The Shadow's Heir (The Risen Sun) Read Online Free

as—”
    “I ain’t interested in no arguin’,” said Laela. “I know how much my dad paid yeh in rent, an’ I know what the property’s worth. So I want two hundred oblong.”
    “You want—” Kendrick controlled himself. “You don’t seem to understand,” he said in patronising tones, as if he were speaking to a small child. “Your father didn’t
own
the house, he
rented
it from me. Therefore, you can’t sell it.”
    “Fine,” said Laela. “But my dad paid rent in advance for this whole month comin’, an’ this whole month just started today. So give me the money back, an’ I’ll get goin’.”
    “Well.” He softened. “There’s no need to be so hasty—”
    “Yeah, there is,” Laela snapped. “An’ I don’t need any of yer blather about paperwork an’ all the rest of that nonsense. Yeh don’t want no stinkin’ half-breed hangin’ about the place, so just give me the damn money, an’ I’ll be out of yer hair.”
    “I’ll give you a hundred and fifty oblong,” said Kendrick.
    “Two hundred.”
    “Young lady, this is not marketplace bartering,” said Kendrick. “I’m offering you a hundred and fifty oblong, and that’s final.”
    “Two hundred,” Laela repeated in a flat voice. “Two hundred, an’ I’m gone.”
    He threw up his hands. “Why should I be giving you money at all? You weren’t the one who paid the rent. It’s not even your money to take.”
    “My dad didn’t have no other family,” said Laela. “Just me. An’ I was
here
when he told yeh I’d get everythin’ he owned after he died, see? I inherit everythin’. So hand it over.”
    He glared at her.
    She glared back.
    Finally, Kendrick threw up his hands. “All right, fine. It’s not as if it’s my money anyway. Show this piece of paper to the treasurer, and she’ll give you what you’re after. I suggest you take it and go.”
    Laela waited until he had finished scribbling down the order and calmly took it from him. “See yeh.”
    “Laela?”
    She paused in the doorway and looked back. “What?”
    Kendrick had stood up. “Where are you going to go?” he asked, almost gently.
    Laela stared coldly at him. “I’m gonna take the advice people’ve bin yellin’ at me in the street for years. I’m goin’ North.”
    Kendrick stared at her. “What? Laela Redguard, you can’t be serious! The North . . . ?”
    “I
am
serious,” she said. She sneered at him. “Where else is a half-breed gonna go?”
    He paused briefly, and then sat down again. “You’ll be killed,” he said bluntly. “The instant you set foot in darkman territory . . .”
    “What, they’ll treat me worse than
you
would’ve?” said Laela. She spat. “I ain’t known nothin’ but prejudice from anyone here ’cept Dad. Maybe a
blackrobe
would understand that. It’s a hope, an’ I’m takin’ it.”
    She walked out of the office.
    At noon that day, she left the village, too, with a bag of gold oblong, her sword, supplies for a few days, and faint hope wavering in her chest.
    •   •   •
    L aela had never left the village before in her life, and she did so very nervously now. She followed the main road on foot until she managed to beg a ride on a vegetable cart heading for the next village. It arrived after nightfall, and once she had disembarked, she snuck into a barn and slept hidden behind a pile of hay.
    She woke up at dawn and slipped out before anyone found her.
    In the marketplace, she bought some food, careful to keep her hair covered by a hood as she had since leaving home, and went on her way.
    And that was how she travelled: sometimes on foot, sometimes on a cart or with a group of other travellers, never exchanging more than a few words with anyone. She kept her money well hidden and her sword not so well hidden, and most of the time, people left her alone. It was a hard life, and lonely, but she held up well enough, and after a few days, she began to feel a sense of freedom, and even