Read Online Jalia At Bay (Book 4) by John Booth - Free Book Online Page A

are Dell and his mother coming, if I might ask?”
    “I will ignore that question and assume you are still half-asleep,” Daniel told her with a grin. He sidestepped her and unhitched their horses, leading them out into the morning sun.
    Donal, who looked very embarrassed, led Mallon’s horse out after Daniel. When Jalia stared hard at him, he dropped his eyes to look at the ground. Jalia stomped out of the barn ready to kill anyone who dared to say a word out of turn.
     
    Jalia kept her horse well to the rear of the procession as they made their way out of the village. Kayla and her two children watched them go anxiously, worried for Donal’s safety. The rest of the village seemed to have heard they were leaving as many of them came out to watch silently as the horses and the cart went past. Jalia glanced over her shoulder at the Lord’s House, which still smoldered. The wall still standing fell inwards, sending sparks leaping into the air.
    It was only when the village was out of sight that Jalia stopped Swift and banged her forehead hard with her hand.
    “I’m such an idiot.”
    She sent Swift into a canter to draw level with Daniel and Donal who were leading the procession.
    “Dell is Mallon’s heir, isn’t he?” she asked Daniel.
    “He was from the moment you killed Adon.”
    “You are going to use Dell to get into the fort,” Jalia stated with evident satisfaction.
    “We think they only left behind their children, but there might still be the odd adult around. However, the Fort is pretty well impregnable, so we need to get whoever is there to let us in.”
    “That’s pretty cunning,” Jalia said. “Hanging around me is beginning to have some effect on you at last.”
    Jet chose that moment to lift his head and snort as if in derision. Daniel tried hard to keep a straight face and chose to say nothing at all.
     
    Jalia and Daniel were impressed as they rode along the raised road towards the fort. Donal had explained the layout of the fort, but it is one thing to be told something and quite another to experience it for yourself.
    “It would require a large army to take this place,” Jalia said as they approached the gate.
    “Only if you have enough defenders,” Daniel said. “If they didn’t, then an attack from several sides would allow the enemy to get a force over the wall.”
    “The trouble with that plan is that all your other men get killed providing the diversion.”
    “I never said it would be easy.”
     
    “Go away!” a child’s voice shouted from the top of the wall. It wasn’t clear if the child was too short to be seen or was ducking down. Either way, Daniel and Jalia could see no one from where they were.
    Dell rose to his feet and swore as pain shot up his leg.
    “I am Dell Taldon, and I know you Hala Taldon. My uncle Adon introduced us. Mallon Taldon is dead, as are all those who came last night to attack Sweetwater. I am your clan leader now.”
    There was no response for several seconds. Then a large lump of cow dung flew over the wall missing Dell by only a few inches.
    Jalia leaned over towards Daniel and whispered softly to him, “This plan of yours is going well so far.”
    “Hala, your parents are dead. Who are you going to turn to if not your clan chief.”
    “Don’t believe you,” another child’s voice shouted over the wall.
    “That’s Pald, isn’t it?” Dell said, showing an aptitude for recognizing voices that was beginning to impress Daniel and Jalia. “If you stick your head over the wall you will see that Donal is riding Mallon’s horse. If that doesn’t convince you, look at the horse pulling the cart.”
    For the first time, Daniel and Jalia saw the children’s heads poke over the top of the wall.
    “We saw the smoke from burning fires. Mallon burnt your village down,” the girl, Hala, told Dell. She looked to be about twelve years old.
    “No, that was our Lord’s House. Mallon and the clan were in it when it caught fire,” Dell explained