Read Online Lady Of The Helm (Book 1) by T.O. Munro - Free Book Online
Authors: T.O. Munro
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water.
She stood back from him, the belt in one hand, the sword still in the other levelled at the half drowned man before her.
“Aren’t you going to help me out,” he asked once his coughing fit had subsided. “You know, for old times’ sake.”
“You shoul dn’t go swimming in a leather shirt and boots.” She told him, still keeping a clear distance and a watchful eye between them.
Reluctantly he hauled himself unaided out of the pool, crawling across the rocky edge as first wa ist, then knees then feet came clear of the clinging water. Drenched and drained he rolled onto his back still spluttering. “I wasn’t planning on going swimming, you threw me in remember.”
“You shouldn’t go creeping up on a lady when she’s bathing.”
He looked across at her and pushed himself into a sitting position.
“It’s not as if I haven’t seen it all before,” he grinned.
“Doesn’t give you the right to see it all again, Davyn. Turn around.”
“OK.” he agreed huffily. “I’ll turn my back on the mad woman with the sword who just nearly drowned me by throwing me without warning into a fifteen foot deep pool. A pool at the bottom of which, incidentally, lies the sword I borrowed from my father. I hope someone’s going to get it for me.”
She waited until he had turned then stepped back and l owered her sword with a soft jangle to the stone. Then she pulled on her breeches first, watching him carefully as he obediently made no move to left or right. Next she picked up her shirt and pulled it over her head. She made a bit of a fist of getting it on, letting her head get caught in one of the armholes until she heard him move, squelching hastily across the rocks. She gauged the moment, leaning back and pulling her head through the hole just as she heard the clink of the sword lifted from the ground.
Her sudden movement caught him off guard and the blade whistled harmlessly through the space she had been. As he drew back again for another blow she stepped quickly to the other side forcing him to change his aim to follow her. But he didn’t. He stood there blade pointed at her chest in an apparent reversal of their previous positions. She stood taut, alert waiting for his next move, more curious than afraid. But he made no move.
“So this is how you remember me, Davyn,” she rebuked him softly.
“I didn’t want it to be like this,” he said with a sob.
“Oh, you would have preferred to stab me in the back?”
“Niarmit, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” he cried, the point of the blade wavering in his grip.
“An odd demand for an assassin to make of his victim, I assume that is why you’ve come, to kill me?”
“Strictly speaking, I could take you in alive or dead, but given our new Mayor’s habits I think it would be better if you were dead before you got to him.”
“You were always a considerate lover.”
“Don’t mock me, Niarmit. Do you thi nk I wanted this?”
“There was a time you said you would marry me Davyn. When enough years had passed we would h ave been rulers of Undersalve and yet now you serve our people’s enemies? What has happened to you?”
“Our people’s enemies.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Who cause s the most deaths in Undersalve? Eh, you killed Nordag, very clever I’m sure and I bet you’re so proud of it.”
“He was scum. Y ou should have seen the girl he had tied up….”
“I have seen her! ” Davyn interrupted in a rage. “I have seen her. Do you think your intervention saved her? Do you think it saved anyone? She was the first person they went to once they’d found the bastard’s body. She and her family. She gave them a description, eventually. Poor stupid brave girl, that’s how I worked out it was you. That’s when I guessed this would be a good place to find you. But telling all didn’t save her. It didn’t save her family. It didn’t save her
She stood back from him, the belt in one hand, the sword still in the other levelled at the half drowned man before her.
“Aren’t you going to help me out,” he asked once his coughing fit had subsided. “You know, for old times’ sake.”
“You shoul dn’t go swimming in a leather shirt and boots.” She told him, still keeping a clear distance and a watchful eye between them.
Reluctantly he hauled himself unaided out of the pool, crawling across the rocky edge as first wa ist, then knees then feet came clear of the clinging water. Drenched and drained he rolled onto his back still spluttering. “I wasn’t planning on going swimming, you threw me in remember.”
“You shouldn’t go creeping up on a lady when she’s bathing.”
He looked across at her and pushed himself into a sitting position.
“It’s not as if I haven’t seen it all before,” he grinned.
“Doesn’t give you the right to see it all again, Davyn. Turn around.”
“OK.” he agreed huffily. “I’ll turn my back on the mad woman with the sword who just nearly drowned me by throwing me without warning into a fifteen foot deep pool. A pool at the bottom of which, incidentally, lies the sword I borrowed from my father. I hope someone’s going to get it for me.”
She waited until he had turned then stepped back and l owered her sword with a soft jangle to the stone. Then she pulled on her breeches first, watching him carefully as he obediently made no move to left or right. Next she picked up her shirt and pulled it over her head. She made a bit of a fist of getting it on, letting her head get caught in one of the armholes until she heard him move, squelching hastily across the rocks. She gauged the moment, leaning back and pulling her head through the hole just as she heard the clink of the sword lifted from the ground.
Her sudden movement caught him off guard and the blade whistled harmlessly through the space she had been. As he drew back again for another blow she stepped quickly to the other side forcing him to change his aim to follow her. But he didn’t. He stood there blade pointed at her chest in an apparent reversal of their previous positions. She stood taut, alert waiting for his next move, more curious than afraid. But he made no move.
“So this is how you remember me, Davyn,” she rebuked him softly.
“I didn’t want it to be like this,” he said with a sob.
“Oh, you would have preferred to stab me in the back?”
“Niarmit, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” he cried, the point of the blade wavering in his grip.
“An odd demand for an assassin to make of his victim, I assume that is why you’ve come, to kill me?”
“Strictly speaking, I could take you in alive or dead, but given our new Mayor’s habits I think it would be better if you were dead before you got to him.”
“You were always a considerate lover.”
“Don’t mock me, Niarmit. Do you thi nk I wanted this?”
“There was a time you said you would marry me Davyn. When enough years had passed we would h ave been rulers of Undersalve and yet now you serve our people’s enemies? What has happened to you?”
“Our people’s enemies.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Who cause s the most deaths in Undersalve? Eh, you killed Nordag, very clever I’m sure and I bet you’re so proud of it.”
“He was scum. Y ou should have seen the girl he had tied up….”
“I have seen her! ” Davyn interrupted in a rage. “I have seen her. Do you think your intervention saved her? Do you think it saved anyone? She was the first person they went to once they’d found the bastard’s body. She and her family. She gave them a description, eventually. Poor stupid brave girl, that’s how I worked out it was you. That’s when I guessed this would be a good place to find you. But telling all didn’t save her. It didn’t save her family. It didn’t save her
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