The Warrior Elf Read Online Free Page A

go?”
    “She’s meeting with them at her house this evening. She hopes to have something definite by tomorrow.”
    “Okay, but if not, tell her we’ll get Laryn and some of the others to work on it. She’s done more than I expected when I dumped this on her last month. I’m sure someone can come up with something.”
    ~ ~ ~ ~
    Gwynn was preparing lunch when a falcon landed on the windowsill with a note addressed to Hayden tied to its leg. After she untied the note, she opened the back door, called her husband, and set out some food and water for the falcon.
    “What?” Hayden asked as he came in. “I was in the middle of putting hay out for the horses.”
    Gwynn handed him the note. “You got a letter from the Council of Elders. Thought it might be important.”
    Hayden raised his eyebrows as he opened it.
     
    Hayden,
    We’ve had reports of humans searching North Amden for a human female who they say was abducted from her home. The only description we have is that she has red hair and is in her mid-twenties. From what I’ve been able to gather, she was last seen in the company of a warrior elf who reportedly attacked a human bystander with a knife and killed him.
    The young woman’s family is concerned for her safety and has offered a reward for her return, so the men are determined to find her, to the point of searching barns and storage sheds, often without permission.
    We need to put this matter to rest before tempers flare and someone gets hurt. As it is, I feel sure this matter will come up before the Council of Elders at our next meeting and that Caelan will be asked to address it with the Federation.
    I’d like to determine how widespread this search is before meeting with the elders. Has anyone shown up in your area searching for her? Please see what you can find out.
    I look forward to hearing from you shortly.
    Weldon
     

    As he read the letter, Hayden slowly sat down. He handed the letter to his wife. “Read this and see if you know what he’s talking about. He’s saying Rhianna killed someone!”
    “What?” Gwynn grabbed the letter and quickly read it. She shook her head as she handed it back. “All that mess about abduction and her family’s concerns are lies. I don’t know what this is all about, but I do know our daughter. There’s no way she killed a man and didn’t let you know. She didn’t do this.”
    “They’re saying someone’s seen Landis with a warrior elf and that can’t be coincidence. The girls have been seen together, and it didn’t happen in Willow Canyon.” Hayden stood up and started towards the door.
    “What are you going to do?”
    “I’m going to finish putting the hay out for the horses. Then I’m going to find Xantha and see if he’ll take me to Willow Canyon tomorrow morning. I need to find out what this is all about.”
    ~ ~ ~ ~
    By mid-afternoon, the chapel in Milhaven was almost back to normal. Between the women who had husbands up at the camp and the ones who’d found relatives to stay with, only Blair remained. While Hayley stripped the beds the other women had used, Theresa went in search of Blair. She found her in the kitchen making soup for that night’s dinner.
    Theresa poured herself a cup of coffee and asked Blair if she’d like some.
    “No, thank you,” Blair said as she continued chopping onions. “I’m fine.”
    “I’d like to talk to you for a minute,” Theresa said. “Would you mind sitting with me while I drink mine?”
    Blair put the knife down, washed her hands, and sat down. “What did you want to talk about?”
    “Joan wants the rescued women who are still in Milhaven to meet at her house this evening to discuss options for the future.”
    Blair looked down at her hands but she didn’t say anything.
    “What’s going on, Blair? You were captured in Garnett’s Inlet. One of the women staying with Debra was also from there. She and her children went home yesterday. Why didn’t you want to go?”
    “That’s not my