Saladin and Silver: Book 2 of the Saladin Series

By Koos Verkaik

Turbulent times in England, where Prince John temporary sits on the throne of his brother, Richard the Lionheart. This prince, so turned out soon, was rather busy to enrich himself than reign over his land in an honest way. King Richard the Lionheart joins the crusade and Prince John, who can count on the support of Norman knights, is out on money and power and imposes the highest taxes.
Angie, a poor Saxon girl, gets involved in all these events when she tries to keep Silver, her favorite horse, out of the hands of the prince. Whilst on the run, she meets a mysterious knight who grants her his horse. It is Saladin, a black stallion from a faraway, unknown country. This wonder horse teaches all his tricks to the beautiful young stallion Silver.
And this way Silver comes to be a wonder horse as well – thanks to the great Saladin who later will be the horse of no one less than Robin Hood.
Robin Hood, who lives in the forests of Sherwood with his brave men, fights against the terror of the prince and has remained faithful to the king. And he knows he can count on Angie and Silver!
The girl has brought the anger of Prince John on herself by taking Silver along with her and win a race with the mighty Saladin that should have been won by Norman knights...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outer Banks Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370089017

Koos Verkaik

Koos Verkaik, a ‘Dutchy’ with spunk and an inexhaustible drive and fathomless imagination, is one of the most productive authors of the moment.We deem it our special privilege to work with an author of his caliber and have him on board. Besides a fast growing pile of novels in his specific genre: Mystery, Adventure and Magic, he also writes children’s books.Koos wrote his first novel, a sci-fi, when he was only eighteen years old, during a weekend; it was published immediately—he was only sixteen when he wrote a series about a young space traveler who went in search of adventures on a far-away planet; it got published in the weekly newspaper (three pages each week). He wrote his first novel, the Sci Fi Adolar, in a weekend! It got published right away... He published with big Dutch publishers such as De Arbeiderspers in Amsterdam. With his books All-Father and Wolf Tears, he earned the name critics gave him of The Dutch Stephen King.Koos Verkaik is the writer of about 60 books, both children’s books and novels, many hundreds of comic scripts, he has been a copy writer and is working on different screenplays and new novels now.

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Saladin and Silver

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Published by

Outer Banks Publishing Group

on Smashwords

Saladin and Silver

By Koos Verkaik

Copyright © 2018 by Koos Verkaik

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SALADIN and SILVER

Book 2 of the Saladin Series

By Koos Verkaik

Outer Banks Publishing Group

Raleigh/Outer Banks

North Carolina USA

Saladin and Silver. Copyright © 2018 by Koos Verkaik. All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Outer Banks Publishing Group – Outer Banks/Raleigh.

www.outerbankspublishing.com

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For information contact Outer Banks Publishing Group at

[e-mail]

This book is a work of fiction. All the characters and events in this book are not real, and any resemblance to actual events organizations or actual persons living or dead is unintentional.

Cover design by Maverick Book Services

www.mavericktambiga.wixsite.com/bookservices

FIRST EDITION – April 2018

ISBN 13 - 978-0-9906790-9-7

ISBN 10 - 0-9906790-9-8

eISBN - 9781370089017

Also by Koos Verkaik

DUTCH

Novels

Adolar

Terug naar het Dorp

Conflict Afrika

Mana, en Toen Brak de Hel los

De Meesterparasiet

Grapstad

Psycho Park

Alvader

Wolfstranen

Neanderthaler Dromen

De Dans van de Nar

Series of Children’s Books,

Saladin Series

Saladin het Wonderpaard

Saladin en Silver

Silver en het Spookpaard

De Nar van Nottingham

Slimmetje Series

Het Konijn uit de Hoed

De Boze Beer

Schipbreuk

De Hoge Hoed is weg

Ridder Joris

De Schat van Kabouter Bollewijn

Professor in Paniek

De Tovertrein

De Verdwaalde Walvis

Sneeuwmannen in Kabouterland

Otto de Otter

Krimpende Paddestoelen

Wolpertinger series

De Monsterherberg

De Onderlanden

Oom Ballon

Het Land van Franje

De Drakentuin

Roest IJzervreter

Drie Dolle Prinsen

Koning Leo Lawaai

De Kater is Jarig

Alex de Grote

Heros de Haas

ENGLISH

Novels

The Nibelung Gold

All-Father

The Dance of the Jester

HIM, After the UFO Crash

Heavenly Vision

Series of Children’s Books

Alex and the Wolpertinger

The Monster Inn

The Downhills

Uncle Balloon

The Land of Fringe

The Dragon Garden

Saladin Series

Saladin the Wonder Horse

Saladin and Silver

Silver and the Ghost Horse

The Jester of Nottingham

This series is dedicated to all brave, adventurous children in the world

Chapter1 The fat fellow’s cap

Whoa, Silver!

The horse stopped at once.

We’re not in a hurry, boy!

Angie wiped a wisp of light brown hair from her face and with her other hand, she tapped the neck of the horse.

Behind her was a dark forest. In front of her was a green plain and in the far distance, she could see the roofs of several houses. The sun was high in the sky. The sky was blue, with a white cloud every here and there. Angie heard the birds sing, saw a hare shot away before Silver’s hoofs and disappear in the brushwood.

