The Guardian's Apprentice€¦ · Web view2020. 7. 19. · Author: William Spencer Reed Created Date: 07/15/2020 18:53:00 Title: The Guardian's Apprentice Last modified by: William

William S. Reed182 S. Lake St., Grayslake, Il 60030Home: 847-223-2007, Cell: [email protected]

Middle-grade Adventure in 2 VolumesVolume 1 Word Count 46,778

THE ADELIE CHRONICLES – BOOK 1

THE GUARDIAN AND THE GOD

A NOVEL BY

W. S. REED

mailto:[email protected]

Unpublished Work, Copyright 2015, W. S. Reed

All Rights Reserved

i

This book is dedicated to

Kathy, Spencer, Alex, Kelly, and Patrick.

Because of their encouragement and patience Pointer’s great

adventure became possible.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1 – POINTER'S QUEST..................................................1Chapter 1.............................................................................................1

Chapter 2.............................................................................................5

Chapter 3.............................................................................................9

Chapter 4...........................................................................................14

Chapter 5...........................................................................................18

Chapter 6...........................................................................................24

Chapter 7...........................................................................................30

Chapter 8...........................................................................................36

Chapter 9...........................................................................................41

Chapter 10.........................................................................................46

Chapter 11.........................................................................................54

Chapter 12.........................................................................................58

Chapter 13.........................................................................................67

Chapter 14.........................................................................................73

Chapter 15.........................................................................................78

Chapter 16.........................................................................................83

Chapter 17.........................................................................................88

PART 2 – F INDING POLARIS.................................................96Chapter 18.........................................................................................96

iii

Chapter 19.......................................................................................103

Chapter 20.......................................................................................111

Chapter 21.......................................................................................116

Chapter 22.......................................................................................122

Chapter 23.......................................................................................128

Chapter 24.......................................................................................132

Chapter 25.......................................................................................137

Chapter 26.......................................................................................143

Chapter 27.......................................................................................149

Chapter 28.......................................................................................154

Chapter 29.......................................................................................159

Chapter 30.......................................................................................165

Chapter 31.......................................................................................172

Chapter 32.......................................................................................177

Chapter 33.......................................................................................183

Epilogue...........................................................................................188

Route of Pointer’s Odyssey – Antarctica and South America...........189

Route of Pointer’s Odyssey – North America...................................190

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Reed/The Guardian and the God/1

PART 1 – POINTER'S QUEST

CHAPTER 1

Pointer sat with beak up, lost in stargazing. He was searching for his father’s name

star. When the light from Persian finally shone through the mist, he saw it right away. It

helped him to remember his father and it made him smile.

“Pointer, shouldn’t you be down at the pavilion?” It was his mother. “You don’t want

to be late again for roll call.”

“Mom, I have plenty of time,” said Pointer.

“Well dear, it will be crowded. The whole flock will be there, you may need more time

than you think,” said his mother.

His stomach twisted into a knot. He realized she was right; he was late! Jumping down

from his perch, he set out along the shore at his fastest waddle. Mid-stride, he twisted his head

back and squawked out,

1


"Thanks Mom, I’ll see you there." He did not wait for her reply.

A vision of arriving late flashed across his mind. The knot tightened in his stomach

and he cringed. Not this time, he thought, the dedication is too important. The entire flock and

all the guardians will be there.

Although Pointer was the youngest squire in the Royal Adelie Guardians, it was no

excuse for being late. The captain of the guard would check that all the squires were at their

station on time and looking their best. He tried desperately to preen his feathers as he hurried

through the crowd, but it was hopeless.

I can deal with a reprimand from the captain, he thought; then he swallowed hard, but

I can’t disappoint Mom, this is really important to her because of what happened to Dad.

When he arrived at the Royal Pavilion, it was already packed. It was a festive crowd.

They were happy the monument was finished. Penguins are hardy creatures very good at

hunting squid and krill, but building monuments is not natural for them. They hoped the king

would announce that now they could go back to their old ways and spend most of their time

fishing.

Pointer pushed at the crowd to make his way forward.

“Excuse me sir,” he squawked as he pushed on the backside of one very fat penguin.

The penguin paid him no attention at all as Pointer squeezed around the bird.

“Pardon me madam, please let me through,” he blurted with exasperation. This time an

elderly hen was completely blocking his way.

“Don’t be so hasty lad, and show some respect.” The old hen turned to lecture him on

his manners, but as she did, Pointer ducked around her and escaped her onslaught.

