The Falcon in the Barn (Book 4 Forest at the Edge series) Read online



  The Falcon in the Barn

  By Trish Mercer

  Copyright © 2015 Patricia Strebel Mercer

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental but would be totally awesome.

  Cover art and design by the daughter of Rudolf Strebel, who taught her to love clouds of all shapes and sizes, and placed in her (and her children now too) the obsession to take pictures of all clouds, even ones produced by raging forest fires in Yellowstone. She’s grateful she found a place to publish two of the photos from 2013, and to carry on Rudy’s hobby since Alzheimer’s has taken away his ability to do so. (Rudy died a month after this book was published.)

  Clouds are sacred.

  Contact author via website: https://forestedgebooks.com

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This book is also available in print.

  Please remember to leave a review for my book at your favorite retailer.

  Because the more you know

  about the ways of the world,

  the more you want to get away from it.

  MAPS: visit https://forestedgebooks.com/maps/

  A pronunciation guide to some of the more unusual names . . .

  Nicko Mal— NEE-koh MAL

  Querul—KWER-el

  Idumea— i-doo-ME-uh

  Hogal Densal— HOE-gal DENS-al

  Mahrree Peto— MARR-ee PAY-toh

  Cephas Peto— SEE-fus PAY-toh

  Hycymum Peto— HIE-si-mum PAY-toh

  Hierum— HIE-rum

  Tuma Hifadhi— TOO-muh hi-FOD-hee

  Sonoforen— sun-uv-OR-en

  Terryp— TARE-up

  Jaytsy— JAYT-see

  Brisack— BRIZ-ak

  Gizzada— gi-ZAH-duh

  Shem Zenos—Shem ZEE-noss

  Qualipoe Hili—KWAL-ee-poe HEE-lee

  Hegek—HEG-ik

  Kuman—KOO-min

  Kindiri—kin-DEER-ee

  Giyak—GUY-ak

  Fadh—FOD

  Jothan—JOH-thun

  Asrar—AZ-rar

  For background information on all character names and derivations, visit https://forestedgebooks.com/characters

  Contents

  Chapter 1 ~ “They’ve ruined him.”

  Chapter 2 ~ “I know everything that goes on here in Edge.”

  Chapter 3 ~ “May I have five minutes—”

  Chapter 4 ~ “This is the worst Raining Season ever.”

  Chapter 5 ~ “What did I almost do?”

  Chapter 6 ~ “I’m an object of pity.”

  Chapter 7 ~ “Is that my daughter out there?”

  Chapter 8 ~ “It was a good night. All is well.”

  Chapter 9 ~ “We are here to remember.”

  Chapter 10 ~ “Tell me everything you know about Moorland.”

  Chapter 11 ~ “Men, it’s our turn to go hunting!”

  Chapter 12 ~ “Do you think I’m ready?”

  Chapter 13 ~ “And then by tomorrow, we’ll have some very fascinating results.”

  Chapter 14 ~ “You’re in a lot of trouble, Colonel Shin.”

  Chapter 15 ~ “Seeing as how some people weren’t where they were supposed to be . . .”

  Chapter 16 ~ “Who gives gifts like THIS?”

  Chapter 17 ~ “He’s gone fishing, Thorne! He returns tomorrow!”

  Chapter 18 ~ “Please, Mahrree, please. Stay for me.”

  Chapter 19 ~ “Who will go next?!”

  Chapter 20 ~ “Tell me about cow eyes.”

  Chapter 21 ~ “It was an ambush! Look at us!”

  Chapter 22 ~ “You aren’t people, you’re vultures!”

  Chapter 23 ~ “The most harmful sentences begin with, ‘I deserve . . .’ ”

  Chapter 24 ~ “We will accept no less than a two week stay.”

  Chapter 25 ~ “Like everyone else, I fell for the stories.”

  Chapter 26 ~ “But what do you know how to use, a pitchfork?”

  Chapter 27 ~ “How many women—girls—had an old historian as their childhood hero?”

  Chapter 28 ~ “It’s not that simple, Yung!”

  Chapter 29 ~ “They’re back! The expedition!”

  Chapter 30 ~ “Mother! Sit DOWN!”

  Chapter 31 ~ “It’s time that front garden was tended to!”

  Chapter 32 ~ “And next is . . . ?”

  Chapter 33 ~ “The quieter you both are, the faster all of this will just . . . go away.”

  Chapter 34 ~ “This has always been such a nice village—”

  Chapter 35 ~ “I have an idea, a plan!”

  Chapter 36 ~ “I intend for this to be the most enlightening day of my life.”

  Chapter 37 ~ “Who in the world would be brave enough to visit us?”

  Chapter 38 ~ “My name is Shem Zenos. And . . .”

  Acknowledgements

  About the author, Other titles and Contact me

  Chapter 1 ~ “They’ve ruined him.”