Storms (Sharani Series Book 2) Read Online Free
Author: Kevin L. Nielsen
so afraid of?”
Kaiden didn’t respond, no matter how many times Gavin repeated the question. After a time, Gavin let go of the man’s shoulders and retrieved the fallen chair. Shaking his head, Gavin returned the chair to its spot, picked up the lantern, and knocked on the door to signal the guard to let him out. Kaiden’s last words rang in his mind. But the pain is sweet.
Cobb was waiting for Gavin when he awoke the next morning, the older man leaning against his ubiquitous cane. Cobb’s expression was unreadable, but the man’s free hand held Gavin’s greatsword.
“Sir,” Cobb said, proffering the sword. Gavin took it with a nod, sitting up and starting to get dressed, his thoughts returning briefly to Kaiden’s words from the previous day.
Gavin hadn’t been appointed to any real position of leadership, exactly, though most of the clans themselves treated him with respect, even if their current leaders didn’t. Without much encouragement—or any at all, for that matter—Cobb had appointed himself some sort of combination of servant and guard to Gavin, advising him on military matters and adding an overall sense of decorum to Gavin’s life.
He’d also added a certain level of solemnity to the situation as well. The clans had just been through an epoch where a tyrant had attempted to have them all killed, saving only his chosen few. Gavin knew part of the reason Cobb stayed so close to him was to ensure that another tyrant didn’t do the same thing. The clans respected Cobb and so did Gavin. Trust, however, was a level of surety that only came over time.
“What news, Cobb?” Gavin asked, belting on the greatsword. Aside from acting as steward and guard, the man was amazingly bureaucratic and efficient when it came to the little day-to-day tasks. Gavin hadn’t realized just how important the man would become when he’d saved him and Lhaurel from Taren in the tunnels hidden within the Oasis walls.
“Genlin’s patrol returned with some grain and part of the flock from the Frierd Warren,” the man said in his rough growl. “That will give us a few more weeks.” He gestured with his cane toward the door.
Gavin followed the man out and started down the hall, walking slightly slower than he normally would to accommodate Cobb’s slight limp. He focused on the man, turning his thoughts away from Kaiden’s graphic metaphor from the day before.
“The clans are growing restless, sir,” Cobb said as they walked. “Old alliances and past slights aren’t easily forgotten now the genesauri are gone.”
Gavin nodded. Though Khari had been less direct with her arguments the day before, she’d meant the same thing. The clans had centuries of divisive bitterness to fall back on. A few weeks weren’t going to overcome that. Gavin honestly wasn’t sure it could be overcome. Especially not where Evrouin and his new clan were concerned. They had formed up from the remnants of those who had followed Kaiden and turned on their own. No one trusted them and no one had forgiven them—not even Gavin, but he’d managed to convince the other clans to give them a second chance. They couldn’t afford continued in-fighting. Not anymore.
“Have you given much thought to my request, sir?” Cobb’s cane thumped away in the sand as they turned down a passage that would lead them back into the heart of the warren.
“Yes, Cobb. I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
“And?”
“And I need to give it some more.”
Cobb grumbled something under his breath. Gavin almost smiled.
“Yes?”
“Nothing, sir. Nothing. The clan leaders have requested your presence for the morning assembly. They want to leave and you’re the most outspoken against it. Should I tell them you’ll be there?”
Gavin sighed, but nodded. Gavin thought he’d hated the life of an outcast, always being shunned from anything permanent or habitable. Now that he had a home there was something he discovered he hated even more:
Kaiden didn’t respond, no matter how many times Gavin repeated the question. After a time, Gavin let go of the man’s shoulders and retrieved the fallen chair. Shaking his head, Gavin returned the chair to its spot, picked up the lantern, and knocked on the door to signal the guard to let him out. Kaiden’s last words rang in his mind. But the pain is sweet.
Cobb was waiting for Gavin when he awoke the next morning, the older man leaning against his ubiquitous cane. Cobb’s expression was unreadable, but the man’s free hand held Gavin’s greatsword.
“Sir,” Cobb said, proffering the sword. Gavin took it with a nod, sitting up and starting to get dressed, his thoughts returning briefly to Kaiden’s words from the previous day.
Gavin hadn’t been appointed to any real position of leadership, exactly, though most of the clans themselves treated him with respect, even if their current leaders didn’t. Without much encouragement—or any at all, for that matter—Cobb had appointed himself some sort of combination of servant and guard to Gavin, advising him on military matters and adding an overall sense of decorum to Gavin’s life.
He’d also added a certain level of solemnity to the situation as well. The clans had just been through an epoch where a tyrant had attempted to have them all killed, saving only his chosen few. Gavin knew part of the reason Cobb stayed so close to him was to ensure that another tyrant didn’t do the same thing. The clans respected Cobb and so did Gavin. Trust, however, was a level of surety that only came over time.
“What news, Cobb?” Gavin asked, belting on the greatsword. Aside from acting as steward and guard, the man was amazingly bureaucratic and efficient when it came to the little day-to-day tasks. Gavin hadn’t realized just how important the man would become when he’d saved him and Lhaurel from Taren in the tunnels hidden within the Oasis walls.
“Genlin’s patrol returned with some grain and part of the flock from the Frierd Warren,” the man said in his rough growl. “That will give us a few more weeks.” He gestured with his cane toward the door.
Gavin followed the man out and started down the hall, walking slightly slower than he normally would to accommodate Cobb’s slight limp. He focused on the man, turning his thoughts away from Kaiden’s graphic metaphor from the day before.
“The clans are growing restless, sir,” Cobb said as they walked. “Old alliances and past slights aren’t easily forgotten now the genesauri are gone.”
Gavin nodded. Though Khari had been less direct with her arguments the day before, she’d meant the same thing. The clans had centuries of divisive bitterness to fall back on. A few weeks weren’t going to overcome that. Gavin honestly wasn’t sure it could be overcome. Especially not where Evrouin and his new clan were concerned. They had formed up from the remnants of those who had followed Kaiden and turned on their own. No one trusted them and no one had forgiven them—not even Gavin, but he’d managed to convince the other clans to give them a second chance. They couldn’t afford continued in-fighting. Not anymore.
“Have you given much thought to my request, sir?” Cobb’s cane thumped away in the sand as they turned down a passage that would lead them back into the heart of the warren.
“Yes, Cobb. I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
“And?”
“And I need to give it some more.”
Cobb grumbled something under his breath. Gavin almost smiled.
“Yes?”
“Nothing, sir. Nothing. The clan leaders have requested your presence for the morning assembly. They want to leave and you’re the most outspoken against it. Should I tell them you’ll be there?”
Gavin sighed, but nodded. Gavin thought he’d hated the life of an outcast, always being shunned from anything permanent or habitable. Now that he had a home there was something he discovered he hated even more:
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