Read Online Tanys Gladiatrix (The Chronicles of Tanys Book 2) by Andrew Hunter - Free Book Online
Authors: Andrew Hunter
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fuck out of this fucking desert!"
Haru wisely held his tongue.
"But Tanys," Danella said, "you heard what Baran said."
"You talked to Baran?" Haru asked.
"Doesn't matter what Baran said!"
"But even he's afraid of her," Danella said, yanking a piece of metal from Jorva's bone with forceps. The dwarf whimpered once and passed out.
Tanys ignored her. "Haru," she said, "you need to be ready. As soon as the Prince's match is over, we need to be on the road. Someone is going to be very unhappy when I'm still alive and Brecia isn't, and I don't intend to stick around to see what revenge they dream up for us."
Haru looked a bit sick, but did not argue.
"You bet everything you can on me," Tanys said, "and you have Danella and Jorva packed up and ready to go as soon as we collect the winnings. Danella, you'd better set up some sort of bed in a wagon. We can ditch it if we need to travel fast, but I don't know what sort of shape I'll be in after the fight. It's best to be prepared for the worst."
"A bed in a wagon ain't the worst that can happen," Danella said.
Tanys looked at her. There was real fear in Danella's eyes. Tanys smiled and started to speak, but a noise at the doorway drew her attention.
A smirking, one-eared satyr in a yellow doublet leaned against the doorframe. He hefted a bag of coins in his hand and then tossed it to Haru. "My master sends his congratulations, Haru'Luk," the stranger said.
Haru stared down at the sack of gold in his lap. "This is more than I should have won. Who is your master?"
"The Duke, Ayet Nael Sacru'Lac," he answered, "He was most impressed with the way your dwarf dispatched his men."
An uncomfortable silence hung over the room. Tanys' lips twitched with the message she would like to send to the mysterious Duke. Haru stood quickly, hastening to interpose himself between the raven girl and the satyr messenger. "My thanks to your master," Haru said, "I must confess that I did not realize I would be so honored to pit my man against the Duke's house."
"We know," the yellow-clad satyr drawled, "You've been playing your fighters beneath their abilities. My master, and others, feel that you have too long feigned humility."
"I'm afraid I don't..."
"Oh relax, Haru. It is a compliment they pay you," he said, "You are being noticed... noticed by important people. This little fracas was both a test and a warning. You passed, and now it is time that you put away your petty crimes and become something bigger... something legitimate."
Haru's jaw worked but no sound came out. At last he asked, "May I know your name?"
"Torke," the one-eared satyr answered.
Haru bowed. "Vella no-durain, Torke."
Torke snorted, his eyes narrowing at the formal greeting. "Well... in any case, I am to invite you to dinner at the Duke's manor house this evening. Be there at sunset. Don't bother bringing a gift... and wear the best thing you own."
Torke did not wait for any reply. He simply turned and was gone, leaving Haru, Tanys, and Danella to stare at the empty doorway.
"What a prick!" Tanys said.
Haru had opened the bag and was counting the money. Tanys could hear his breath quickening with lust for gold. When he looked up, the faun's eyes burned with greed.
"You are not seriously considering this?" Tanys groaned.
"I cannot turn down an invitation like this," Haru said, "and, anyway, it's only dinner."
"He all but told you to use the slave's entrance!"
"Tanys, you don't understand!" Haru said, "That's the way it is here. You do have to lick a few boots, as you put it, to be anyone in this city. I'm finally getting my chance to be recognized."
"I thought you were already a prince or something here?"
"In the goddamned swamp!" Haru muttered, "But here, where the real power is, my family is nothing."
"Then let's go to the goddamned swamp," Tanys said, "to the goddamned mountains, to the goddamned island of prancing unicorns! Let's just get out of here."
Haru stared down at his bag of gold, his ears
Haru wisely held his tongue.
"But Tanys," Danella said, "you heard what Baran said."
"You talked to Baran?" Haru asked.
"Doesn't matter what Baran said!"
"But even he's afraid of her," Danella said, yanking a piece of metal from Jorva's bone with forceps. The dwarf whimpered once and passed out.
Tanys ignored her. "Haru," she said, "you need to be ready. As soon as the Prince's match is over, we need to be on the road. Someone is going to be very unhappy when I'm still alive and Brecia isn't, and I don't intend to stick around to see what revenge they dream up for us."
Haru looked a bit sick, but did not argue.
"You bet everything you can on me," Tanys said, "and you have Danella and Jorva packed up and ready to go as soon as we collect the winnings. Danella, you'd better set up some sort of bed in a wagon. We can ditch it if we need to travel fast, but I don't know what sort of shape I'll be in after the fight. It's best to be prepared for the worst."
"A bed in a wagon ain't the worst that can happen," Danella said.
Tanys looked at her. There was real fear in Danella's eyes. Tanys smiled and started to speak, but a noise at the doorway drew her attention.
A smirking, one-eared satyr in a yellow doublet leaned against the doorframe. He hefted a bag of coins in his hand and then tossed it to Haru. "My master sends his congratulations, Haru'Luk," the stranger said.
Haru stared down at the sack of gold in his lap. "This is more than I should have won. Who is your master?"
"The Duke, Ayet Nael Sacru'Lac," he answered, "He was most impressed with the way your dwarf dispatched his men."
An uncomfortable silence hung over the room. Tanys' lips twitched with the message she would like to send to the mysterious Duke. Haru stood quickly, hastening to interpose himself between the raven girl and the satyr messenger. "My thanks to your master," Haru said, "I must confess that I did not realize I would be so honored to pit my man against the Duke's house."
"We know," the yellow-clad satyr drawled, "You've been playing your fighters beneath their abilities. My master, and others, feel that you have too long feigned humility."
"I'm afraid I don't..."
"Oh relax, Haru. It is a compliment they pay you," he said, "You are being noticed... noticed by important people. This little fracas was both a test and a warning. You passed, and now it is time that you put away your petty crimes and become something bigger... something legitimate."
Haru's jaw worked but no sound came out. At last he asked, "May I know your name?"
"Torke," the one-eared satyr answered.
Haru bowed. "Vella no-durain, Torke."
Torke snorted, his eyes narrowing at the formal greeting. "Well... in any case, I am to invite you to dinner at the Duke's manor house this evening. Be there at sunset. Don't bother bringing a gift... and wear the best thing you own."
Torke did not wait for any reply. He simply turned and was gone, leaving Haru, Tanys, and Danella to stare at the empty doorway.
"What a prick!" Tanys said.
Haru had opened the bag and was counting the money. Tanys could hear his breath quickening with lust for gold. When he looked up, the faun's eyes burned with greed.
"You are not seriously considering this?" Tanys groaned.
"I cannot turn down an invitation like this," Haru said, "and, anyway, it's only dinner."
"He all but told you to use the slave's entrance!"
"Tanys, you don't understand!" Haru said, "That's the way it is here. You do have to lick a few boots, as you put it, to be anyone in this city. I'm finally getting my chance to be recognized."
"I thought you were already a prince or something here?"
"In the goddamned swamp!" Haru muttered, "But here, where the real power is, my family is nothing."
"Then let's go to the goddamned swamp," Tanys said, "to the goddamned mountains, to the goddamned island of prancing unicorns! Let's just get out of here."
Haru stared down at his bag of gold, his ears
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