The Witch and the Tower: Book 1

The Stone

The room would be void of noise if not for the soft sound of water dripping from every crack it can find. It chills my hand as I feel my way across the room with the help of the wall and the flickering yellow from the few candles. They fight to keep warm in the cold, giving off just enough light to help me find my prize, an old oak chest. It takes little time to find the latch. A click echoes up the high walls of the stone tower.

Gold, silver, and bronze coins and statues made from marble glitter and tempt from within the chest. My gaze, however, falls on a tattered cloth. When I take hold of the pouch and uncover my treasure, there's no brilliant gleam, prophetic light, or sacred song. It seems to be nothing more than a plain gray rock that doesn't look like it would sell for more than a few bronze pieces, but I know what it is. It's all that can save me. Save my people.

"Just who left this unlocked?!" An unknown man's voice, accompanied by the door's creaking, travels down the long corridor leading to the treasury. The sudden interruption surprises me. I jump from my squat, and the chest lid shuts with a thud. The latch clicks once more into place. "What was that? Who's in here?!" His steps hurry closer as I search the room for another exit. I tie the new pouch to my belt. As the light he holds leaves new shadows on broken walls, my eyes search the room and land upward on a small window.

With loud, scraping sounds of protest, I pull the chest towards my exit. The man's feet are like drumming in my ears. I scramble quickly on the chest and feel for something to grip. A few bricks jut out and wobble at the new weight. As the lantern light brightens the room, I reach the small window. The fresh air stings my face as I look at endless snow-covered ruins. With a wiggle, I find a few loose bricks that fall to the ground with one pull—a sharp gasp emits from the man below.

"A thief... Don't you know better than to steal from Expanse Bandits?" I swivel my head back down, letting my eyes adjust to the brightened room to make out his shape below. He cocks his head and stares back up at me with dark eyes. "Oh, just a simple girl. Come down, and I will go easy on you. Tell our leader that you were just confused." A sleazy grin spreads across his face as he winks. I search for more bricks.

"Hah! Simple... Your leader wouldn't happen to be Aldar?"

"That's right. Does that name leave you scared?" He steps closer, flashing me yellowed teeth.

"Scared? No, however, mine will leave him angry. So tell him El said hi." I give a wink to the now confused man, and finding another loose brick, I pull. Half the tower seems to crumble as I jump through the larger opening and hear a high-pitched scream as they fall toward him. On the other side, I fail to stick my graceful exit, falling onto my back in a fresh pile of snow.

"Get back here! Ugh, this old tower!" He curses as more of the wall collapses. I stand from the snow and brush it from my clothing, quickly retying the wool cloak and sliding the hood up over my face.

"I must be getting too old for this," a frown finds its way to my face as I mumble and stretch out a new ache in my back. At the sound of more bandits, I have no time to nurse the new pain, and instead, I quickly move through alleys. On my way, I pass campfires. They give off little warmth and shine on the faces of the poor people who find their way out here. The bandits that make it their home drink and gamble. A few begin to pass out, not caring about the dropping temperature. The snow crunches under my black boots as I step from the well-used trail and attempt to cover my steps behind me.

"She has to be around. No one travels into the Valley at night. Especially in this weather." The sound of men yelling and running makes me quicken my pace. "Let him know of this... Little mishap."

Hearing this, I hurry forward with one firm grip on my cloak. I find myself surrounded by crumbling homes that have long been abandoned. Only a few remain with walls that won't leave me without cover, and as I pull open the door to one, it falls from the hinges. I take in gray plastered walls with several spots of wet mildew. Upon looking up, I find a gaping hole where the snow enters, leaving me chilled.