2


Still, it seemed to be no use. Every time he managed to get past one bird, another

would step forward to block his way. His panic grew. There was no time to spare; the other

squires were already in line doing final preening.

Suddenly, a mother hen cried out for her fledgling. As all the penguins turned to look

for the baby bird, a path opened up leading straight to the troop. Quickly, Pointer slinked his

way through the opening and made it to his place just as the path closed shut behind him.

Letting out a sigh, he got in line beside his friends Naos and Wezen. Naos leaned

forward, looking around Wezen and gave Pointer a smirking smile.

“The captain stopped by, he was looking for you. We told him you would be along just

as soon as it was convenient,” said Naos.

Wezen chortled at Naos’ joke. Pointer was about to reply when all three suddenly

snapped to attention. The Royal Guard was marching into the pavilion.

The steely eyes of the captain of the guard watched every move as the guardians

marched in perfect formation. Gaping with admiration, Pointer imagined himself marching

beside them. Silently, he repeated words from the Squire’s Oath; from this day forward, I

forsake selfishness for service and pleasure for duty. I pledge to learn the lessons of my

master and to obey the Code of the Guardians.

The flock became quiet; the ceremony was about to start. Pointer searched the crowd

for his mother’s face. There, at the far end of the pavilion, he spotted her beaming back at

him.

Shaula had a kind face with caring eyes. Although she had raised Pointer alone, he had

never lacked for food and she had always been there for him. She smiled at her son when he

3


made it to his place in line. For just a moment, her gaze became remote and a single tear

rolled down her cheek.

Her smile quickly returned as her eyes and Pointer’s made contact. She gave him a

little wave. All Pointer could do was to return her wave with a quick nod. Any moment now,

the king would appear and the ceremony would begin.

4


CHAPTER 2

The High Chancellor of the Adelie penguins was on his way to the king’s chambers.

He was to escort the king to the dedication. Nunki was a master at managing the day-to-day

business of the flock. He was also a master of staying out of trouble with the king, at least

most of the time.

He saw something that made him stop in his tracks. Why is the high priest, Acrux,

racing toward the palace? he thought. The old priest was moving with a determined waddle;

he did not look happy. Nunki, became alarmed; he picked up his pace hoping to head off the

old bird before he reached the king.

Meanwhile, King Merak sat in his chamber preening himself. A guard watched with

disinterest as the king practiced the speech he was going to give to the mob in the pavilion.

“Today we dedicate this great statue of Rigel the Founder. Hundreds of penguin beaks

have labored for months to chip the statue out of ice.” He paused and frowned. “No, not right,

we don’t want the mob thinking about their labors. They should be thinking about me.”

5


Footsteps announced, the king was about to be interrupted. Abruptly, High

Chancellor Nunki poked his head into the chamber.

"Your Majesty, the High Priest Acrux is here and wishes to —"

Before he could finish, Acrux stormed past Nunki. "Merak," blurted Acrux, "this has

got to stop!"

"What now Acrux, worried about the Ice God again?" said the king with a snort.

"My priests are starving Merak. The flock cannot spare any fish for our collections,

and I have priests that need to eat!"

The king chuckled, "Why not pray to your Ice God, maybe he will feed your priests."

The old penguin's eyes blazed with fury, "This is your doing, Merak! Monument

building, wars, taxes; you are the one starving the flock. We must return to our old ways. Only

this will please the Ice God. I swear this is the last time I dedicate one of these cursed

monuments of yours."

Nunki noticed a brief smile flash across the king’s beak. Then the king blurted,

"Your priests’ bellies are fat enough Acrux. Now leave me, and in the future keep your

beak out of business that is not your concern."

The high priest continued to rage his protest, but the king silenced him with a squawk.

Nunki got the attention of the guard and pointed at the high priest. The guard descended on

the priest, pecking and pushing Acrux, driving him from the king's chamber.

Nunki watched with regret as the old bird trudged away. The flock revered Acrux as

they did the Ice God. The stories of the Ice God were the oldest and most sacred of their

legends. Yet Nunki knew these stories meant nothing to the king. What did matter to the king

6


was that the high priest was the only bird still willing to stand up to him. He was the only

penguin that kept King Merak from total control of the penguin flock.

When the high priest was gone, Nunki turned to the king, "Oh glorious King Merak,

ruler of all penguins, may the heavens smile on this great monument you have built."

