Face was making such a fuss, then turned his attention back to the house. At his hip hung the scabbard of a longsword and from where she peered from the corner of the window could see what had to be an unslung bow wrapped against the weather across his back.
She watched as he rode to the front door and dismounted. Her eyes went to where Riyan’s staff leaned against the wall by the door. Reaching out, she took it. Not nearly as good with it as her son had been, still, the feel of it in her hand gave her some comfort.
With staff in hand, she positioned herself next to the door. From the other side came the sound of footsteps as the man approached the door. Ever since an assassin had come and tried to kill Bart, she had feared someone would come searching for him. Closing her eyes, she prayed this man had nothing to do with that.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
For a moment she thought about being quiet and pretending no one was home. But then she realized a fire burned in her fireplace and the man had to have seen the smoke rising from the chimney. “Yes?” she asked through the locked door.
“I’m looking for Riyan Borenson,” the man replied. “I was told he lived here?”
She relaxed the grip she had on the staff. “He used to,” she replied. “He moved to Gilbeth and has joined the Warriors Guild.”
“Oh,” the man replied.
She stood there leaning against the door waiting for the man to leave. Surely he would now that he knew Riyan was not here.
“May I come in and talk with you then?” he asked. “It’s kind of cold out here.”
Like I’m going to open the door for a complete stranger, she thought to herself. Remaining firmly against the door, she asked, “What do you want?”
“I’m looking for information,” he replied. After a moment’s pause, he said, “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
An honorable man would honor such a promise while a dishonorable one wouldn’t. She wasn’t about ready to open the door to find out which kind he was. “About what?” she asked.
The man on the other side remained silent for several seconds, most likely waiting for the door to open. When it didn’t, he asked, “Would you talk with me at the inn in town? What’s its name? The Starling…”
“ The Sterling Sheep ?” she questioned.
“That’s the one,” he replied. “It’s really too cold to stand out here and this is important. Will you meet me there in say an hour?”
She almost immediately refused him. But then, what else had she to do? And if this did have something to do with Riyan, she would be wise to find out what’s going on. “Okay,” she replied. “I will meet you there in an hour.”
“Thank you ma’am,” he replied.
She could hear his footsteps as he moved away from the door. Still gripping the staff, she moved over to the window and peered around the edge. The man had returned to his horse and was swinging up into the saddle. He then turned his head toward the window from which she was staring. Their eyes locked for a split second before he turned his horse and headed back into town.
Kaitlyn Borenson kept her eyes on him until he moved out of sight. Thoughts of what the man could be here about flew threw her mind. First she thought that maybe Riyan had gotten himself into trouble. Then she thought that perhaps this was a man whom her son had met while at the Guild in Gilbeth. Either way, she had to find out what he wanted.
She stared out the window a few more minutes until he was out of sight. Once he was, she quickly put on her winter coat, boots, and wrapped a scarf around her neck to keep warm. Then she banked the fire in the fireplace before going back to the window. She cast one more glance outside to make sure the man hadn’t returned before opening the door.
Baaaaaaa!
Black Face greeted her excitedly as she emerged through the front door. He was practically hopping up and down in his happiness to see her.
“Sorry boy,” she said. “But I can’t take you out
She watched as he rode to the front door and dismounted. Her eyes went to where Riyan’s staff leaned against the wall by the door. Reaching out, she took it. Not nearly as good with it as her son had been, still, the feel of it in her hand gave her some comfort.
With staff in hand, she positioned herself next to the door. From the other side came the sound of footsteps as the man approached the door. Ever since an assassin had come and tried to kill Bart, she had feared someone would come searching for him. Closing her eyes, she prayed this man had nothing to do with that.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
For a moment she thought about being quiet and pretending no one was home. But then she realized a fire burned in her fireplace and the man had to have seen the smoke rising from the chimney. “Yes?” she asked through the locked door.
“I’m looking for Riyan Borenson,” the man replied. “I was told he lived here?”
She relaxed the grip she had on the staff. “He used to,” she replied. “He moved to Gilbeth and has joined the Warriors Guild.”
“Oh,” the man replied.
She stood there leaning against the door waiting for the man to leave. Surely he would now that he knew Riyan was not here.
“May I come in and talk with you then?” he asked. “It’s kind of cold out here.”
Like I’m going to open the door for a complete stranger, she thought to herself. Remaining firmly against the door, she asked, “What do you want?”
“I’m looking for information,” he replied. After a moment’s pause, he said, “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
An honorable man would honor such a promise while a dishonorable one wouldn’t. She wasn’t about ready to open the door to find out which kind he was. “About what?” she asked.
The man on the other side remained silent for several seconds, most likely waiting for the door to open. When it didn’t, he asked, “Would you talk with me at the inn in town? What’s its name? The Starling…”
“ The Sterling Sheep ?” she questioned.
“That’s the one,” he replied. “It’s really too cold to stand out here and this is important. Will you meet me there in say an hour?”
She almost immediately refused him. But then, what else had she to do? And if this did have something to do with Riyan, she would be wise to find out what’s going on. “Okay,” she replied. “I will meet you there in an hour.”
“Thank you ma’am,” he replied.
She could hear his footsteps as he moved away from the door. Still gripping the staff, she moved over to the window and peered around the edge. The man had returned to his horse and was swinging up into the saddle. He then turned his head toward the window from which she was staring. Their eyes locked for a split second before he turned his horse and headed back into town.
Kaitlyn Borenson kept her eyes on him until he moved out of sight. Thoughts of what the man could be here about flew threw her mind. First she thought that maybe Riyan had gotten himself into trouble. Then she thought that perhaps this was a man whom her son had met while at the Guild in Gilbeth. Either way, she had to find out what he wanted.
She stared out the window a few more minutes until he was out of sight. Once he was, she quickly put on her winter coat, boots, and wrapped a scarf around her neck to keep warm. Then she banked the fire in the fireplace before going back to the window. She cast one more glance outside to make sure the man hadn’t returned before opening the door.
Baaaaaaa!
Black Face greeted her excitedly as she emerged through the front door. He was practically hopping up and down in his happiness to see her.
“Sorry boy,” she said. “But I can’t take you out
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