David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb T.C. Crawford (easy to read books for adults list .txt) 📖

handed him his portion of the meal with a friendly smile. David smiled in kind and looked down at the roasted meat, starving but not having the will to eat.

The fight had diminished his energy greatly and he felt he could eat an entire cow, but for now the realization of what he had done was overwhelming. He was becoming a killer. First Tony, now this man. What’s happening to me? He set his piece of meat down and rubbed his temple which was throbbing painfully.

When Erin finished eating, she set up small bedrolls for the two of them to sleep on. She curled up and almost instantly fell asleep. David on the other hand couldn’t sleep; he had too much on his mind.

Now that the day had ended, David’s nerves had taken control. His stomach felt sick. He had survived a brutal battle with soldiers who were trying to kill him. They had survived, but just barely. How did he get himself into such a mess? He wondered how Erin could be so cool about everything that was happening when he was so shaken by it. As his thoughts wandered off, recounting the events that led him to this dangerous new world, he found himself drifting into a deep dreamless sleep.

✽✽✽

David woke with the sharp hissing of water splashing on hot coals and a gentle shake from his new friend. “Wake up, David. We have to get moving.” she said with a friendly smile. She seemed refreshed from the day before and was eager to get moving again.

The clouds above them seemed to have dissipated over night, but still loomed in the distance over what they knew to be Eldergate. The sun was still low in the sky by the looks of the light coming through the trees, but it was hard to tell. David assumed it was sometime still early in the morning, as the dew was still dripping from the canopy in a random assortment of drops here and there.

They picked up their makeshift beds and rolled them up before securing them onto their packs. Erin then set about creating false tracks heading in the opposite direction as a diversion and told David to get rid of the evidence of their fire. He covered up the area with dirt and spread around a few sticks and twigs to make it blend in with the scenery around them. When they finished their tasks, they set off once again through the forest in the direction of the smoke plume from the day before; hoping their attempts to avert their pursuers was successful enough to buy them some time to get a good head start on the day.

They felt refreshed from their sleep and were both enjoying the peaceful atmosphere around them, feeling safe for the first time since their meeting with the Elders. They watched a couple of brilliantly colored birds weaving in and out of the branches overhead singing a song along the way. They were picking up small leaves and twigs in their mouth and carrying them back to their nests. They noticed a group of squirrel-like creatures jumping in the trees from branch to branch playing what looked like tag, for when one caught up with the others it would tackle the nearest one and then run away uttering cheerful little cries as it took flight from the friend it tackled. David and Erin laughed at the display as they walked along.

The day continued relatively uneventful with the sun rising higher in the sky, bringing with it a gentle warmth to chase off the coolness of the morning. They marched on until midday when they decided to stop and rest near a small stream. David took their flasks to the stream and filled them up while Erin set about making their lunch consisting of what remained of their dried meat and cheese, putting a few pieces on bread for the two of them to enjoy. After finishing up their lunch David decided to take another look at their whereabouts. This time though, he decided he would keep a closer eye on Erin.

He climbed to the top of a tall tree and looked around, spotting the smoke trail once again, but this time it was much closer. They had come a long way; the smoke was now only a mile or two from their current position. David hurried down the tree and told Erin of their progress, setting off immediately towards their now much closer destination with a new sense of purpose.

They reached what appeared to be the main road just near the outskirts of the village in less than an hour, hoping that they had found the village the elders spoke of.

It was a little town consisting of a few small houses and businesses, an inn, a pub, and what looked like a large townhall. It was enclosed by a tall wall made up of large spiked timbers. The wall formed two semi circles around the village and had two gates, one on each end of the village. They casually walked up to the gate closest to them and a group of local soldiers stopped chattering as one stepped forward, hand on his hilt ready for any sign of trouble.

“Who are you and what is your business here?” said the man with a piercing glare.

“We mean no harm. We are travelers from Eldergate. We are looking for a friend who we’re told lives in a village called West Post” said Erin.

“Aye, we heard about the trouble in Eldergate. It is a shame, that is. Heard the King’s own soldiers went savage and betrayed him. That the General had to step in and fight them off. Heard there were terrible losses, that the King was killed in the uprising.” said the man.

Erin and David each shared a meaningful look before the man at the gate continued.

“You’re not the first refugees that have made their way to our gates. Don’t worry, you’re safe here. This here is