"Don't bother me Nunki, you old fool, I am preening my feathers, and your persistent

groveling is annoying me. I should have had you thrown to the sharks long ago."

"My lord, I am sure I deserve no better," said Nunki," yet I wonder if you could find a

replacement as able as I among the rabble of the flock. Sir, the high priest may have caused

you to forget the time. The ceremony of dedication is due to begin."

"Good!" said the king. "Now I have a message for you to deliver to the captain of the

guard. Tell him to execute my order on the usual signal."

"Right away, sir," he replied. Then he added, "My lord, I was afraid the high priest had

upset you and considering what happened to the last monument —"

The king turned sharply toward Nunki, "What? You dare to bring up that tragic day to

my face!" shouted the king. The king gave Nunki a sharp kick causing the high chancellor to

fall to the ice. "My enemies tried to blame me for what happened. I suppose you blame me for

—"

"No, no," interrupted Nunki. "My lord, you misunderstand me. The high priest was

saying that the Ice God was angry with the flock because we have left our old ways. Yet it is

more likely the Ice God is jealous of your greatness. The high priest should have praised you

for rebuilding, to show that your greatness cannot be denied."

7


Nunki took a deep breath; he knew he had slipped up. Now he hoped this bit of twisted

thinking and flattery would soothe the king’s anger. Merak eyed Nunki with interest.

"Jealous of my greatness, hmmm, I hadn’t considered that Nunki. I like the sound of

it! Well if the Ice God is jealous of me for building monuments, then I say, bring this

impertinent god before my throne. I will punish it and make it bow down before me.

"You are right Nunki; we need to settle the matter. We need to let this false god and

these annoying priests know who is running things around here. We must christen this grand

monument and show our contempt for this second-class god and his third-rate high priest.

Now come, the flock is waiting."

The chancellor was afraid to say anything else. Nunki worried that he had given the

king a new idea, which was never a good thing for the flock. Nunki took his place behind the

king and followed him into the Royal Pavilion. His growing apprehension hinted grimly at the

extraordinary events that were about to unfold.

8


CHAPTER 3

From his place in the ranks, Pointer watched the new monument gleam in the twilight.

The pavilion with its colonnade rested on an icy plateau between the snowy high cliffs and the

Weddell Sea. Beyond the colonnade in the distance loomed Coman, the lone mountain.

King Merak and Chancellor Nunki stepped onto the dais. The captain of the guard

stood to their side inspecting his troops and keeping watch on two distant lieutenants perched

on the high cliffs.

Chancellor Nunki spoke briefly to the captain of the guard then stepped forward to

herald the entrance of the king.

"All hail his Royal Highness King Merak, ruler over feathered creatures great and

small, guardian of the night stars, lord of the ocean deep, and king-for-life."

The guardians saluted while the squires kneeled before the king. Then with one voice

they all cried, "Hail King Merak!"

9


The king stepped forward looking very regal. His feathers glistened when he moved.

His entire demeanor set him apart. Even his beak, which had a funny twist in it, appeared to

show he was above other penguins. The king's eyes surveyed the flock; then he began,

"My fellow penguins, beloved flock, this is a day for celebration. The teachings of our

great founder have come down through the ages to light our way in dark times. This

monument, which honors the founder, will stand for years beyond measure. It symbolizes to

the world and to the gods the glory and power of the Adelie penguins. I now invite the high

priest to offer his blessing."

As the high priest climbed onto the dais, he gave an angry side-glance toward Merak.

Setting aside his anger, he stepped before the statue and spoke words of prayer and blessing

over the monument. Then he paused and turned aside. In a voice just above a whisper, Acrux

added an unplanned prayer.

“Mighty Ice God, save our flock from this wicked king. Return justice and natural

order to the Adelie penguins.”

Then he held his flippers high. Facing the monument, he proclaimed in a loud voice,

"In the name of the Ice God I bless this monument to Rigel the Founder."

The crowd erupted in a mighty cheer. The squires rose to join the throng. Pointer was

genuinely excited; he stood, cheered, and stamped his feet. At the same time, King Merak

lifted and waved his two flippers. Then he discretely moved away from the statue and

disappeared from view. The cheering continued without restraint.

Suddenly, in the midst of the celebration, Pointer felt strangely uneasy. A shadow of

foreboding and danger passed over his heart. Deep inside, he felt something was not right.

10


Then, from the silence within his heart, there boomed an unmistakable warning of imminent

danger.

Urgently, he barked to his friends, “Naos, Wezen, get out of here!”

