Read Online The Crow God's Girl by Patrice Sarath - Free Book Online
Authors: Patrice Sarath
Ads: Link
if someone had spoken aloud and her heart jumped. She backed the mare and turned her on her haunches, setting her into a gallop. To hell with bringing the mare in cool. She needed to tell someone.
CHAPTER FIVE
Maksin’s soldiers in the courtyard all turned to stare at her as she came in at a gallop and pulled the mare to a halt. She dismounted hastily, her split skirts getting caught up for an embarrassing moment, revealing an awful amount of stocking before she could get untangled. The young stableboy Stelpin came running up and she handed him Allegra’s reins.
“Where’s Maksin?” Kate cried out, gasping. The crowd of men parted and the grizzled old guard stumped through. He did not look happy at being summoned.
“What is it!” he said, his tone sharp.
“There’s something out there. On the road, near the turnoff down by the river. I heard, I mean I saw–I’m not sure. But it spooked the mare, and I just think–” She trailed off. He was not believing her, not for an instant. She should have gone to Lady Beatra first.
He gave his men a droll look, his arms folded across his barrel chest. “I don’t understand you, strangeling girl. In your country, are such things threats?”
Some of the men laughed. Heart sinking, she said, “Look, I didn’t actually see anything. But I know something was out there. I could tell.”
“Girl,” he said. “You should stay indoors with the rest of the women, if you are afraid of the wind.”
Stay indoors. As if any women stayed indoors, she wanted to say. They were too busy running households, taking care of livestock, tending fields, raising children, washing, cooking, running Aeritan. No one worked harder than a woman, and their hands and faces and worn out bodies showed it. She could say all that and Maksin would just stare harder and play dumb.
“Maksin, maybe–” began one of the soldiers, dubiously. Maksin turned and gave the man a hard look, and the man shut up, but he didn’t look happy about it.
“There’s something out there,” she said flatly. “I’ll let Lady Beatra know, and she can decide.” She turned on her heel and walked toward the House, anger boiling in her. Fool. Stupid, prejudiced fool. She pushed away a niggling doubt–Was he right? She hadn’t seen anything, she just had that one warning that sounded as if it came from within her but was not of her–and went to find Lady Beatra.
She was at the top of the stairs when Lady Beatra called her name. “There you are, child. Have you found Yare?”
“Ma’am? No, I–wait. Yare is missing?” Not again, she thought. The boy was a master at going AWOL, only to turn up later with an air of innocence and some excuse.
Lady Beatra sighed. In the weeks since her husband had been away, she had begun to look harassed and strained. “That child. I don’t know what we are going to do with him.”
“I’ll help look. But ma’am–” she stopped.
“Yes, dear?”
If she told Lady Beatra she heard something on the road or maybe saw something, she would have as much success as she had with Maksin, except for one difference. Her riding days would be over. She would be stuck inside safe and sound, a prisoner. Lady Beatra wouldn’t even have to make it a rule; she just wouldn’t have any errands for Kate, or would need her help elsewhere that day.
“Kate?”
Kate managed to smile, even as her stomach churned. “Sorry, ma’am. It’s nothing. I’ll go off to look for Yare. He might be in the stables.”
Lady Beatra gave her a tired smile. “Thank you, Kate. You are so good and useful.”
Good and useful. Kate winced. Lady Beatra didn’t seem to notice and Kate continued back down the stairs. She stumbled on the third step where the stone, worn by time and the footfall of many Terricks and their householders, was an ill fit for her hiking boots. Her stomach dropped as she caught her toe, grabbing for the carved railing to keep from pitching headfirst to the
CHAPTER FIVE
Maksin’s soldiers in the courtyard all turned to stare at her as she came in at a gallop and pulled the mare to a halt. She dismounted hastily, her split skirts getting caught up for an embarrassing moment, revealing an awful amount of stocking before she could get untangled. The young stableboy Stelpin came running up and she handed him Allegra’s reins.
“Where’s Maksin?” Kate cried out, gasping. The crowd of men parted and the grizzled old guard stumped through. He did not look happy at being summoned.
“What is it!” he said, his tone sharp.
“There’s something out there. On the road, near the turnoff down by the river. I heard, I mean I saw–I’m not sure. But it spooked the mare, and I just think–” She trailed off. He was not believing her, not for an instant. She should have gone to Lady Beatra first.
He gave his men a droll look, his arms folded across his barrel chest. “I don’t understand you, strangeling girl. In your country, are such things threats?”
Some of the men laughed. Heart sinking, she said, “Look, I didn’t actually see anything. But I know something was out there. I could tell.”
“Girl,” he said. “You should stay indoors with the rest of the women, if you are afraid of the wind.”
Stay indoors. As if any women stayed indoors, she wanted to say. They were too busy running households, taking care of livestock, tending fields, raising children, washing, cooking, running Aeritan. No one worked harder than a woman, and their hands and faces and worn out bodies showed it. She could say all that and Maksin would just stare harder and play dumb.
“Maksin, maybe–” began one of the soldiers, dubiously. Maksin turned and gave the man a hard look, and the man shut up, but he didn’t look happy about it.
“There’s something out there,” she said flatly. “I’ll let Lady Beatra know, and she can decide.” She turned on her heel and walked toward the House, anger boiling in her. Fool. Stupid, prejudiced fool. She pushed away a niggling doubt–Was he right? She hadn’t seen anything, she just had that one warning that sounded as if it came from within her but was not of her–and went to find Lady Beatra.
She was at the top of the stairs when Lady Beatra called her name. “There you are, child. Have you found Yare?”
“Ma’am? No, I–wait. Yare is missing?” Not again, she thought. The boy was a master at going AWOL, only to turn up later with an air of innocence and some excuse.
Lady Beatra sighed. In the weeks since her husband had been away, she had begun to look harassed and strained. “That child. I don’t know what we are going to do with him.”
“I’ll help look. But ma’am–” she stopped.
“Yes, dear?”
If she told Lady Beatra she heard something on the road or maybe saw something, she would have as much success as she had with Maksin, except for one difference. Her riding days would be over. She would be stuck inside safe and sound, a prisoner. Lady Beatra wouldn’t even have to make it a rule; she just wouldn’t have any errands for Kate, or would need her help elsewhere that day.
“Kate?”
Kate managed to smile, even as her stomach churned. “Sorry, ma’am. It’s nothing. I’ll go off to look for Yare. He might be in the stables.”
Lady Beatra gave her a tired smile. “Thank you, Kate. You are so good and useful.”
Good and useful. Kate winced. Lady Beatra didn’t seem to notice and Kate continued back down the stairs. She stumbled on the third step where the stone, worn by time and the footfall of many Terricks and their householders, was an ill fit for her hiking boots. Her stomach dropped as she caught her toe, grabbing for the carved railing to keep from pitching headfirst to the
Similar Books
