Read Online The Outlaw King: The Line of Kings Trilogy Book One by Craig Saunders - Free Book Online Page A

She sounded ancient.
                ‘Tarn,
I want you to meet our visitor,’ said Rena. ‘This is Tulathia. She’s come to
live with us.’
                ‘Is
she your grandmother?’ enquired Tarn politely.
                The
old woman laughed. ‘I’m nobody’s grandmother. You may call me Tulathia, or old
mother. As it suits you.’
                Mia
smiled through the smoke at Tarn. She sat beside her daughter and Tulathia.
Three witches, thought Tarn. His father had told him all about witches and he
wasn’t afraid of them. They used the power of nature to help others. But three,
his father told him, couldn’t help but meddle in affairs too powerful for one
to contain. One was fine, two a rarity. Three, he knew, played with fate.
                Suddenly,
he knew with whose fate they intended to play. He kept his thoughts to himself,
though.
                ‘It’s
nice to meet you, old mother. Mia, could I take Rena out for a walk?’
                ‘Not
yet, Tarn. Make yourself comfortable. Tulathia would have words with you. I
think you have much to talk about. You will be surprised.’
                Tarn
nodded, reluctantly. This boded. Nothing that boded ever boded well.
                Mia
put some moss on the fire and the smoke rose in swirls, making the hut even
more dim. He could see the faces of the three witches – Rena looking at him
with a smile that was distorted in the clouds of smoke to look like a leer.
                The
old lady had only a few teeth and more wrinkles than Tarn had hair.
                Mia
was beautiful, but in the murk of the hut she looked like he’d imagined Haritha
the Black would have looked like, a witch in a story his father told him. The
story of the dark witch who boiled babies for her medicine and once fooled a
king. It gave Tarn nightmares. He wondered what they could possibly want with
him. He just wanted to go for a walk.
                He
swallowed and decided he should speak. They were all looking at him.
                ‘Lovely
day, isn’t it?’ His voice broke slightly.
                Tulathia
cackled. ‘What are you afraid of? A boy such as you should have no fear of
three women.’
                ‘I’m
not afraid,’ said Tarn, his voice cracking again, marking him for a liar.
                ‘There’s
nothing to worry about, Tarn,’ said Mia kindly. At least her voice sounded
smooth, a voice to match her looks. ‘Tulathia would speak with you, nothing
more.’
                ‘What
would you ask, old mother?’ said Tarn, as politely as he could, willing his
voice not to tremble.
                ‘First,
Rena, would you gather me some cat’s foot, for tonight’s stew? I am old and
cannot do it myself.’
                ‘But
I want to walk with Tarn!’
                ‘There
will be time for that later. Now, girl, to your chores.’
                Rena
huffed, but got up and left Tarn with Mia and Tulathia. Tarn even more
concerned now that he did not have Rena with him.
                Tulathia
weighed the boy up, sensing how far she should go in this first meeting. She
watched him through the smoke as she spoke.
                ‘When
you were scarred so, what beast did you see?’
                Tarn
tried to cover his shock. The old woman was a witch after all. They saw things
no ordinary woman could. ‘How do you know about that, old mother? Were you
there? Why didn’t you help me?’
                ‘Peace
boy, just answer my questions. I see much, but not everything. I cannot undo
the past.’
                Tarn
weighed his options and breathed deeply, calming himself as his father taught
him to do when shooting in the woods. He imagined himself sighting a stag,
tracking its movement as it strode,