Casting aside his small size and low station, he opened his beak wide. His lungs filled

with icy air and he bellowed at full volume the penguin cry of danger.

The penguin cry of danger was woven beak and bone into the fabric of the penguin

flock. It cut across lines of rank and status. Every bird present, including the high priest and

the chancellor immediately came to attention. In the heightened alertness, they all felt it, the

low rumble of an avalanche coming from the high cliffs.

Instantly, the ceremony changed to a melee. Penguins rushed from the pavilion in a

stampede, seeking safety from the onrushing snow. Pointer searched frantically for his

mother. He raced to the spot where she had been standing and found her laying on the ice.

“Mom, are you OK?”

Nearly trampled, Shaula was alive but dazed. “I think I’m OK son.”

“Hurry, we have to get out of here!” Pointer helped her to her feet. A growing shadow

loomed over them as tons of billowing snow was about to engulf them. They ran away as best

they could and made it to safety with only moments to spare.

They turned and stared in disbelief. The avalanche had swept away everything, the

great monument, the pavilion, and the colonnade. The river of snow pushed the wreckage past

the fleeing penguins and all the way down to the sea.

When the cloud of ice and snow finally cleared, the penguins surveyed the wreckage.

The catastrophe had destroyed all their great works of ice. However, when they did a

11


headcount they found that every bird in the flock was safe. Pointer's cry had saved hundreds

of lives, and everyone wanted to know, who cried the warning.

Wezen was the first to find Pointer, followed by Naos who gave him a hearty slap of

congratulations; it almost toppled him over.

"Nice going Pointer, bird of the mighty lungs," said Naos with a laugh.

"You're a hero, Pointer!" said Wezen. "They should build a statue of you next time,"

then he stretched his flippers far apart, "with its beak wide open like this!" All three had a

good laugh.

Pointer had to endure praise and good-natured teasing from friends and strangers alike

throughout the day. When Shaula and Pointer got back to their nest, his mother hugged him.

“Son, you should be very proud of what you did, you saved the flock ... you saved me.

You are a real hero. It’s a shame you were only a fledgling a year ago when your father

needed someone to save him.”

Embarrassed by all this praise, Pointer answered, “Thanks Mom. All I did was what

any guardian squire would do. I’m just glad you’re OK.”

Later that night, however, as he settled down to sleep, he thought, it’s nice to finally do

something right for once. Maybe someday I will actually make Guardian third-class. This

thought made him smile as he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

12


CHAPTER 4

After the avalanche, Nunki searched for the king in the remains of the dais. He was

surprised when Merak suddenly reappeared out of nowhere. He was unhurt but seemed to be

very angry.

"Sir, are you all right? Can I help you?"

"Leave me alone Nunki, I need to think," barked the king.

"Well, if you are in no need of help, I will summon the Flock Judiciary Council to

investigate —"

"No!" Merak replied, cutting him off. "We don’t want those busy-bodies poking into

this affair."

Nunki was confused and uneasy as he watched the king. Merak appeared to be

thinking. He heard the king mumble words like; busybody, payment, and the name of Acrux

and someone called Brigander. It wasn’t long before he turned to Nunki.

“We will handle this disaster the same way we did after the first avalanche, the one

that happened a year ago. Call for an emergency council of the royal court. I will run the

13


investigation," the king betrayed a smile adding, “and when the council is done, someone

especially deserving will get the blame for this disaster."

Nunki started to leave but the king called him back. "Tell the captain of the guard, I

want him standing near the high priest when the council begins. Also, bring me several of my

best sneaks." King Merak had dozens of penguins secretly in his employ. He called these birds

his Royal Sneaks.

Nunki asked the king, "Why do you need them at the council?"

The king laughed, "Nunki, they bully my enemies, condemn my opposition, and

spread my biggest lies ... I wish I had a hundred more. For the council, let's just say I have a

special job for them.”

Nunki was scrambling all day to arrange the emergency council. He summoned the

royal court, the high priest, and important elders. The council would take many days

discussing what to do, but the chief order of business was to decide whom, if anyone was to

blame for the disaster.

When all was ready, Nunki called the meeting to order and the king stepped forward to

speak.

"I know what you must be thinking. Why would the Ice God be so cruel as to destroy

our great monument? Why would our god attack us when our high priest asked for his

blessing? There can be only one explanation. This god is jealous of our great works. My

question is how did this god come to such an opinion? Who among you will answer your

king?"

