Free The Fuller's Apprentice (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 1) by Angela Holder Page A

not have done a very good job, because Elkan laughed. “You’re doing well, Josiah. We’ve made good time today. By the time we get to Darilla, you’ll be a seasoned traveler.”
    The sun was nearly down when Elkan finally stopped at a farm. Josiah’s feet burned and his back ached. He slid his pack from his shoulders with a groan as Elkan spoke with the woman who opened the door. She showed them to seats by the fire while she hastened to add portions to the food she was preparing for her family.
    Josiah ate ravenously. It would have been considered an insult to offer payment, but Elkan healed a few scrapes and bruises and spoke a blessing over the farm’s fields and animals. He had Josiah take off his boots, and warm golden radiance soothed away his blisters. The little farmhouse had no spare rooms, but there was a straw pallet for Josiah and Elkan to share, spread in front of the fireplace. It was much harder than the beds Josiah was used to, but he was so tired he didn’t care. He was asleep within moments of closing his eyes.
    He awoke, stiff and sore, shortly before sunrise. Their hostess fed them a breakfast of fresh eggs and fried ham, and they were out on the road as the sun crept into the sky.
    The country they passed through was wilder than the day before. The farms were scattered much farther apart. Instead of large market farms, these were small holdings which provided only what their inhabitants needed. The people here were mostly self-sufficient, making the long journey to town no more than three or four times per year.
    The going was hard for Josiah from the start, but at least his feet felt fine, and the walking helped work out the stiffness in his back and legs. His pack felt twice as heavy as the day before.
    His discomfort was balanced by fascination with the world around him. This was farther than he’d ever been from home before, and the landscape was different from anything he knew. In the afternoon they entered a large forest. The road dwindled to a narrow trail, marked by blazes cut into trees or arrows carved on rocks. Pine needles were thick underfoot, the air was cool, and the light was filtered and green, dim except where beams of gold slanted through openings in the branches.
    Toward evening, grey clouds blew in, obscuring the sky. The air grew colder.
    “Do you think it will rain?” Josiah wondered.
    Elkan glanced at Sardonyx. The donkey stopped walking, raised his head, and sniffed the air, his ears twitching. He cocked his head to the side. Then he snorted, flicked his tail, and resumed plodding onward.
    “Sar thinks it will start raining after sundown,” Elkan said. “We should keep an eye out for a place to take shelter.”
    “Is that another one of the Mother’s powers?” Josiah stared at the donkey. It was becoming clear Sar was far from the ordinary beast he outwardly seemed.
    “Not really, just his natural senses. Though he’s more able to understand what his senses tell him than an ordinary animal.”
    “So familiars are smarter than regular animals? Is that why they can help you? Where do your familiars come from, anyway? Do you breed them?” Josiah stopped. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to ask about things that might be guild secrets.”
    “No, it’s all right. The Wizards’ Guild only has one secret, and if you stray too far in that direction, I’ll let you know. To answer your questions: Yes, Mother-touched animals are much more intelligent than common animals. They’re at least as smart as humans, although it’s hard to tell because they remain animals, with cares and concerns very different than ours. We don’t breed them; the Mother’s touch isn’t inherited. Their offspring are usually ordinary animals, whether they breed with others who are Mother-touched or not. That doesn’t seem to bother them, by the way. They see very little difference between themselves and other members of their species.”
    The donkey snorted. “Sar says there is no