Treason Keep

know.”

“He’s knows that, R’shiel. Go and save us all from the Sisterhood, while we stay here and skewer Kariens like fish in a barrel, and when you get back we can all tell each other what heroes we’ve been.”

She smiled at Damin and leaned forward, kissing his cheek lightly. “You are just as bad as he is. You take care of yourself, too. And don’t go leading him astray when you find your court’esa. The captain is already spoken for.”

“What court’esa?”

“Don’t ask, Brak. Let’s just get out of here before Garet decides to leave without us.”

With a final kiss for Tarja and a wave for Damin, R’shiel followed Brak to the horses he had waiting for them. He glanced at Tarja.

“Don’t worry. She is the demon child. She has forces watching over her that you cannot imagine.”

Tarja nodded and seemed to force himself to shrug off his apprehension.

“I’m not worried. Anyway, I thought we were going to investigate some floozy in a see-through dress?”

Damin nodded and swung into his saddle. “Meet me by the fletchers’ tent. I have to see about burying some Fardohnyans first, then we’ll find out what two very expensive court’esa were doing looting a battlefield full of dead Kariens in the middle of the night.”

Chapter 32

“What time is it, Tam?”

The slave looked up at the heavy, overcast sky and shrugged. “Breakfast time.”

Adrina’s tummy rumbled in agreement. She was rather disgusted that she had not thought to ask Filip to pack any food. Adrina had never had to worry about where her next meal was coming from. It had not occurred to her to think of such mundane things when she planned her desperate flight from Karien. Perhaps when they reached the tents of the camp followers, there would be a stall or a tavern where they could purchase a meal. And supplies for the journey south. As she rode, Adrina tried to calculate what they might need and what it would cost, but she really had no idea. She had never had to buy her own food, either.

They had made little progress since leaving the battlefield, hemmed in as they were by the other travellers on the makeshift road. Adrina fretted at the delay, but knew the crowd was her best protection. Among these peasants she was just another looter returning home from a long night robbing the dead. Once they reached the followers’ camp and had equipped themselves for their journey, they could make up for lost time.

She wondered if Cratyn had discovered her missing yet. Even if he had, she realised with some relief that she was safe from him now. He could not follow her into Medalon, and would not suspect it had been her destination, in any case. More likely he would send troops searching the road back toward Yarnarrow. By the time he realised where she was, she would be in Cauthside, perhaps even on a boat, sailing the Glass River south for home. The knowledge invigorated her and some of her exhaustion fell away.

She was free of Karien.

Nothing would ever entice her to go back.

Adrina glanced at Tamylan and smiled encouragingly. Mikel slept in her arms and Adrina led his riderless horse. The poor child was exhausted and Tamylan had offered to hold him while he slept, for fear he would fall from his saddle.

Adrina was not certain what to do with the child. He was a sweet boy, but he was so fanatically devoted to his damned Overlord, he was liable to do anything. She felt a twinge of guilt over her plans to abandon him. Perhaps she could find some Medalonian peasant who would take him in. She could pay for his keep – she had enough jewellery on her to buy him a commission in the Defenders, for that matter.

The thunder of hooves brought her out of her musing and she glanced over her shoulder as a dozen Hythrun Raiders rode by them with a red-coated Defender in the lead.

Probably off to celebrate their victory, she thought sourly.

A little further on the riders slowed and then wheeled their mounts around, heading back the way they came. With a stab of apprehension, Adrina stared steadfastly forward, as if by refusing to look at them they would not notice her.

At a sharp command the Raiders reined in beside her, expertly cutting her and Tamylan out of the crowd. With no choice but to do as they indicated, she turned her mount off the road to confront the Defender and a grubby, unshaven Raider who wore nothing to indicate his rank.

“Ladies,” the Hythrun said as they approached. “What a pleasure to find members of your profession out here.”

Adrina glared at him with all the withering scorn she could muster, which was considerable. “Don’t even presume to think I would entertain the likes of you!”

The man seemed more amused than offended by her answer. “Why not? We have plenty of money. And that is what you’re doing out here, isn’t it? Looking for financial advancement? There’s a dozen of us here, and at, say ten rivets a turn, you could make quite a tidy sum.”

Adrina flushed angrily, not certain what insulted her most – that this barbarian would dare proposition her, or that he would offer a measly ten rivets for the privilege.

“How dare you!”

“Adrina,” Tamylan hissed beside her, warningly. Mikel stirred sleepily.

“My deepest apologies, madam. Fifteen rivets, then, although for that price, you’d better be good.” The dark-haired Defender who rode at the Hythrun’s side seemed to find the exchange highly entertaining.

Adrina forced her temper down. She had to talk her way out of this. Adopting an air of extreme disdain, she looked down her nose at the Hythrun and the Defender, both of whom would have benefited considerably from a bath.

“Fifteen, or fifty rivets, it makes no difference, sir. I am a bound court’esa. I am not at liberty to accommodate you. As you can see, I wear a collar.”

“So you do,” the Hythrun said, as if noticing it for the first time. “A wolf collar, at that. Am I to understand that you are the property of House Wolfblade?”

“Naturally,” Adrina agreed, with a bad feeling it was a mistake to admit such a thing. These mercenaries worked for House Wolfblade. They might take such an admission as proof that they were entitled to her services.

“I don’t recall Lord Wolfblade bringing any court’esa to the front, do you, Captain?”

“I’m sure I would have noticed,” the Defender agreed laconically. “Perhaps we should take them to him?”

Adrina blanched at the thought. She did not want anything to do with Lernen Wolfblade’s degenerate nephew. “No thank you. We can find our own way.”

Mikel woke and wiggled around in Tamylan’s arms to stare open-mouthed at the Hythrun surrounding them. Adrina threw him a warning glance, hoping the child would have the sense to remain silent.

“But we insist,” the Hythrun said, with a dangerous smile. “Lord Wolfblade will be most anxious to see you. He’s been a long time out here in the field and these Medalonian women are all dogs.”

“My Lady...” Mikel whispered urgently. She ignored him.

“Thank you, but no. Now get away with you! I’m sure Lord Wolfblade didn’t send you out here to harass innocent people going about their business. I will be speaking to him about this, I can assure you!”

“Your Highness!” Mikel’s whisper was verging on panic-stricken.

“You know his lordship then?” the captain asked.

“Of course, you fool! Now get out of my way or Lord Wolfblade will have you whipped!” Adrina did not know if that was the case, but it seemed a fair assumption, based on what she knew of the family.

“Your Highness! That is Lord Wolfblade!” Mikel cried.