Page 40 - RotalTutor

Louise found herself almost laughing, but she didn’t want him to have the pleasure of hearing her laugh at one of his jokes. She then realized something else that wasn’t funny - they didn’t have any lunch at all. In playing a trick on Alexander, she had unwittingly played one on herself. This made her mad at him again, though she knew it was her own fault. Alexander didn’t say anything about it, but, instead, reached in his other saddle bag and pulled out his own dry food that was originally meant for their trip back. He brought it over to her. “I’m afraid that, due to the cook’s oversight, you’ll have to eat this for lunch.” She was about to tell him she could do without his food, but her stomach was yelling at her. She received it with a scowl and went off to eat on her own. Alexander wandered down by the horses and petted Lady as she nuzzled him. When Louise finished eating, she was still hungry, but she felt much better. She, too, walked down by the horses. Things hadn’t turned out the way she planned, and her mood was sour. “How much farther do we have to go?” Alexander pointed up between two mountain peaks. “It’s up there. Beyond the mountains is Esconodia.” “Esconodians are nothing but trouble,” Louise said, repeating something her father had said many times. Alexander turned to look at her. “I wouldn’t say 38