Read Online Puss in Boots (Timeless Fairy Tales Book 6) by K. M. Shea - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K. M. Shea
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attacked by bandits in years. Wied was ransacked last night. It’s not the same thing.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“No. I only see that you have a very defined and complicated sense of justice. If you insist on indulging in the feeling of guilt, go help them.” Puss finished the last of his eggs.
“What?” Gabrielle said, nibbling at her stew. Although it was delicious, it sat in her stomach like rocks.
Puss licked a paw and scrubbed at his face. “Go aid in the cleanup. There are several hours of daylight left, and the villagers are hard at work cleaning up the debris. Help them.”
Gabrielle scraped her wooden spoon on the bottom of her bowl. “Maybe I will.”
“Good.”
Gabrielle was scooping the last bit of stew out of her bowl with a roll when Lena reappeared. “Would you like more stew—or more eggs?” She looked back and forth between the pair.
Gabrielle swallowed wrong and shook her head. She coughed and drank a slug of the apple cider Lena had insisted on giving her.
“If you will forgive my inquiries, where is our fine host?” Puss asked.
“Jakob has gone with a band of the village men to look into the bandit hideout. They intend to bring the bandits back here so they can be sent to Castle Brandis for a trial,” Lena said with a cheerful smile before she turned her attention to Gabrielle. “How many honey cakes would you like?”
“Honey cakes?” Puss asked, sounding intrigued.
“None!” Gabrielle was quick to say.
Lena pursed her lips together in a sign of disagreement. “None?”
“None. Puss and I were just going to see if we, uh, could help with the repairs and clean up.”
“It is unnecessary. By returning our animals to us, you have done more than enough,” Lena said, one of her eyebrows quirking.
“Oh, no,” Gabrielle said, scooping Puss up and staggering to the door. “We insist. Puss loves showing off his abilities. It is our pleasure.” Gabrielle almost tripped over her feet under the plain but formidable woman’s gaze. She felt like a trapped rabbit. She had to flee, or soon Lena would be bathing her in cow’s milk and pouring for her their finest cask of wine!
“If you wish,” Lena said, the tone of her voice clearly communicating that she expected to stuff Gabrielle with honey cakes at a later time. “But at least allow me to send my daughter with you. She would gladly act as your guide. Annika!”
A little girl of eight or nine scurried out of the kitchens. She stared at Gabrielle and Puss as if they were princes mounted on white stallions, but she was eventually able to rip her gaze from them and look to her mother.
“Lady Gabrielle and honorable cat, this is Annika, my youngest child.”
Much less intimidated by the child than by the iron-spined mother, Gabrielle smiled at the little girl. “Hello, Annika,” she said.
Annika’s mouth dropped open, and she gaped at Gabrielle until her mother twisted her around to face her. “Take our honored guests to the cooper’s, and if you see Gert, tell him to come home—the goats need milking.”
“Yes, Mother,” Annika cheeped like a little wren.
“Off you go,” Lena said, affectionately brushing her daughter’s cheek and nudging her in Gabrielle’s direction.
“Thank you,” Gabrielle said to Lena before she darted out of the door, breathing easier in the smoky-scented streets. “You’re walking,” she said to Puss, dropping him on the ground.
“Ingrate.” Puss twitched his tail from side to side and sidled away from Annika. The little girl was rubbing her hands together, as if trying to resist picking him up.
“Your mother said to take us to the cooper?” Gabrielle said after several moments of silence.
“Yes! Right this way, your grace,” Annika said, trotting down the street.
Gabrielle grimaced at the title but followed her petite guide through the village, stopping just outside a charred storefront.
Several young men stood there, conversing around one of the
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“No. I only see that you have a very defined and complicated sense of justice. If you insist on indulging in the feeling of guilt, go help them.” Puss finished the last of his eggs.
“What?” Gabrielle said, nibbling at her stew. Although it was delicious, it sat in her stomach like rocks.
Puss licked a paw and scrubbed at his face. “Go aid in the cleanup. There are several hours of daylight left, and the villagers are hard at work cleaning up the debris. Help them.”
Gabrielle scraped her wooden spoon on the bottom of her bowl. “Maybe I will.”
“Good.”
Gabrielle was scooping the last bit of stew out of her bowl with a roll when Lena reappeared. “Would you like more stew—or more eggs?” She looked back and forth between the pair.
Gabrielle swallowed wrong and shook her head. She coughed and drank a slug of the apple cider Lena had insisted on giving her.
“If you will forgive my inquiries, where is our fine host?” Puss asked.
“Jakob has gone with a band of the village men to look into the bandit hideout. They intend to bring the bandits back here so they can be sent to Castle Brandis for a trial,” Lena said with a cheerful smile before she turned her attention to Gabrielle. “How many honey cakes would you like?”
“Honey cakes?” Puss asked, sounding intrigued.
“None!” Gabrielle was quick to say.
Lena pursed her lips together in a sign of disagreement. “None?”
“None. Puss and I were just going to see if we, uh, could help with the repairs and clean up.”
“It is unnecessary. By returning our animals to us, you have done more than enough,” Lena said, one of her eyebrows quirking.
“Oh, no,” Gabrielle said, scooping Puss up and staggering to the door. “We insist. Puss loves showing off his abilities. It is our pleasure.” Gabrielle almost tripped over her feet under the plain but formidable woman’s gaze. She felt like a trapped rabbit. She had to flee, or soon Lena would be bathing her in cow’s milk and pouring for her their finest cask of wine!
“If you wish,” Lena said, the tone of her voice clearly communicating that she expected to stuff Gabrielle with honey cakes at a later time. “But at least allow me to send my daughter with you. She would gladly act as your guide. Annika!”
A little girl of eight or nine scurried out of the kitchens. She stared at Gabrielle and Puss as if they were princes mounted on white stallions, but she was eventually able to rip her gaze from them and look to her mother.
“Lady Gabrielle and honorable cat, this is Annika, my youngest child.”
Much less intimidated by the child than by the iron-spined mother, Gabrielle smiled at the little girl. “Hello, Annika,” she said.
Annika’s mouth dropped open, and she gaped at Gabrielle until her mother twisted her around to face her. “Take our honored guests to the cooper’s, and if you see Gert, tell him to come home—the goats need milking.”
“Yes, Mother,” Annika cheeped like a little wren.
“Off you go,” Lena said, affectionately brushing her daughter’s cheek and nudging her in Gabrielle’s direction.
“Thank you,” Gabrielle said to Lena before she darted out of the door, breathing easier in the smoky-scented streets. “You’re walking,” she said to Puss, dropping him on the ground.
“Ingrate.” Puss twitched his tail from side to side and sidled away from Annika. The little girl was rubbing her hands together, as if trying to resist picking him up.
“Your mother said to take us to the cooper?” Gabrielle said after several moments of silence.
“Yes! Right this way, your grace,” Annika said, trotting down the street.
Gabrielle grimaced at the title but followed her petite guide through the village, stopping just outside a charred storefront.
Several young men stood there, conversing around one of the
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