The Wretched of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood #1)

“You should be worried too! The trouble is that you are not worried enough. If the Aldermaston finds out that we lied to him, he will punish us. I do not want to be sent to the village.”


“He will not send us away,” Lia said, though not totally sure of herself. She was about to tell Sowe to open the door to the manor, but she did it on her own. They walked in uncomfortable silence to the Aldermaston’s chamber and Sowe knocked timidly.

“Knock harder,” Lia said with frustration. “You knock too softly.”

Sowe knocked a little harder then pulled the handle and opened it, and Lia entered first.

“Thank you both,” the Aldermaston said. “It has been a calmer day for all of us. Ah, the soup smells wonderful. Very fragrant. Give my compliments to Pasqua.”

“We will,” Lia said and Sowe turned to go, but Lia lingered.

The Aldermaston paused before the steamy bowl and gave Lia a quizzical look. “Yes?”

Lia swallowed. “They say that the king’s army is coming. That there may be war.”

“There may be. Do not be concerned about it.” He raised his spoon to sip.

“But if there are soldiers, they may come to the abbey. The sheriff said…”

The Aldermaston interrupted, “I would not regard anything the sheriff told you.”

Lia clenched her teeth, tried not to frown, and glanced at the chimneypiece on the side wall. It was a quick look, the slightest glance, just to be sure it was still on the mantle. It was.



Lia, with Sowe fidgeting alongside her, returned for the tray and dishes after sunset. She knew the Aldermaston would be discussing the events of the day with the teachers. His personal chamber was usually empty at that time.

“What are you doing?” Sowe asked as Lia approached the chimneypiece. “You are not supposed to touch…Lia, what are you…Lia!”

On the mantle, beneath a leather wrap, there was a shiny metal orb, its rim decorated with intricate markings. The bottom half was made out of solid gold or aurichalcum. Two spindles suspended on a round inset. The top half of the sphere was made from gold stays that joined at the top to a sculpted design. It reminded Lia of the kitchen roof and how the beams arched upwards and supported the weight of bricks and shingles. The orb was heavy, but not unexpectedly so, about the size of a large apple.

“Put that away!” Sowe whispered, looking back at the door. “If the Aldermaston saw you…”

“If you are so nervous, then listen at the door instead of whining at me. I need to see if it will work for me.”

“Work for you? That is more valuable than the ring you stole, Lia. Do not tell me you are going to steal it. Put it down, please!”

Lia held the orb in her hand and looked at the spindles, at the rim. Years before, a child had wandered from the nursery and was lost in the swampland surrounding the rear of the abbey. Every helper spent hours trying to find the little boy, and since Jon Hunter had not returned from a neighboring abbey, no one could locate the missing boy. As sunset threatened nightfall, the Aldermaston used the orb. The spindles had spun dizzyingly and then directed them on the right course. He was found just after sunset in the woods surrounding the grounds.

The weight of the orb against her palm was reassuring and warm. In her heart, she believed it would work. If the Leerings obeyed her, she knew this would too. Taking a deep breath, she sent her thoughts inside it – show me the way to Winterrowd.

“Lia, please…oh!”

The orb came to life, the inner ring whirring faster than a waterwheel. The spindles on the top joined together and pointed west. Writing appeared on the lower half the orb, as if an invisible hand with a stylus etched them there in the blink of an eye.

“Lia…how did you do that?” Sowe whispered in awe.

Lia stared at it, a broad smile on her face. She was very pleased with herself. “I just asked it to show me the direction of Winterrowd. Let me try it again. Show me the Aldermaston.”

The spindles whirred again, the points going apart before coming together again, pointing in the direction of the cloister.

“Where is Pasqua?” Lia said again, and again the spindles parted and then joined, pointing exactly in the direction of the Abbey kitchen. She looked into Sowe’s eyes and saw fear and respect blazing there.

“Bring me the mug from the tray.”

Sowe shook her head no. “You cannot steal this, Lia. If you are caught…”

“I am not going to steal it. I just need to borrow it. If it will point the way to Winterrowd, then all is done. We can send our friend on his way and I can return it tomorrow.”

“But the Aldermaston…what if he…?”

Lia wanted to shake her. “Yes, if he misses it, he will be furious. There is a life at risk. Do not be so heartless. We have helped him this far. We cannot abandon him to the sheriff to be murdered.”