Stranger of Tempest: Book One of The God Fragments Read Online Free

the tavern. Lynx scowled – both at the unwelcome noise and the realisation of what those geese signified.
    ‘Knights of the Oak, eh?’ he commented to his guide. Lynx nodded towards the squat stone building behind the pond that, while not exactly fortified, wouldn’t be much fun to attack.
    As they passed it, Lynx saw the small stone canopy over the door which sheltered the craggy features and jutting tusks of their patron god – Ulfer, Lord of the Earth. A heavy shroud of creeper covered half the building’s flank and a chaotic bloom of wild flowers filled the ground around it, both heavy with the hum of honeybees. Their scent drifted across the street and Lynx filled his lungs.
    ‘Aye, Janagrai had one of the first waystations around, so they tell me,’ Hach said. ‘Why, you got a problem with one of the Orders?’
    ‘None of ’em got a problem with me,’ Lynx clarified, ‘but religion and soldiers ain’t a good mix in my opinion.’
    ‘Thought your lot were in favour of that?’
    Lynx grimaced. ‘So Han? Oh yes. Always surprised me that the first Orders didn’t come out o’ the place. Authority of the gods themselves
and
overwhelming military might – bloody wet dream to most o’ the Lan Esk Ren, but they don’t like foreign priests much.’
    ‘These ones keep to themselves mostly.’ Hach shrugged. ‘The townspeople are glad for ’em. We see a good number of wealthy travellers stop here.’
    ‘No doubt. But it only takes one bastard to decide his god don’t like how you’re doing things. Then they start to look like professional soldiers who outgun the rest o’ you on top of supplying most o’ the continent’s ammunition.’
    ‘Something tells me you’re this cheerful even without the hangover,’ Hach said with a snort.
    Lynx ducked his head in acknowledgement. ‘Oh aye – Sun’s own Jester, that’s me most of the time. Mercenary work really makes a man happy and welcoming over the years.’
    He tried to smile to back up the unlikely claim, but it proved difficult to muster. Quickly Lynx gave up in favour of concentrating on walking in a straight line.
    They reached the inn and headed on inside to a relatively bright barroom where a man and woman were bent over a piece of paper on the bar.
    ‘Morning, Master Efrin,’ Hach called, his smile widening a little as he gave a half-bow to the woman. ‘Mistress Pallow, looking lovely as always.’
    Lynx frowned at the room as his eyes readjusted feebly from the brightness of outside. Despite the large open windows it still seemed blessedly cool and dim inside, but the faces ahead of him were a blur to start with.
    ‘You’ve got some nerve coming back in here,’ the woman snapped at Lynx, who rocked back on his heels. ‘Didn’t you cause enough trouble last night?’
    Lynx raised his hand. ‘I’m not here for trouble, but as your fine town’s guardsmen,’ he said, indicating Hach, ‘are more honest than most I’ve met over the years, I can pay for the damage I caused.’ He winced at the effort of thinking and speaking but made himself struggle on. ‘And I need to see the wagon to my employer’s widow. It’s in your stable; I took a room here, right?’
    ‘You did,’ was the curt response.
    ‘And I paid ahead? Just need to sleep this off, have some food and see what new work’s going here.’
    ‘We’ll be looking in on him,’ Hach added. ‘The wagon belongs to Mistress Simbly and we’ll need her to confirm the goods are all there before he’s free of us.’
    Mistress Pallow frowned at Lynx, but Hach’s words had dampened her anger. ‘Mistress Simbly? Ornan Simbly is dead?’
    ‘Bandits,’ Lynx confirmed, hoping his efforts not to be sick would be taken as feelings of sympathy for his late employer.
    ‘I suppose you have paid ahead of time,’ she said after a moment’s pause. ‘Go on then, it’s the first attic room – top of the stairs. There’ll be fried onions and potatoes for lunch so I won’t need to