14


One of Merak’s sneaks was supposed to rise at this moment and denounce the high

priest. Before this could happen, however, a wise elder named Deneb rose to speak.

"Your majesty, it may not be that the Ice God is jealous of our works. Perhaps he is

angry that we build monuments while our chicks go hungry. Maybe he is angry that we send

our young to die in fruitless wars against the leopard seals. If these are his feelings, I for one

agree. We must return to our old ways. Only then can your subjects return to their fishing;

only then can we feed a hungry flock."

Hearing this Merak was furious.

"So Deneb," shouted Merak, "you would advise retreat? You would allow the Ice God

to mock your king and the flock. Have you no love for your king? Have you no pride in the

flock?"

Then Merak bellowed, "Such advice is treason! I banish you from the flock! Guards

remove this traitor from my sight!"

Swiftly, two of the king's guards descended on Deneb. They pushed him from the

flippers of his young daughter, and chased him from the conclave. This harsh treatment of

Deneb hushed the assembly.

"Who else among you will speak your mind and advise your king?" asked Merak.

This time King Merak’s sneak spoke on cue, "I believe, Your Majesty, that the high

priest spoke a false prayer. I believe he spoke lies and insults to the Ice God to anger him and

set his wrath against us all."

King Merak smiled at these words, which he had expected to hear when he first posed

his question. He slowly shook his head, pretending to be outraged.

"Exactly,” he answered, “there can be no other explanation!"

15


All around the assembly, other sneaks repeated in hushed tones, "The high priest is

guilty; there can be no other explanation."

Merak’s eyes fell on the high priest. Acrux was shaking his head in disbelief. King

Merak pointed a flipper at him and shouted,

"There is the one who betrays his flock, who sets this jealous and false god against his

king. This bird spreads lies and discord. He would see your king mocked and our flock

brought to ruin."

With his flipper still pointing at the high priest he added with a twisted smile, "Arrest

him!"

Quickly and on cue, the captain of the guard smacked Acrux hard, knocking him to the

ice. Two guardians then punched and kicked the former high priest. King Merak smiled as he

watched the guards chase his only remaining opposition from the assembly. They chased him

in the direction of the sea and in the years to come, no penguin ever set eyes on Acrux again.

16


CHAPTER 5

The emergency council continued for many days. The penguins decided to rebuild the

pavilion and the monument, except this time the statue would be of King Merak. It would

honor his great leadership. When the council neared its end, King Merak had some more

surprises in store.

"My fellow penguins,” proclaimed Merak, “we have done well, but I fear the so-called

Ice God is no longer to be trusted. We must face the fact that the traitor Acrux, our former

high priest, has set this god against us. This rogue god is now a threat to our flock. All of our

new plans will surely fail if the Ice God has its way. Therefore, I proclaim from this day

forward, it is illegal to worship the Ice God."

A gasp erupted from the council. Outlawing the Ice God was sacrilege. This new

decree frightened, and alarmed every bird in the council. Some birds wept and others began to

speak out against the new law. However, the Royal Sneaks were there, whispering, “Rogue

god” and “defend the flock.” The penguins in the council became confused and afraid. By the

17


time the sneaks had finished, the entire assembly was nodding in reluctant agreement with the

king.

King Merak continued, "Further, we must capture this rogue god and hold it to account

for destroying our monument! We must bring it before this court, conduct an impartial trial,

and then punish it for its crimes.”

In the silence that followed, you could hear a feather drop. Chancellor Nunki looked

confused and broke the silence with a question.

"Oh great and glorious King Merak, your decree has struck us speechless by its

wonder and ambition; but where would a penguin hero go to find this false, so-called Ice

God?"

This was a good question and King Merak had a ready answer for it.

"During the avalanche I had a vision. I saw the so-called Ice God hiding from me in its

lair on Coman the lone mountain. Do not our legends tell us that the Ice God made Mount

Coman in his own image? This is where we must send our champion to capture this rogue

god."

"Well that's settled then," said Nunki, "but my lord, whom among your guardians can

we send on this mission? It will soon be winter and no penguin from the ice shelf has ever

survived so far from the sea. Your guardian will perish long before reaching the mountain."

"Bring to me that squire that gave the warning cry when the monument fell,” said

Merak. “We owe our very lives to this brave lad. Surely, the true gods favor this squire, for

they used him to save the flock from the avalanche. Therefore, they will favor him again to do

my will and to bring the rogue god to justice."

