Read Online Fires of Aggar by Chris Anne Wolfe - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Anne Wolfe
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numbers, but the faces of each one on that despairing trek. Jes placed a hand over Sparrow’s small one, gently pulling her back from those tragic memories. “What is done, is done. But the Council was right in sending you then, and to us now. With this arm I can’t make this southern journey, and Gwyn shouldn’t make it alone, packmates or no. If you and Brit could see your way to help her… well, there are answers needed or more lives may be lost.”
“Southern?” Dread echoed in that almost child-like voice of anxiety. “My Desert Folks?”
“No, none of them are concerned,” Gwyn reassured quickly, and she offered a warm smile of apology for the misunderstanding.
“But south?” The pieces leapt into place, and Sparrow felt that something even worse had come. “South where the Clan raids?”
Gwyn’s grimness answered her. Jes only stared at the remains left on the table. Sparrow forced a cheerless laugh. “First I exchange the Southern Deserts for the Northern Ice, now the Changlings’ Plateau for the Clan’s Plateau. My life is becoming terribly repetitious, isn’t it?”
Jes looked at her, puzzled.
“Leaving one wasteland for another, I mean — not a pretty challenge.”
“No,” Gwyn agreed, thinking now of the lives desolated by the Clan’s raiders and their fire weapons… with aid from some Court traitor. “No, it won’t be a pretty challenge at all.”
◊ ◊ ◊
“I’m down here on the left,” Jes pointed as Gwyn and the sandwolves followed her into yet another hallway of the Guild’s endless maze. “I admit, I’ve indulged myself a bit this wintering. I’ve had someone in to start the fire early and to tidy-up regularly. But since I cracked my arm, it’s been a necessary help.”
The tell-tale clack of the sandwolves’ nails paused beside the closed door as they both warily sniffed about the threshold. The two women joined them, and Ty grinned up at her human, offering reassurance that no one seemed to be within. But as Jes undid the ashwood lock, they pushed through first.
Jes smiled a little dryly, slanting a glance at her daughter as she shut the door behind them all. “Gotten to be a cautious lot, have they?”
Somewhat surprised, Gwyn drew herself back from her musings and darted a quick look to her packmates. She smiled then with fondness, completely missing her mother’s intended irony. Ril was perched on her hind legs, a forepaw gingerly balancing her against the bedside table so that she could get the scents from the shuttered windows beyond. Ty had planted herself in a nervous crouch against the door, eyes flicking between Ril and the curtained-off closet. Ril finished her inspection of the window only to proceed to the closet to nose aside the curtain and satisfy herself that nothing lurked there either. At that point, Ty finally relaxed enough to lie down. But her massive bulk rested against the door and assured them of no unannounced entries.
“N’Sormee, you once told me never to trust any place as safe if I was beyond the Gate House of Valley Bay.” Gwyn nodded to her packmates. “They too were listening that night. And in some things their memories are much better than mine.”
“Yet they left you alone in the commons?” Jes quipped. She sprawled out on the chair and footstool that sat before the hearth and its blazing fire. “Or do they think there’s safety in sheer numbers?”
“Something like that. After all, with so many Marshals in one place, how could there help but be a few honest ones about?”
Jes laughed obligingly. Gwyn brought another chair near enough to share the footstool, while Ril curled up on the hearth.
“Are you sure you don’t need help getting set for bed?” Gwyn prodded with concern. She’d noticed the slight flush that browned her mother’s skin.
“I’m fine. Merely tired, Gwyn’l, and perhaps somewhat overexcited. It has been such a long time since I’ve seen any of you.”
“Which is all the more
“Southern?” Dread echoed in that almost child-like voice of anxiety. “My Desert Folks?”
“No, none of them are concerned,” Gwyn reassured quickly, and she offered a warm smile of apology for the misunderstanding.
“But south?” The pieces leapt into place, and Sparrow felt that something even worse had come. “South where the Clan raids?”
Gwyn’s grimness answered her. Jes only stared at the remains left on the table. Sparrow forced a cheerless laugh. “First I exchange the Southern Deserts for the Northern Ice, now the Changlings’ Plateau for the Clan’s Plateau. My life is becoming terribly repetitious, isn’t it?”
Jes looked at her, puzzled.
“Leaving one wasteland for another, I mean — not a pretty challenge.”
“No,” Gwyn agreed, thinking now of the lives desolated by the Clan’s raiders and their fire weapons… with aid from some Court traitor. “No, it won’t be a pretty challenge at all.”
◊ ◊ ◊
“I’m down here on the left,” Jes pointed as Gwyn and the sandwolves followed her into yet another hallway of the Guild’s endless maze. “I admit, I’ve indulged myself a bit this wintering. I’ve had someone in to start the fire early and to tidy-up regularly. But since I cracked my arm, it’s been a necessary help.”
The tell-tale clack of the sandwolves’ nails paused beside the closed door as they both warily sniffed about the threshold. The two women joined them, and Ty grinned up at her human, offering reassurance that no one seemed to be within. But as Jes undid the ashwood lock, they pushed through first.
Jes smiled a little dryly, slanting a glance at her daughter as she shut the door behind them all. “Gotten to be a cautious lot, have they?”
Somewhat surprised, Gwyn drew herself back from her musings and darted a quick look to her packmates. She smiled then with fondness, completely missing her mother’s intended irony. Ril was perched on her hind legs, a forepaw gingerly balancing her against the bedside table so that she could get the scents from the shuttered windows beyond. Ty had planted herself in a nervous crouch against the door, eyes flicking between Ril and the curtained-off closet. Ril finished her inspection of the window only to proceed to the closet to nose aside the curtain and satisfy herself that nothing lurked there either. At that point, Ty finally relaxed enough to lie down. But her massive bulk rested against the door and assured them of no unannounced entries.
“N’Sormee, you once told me never to trust any place as safe if I was beyond the Gate House of Valley Bay.” Gwyn nodded to her packmates. “They too were listening that night. And in some things their memories are much better than mine.”
“Yet they left you alone in the commons?” Jes quipped. She sprawled out on the chair and footstool that sat before the hearth and its blazing fire. “Or do they think there’s safety in sheer numbers?”
“Something like that. After all, with so many Marshals in one place, how could there help but be a few honest ones about?”
Jes laughed obligingly. Gwyn brought another chair near enough to share the footstool, while Ril curled up on the hearth.
“Are you sure you don’t need help getting set for bed?” Gwyn prodded with concern. She’d noticed the slight flush that browned her mother’s skin.
“I’m fine. Merely tired, Gwyn’l, and perhaps somewhat overexcited. It has been such a long time since I’ve seen any of you.”
“Which is all the more
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