After [A Journey of the Twins Novel] Read Online Free

gave him a swat on his backside to remind him of his foolishness. Shifty-eyes disappeared through the exit, his ripped pants flapping behind him.
    Shyanne jumped down from the bench and stood with her sword held ready.
    The burly man held his arm against his body; blood ran between his fingers. His breath came and went in a ragged hiss. By the time he looked up, he found he was alone. His partner was already gone.
    He glared at her as he struggled to his feet. “This ain't over yet, girlie.” He went out the door after his friend, leaving a bloody trail in his wake.
    The innkeeper's wife had watched the disturbance as it unfolded. Once the two men had scurried out the door, she hurried over to Shyanne.
    "You'd best be moving on, my dear. Those two will be nothing but trouble if you stay. I can feel it in my bones."
    "I'm sorry for the mess,” Shyanne said as she put her sword away. She tossed some gold coins on the table and picked up her pack. “I hope this will cover both the price of the meal and the clean up.” She was heading for the door when the woman yelled.
    "Wait! You'll need this more than I will.” She walked over and handed Shyanne the money from the table.
    "I can't take this. I ate some of your food and helped mess up the place.” She handed the money back to the older woman.
    "My dear ... watching those two bullies get their fannies whooped by a little bit of a girl was payment enough. Now, take this ... I insist.” She grabbed Shyanne's hand, placed the money in the palm, and closed the fingers tight.
    Shyanne smiled and hugged the woman. In a hushed tone, she said, “Thank you."
    The innkeeper's wife was blushing when they broke apart. She turned Shyanne toward the door and gave her a gentle shove. “Now get on with you. You don't want to dally too long and give them shysters time to think up something to do to you."
    Drizzle rubbed against the wife in typical cat fashion before moving with Shyanne toward the exit. The other patrons backed out of the way. They obviously wanted no part of this pair. They had witnessed what could happen if you crossed them and did not want the same treatment.
    "I wish things weren't like this,” she said with a heavy sigh after they were outside. “The virus changed so much."
    "I understand,” Drizzle answered. “Survival tends to bring out the worst."
    She tossed her pack over her shoulder and walked down the road toward the stables. Children were running about, laughing and pointing at them. Adults whispered to each other, or stared. Disturbances of this nature were unusual in their town.
    "News sure does travel fast, doesn't it?” Shyanne held her head high as they continued to their destination.
    The stable was a large building nestled on the outskirts of town. It had ten stalls in all, two of which were big enough to hold more than one horse. Hers was in stall four, one of the larger ones located in the back. At present, five other horses were boarded there. Drizzle waited for her outside, lounging in the sunlight. His presence frightened the animals and caused them to kick and buck in their stalls.
    As Shyanne entered the building, the strong smell of horse and straw hit her nose. She loved the smell and stopped to take in several deep breathes. When she felt satisfied, she moved on. A big bay horse poked its head out as she walked past. Shyanne gave him a quick pat on the nose and continued toward stall four.
    The stableman came up to her while she leaned against the railing and looked inside.
    The man was tall and as thin as a pole, but handsome in his own way. His face was as long as his body; a solemn look covered it. He took off his hat, scratched his head, and then returned the hat to its original spot, covering the wisps of thinning blonde hair.
    "I heard about the fight. Please be careful, those two can be mean ones.” He rubbed his left arm where a large bruise covered it. “They did this before going to the bar."
    Shyanne thanked him for his