18


Nunki stared in disbelief as a squadron of the king’s guard went to summon Pointer to

an audience at court. Every bird present knew that the king had just condemned this young

squire to a meaningless death, but not one dared to object to the king’s command.

* * *

Perched on a high outcropping of rock, Pointer was stargazing again after dinner. It

was late in the polar summer and the sun would disappear for several hours each evening

before rising again. He sensed the nights were getting longer. This meant the cruel Antarctic

winter was not far off.

Shaula watched him from her nest.

"Pointer, you should go down to the shore and find your friends Wezen and Naos. You

might even meet a pretty hen about your age. It's not good for you to spend all your time up

on that rock."

"Aw Mom, maybe later, the sky is so clear tonight, and I only have a few hours. Venus

is passing near Dad’s name star.”

The penguins believe that when a chick is about to hatch, a star comes down from the

heavens. The star seals its light inside the egg and becomes the spirit of the penguin. When the

bird dies, the light leaves and rejoins its name star in the night sky to shine down and watch

over the living.

Pointer's father had been a fast and powerful swimmer named Persian. When he met

Pointer’s mother, she was young and very beautiful. The moment these two laid eyes on each

other they knew they would mate for life. After Pointer hatched, a royal decree forced Persian

to join the king's ice masons as a carver. In time, his father became a skilled artist.

19


Pointer suddenly stopped his stargazing. He noticed something odd; a squadron of the

king's guard was marching in his direction. He expected them to pass his mother’s nest and

continue on to the shell market, or maybe boundary bluff. To his astonishment, they stopped

at his rock.

The commander called up to him, "Squire Pointer, you are summoned by the king.

You are to come with us at once."

Nervously Pointer jumped down from his perch and got in line with the king’s

squadron. His mother looked on with alarm as the group marched away. Going to court under

a royal escort was unusual. It portended either great honor, or great trouble. Shaula would

soon find that this escort foreshadowed both.

* * *

The king and Nunki were wrapping up the proceedings when Pointer and the troops

arrived at the council. The captain of the guard saw his troops return and whispered something

to Nunki, who then whispered to the king. Merak smiled and gave Nunki a curt nod in reply.

In a voice that rang out, Nunki announced to the court, "The Squire Pointer by

command of His Majesty King Merak."

Pointer crept shyly into the center of the assembly. Watching him as he bowed low the

king forced an unnatural smile. Maybe it was the twist in Merak's beak, but his smile seemed

more like a sneer.

"Young squire, little hero, come forward and accept the praise of a grateful flock. Your

brave cry of warning saved us all from certain destruction." Merak’s words of praise seemed

to stick in his throat.

20


Still bowing, Pointer moved closer to the king. His face flushed with embarrassment as

the king raised his flipper and continued.

"Henceforth squire, uh...” the king paused and flashed an urgent look of uncertainty at

Nunki.

The high chancellor mouthed a whisper in reply, "Pointer."

The king continued, "Squire Pointer, for your service to king and flock, you are hereby

elevated to the station of Adelie guardian first-class."

Pointer looked up with stunned surprise; his heart began to pound, and his face broke

into a gigantic smile. All around him, penguins were cheering Pointer's name. Nunki raised a

flipper to silence the cheering and King Merak continued.

"Guardian Pointer, it is clear that you are favored in the eyes of the gods. It is the gods

themselves ... not the so-called Ice God, but the true gods of our flock, that spoke through you

to save your king. These gods have chosen you for the great task to come.

"Guardian Pointer, you shall seek out the so-called Ice God, in its lair on Mount

Coman. You shall capture it and bring it before this court so that I can hold it to account. This

rogue god shall be punished for the destruction of our great monument."

The king's last words were still seeping into Pointer's brain when he realized the high

chancellor was directing him to move along. His audience with the king was over.

Cheering followed as the captain of the guard led Pointer away. Pointer’s smile

vanished as uncertain thoughts flooded his mind. How do I find the Ice God? How can I make

the Ice God come with me? How do I keep the Ice God from killing me? Isn't the Ice God the

great defender and benefactor of the flock?

21


The captain's strong flipper on Pointer’s scruff told him, this was not the time for

questions. The king had issued his command and somehow, Pointer had to see it through.

22

The Guardian's Apprentice€¦ · Web view2020. 7. 19. · Author: William Spencer Reed Created Date: 07/15/2020 18:53:00 Title: The Guardian's Apprentice Last modified by: William

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