My 8 E-books written over the years by Alina Udrea - HTML preview

Chapter 2

It was a warm evening but Mark knew he had better get to the nearest village

soon as he needed shelter for the night and his horse, his most prized possession in the world, was just as tired. Mark had paid a good sum of money for it with the money he got from selling the house but it was an investment which had to be done. He needed a horse to travel if he wanted to get to king Harold’s court. It was too far away to make the journey on foot. So he hurried to the first settlement. It was a tiny fishing village by the name of Fish Shore. He steadied his horse and studied the already darkened alleys. Filth was everywhere and the whole village seemed to stink of rotten fish. Two so called ladies were waving at him, blowing kisses and inviting him God knows where. He wasn’t curious in such women. When he would find someone, it would be an honest girl. Not this type. Further down the road he found a small inn which seemed cleaner than the

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rest of the surrounding buildings. He checked his money pouch to make sure it was all there and then he went inside. Once inside, a smell of freshly cooked fish tickled his senses. This smelled good, not the rotten stench from the outside. His stomach also started to grumble as a response to the nice aroma coming from the kitchen. He decided to take a sit at a table in the corner closest to the entrance to the kitchen. As soon as he took a seat at the table, a young maiden came to take his order.

- What can I get you, sir? The girl asked shyly and stood there waiting for his answer.

- First of all, he answered, please make sure Black Star is well fed and taken care of. Then, seeing that she was staring at him and still standing there he realized she didn’t know what or rather who he was talking about.- My horse, go feed my horse first. Then I’ll have some fish and wine for me. And a room for the night.

- Oh, sure, the stable boy will take care of your horse. And I’ll get you your food and wine. Then she turned and left in a hurry. Some minutes later Mark was having dinner and drinking some cheap wine that the girl had brought him. After he finished, he paid for everything and also for the room. He needed some sleep as he was going to ride the next day and the following days until he would get to king Harold’s court. He fell asleep that night as soon as his head hit the pillow. His sleep was agitated as he didn’t know what he would encounter on his trip and if he would make it to become a knight or a soldier.