Read Online Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore - Free Book Online Page B

woman. He was smiling politely.
    “Source Shintaro Karish, Shield Dunleavy Mallorough,” said Dane, “this is Wind Watcher Roshni Radia.”
    Radia smiled, a brilliant smile of beautiful white teeth.
    I looked up at Taro again. He was still smiling politely.
    “Wind Watcher?” I asked, as I had never before heard the term.
    “Please come in.” Radia stood back to let us pass, then closed the door behind us.
    “That’s very gracious of you,” Tarce said, which was, I thought, kind of a strange thing to say. His tone was just shy of snide. Radia ignored him.
    The room we entered was the shape of the round tower, which felt wrong and odd. Along one side was a cooking area with a plain solid table for eating. The rest of the room was taken up with leisure seating. It was a dark room, with few windows, dark walls and dark furniture, and rugs and wall hangings consisting largely of dark red.
    “Please have a seat,” Radia invited. “Would anyone like some coffee?”
    Dane, Tarce and I said yes, and Taro refrained, having never learned the benefits of the bitter drink. Radia fiddled with her stove and I admired one of her tapestries, which was full of detail one didn’t notice until one got really close. It was a scene of a ball, dozens upon dozens of figures in circles and rows. I could almost see them moving.
    “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dane stood beside me. “Roshni wove it.”
    “She made this?” What was it with all these people and their multiple talents?
    “I have a great deal of time for such frivolous pursuits,” Radia said dismissively, bringing over a tray of cups and coffee fixings.
    “That’s not what you told me,” Tarce commented. “You said you had no time for frivolous pursuits.”
    Radia glanced at him. “That’s not precisely what I said.”
    “Aye, that’s true. You said I was trivial and you didn’t want to waste time on me.”
    “Are you trying to start an argument?”
    “Of course not. I would never win. You’re far too clever for me.”
    “Yes, I am. You might as well just accept it.”
    “Really, I should never talk to you at all, but I, unlike you, have scads of time on my hands. All sorts of time for trivial pursuits.”
    For the first time, Radia looked annoyed. “I am not a trivial pursuit.”
    Tarce’s face flushed. I wasn’t sure whether he was embarrassed or angry.
    “What is a wind watcher?” I asked, partially for the goal of derailing whatever argument appeared to be brewing.
    “It’s very simple, really,” Radia said in her original friendly tone. “When the wind is strong enough to make the wind rock move, I warn everyone, to make sure everyone stays indoors.”
    “The wind rock is that slab of stone suspended from the arch?” I asked. Radia nodded. “The wind gets strong enough to move that? It’s huge.”
    “It also gets strong enough to blow people and animals off their feet,” said Dane. “It blows carriages over, and capsizes boats. It’s just too dangerous for anyone to be out.”
    “Can’t people figure it out for themselves when it’s too windy?”
    “People anxious to get work done will ignore it. The warning is like an order from the titleholder to stay i nside.”
    “My family have been wind watchers here for generations,” said Radia. “It’s an honor to be able to serve Flown Raven in this way.”
    “And you must stay here all the time in case the wind gets too strong and you have to give the warning?” That sounded horrible.
    She laughed, a pleasant, throaty sound. “Nothing so grim, Shield Mallorough. I do spend a lot of time here, but I have the freedom to be out and about when the weather is fine, and usually I can predict when the wind might get too strong, and it gives me the time to return to the tower.”
    “How can you predict something like that?”
    She shrugged. “I just can. My father could, too.”
    Huh. Interesting.
    “I felt some tremors earlier,” Radia said. “Are we supposed to be able to feel that