Fortune and Fate (Twelve Houses) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Sharon Shinn
easily—but she had chosen to wound them instead. She had seen plenty of death in that heartbreaking war. She was prepared to mete it out again if she had to, but only in direst necessity. To save the life of someone she had sworn to protect.
To save herself if, when the moment came, it seemed her life outweighed that of her attacker.
Not only had she not killed the kidnappers, she hadn’t severely disabled them. She figured they could have bound their wounds and been on the road in less than twenty minutes if they had been able to rent horses or turn their carriage team into mounts.
But the sound of horses, when she heard it, came from the wrong direction. Wen cocked her head and tried to guess how many were in the traveling party. More than two; probably not more than five. And moving at a brisk but hardly breakneck pace.
Which caused her to think of a question she really should have asked before this. “Will anyone from Forten City be coming after you?” A fragment of their previous conversation surfaced in her memory. “You mentioned an uncle.”
“He’s not really my uncle. I just call him that.”
“Whoever he is, will he be coming after you?”
“I’m sure he will.” Karryn did not look sure at all. “I mean—of course he will, won’t he? When he realizes I’m gone.”
“Why wouldn’t he know you were missing?”
Karryn glanced away. “Maybe I didn’t tell him where I was going. Maybe I told him I was going someplace else.”
Wen felt her breath leave her in a hiss. Oh, she would be very glad to be rid of this troublesome, disagreeable girl! “Once he realizes it,” she ground out, “will he send a party after you? Will they be coming from the southwest?” She indicated the road in front of them.
Karryn looked uncertain. “I don’t know. Where are we?”
Wen pointed again. “Southwest is Forten City. Is that where your uncle would be starting out from?”
Karryn nodded. “Yes. Do you think that’s him coming?” Her face was suddenly hopeful.
“Maybe. Though he’s brought an awfully small troop with him if it is.”
“Maybe he couldn’t raise too many soldiers.”
An odd thing for a serramarra to say, Wen thought, but just then the first of the horses trotted into view. Wen motioned Karryn to silence, and they crouched down even farther behind the trees, though they both peered out from behind the trunks. It took another minute for the riders to pass in front of them—a party of four men, all dressed in black-and-gold livery, and mounted on exceptionally fine horses. Wen felt her heart clench in actual pain as they passed before her, elegant, alert, disciplined, deadly.
“They look like soldiers,” Karryn whispered in her ear.
Wen could only nod.
“Maybe they would help us,” Karryn added. “If we told them what had happened to me. Maybe they would help you fight Tover and Darvis.”
Wen shook her head, still unable to speak.
“Why not?” Karryn persisted. “Do you know them? Who are they?”
The girl simply would not shut up, but it scarcely mattered now. The soldiers were out of view, not having spared one glance in the fugitives’ direction.
“They’re Queen’s Riders,” Wen managed to say. “No help to be expected from them .”
Karryn squirmed, seeming to find it impossible either to sit still or to get comfortable. “How long will we have to sit here?”
Wen took a deep breath. Easier to do once the Riders were gone. “Until your friends ride by.”
“They’re not my friends. ”
Wen didn’t bother answering. What were Riders doing in this part of the world? What mission were they on for Queen Amalie? Was there some kind of trouble in Fortunalt?
Not her business. She had no connection to anyone at the royal court in
To save herself if, when the moment came, it seemed her life outweighed that of her attacker.
Not only had she not killed the kidnappers, she hadn’t severely disabled them. She figured they could have bound their wounds and been on the road in less than twenty minutes if they had been able to rent horses or turn their carriage team into mounts.
But the sound of horses, when she heard it, came from the wrong direction. Wen cocked her head and tried to guess how many were in the traveling party. More than two; probably not more than five. And moving at a brisk but hardly breakneck pace.
Which caused her to think of a question she really should have asked before this. “Will anyone from Forten City be coming after you?” A fragment of their previous conversation surfaced in her memory. “You mentioned an uncle.”
“He’s not really my uncle. I just call him that.”
“Whoever he is, will he be coming after you?”
“I’m sure he will.” Karryn did not look sure at all. “I mean—of course he will, won’t he? When he realizes I’m gone.”
“Why wouldn’t he know you were missing?”
Karryn glanced away. “Maybe I didn’t tell him where I was going. Maybe I told him I was going someplace else.”
Wen felt her breath leave her in a hiss. Oh, she would be very glad to be rid of this troublesome, disagreeable girl! “Once he realizes it,” she ground out, “will he send a party after you? Will they be coming from the southwest?” She indicated the road in front of them.
Karryn looked uncertain. “I don’t know. Where are we?”
Wen pointed again. “Southwest is Forten City. Is that where your uncle would be starting out from?”
Karryn nodded. “Yes. Do you think that’s him coming?” Her face was suddenly hopeful.
“Maybe. Though he’s brought an awfully small troop with him if it is.”
“Maybe he couldn’t raise too many soldiers.”
An odd thing for a serramarra to say, Wen thought, but just then the first of the horses trotted into view. Wen motioned Karryn to silence, and they crouched down even farther behind the trees, though they both peered out from behind the trunks. It took another minute for the riders to pass in front of them—a party of four men, all dressed in black-and-gold livery, and mounted on exceptionally fine horses. Wen felt her heart clench in actual pain as they passed before her, elegant, alert, disciplined, deadly.
“They look like soldiers,” Karryn whispered in her ear.
Wen could only nod.
“Maybe they would help us,” Karryn added. “If we told them what had happened to me. Maybe they would help you fight Tover and Darvis.”
Wen shook her head, still unable to speak.
“Why not?” Karryn persisted. “Do you know them? Who are they?”
The girl simply would not shut up, but it scarcely mattered now. The soldiers were out of view, not having spared one glance in the fugitives’ direction.
“They’re Queen’s Riders,” Wen managed to say. “No help to be expected from them .”
Karryn squirmed, seeming to find it impossible either to sit still or to get comfortable. “How long will we have to sit here?”
Wen took a deep breath. Easier to do once the Riders were gone. “Until your friends ride by.”
“They’re not my friends. ”
Wen didn’t bother answering. What were Riders doing in this part of the world? What mission were they on for Queen Amalie? Was there some kind of trouble in Fortunalt?
Not her business. She had no connection to anyone at the royal court in
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