“Papa comes home every week,” Wybertsaid.
There goes that defense. The little weasel!Angelique patted a sheep’s wooly back. “Then I do not understand what drives you to act out in thisway.”
“I already said—it’s because it’s funny!” Wybert snorted. “The blacksmith’s face always turns purple with anger, and most of the carvers and craftsmen get splotchy!” He laughed and slapped histhigh.
“But Wybert, in telling so many falsehoods, you will soon isolate yourself,” Angelique said. “No one will believe you. How could they when you play practical jokes regarding a very seriousmatter?”
Wybert jerked his shoulders into a hunchedshrug.
“Do you not see howangryyour fellow villagers are?” Angelique persisted. “Wolves are a very real risk. By lying about them, you are creating a mockery of your role asshepherd.”
Wybert shook his head and rubbed his nose on his shirt. “There’s no harm. Wolves rarely come ‘round here. I’ve never seenone.”
“Don’t be too sure about that,” Angelique said. “And what if a threat doesn’t come in the form of a wolf, but as thieves? A bear? A roguemage?”
Wybert rolled his eyes andgroaned.
“Consider it, Wybert.” Angelique started to drift back to the forest. “If you don’t change your ways, you’ll forever tarnish their trust, and when you need help, there will be none who believeyou.”
Angelique did her best to float back to Evariste’s hidden spot in the gloom, but it was a little tough when she stubbed her toe on a rock hidden by the thick grass and was reduced to little more than ahobble.
“Maybe that talk will stick longer than a few minutes.” Angelique tried to sound cheerful, but the words came out hued withsarcasm.
“If he persists in lying, it is through no fault of yours, Apprentice,” Evaristesaid.
Angelique yanked on a curl of her brown hair—which had escaped from her elaborate braid. “Perhaps, but isn’t it my task to teach him a betterpath?”
“You can teach him, but it doesn’t mean he’ll choose that path.” Evariste offered her a sad smile. “Which is something I am afraid you will become rather familiar with. There will be times when you will have every piece of evidence on your side, and still the man or woman you are trying to convince will disregard your words and will instead take a path of pain andregret.”
Doesn’t that soundcheery?
“But even so,” Enchanter Evariste continued. “We must give them the choice. It is the right of every human to choose how they will live their life and reap the consequences that will come with it. What we cannot allow is the poor decisions made by others to harden our hearts and make us intocynics.”
Is it too late for me? I feel like I am naturally a bit of a cynic. Or perhaps I’m lucky, and I’m just a jaded individual with a taste forsarcasm?
“Yes, Master Evariste,” Angelique said. “I understand whatyou—”
“Wolf!”
Angelique grit her teeth and swung around to face Wybert, his flock, and themeadow.
Again, there was no wolf in sight. The young boy was turned eagerly in the direction of the village as he shoutedagain.
“Wolf!”
He turned around long enough to smirk at Angelique—flaunting hisdishonesty.
That littleRAT!
Angelique clasped her hands together—to keep herself from screaming like a banshee and tackling the littleingrate.
As she watched, Boyne once again stirred with life, the villagers rallying against a cry they likely guessed was nottruthful.
Angelique mashed her eyes shut and scratched the back of herhead.
“Don’t take it to heart, Apprentice,” Enchanter Evariste soothed. “Tomorrow, I will join you in speaking toWybert.”
Angelique nodded and sighed. “Thank you, Master Evariste.” She was able to keep her disappointment out of her voice as together they watched the villagers charge out of Boyne, only to shout at Wybert—who was againlaughing.
