The Elementalist (The Kothian Chronicles Book 1) by Andrew Wood Page A

whole ordeal.
     
    Danton shook his head, "As much as I would like to...I am afraid not. I just hope they can talk themselves out of it."
    "How are we going to cross the river now?" Mikel asked, "This is your fault Maxim, everything was fine until you turned up...," he hissed.
    It was Melia who felt the need to slap Mikel, doing so right across his face.
    "Ouch...what the bloody hell was that for?" he asked all innocently.
    She snarled at him, "This is not Maxim's fault, we are in this together. If you don't like it, then go crawl back to whatever dung pile you came out of," she snapped.
     
    Danton hissed, trying to get them to keep the noise down. "Arguing amongst ourselves is not going to do any good, now come on," he said gesturing for them to keep moving away from the house. With it being winter and them having no cloaks, they all very quickly started feeling the cold. Mikel, was naturally first to grumble, but everyone just ignored him. At least the freezing weather meant the fields they crossed were firm underfoot, and not knee deep in mud as they could have been.
     
    They found the old barn, just as Aileen had told them they would. One of the doors was hanging off its hinges and there was a huge hole in the roof in one corner, but this was where they had to wait. They did find an old canvas tarpaulin shoved against the wall, and despite it being a bit grubby and very smelly, Danton suggested they use it to wrap around themselves.
     
    Mikel was clearly not happy about it, but did so without complaining too much. Zack huddled up close to Maxim, and Melia did likewise to Zack, and there they sat and waited. "How long do we leave it?" Zack eventually asked after realising Stanton might not be coming. "If Stanton and Aileen get arrested for harbouring us, then..." he did not need to finish the sentence for everyone to know what he was getting at.
     
    Danton told them they would have to wait until night anyway. If Stanton failed to show before then, then he would sneak back and bring what horses and supplies he could. "You could go back now Danton," Maxim said, "Keep yourself invisible, see what's going on. Give us a signal if it's clear, and we can run back to get all our stuff," he added. Danton nodded, "Okay but let us give it another half hour or so, to at least let the soldiers move on."
    "Oh I see," Mikel said, "When Maxim suggests it, it's a good idea. When I say anything I'm being stupid."
    "That is because you are stupid," Melia said sticking her tongue out at him.
     
    They sat a while longer, "I really do not know how anybody can survive in these conditions," Zack said breaking the silence. "How ever did you manage Maxim?" he asked. The young ginger haired lad just shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal. In truth of course, he knew only too well, how hard his life had been. "I just feel so cold," Melia said, huddling as close as she could to Zack, who put his arm around her. She suddenly felt much warmer, and even a little tingly; the young royal really was far more handsome than she had realised.
     
    Eventually Danton stood, "Right I'll sneak back and check to see what has happened. If everything is clear, I'll give a signal." After enquiring what that signal might be, he showed them his light orb he could magic. He told them to give him twenty minutes, and for one of them to leave the barn to check the farmhouse in the distance. "I will create the light at one of the windows facing this direction, it should be bright enough for you to see even in daylight."
     
    Danton trotted off out of the barn and out of sight. Now the others had to wait once more, with the four youngsters huddled together, and the dirty canvas tarpaulin wrapped around them. All were cold, and realising he had missed breakfast after all, Mikel felt hungry as well. In an effort to keep his mind off it, he suggested to Melia other ways in which they could keep warm, "I would rather freeze Mikel," she said with the look of horror on her