Read Online A Shadow Flame (Book 7) by Jordan Baker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jordan Baker
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surprised they didn't put a guard out in the stables."
"You sayin' bad things about us guards, Milli?" the dead guard by the bar shouted, his voice a hard rasp.
"No," she said, glancing over at him. "Jes' sayin' how safe it is in Rivergate thanks to you and the other six hundred of you, what protect us, an' all."
"That's right," the man sneered, then he went back to staring at the door.
"Do you perhaps have any horses for sale?" Borrican asked. "I presume they would be out in the stable that you mentioned."
"I do," she said. "A couple of travelers, much like yourselves, left 'em here some time ago, an' I've done my best to keep 'em in good health in case they ever come lookin' for 'em. Soldiers tried to take 'em for their own, and the guards tried too, but I argued with 'em and there they stayed. Must admit, I've become a little fond of 'em, but I'd be willing to part ways with 'em for the right price."
"Perhaps I could take a look at them," Borrican said, echoing the suggestion that Ariana sent to him in his thoughts.
"I will wait here," Ariana said, and Milli looked a little nervous until she turned her face and let the glow of the lamp catch the crystals that covered the side of her face. "Don't worry, I will be fine."
"Well then," Milli said with a nod, her eyes wide. "Let me fetch a lantern and I will show you."
Borrican stood and followed Milli out of the inn, and several guards walked past as the two of them made their way over to the stable.
"You don't look at all like Edward," Milli commented.
"I'm not him, but he is a very good friend of mine," Borrican told her.
"Oh, well that's good," she said. "A fine young man, and handsome too, like you. She sure knows how to pick 'em, she does."
Borrican felt a little awkward, but he decided to let it go, and Milli pushed open the stable door.
"The horses are in here," she said, loudly, for the sake of another groups of guards that walked by on the street. "Better offer me a good price for 'em too!"
The horses snorted and stamped as Borrican entered the stable, but he knew that they would not stay calm for long.
"The horses got somethin' into them. Gettin' nervous," Milli said, and she reached out and touched one of them on the nose. "There, 'ats better." The horse eyed Borrican and snorted, its ears twitching. "Seems he doesn't like you."
"Perhaps I should have had something to eat before we came here," Borrican said as the horse snorted and stamped again.
"What's that?" Milli asked, having missed what he had said.
"Nothing. You said there was a door to the passages out here?"
"Aye," she said as she led him to a far stall and kicked aside some hay and manure with the bottom of her shoe, and tapped her foot, revealing that the boards were hollow underneath. "Not sure what you're planning but the tunnels under Rivergate have been blocked."
"What's this?" Borrican felt his heart sink. "How?"
"Filled with rocks, 'bout halfway down."
"That is truly unfortunate," he said, and he sighed, irritated that the fight was going to be that much more difficult. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now."
"Well, it's still good place to hide, if that's what you're needin'," Milli said.
"That wasn't the plan," Borrican told her. "You might want to find a safe place, Milli. There's going to be some fighting soon."
"For true?" Milli said, excitedly. "Please tell me you're gettin' rid of them soldiers. You do that, well I'd love ya for life."
"How about free ale for life," Borrican suggested.
"Now you're talkin' foolish talk," Milli said. "No one gives away free ale."
"So I suppose sweetwater is out of the question."
"Not a chance," Milli said with a grin, a twinkle appearing in her eye. "You're a pushy young fella aren't ya."
"Never hurts to ask," he said with a smile, then he sighed. "I suppose we'd best get back inside. The guards you told us about are probably dead by now."
"What? How?"
"Katie...can be a little impatient sometimes," he said, and he felt
"You sayin' bad things about us guards, Milli?" the dead guard by the bar shouted, his voice a hard rasp.
"No," she said, glancing over at him. "Jes' sayin' how safe it is in Rivergate thanks to you and the other six hundred of you, what protect us, an' all."
"That's right," the man sneered, then he went back to staring at the door.
"Do you perhaps have any horses for sale?" Borrican asked. "I presume they would be out in the stable that you mentioned."
"I do," she said. "A couple of travelers, much like yourselves, left 'em here some time ago, an' I've done my best to keep 'em in good health in case they ever come lookin' for 'em. Soldiers tried to take 'em for their own, and the guards tried too, but I argued with 'em and there they stayed. Must admit, I've become a little fond of 'em, but I'd be willing to part ways with 'em for the right price."
"Perhaps I could take a look at them," Borrican said, echoing the suggestion that Ariana sent to him in his thoughts.
"I will wait here," Ariana said, and Milli looked a little nervous until she turned her face and let the glow of the lamp catch the crystals that covered the side of her face. "Don't worry, I will be fine."
"Well then," Milli said with a nod, her eyes wide. "Let me fetch a lantern and I will show you."
Borrican stood and followed Milli out of the inn, and several guards walked past as the two of them made their way over to the stable.
"You don't look at all like Edward," Milli commented.
"I'm not him, but he is a very good friend of mine," Borrican told her.
"Oh, well that's good," she said. "A fine young man, and handsome too, like you. She sure knows how to pick 'em, she does."
Borrican felt a little awkward, but he decided to let it go, and Milli pushed open the stable door.
"The horses are in here," she said, loudly, for the sake of another groups of guards that walked by on the street. "Better offer me a good price for 'em too!"
The horses snorted and stamped as Borrican entered the stable, but he knew that they would not stay calm for long.
"The horses got somethin' into them. Gettin' nervous," Milli said, and she reached out and touched one of them on the nose. "There, 'ats better." The horse eyed Borrican and snorted, its ears twitching. "Seems he doesn't like you."
"Perhaps I should have had something to eat before we came here," Borrican said as the horse snorted and stamped again.
"What's that?" Milli asked, having missed what he had said.
"Nothing. You said there was a door to the passages out here?"
"Aye," she said as she led him to a far stall and kicked aside some hay and manure with the bottom of her shoe, and tapped her foot, revealing that the boards were hollow underneath. "Not sure what you're planning but the tunnels under Rivergate have been blocked."
"What's this?" Borrican felt his heart sink. "How?"
"Filled with rocks, 'bout halfway down."
"That is truly unfortunate," he said, and he sighed, irritated that the fight was going to be that much more difficult. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now."
"Well, it's still good place to hide, if that's what you're needin'," Milli said.
"That wasn't the plan," Borrican told her. "You might want to find a safe place, Milli. There's going to be some fighting soon."
"For true?" Milli said, excitedly. "Please tell me you're gettin' rid of them soldiers. You do that, well I'd love ya for life."
"How about free ale for life," Borrican suggested.
"Now you're talkin' foolish talk," Milli said. "No one gives away free ale."
"So I suppose sweetwater is out of the question."
"Not a chance," Milli said with a grin, a twinkle appearing in her eye. "You're a pushy young fella aren't ya."
"Never hurts to ask," he said with a smile, then he sighed. "I suppose we'd best get back inside. The guards you told us about are probably dead by now."
"What? How?"
"Katie...can be a little impatient sometimes," he said, and he felt
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