Read Online Questing Sucks (Book 1) by Kevin Weinberg - Free Book Online Page B

land in the gap between two mountains running along both sides of the plains, leaving them roughly as much room to travel as a child’s playing field. Cah’lia had been to Koringrath before. These mountains would run for another day or two, before once again opening up to another few miles of vast plains. It was then that they would finally arrive in Koringrath.
    Cah’lia once again pulled up beside Sehn. He had been refusing to talk to her since the earlier altercation, and Cah’lia was feeling a little guilty.
    “What do you want now, Cah’lia? You’re lucky I decided to get comfortable by leaning to my left while you happened to be swinging your fist. Otherwise you’d have been destroyed, and your life forfeit.”
    There he goes again with his non- Sehns ,
she mused. The thought put a smile on her face.
    “What are you laughing about? Out with it.”
    “Oh, you know, just what I’m going to buy with my share of the money.”
    Sehn peeled his lips back in frustration. “We’ve been through this, Cah’lia. You weren’t invited, and so you aren’t getting any. But I am not entirely cruel, either. When this journey has ended, and the Elvens are in my hand, I shall make sure you are rewarded for your honorable service to the Great Sehn. You shall be given a bag of carrots, numbering no more than five, and a ball of yarn.”
    Cah’lia had to resist the urge to deck him again. She almost wanted to do it just to see what excuse he’d make up this time. Sehn would rather die than admit defeat to a woman. Cah’lia had made it her goal to make him submit to her at least once by the time they had returned to Elvar.
    “Halt!” Rillith called out, causing the party to stop in their tracks.
    Here we go again,
Cah’lia thought.
What stupid thing am I going to have to save Sehn from this time?
    As if following a script, Sehn leaped from his horse and stormed up to Rillith. “You dare halt the progress of my journey? What foolish thing do you detect this time, Rillith? Is it another harmless plant? Or perhaps it’s a terrifying mouse.”
    Daniel sneered at Sehn’s mention of the “harmless plant.”
    “Something’s up ahead, Sehn. It doesn’t feel right.”
    Just above them was a steep hill, covered on top by small boulders. To pass, they would need to squeeze the horses between them single file. After that, the land leveled out and it was again a straight and smooth journey. Cah’lia traced Rillith’s eyes to a spot just beyond the boulders, where whatever had him spooked resided.
    Patrick dismounted. “Well, let’s have a look then, shall we?” He walked side by side with Rillith. Sehn and Daniel traveled behind.
    Cah’lia shot Nero a warning look, with eyes that promised pain if he dared follow. She grabbed her dagger and followed the men. Together they climbed the hill on foot and crouched behind one of the large boulders, peering beyond it at the large stretch of grassy plains.
    There were several horsemen, all Human-riders, ten in total. They were formed in a circle surrounding some kind of sack being lifted by a rope. It was to Cah’lia’s horror that she realized a young Human woman was held captive inside the sack.
    “What the hell is that about?” Sehn asked.
    “Bandits,” Rillith growled. “They sometimes patrol this stretch of land, because it’s far from any of the Kingdom’s garrisons.”
    Patrick nodded. “They carry their weapons as if they’ve used them often, and I don’t doubt that they have. I recommend laying low until they have their way with the woman and have moved on.”
    “What do you mean by that, Patrick?” Sehn asked. “You said, ‘Have their way with the woman.’ What’s that mean?”
    Sehn’s ignorance shocked Cah’lia. So, Sehn didn’t know what was going on? Cah’lia wasn’t sure she wanted to see his reaction if he did. There were many aspects of life that Sehn boasted of being informed of, but the reality was entirely opposite. Elvar was a peaceful