Read Online Exile's Return (Book 1) by Kate Jacoby - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Jacoby
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to your lands but please – don’t lay the blame at my feet.’
‘So,’ Seaton drew the word out, ‘you won’t stand against him. I might have known you’d turn your back on us again.’
‘As you have so rightly pointed out, I have been away. If you wish to blame me for what happened, then by all means go ahead, if it makes you feel better. I’ve been held to account for many worse things in my time. But understand this: I am not a part of your argument and never will be. But even if I was, I swore an oath of allegiance to Selar when I joined his council and nothing – neither your anger nor your contempt – will ever convince me to break that oath.’
Seaton glared at him for a moment then without another word turned and stalked out of the tent.
Blair sighed into the silence and glanced at Robert. ‘I’m sorry about that. Those lands had been in his family four generations. There’s been quite a lot of that sort of thing happening lately. Seaton’s still bitter about it.’
Robert remained where he stood, his eyes still on the door where Seaton had gone. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’
Blair came across the room and slapped a hand on his shoulder. ‘Will you spend the night with us here? It’s the least I can do after the trouble my men caused you.’
Robert shook his head. ‘No, thank you. I want to get a little further before we make camp. We’ve still got a long journey ahead of us. I want to cross the mountains before the first snows.’
‘Well, it’s good to have you back, anyway. My men will have your horses ready.’
Oliver stood, ‘I’ll walk you out, Robert.’
Saying goodbye to Blair, they left the tent. Micah went off to retrieve the horses, leaving Finnlay, Robert and their uncle alone in the centre of the compound.
Robert was silent for a moment then murmured, ‘Well?’
Oliver raised his eyebrows and ran a hand through his mane of hair. ‘Please don’t jump to conclusions, Robert. There’s so much you don’t know. A lot has happened while you’ve been away. I beg you, be patient before you act.’
‘Act?’ Robert arched an eyebrow. ‘I have no intention of doing anything. I just want to know what’s going on. Why did Seaton lose those lands? And why are you here? And the others? What’s this all about? What conclusions, exactly, do you want me to avoid?’
‘Look, Robert,’ Oliver leaned forward, his voice dropping, ‘if I were you, I would stay clear of Blair and Seaton for a while. At least until you have a better idea of how things lie.’
‘Is this a warning?’
‘No, nothing like that. But as for that other thing …’
‘What other thing?’
Oliver waved his hands irritably. ‘You know very well what I mean. You’d never heard about Seaton losing those lands and I doubt your brother here told you either. You picked it out of Seaton’s thoughts. Don’t try to deny it – I’ve known you too long. I don’t know what things you got up to while you were away but you can’t continue to do themnow. Not if you intend to live long enough to get into any real trouble.’
‘But I …’
The old man frowned. ‘I know what you are, Robert – you and your brother. Fortunately, I don’t think anyone else knows and for that I thank the gods alone. But whatever you do, I beg you to be careful. If not for your sake, then at least for your mother’s.’
*
The moon was long gone behind a swathe of clouds before Finnlay heard Robert call a halt at the bottom of a narrow gully. He was glad. Tired, cold and saddle-weary, he slid down from his horse and let it drink from the shallow stream. In the darkness, he could only just make out the faces of his brother and Micah. Both looked equally tired. He would have to broach the subject of Oliver’s extraordinary revelation in the morning.
On the other hand … ‘I suppose,’ Finnlay murmured, ‘the good side was that you at least found those ruins.’
Micah managed a weary chuckle but Robert turned
‘So,’ Seaton drew the word out, ‘you won’t stand against him. I might have known you’d turn your back on us again.’
‘As you have so rightly pointed out, I have been away. If you wish to blame me for what happened, then by all means go ahead, if it makes you feel better. I’ve been held to account for many worse things in my time. But understand this: I am not a part of your argument and never will be. But even if I was, I swore an oath of allegiance to Selar when I joined his council and nothing – neither your anger nor your contempt – will ever convince me to break that oath.’
Seaton glared at him for a moment then without another word turned and stalked out of the tent.
Blair sighed into the silence and glanced at Robert. ‘I’m sorry about that. Those lands had been in his family four generations. There’s been quite a lot of that sort of thing happening lately. Seaton’s still bitter about it.’
Robert remained where he stood, his eyes still on the door where Seaton had gone. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’
Blair came across the room and slapped a hand on his shoulder. ‘Will you spend the night with us here? It’s the least I can do after the trouble my men caused you.’
Robert shook his head. ‘No, thank you. I want to get a little further before we make camp. We’ve still got a long journey ahead of us. I want to cross the mountains before the first snows.’
‘Well, it’s good to have you back, anyway. My men will have your horses ready.’
Oliver stood, ‘I’ll walk you out, Robert.’
Saying goodbye to Blair, they left the tent. Micah went off to retrieve the horses, leaving Finnlay, Robert and their uncle alone in the centre of the compound.
Robert was silent for a moment then murmured, ‘Well?’
Oliver raised his eyebrows and ran a hand through his mane of hair. ‘Please don’t jump to conclusions, Robert. There’s so much you don’t know. A lot has happened while you’ve been away. I beg you, be patient before you act.’
‘Act?’ Robert arched an eyebrow. ‘I have no intention of doing anything. I just want to know what’s going on. Why did Seaton lose those lands? And why are you here? And the others? What’s this all about? What conclusions, exactly, do you want me to avoid?’
‘Look, Robert,’ Oliver leaned forward, his voice dropping, ‘if I were you, I would stay clear of Blair and Seaton for a while. At least until you have a better idea of how things lie.’
‘Is this a warning?’
‘No, nothing like that. But as for that other thing …’
‘What other thing?’
Oliver waved his hands irritably. ‘You know very well what I mean. You’d never heard about Seaton losing those lands and I doubt your brother here told you either. You picked it out of Seaton’s thoughts. Don’t try to deny it – I’ve known you too long. I don’t know what things you got up to while you were away but you can’t continue to do themnow. Not if you intend to live long enough to get into any real trouble.’
‘But I …’
The old man frowned. ‘I know what you are, Robert – you and your brother. Fortunately, I don’t think anyone else knows and for that I thank the gods alone. But whatever you do, I beg you to be careful. If not for your sake, then at least for your mother’s.’
*
The moon was long gone behind a swathe of clouds before Finnlay heard Robert call a halt at the bottom of a narrow gully. He was glad. Tired, cold and saddle-weary, he slid down from his horse and let it drink from the shallow stream. In the darkness, he could only just make out the faces of his brother and Micah. Both looked equally tired. He would have to broach the subject of Oliver’s extraordinary revelation in the morning.
On the other hand … ‘I suppose,’ Finnlay murmured, ‘the good side was that you at least found those ruins.’
Micah managed a weary chuckle but Robert turned
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