Her copper hair was pulled back with a bunch of tiny braids that lead to a horse tail at the back of her head. Her thin form was draped with black, causing her silvery knives to stand out threateningly. She nodded to something one of the big men next to her said. Her stony hazel eyes bored into Maggie’s soft blues ones, making her shutter. Maggie took a hasty bow, packed up her fiddle, and thanked Aiden for accompanying her as she fled the small wooden platform. The air around her was cold, but Maggie wasn’t sure if it was from the stone that was giving her skin frost bite or from the recently opened door.

 

“We need to leave,” she whispered to Vika and Angus, digging for coin in her pockets. “Now,” Tossing the money on the table, Maggie led them back out into the cool night. Hurriedly, she removed the stone from beneath her top. In the darkness, it gave off a blue glow and it was freezing to the touch. The other two gasped. “Get the horses.” She ordered as she shoved the necklace back under the cloth.

 

They found the horses in the stable stalls behind the Old Dog. The boy was standing watch by the door. Angus thanked him and gave him part of a sandwich. He scampered off without a word.  Maggie had just finished strapping her case to Gregor’s saddle, when they heard the pub’s door open. She quickly peaked out the doorway and saw the light pouring from the establishment onto the street.

 

Four shadows soon blocked out the light. One by one they appeared in the street. Their bodies angled so nothing but shadows covered their faces. The woman’s copper hair shone in the warm light from the full pub. They slowly made their way towards the little building where Maggie and the other two were hiding.

Chapter 8

Slowly, the four shadows crept their way towards the stables, their boots crunching on the gravel as they drew closer. Behind her, Maggie heard Vika whispering to their horses. She had a strange way with the beasts. She was probably soothing them for the quickly thought-up escape. With several quick strides Maggie was next to Gregor in his stall, the reins of the three horses gripped tight in clammy hands. Trying to steady her breathing as the stone made her skin go numb with cold was a little difficult.

 

She nodded to Angus, who stood by the other full stalls. He returned it and let loose the horses. He slapped their hides as they ran out the back of the stable while Vika held the door. Maggie let Gregor, Scott and Dagger out with the other horses. All three humans dashed into the shadows of the empty stalls as the thundering sounds drifted out of the stables.

 

“Warrior! Where’s the wench?” a husky voice growled not far from where Maggie huddled in a pile of straw. Their soft leather boots muffled their steps. She hadn’t known they were even in the stable until she heard the man talk.

 

“Patience, Marco,” came another rough voice, it echoed around the room. Marco grunted. “The girl can’t have gone far. Especially considering her ride is gone, without her on it.” Maggie held her breath, hoping they couldn’t hear the hammering of her pulse.

 

“So she doesn’t have a horse,” a third male voice joined in. It was younger than the other two. “What do we do now, boss?”

 

“Now, dear boys, we split,” Maggie guessed it was the copper haired woman that spoke. She definitely had the commanding tone to be in charge of these men. “With no horse, she is either still in here, or already chasing the beast. Marco and Jay, you two stay here. There are only two ways out of this place, one for each of you. Andes and I will go find the horse,” Maggie heard two pairs of footsteps moving away from her hiding place. The woman called back, once she got to the door, “Remember boys, it is only one little girl.” Then they were gone.

 

Maggie felt her blood seething as it coursed through her body. She was no little girl. She knew it was only a rouse, but she struggled to keep a tight grip on her emotions. After the sound of horses pounding past the stable tapered off, the two guards seemed to relax a bit.

 

“I can’t believe we have to hunt down a girl!” Marco complained. Maggie prayed Vika could control her anger and not give them away. “If the money weren’t so good, I’d ‘ave said ‘To Veils with it!’. But a man’s got to live, huh Jay?” Marco barked out a laugh.

 

“Whatever you say, old man.” Jay was obviously the younger man, which meant the calmer one went with the woman. He didn’t seem too thrilled to be guarding the stables.

 

“Watch your tone, boy. Just because you’re related