Read Online The Raven's Shadow by Elspeth Cooper - Free Book Online Page B

two Hounds, who shuffled their paws and licked their chops as if they knew he had a choice morsel for them. ‘I see you received my little gift.’
    His gift? ‘These are Maegern’s Hounds.’
    ‘True, but She did not release them.’
    Impossible. ‘I spoke with Her. She promised us the Hounds as a token of Her favour!’
    The man laughed indulgently. ‘My dear Speaker, your faith in your goddess is commendable, but consider this: faith does not require that things are true, only that you believe them to be so.’
    Macha, the man twisted words like a Speaker avoiding an untruth. ‘Speak plainly.’
    ‘Is it not obvious?’ He spread his hands. ‘If your goddess had the power to reach into the daylight world, She would have freed Herself centuries ago. She might have commanded the Hounds to come to you, but She needed help to release them.’
    Before she could stop herself, the knife was halfway from its sheath again. ‘Lies!’
    Amused, he cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘It hadn’t occurred to you? I am surprised.’
    The notion had never even crossed her mind. Maegern was a goddess of the Elder realm – She raised Her hand and Her will was done. Ytha had never had reason to doubt it, and yet . . . after the Breaking, mortal men had sealed the goddess and Her Hunt away. Powerful men, with a powerful weapon, but mortals nonetheless. That realisation shook Ytha badly, even worse than finding out yesterday that the forts were not empty, but she stiffened her knees and snicked the knife back into its sheath. No pale-skinned southerner would see the Speaker of the Crainnh at a loss, no matter what he said.
    ‘So it was you who loosed them? If you are so mighty, why not free Maegern yourself? Why make a game of it with us?’
    His shoulders lifted in a shrug. ‘Because the Eldest are not my gods. What happens to them is of no concern to me; my only interest is in seeing the Empire brought to its knees – which your war band will do very handily, I think.’
    ‘So what are you doing here?’
    ‘I came to check on your progress. I must say, I am impressed. You have done better than I ever anticipated.’
    He had assumed she would fail. How dare he?
    ‘I have fulfilled my side of the bargain,’ she said coolly. ‘I have the clans at my back, and now the Hounds are with us. We are ready to retake our lands and grind the Emperor’s face in the dust.’
    The southman gave her a gracious nod. ‘And I have fulfilled mine. The iron men will not challenge you. You will have your lands again, if your warriors will fight for them.’
    ‘They will fight, have no fear.’ Ytha allowed herself a thin smile. ‘Nimrothi men do not give up their spears when the battle goes hard.’
    ‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He got to his feet in a swirl of glossy fabric. Pink tongues lolling, the Hounds jumped up, too, and milled around his legs, plumy tails waving over their backs. He scratched their ears absently and they licked at his hands. Strange; she’d never seen them fawn like that over anyone. ‘Have they shown you the way?’
    Ytha eyed him warily, wondering how much to reveal. She’d been telling the truth when she said she didn’t trust him – and not just because his drawling accent made her fear he was mocking her, or the odd way he twisted words around until she suspected he hadn’t meant what she’d heard.
    ‘They have,’ she said. ‘Our course is clear.’
    He didn’t press her for more, just straightened up and dusted yellow-grey fur from his fingers. ‘Then I think our business is concluded. I will observe your advance most carefully.’ He made his obeisance in his own strange fashion, leaning forward a little at the waist. ‘Speaker.’
    ‘Southman.’
    She gave him a nod and he left the tent. A breath of some heady scent followed him, rich and musky – perfume of some kind? On a man? Ytha shook her head and eyed the two Hounds who were staring as if bereft after her departed guest. Truly, these