Chapter 16: Urgent News

“Ugh! Good Goddess above! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Be quiet, Kelley!” Aldric snapped, his voice muffled beneath the rag he had tied around his head. “You’re making it worse!”

“But the stink... bloody, festering, Pits, I can’t stand it!”

Oliver fought down a retch. The three young men were spread out throughout Goff the Colossi’s stable. Oliver no longer thought that Crane had been being kind with their punishment, last night. He could hardly put his foot down without stepping in one of the creature’s leavings. All the horses in Master Limwell’s stables combined would not have made such a mess. Not even after a week of eating nothing but oats.

“I think it’s burning my nose hairs,” Oliver gasped.

Kelley let out a coughing laugh. “Exactly! I didn’t think a Colossi even had to...”

“Just stop, both of you!” Aldric said. “Remember, we got off lucky with this punishment.”

“Did we?” Oliver asked as he skipped around a particularly large pile of droppings.