Read Online Roads of the Righteous and the Rotten (Order of Fire Book 1) by Kameron A. Williams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kameron A. Williams
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head—pale pink skin with highlights of orange around the eyes.
The bird had long noticed his presence, and as he approached the base of the hill, reached out its great span of wings and made a loud and distinct hissing noise. It was telling Anza he had arrived.
Moments later a window swung open in the aerie, and Anza looked down. “Come, Stroan,” she called, shutting the wicker window.
Stroan proceeded up the slope and into the chamber, standing before the lady. She was there by herself, as she usually was, sitting in her elaborately woven seat that lay snug between two pillars equipped with sconces on the tops. She was reading a book. She was always reading books: books on war tactics, books on love, ancient poems, mythical beasts, witchcraft and dark arts, etiquette—she had so many, and Stroan didn’t doubt that she would have them all read before long. It was her knowledge that made her such a great leader, that and her undying desire for excellence. She only accepted the best, and those who served her brought their best, or nothing at all.
“Did you meet with him?” asked Anza, closing the tome in her hands and walking it back to its place on the shelf. “Did he agree?”
“He did,” Stroan answered, “but that man is a barbarian—”
Anza broke into laughter. “Aye, he is,” she said, “and perfect for this job. Come, join me near the fire.”
The lady walked over to the fireplace, lying out on the badger-skin rug that covered the ground. She wriggled around in the soft gray fur before making herself comfortable lying on her side, her weight leaning against one arm while she stared into the fire. Not a foot away from Anza, Stroan took his seat upon the fur, crossing his legs and remaining upright.
“If he should harm those girls,” said Stroan after sitting down.
“Do you think I haven’t thought this through?” Anza cut in. “He is of the worst kind, I know, but we need men like him. We will not be directly involved in rounding up girls for Tiomot, even if it did happen to work to our advantage last time.”
It worked to your advantage, Stroan thought. I t’s nearly killing me. “Apologies, my lady. I don’t doubt your judgment, I was just being certain.”
“Do spare me the formalities, Stroan,” Anza said smiling. “Please, call me my name. And worry not, Ozgan wi ll complete this job.”
“But how can you be certain of his loyalty?”
“I can’t,” Anza replied quickly. “In fact, it’s his disloyalty that I’m certain of. Do you know who that man is?”
“An assassin,” Stroan replied.
“Aye, of course, but not just any,” Anza stated. “Ozgan knows the penalty for betraying the Condor. He knows us very well, in fact.”
“If you believe in his ability then so do I,” Stroan stated. “I didn’t mean to question you. I was just—”
“You were just being certain,” Anza interrupted. “Aye, Anza.” Stroan chuckled.
“Stroan, when I take the throne, if the people discover that the Condor had anything to do with the disappearances of their daughters my rule will be ill favored. You see, Ozgan is perfect. He was born one of us—raised one of us. He knows our ways. Most importantly, he knows if he crosses us we will kill him.
“He was one of us?”
“But since he deserted the clan he can no longer be called a Condor. If he dies, it means nothing to us. If he’s caught, he cannot be tracked back to us. He’s perfect.”
“ The three apo states ,” said Stroan in wonder. “He is one of th em? ”
“Aye. He belongs neither to our world nor the outside world. Men like him are merely whispers and shadows— nothing more. So you see, we lose nothing by employing Ozgan.”
Stroan almost cringed at thought of t hose three. The three apostates—deserters of their clan and cause, selfish rogues of the outer world, and now the lands’ most feared mercenaries. There was no law for them, not Condor law, nor the law of Tiomot or Dandil.
“What of our
The bird had long noticed his presence, and as he approached the base of the hill, reached out its great span of wings and made a loud and distinct hissing noise. It was telling Anza he had arrived.
Moments later a window swung open in the aerie, and Anza looked down. “Come, Stroan,” she called, shutting the wicker window.
Stroan proceeded up the slope and into the chamber, standing before the lady. She was there by herself, as she usually was, sitting in her elaborately woven seat that lay snug between two pillars equipped with sconces on the tops. She was reading a book. She was always reading books: books on war tactics, books on love, ancient poems, mythical beasts, witchcraft and dark arts, etiquette—she had so many, and Stroan didn’t doubt that she would have them all read before long. It was her knowledge that made her such a great leader, that and her undying desire for excellence. She only accepted the best, and those who served her brought their best, or nothing at all.
“Did you meet with him?” asked Anza, closing the tome in her hands and walking it back to its place on the shelf. “Did he agree?”
“He did,” Stroan answered, “but that man is a barbarian—”
Anza broke into laughter. “Aye, he is,” she said, “and perfect for this job. Come, join me near the fire.”
The lady walked over to the fireplace, lying out on the badger-skin rug that covered the ground. She wriggled around in the soft gray fur before making herself comfortable lying on her side, her weight leaning against one arm while she stared into the fire. Not a foot away from Anza, Stroan took his seat upon the fur, crossing his legs and remaining upright.
“If he should harm those girls,” said Stroan after sitting down.
“Do you think I haven’t thought this through?” Anza cut in. “He is of the worst kind, I know, but we need men like him. We will not be directly involved in rounding up girls for Tiomot, even if it did happen to work to our advantage last time.”
It worked to your advantage, Stroan thought. I t’s nearly killing me. “Apologies, my lady. I don’t doubt your judgment, I was just being certain.”
“Do spare me the formalities, Stroan,” Anza said smiling. “Please, call me my name. And worry not, Ozgan wi ll complete this job.”
“But how can you be certain of his loyalty?”
“I can’t,” Anza replied quickly. “In fact, it’s his disloyalty that I’m certain of. Do you know who that man is?”
“An assassin,” Stroan replied.
“Aye, of course, but not just any,” Anza stated. “Ozgan knows the penalty for betraying the Condor. He knows us very well, in fact.”
“If you believe in his ability then so do I,” Stroan stated. “I didn’t mean to question you. I was just—”
“You were just being certain,” Anza interrupted. “Aye, Anza.” Stroan chuckled.
“Stroan, when I take the throne, if the people discover that the Condor had anything to do with the disappearances of their daughters my rule will be ill favored. You see, Ozgan is perfect. He was born one of us—raised one of us. He knows our ways. Most importantly, he knows if he crosses us we will kill him.
“He was one of us?”
“But since he deserted the clan he can no longer be called a Condor. If he dies, it means nothing to us. If he’s caught, he cannot be tracked back to us. He’s perfect.”
“ The three apo states ,” said Stroan in wonder. “He is one of th em? ”
“Aye. He belongs neither to our world nor the outside world. Men like him are merely whispers and shadows— nothing more. So you see, we lose nothing by employing Ozgan.”
Stroan almost cringed at thought of t hose three. The three apostates—deserters of their clan and cause, selfish rogues of the outer world, and now the lands’ most feared mercenaries. There was no law for them, not Condor law, nor the law of Tiomot or Dandil.
“What of our
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