Mystery at Whitetop

By Dave Skinner

Lee and Bray while both recovering from Game Day injuries decide to help a hob whose village is being terrorized by a goblin. The hob uses magic to heal their injuries and they both end up stronger. Because of this her shaman has her work with Bray while he is doing his specialty training. Being stronger and better trained than all the boys in school has caused problems for Ta’Lee, but when she accompanies her brother, Bray, to Whitetop, her special abilities come in handy against the village bullies. As Bray searches for a murderer, Lee starts her training to become the new Dancer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dave Skinner
• Release date: Apr 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463899588

Book preview

Mystery at Whitetop

Mystery at Whitetop

By Dave Skinner

A Tawshe Tale

Copyright © Dave Skinner, 2018

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

Published by Dave Skinner 0-9918966

Haliburton, ON.

Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Prologue

May walked purposefully around her classmates. Many sprawled on the ground catching their breath, but she had not run as fast as most of them. May's interest was in building stamina, not in coming first in the end-of-day race. As soon as Pepper dismissed the class for the day, she would run another circuit of the trail. She wished he would finish talking with Wendi, Seel and Bell; her body was cooling despite the walking she was doing. It was much easier to run when your body was warmed up.

Hurry up, she thought and then felt bad about it. Pepper was disciplining Wendi and Seel for knocking Bell into the bushes during the run they just finished. Wendi, her brother Tavon and her friend Seel were all bullies. The two girls picked on their classmates all the time. No one said anything for fear of what Tavon would do if they told. Bell could usually stay in with the group when they ran the trail, but today something happened. Bell limped into the yard after everyone else had finished. Her arms were scratched and there were twigs in her hair. The smiles on Wendi’s and Seel’s faces told the other students that the two of them were responsible for Bell’s mishap. Pepper, the senior class teacher must have been suspicious because he pulled Bell, Wendi and Seel aside. May doubted Bell would tell what the other girls had done. That would mean trouble for her later. May wished Pepper would let it go, but he went on and on. She kicked at the ground in frustration.

Watch it, May, Tavon growled. She realized he was lying on the ground close to where she had scuffed her boot. You got dirt on me.

Sorry, Tavon, she said, although a little more dirt would hardly show on his clothes. Tavon seemed to have an affinity for dirt. He found it everywhere he went. It and cruelty were his defining characteristics. Calling her May was a good example of that. All her classmates called her Red because of her hair. She liked her nickname. It made her feel special in the same way her hair made her standout. When she was younger, she had hated her red hair. She wanted to be like all the others with their dark brown or black hair, but then she found that standing out was something she liked. Boys noticed her. She became popular.

The school day is over, Pepper announced, as he finished talking to Wendi, Seel and Bell. See you all tomorrow.

May, unfortunately was on the side farthest away from the running path. She slapped her arms across her chest and ran on the spot while the other students climbed to their feet and walked away. Finally her path was clear.

See you tomorrow, Red, Bell called as she started out. May waved and trotted towards the woods.

The vibrant fall colours of the hardwood trees drew her attention. She had noticed them this morning, but they were even more impressive in the late afternoon sunlight with the snow of Whitetop Mountain behind them. The large maple tree at the head of the running trail was especially impressive she thought just as she noticed the large ball of green sitting on a low branch. She concentrated on her footing as she climbed the berm behind the archery targets and when she looked at the maple again the green smudge was no longer visible even though she was closer to the trail head. She dismissed the green ball from her mind as she reached her normal running speed and entered the trail.

It was so much nicer to run alone, no one to trip or trip over, nothing to worry about, just an open path before her. An open path like her life would be soon. May looked forward to being on the road. All Tawshe chose a specialty when they reached their sixteenth year. Although all trained to fight, only a few trained as warriors. The Tawshe were Travellers which meant they bartered skills for money and information. Traveller’s caravans and wagons were common sights on all the roads around the two lakes and beyond. They brought much needed skills and goods to the far reaching corners of the lake countries and all the cities between. May had decided to be an entertainer, specifically a puppeteer. She had loved marionettes ever since the first time she had seen them on a Game Day long ago. She had been pestering the puppeteers who visited Whitetop since then. Last summer, T’Kent had agreed to take her on as his apprentice. She would join him in the spring and they would take to the road together, if she had the stamina.

There is a lot of walking involved in Travelling, he had told her. She had to be strong enough, and that was why she ran.

May was about halfway along the trail, passing a large bush beside some pine trees when something landed behind her and an arm clamped around her throat. She was wrenched violently to a stop.

Friend? a voice whispered from behind her.

May tried to see who was holding her, but all she could make out was a green clad arm. She was being pulled backwards towards the bush. She drove her heels into the soil trying to gain purchase, but she was lifted off her feet.

She tried every trick she knew. Smashing her head back, kicking backwards at knees and legs and feet, but nothing worked. She felt the blows connect, but the arm only grew tighter as she was lifted again. She pushed at the arm, but it was choking her, cutting off her ability to draw air into her lungs. Desperate now, she pushed and clawed at the arm, flailing, and kicking. She was frantic as flashes of light invaded her vision. She struggled, but lethargy was seeping through her body. The arm grew tighter, her movements faded as blackness overtook her.

Chapter 1

Lee watched Webber strut across the practice field. His black hair shone in the sunlight. All the girls in the senior class thought he was handsome. She thought he carried too much fat. It showed in his face and neck, but she had seen him fight on many Game Days and had to admit he was able, despite the extra weight. Lee also found him arrogant which was possibly why she had asked Waycan, the village shaman and main teacher, to assign Webber to help with her class.

Why him? Waycan had asked.

I need someone large and intimidating for my demonstration. The girls have to believe they can handle someone his size. That is what the lesson is about—how to handle an attacker who is larger than you are. She gave him the ‘innocent girl’ smile she was trying to perfect. He remained suspicious.

Has something happened between you two?

No, I barely know him. He is in the senior class. I doubt we have spoken ten words to each other.

Waycan