The girl pointed at the roofs of the little village in the distance.

We have traveled for quite some time, you and I, she said to her faithful horse, but I don’t think we’ve ever been there.

Silver neighed shortly. It was as if he had understood her.

Angie sat up straight in the saddle.

She was a thin girl in threadbare clothes, a little hobo in the land where Prince John and his allies ruled. If she felt like it, she could go to Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood and his men would welcome her heartily. But she couldn’t go back to the Baltimore estate where she had grown up, where she had taken care of the horses. The daughter of Lord Baltimore, Samantha, was also there and Samantha was her best friend.

Angie didn’t want to go to Sherwood Forest or to the Baltimore estate. She loved her freedom. Silver had fast feet and when her horse rushed on at full gallop and she leaned forward so that his manes stroked her cheeks, she felt ecstatic.

She led a free and unfettered life and did what she wanted. Of course, she was on the alert for the Prince’s soldiers, for the day she had saved Silver from the hands of the Prince, she had brought herself into big trouble. She had done something then that couldn’t be tolerated and besides she had antagonized Prince John more often than not and finally the Prince had outlawed her!

We’re not afraid, you and I, Silver, she said, you’ve learned all you have to know to save me and yourself from the most dangerous situations. And you learned it from the big stallion, Saladin. As long as we’re together, nothing can harm us.

Silver was born on the Baltimore farm. His mother was Misty, the mare that was Samantha’s favorite now. Silver was a young and strong horse now, with beautiful, sparkling eyes, long manes, and a silver skin. Countless times, in villages and towns, eager horse traders had asked if she was willing to sell Silver and they had offered many a gold coin for the stallion.

Selling Silver? she had answered again and again, How can you think of such a thing? He’s the only friend I have, the only creature in the world I can rely on. No, I’m very sorry, Silver is not for sale.

And it was true – Angie and her horse Silver belonged together.

Angie and Silver. Inseparable. During the daytime, they roamed the country and during the night they slept under the stars. When it rained, they got wet together and when there was a sharp frost, they shivered with cold together. And together they enjoyed a beautiful spring day and the hot summer. They knew they could depend on each other and for the rest they needed nothing and nobody else.

Angie was lean and little, but she was seldom ill. On the back of Silver – the horse that Lord Baltimore had granted her later, in the camp of Robin Hood – she felt as rich as a princess.

Faithful to King Richard the Lionheart, on the run from his brother Prince John, Angie and her horse led an adventurous life.

Angie was not the only one who led a roaming life in these turbulent times. More than often she came across people on the roads and in the fields, who went from village to village, from town to town, and tried to make a living in many different ways. Fugitives, runaway serfs, and people who had left hearth and home because they couldn’t pay Prince John ’s imposed taxes any longer. Men who had remained faithful to the King and searched for protection with leaders like Robin Hood, adventurers, swindlers, hawkers…

Silver remained standing there at the edge of the forest for a while, with the green field in front of him. Then Angie clicked her tongue and the young stallion started walking in the direction of the houses.

We’re not in a hurry, boy she repeated. We have all the time in the world.

***

Arriving in a little village, she saw a man sit in front of a ramshackle inn. Wearing a dirty, greasy apron, he had crossed his arms and held a wooden spoon in his hand which he slowly moved up and down. He looked up at her when she passed him by.

Nice horse. For sale?

Not for all the gold in the world.

She pulled up the young Silver to the hitching post, took a deep breath, and smelled the delicious aroma of roasted meat. It made her dizzy. How long had it been since she had a good meal? The last days she had fed herself with bilberries and a hobo had given her a piece of old bread.

You are the innkeeper, I presume?

You guessed it, said the man, still waving his wooden spoon.

I’m hungry. I can work… my horse can work for you.

The man shook his head.

There’s nor work. Ha! What could a horse do in an inn? Well… the roof needs to get fixed, but that’s something you couldn’t do. I guess you’ll stay hungry today, little one.

Angie wanted to go on when she heard a roaring voice coming from the inn.

Wine! Beer! And a table full of delicacies! Quick! Quick! Quick! Where are you, you lazy innkeeper? Come here at once. Don’t make me come looking for you, for then you can expect a sound thrashing!

The innkeeper looked glum at Angie.

Soldiers from the Prince. They eat my entire supply and then I’ll have to wait and see if they’re going to pay for it. Most of the time they walk away without having put a single coin on the table. In their eyes, I cannot do anything well. They gave me a shaking twice and I can tell you that they’re very, very strong!

Where are you? the voice roared again.

The innkeeper pointed with his spoon into the direction of the doorway.

I don’t dare to go inside anymore. And you know they have a prisoner there! A fat fellow who spies for Robin Hood. A pity that is. I’ve heard so much about Robin Hood. He must be a brave man. Now they’ve caught one of his men.

Angie jumps down from Silver’s back.

Take care of my horse. Give me something to eat later. I’ll serve your customers. They won’t be rude to a little girl.

The innkeeper, who hoped to avoid a sound hiding, showed a wide grin.

"Well, well, you’ve got guts, girl! I don’t think you’ll eat much and I have a good place for your horse in my stable. If you help me, I promise you a