Page 27 of Pippa of Lauramore
His eyes flash now. “Pippa, that is enough.”
There are a few soft exclamations around us, and several people look at me for the first time. I’m about to respond when the trumpets sound and Galinor is announced.
The crowd goes wild as they watch the prince ride in. He sits tall and regal on his horse, and women scream hisname. Already my handsome prince is a favorite with the people. I watch him take his loop, and I’m nearly bursting with pride. I yell with the crowd, cheering for my chosen prince.
Archer doesn’t speak until Galinor has found his place in line. “The people like him.” His voice is neither approving nor judgmental.
“Of course, they do,” I answer. “Look at him.”
None can match Galinor in both looks and size. Irving is nearly as handsome, but nowhere near as muscular. Lionel is large but very plain in comparison.
Galinor is the kind of man legends are made from—bards will sing his praises for years to come. I don’t mention this to Archer.
The next man to ride, one of Lauramore’s very own lords, receives another loud cheer from the crowd. Finally, Lionel, the last competitor, is announced. He’s very serious and looks a little put out. In his mind, he’s already won the tournament, and all this is folly.
With the last of the introductions finished, my father stands. A hush goes over the crowd, and I can almost feel the people’s excitement as we wait to hear the much-anticipated items on the scavenger hunt list.
“I want to thank you for joining the tournament, and I apologize for my daughter’s absence.”
A few of the villagers next to us glance my way, and—much to my chagrin—so does Rigel.
“The scavenger hunt is a time-honored tradition, and we were careful to choose items unique to Lauramore. Each item is worth one point, and the man to first arrive with all five items will be awarded one bonuspoint. I wish you all luck. Percival will now announce the items.”
Father returns to his seat, and my eldest brother stands, looking as much a king as my father. “Your items are as follows: A slain grim boar?—”
The crowd murmurs, acknowledging the danger of the first item.
“Maid-of-the-shadows,” he continues. “An inger egg, Eldentimber resin.” He pauses, waiting for the crowd to quiet. “And the last item…”
I lean forward, holding my breath.
“Is for you to decipher. You must find the most valuable item in the kingdom.”
I groan. They want a black lake pearl. Impossible.
I turn to Archer. “It’s too rare. Why would they choose a black pearl?”
He shakes his head, his eyebrows knitted. “It can’t be. Percival already decided it would be too dangerous to add to the list.”
“It must be. It’s the most valuable item in the kingdom.”
The black lake pearl oyster is found in deep underwater caves in the upper lake. They are rare—only one will be found for every thousand lake oysters harvested. Breathing spells and other concoctions are the only way to venture to the caves, and such things are forbidden and have been since before the peace agreement with the dragons. No one has found a black lake pearl in over ten years.
“It’s something else,” Archer says.
Though he’s determined, I don’t believe him. It must be a pearl.
Anna is oddlyabsent again this morning. It’s not like her to disappear. But it’s not like me to wait—so I don’t.
I have a mission this morning, and I will need help.
When I find Archer, he looks lost in another world. He adds fletching to a stack of arrows, and I don’t think he hears me come in the armory.
I lean over his shoulder and whisper close to his ear, “Can you finish later?”
He jumps, just like I hoped he would. I laugh as he whips around, pinning me with a sharp look of surprise.
“Pippa, what are you doing here?” he asks, standing. As he moves, I get a whiff of pine oil. “It’s not time for your lesson.”
