Chapter 5
Ned sat quietly, studying the three waiting candidates. Unsurprisingly they all looked nervous. Ned knew the three by sight and name, but little more. The closest was Lucy, a dark-haired girl of fifteen or sixteen. Rachel sat some distance away, a similar age to Lucy but shorter and with reddish hair. Frederick completed the trio. Though only eighteen he was exceptionally tall, at least a head taller than any other apprentice, and built like an ox.
Something about Frederick grated against Ned. They’d never spoken, let alone had harsh words, but Ned felt a dislike that he couldn’t explain. He wondered if it was simply down to Frederick’s huge build – it was certainly intimidating.
Movement broke his chain of thought. Three masters emerged from a side room, each carryin
