Read Online Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) by Jamie Sedgwick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jamie Sedgwick
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midmorning sun got hot on the back of our necks and our stomachs started to rumble, and I knew that we’d have to stop soon. We had reached the edge of the Borderlands and turned a little to the east, following along the foothills of the Blackrock Mountains. I could tell Robie was getting impatient, but he hadn’t started complaining yet. It wasn’t until I passed a cool running stream without even slowing for a drink that he finally spoke up.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” he said. “You know, maybe we could go back to that creek and catch a fish or two.”
“We don’t have time,” I said. “We have to keep moving.”
“All right, but if we keep moving like this much longer you’re going to be moving without me. I have to eat and rest once in a while, you know. I’m human.”
I froze, searching for the insult in his words. I wasn’t sure if he’d intended one or not. “I’m human, too,” I said. “What’s your point?”
He rolled his eyes. “Breeze would you please get off your high horse for a few minutes? I know you have human blood, but you also have Tal’mar blood.”
“So what? Are you saying I should have stayed with them? Because a few hours ago you were convinced that we should go south.”
“That’s not what I said. I’m just hungry, that’s all. I’ve hardly had a bite to eat in two days and I’ve been up all night, walking. If I go on much longer, I’m going to drop. You’ll have to forgive me for being human but that’s what I am. I guess you should just go on without me, since I’m beneath you anyway.”
“Beneath me?” I said. “I didn’t say that!”
“Didn’t you?”
He turned away, walking back towards the stream. I watched him, wondering if I’d been behaving as badly as it sounded. He was tired. I could tell it from the way he walked, from the stoop in his shoulders and the way he favored one leg over the other. He probably had blisters on his feet. His boots were nice but they weren’t designed for walking like this. If I’d taken the time to notice, I may have seen the dark circles under his eyes as well. I’d been too wrapped up in my own concerns.
“General Corsan’s farm isn’t far from here,” I said. “Maybe an hour, no more than two. That’s where I had been planning to stop. We should find food there, and maybe even a steamwagon we could borrow.”
Robie had knelt down next to the stream. He was drinking from it as I spoke. He splashed cool water over his face and neck and then stood up, smiling. “Well why didn’t you say so? Let’s get moving!”
He rushed up the embankment and continued past me. I watched him, mystified. Could the thought of food and a comfortable ride have so rejuvenated him, or had I overestimated his exhaustion? I shook my head and started after him.
It was strange to me, crossing land by foot. I had taken long walks before but I’d never covered so many miles on the ground, especially not at such a meandering pace. In the trees, I could cover great distances in relatively short periods of time. Here on the plains, I was as helpless and plodding as a plow horse. I did have a distinct advantage over Robie however, not only because of my Tal’mar blood, but because I was lighter and less burdened.
Robie had not only his cutlass to bear, he had also taken a battle harness with two good-sized swords from the body of a slain Vangar warrior. I had thought at first that the blades would be ridiculously large for him, but once Robie had slung them over his shoulder, I realized they weren’t a bad fit. I wondered if he truly knew how to fight with weapons like that. I supposed it was something he had learned over the years while I’d been flying around with my head in the clouds. It was just one more opportunity he’d taken advantage of that I had missed.
We reached the general’s farm in a little over an hour. As we came over a rise and saw the tiny patch of green vineyards surrounded by
“I don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” he said. “You know, maybe we could go back to that creek and catch a fish or two.”
“We don’t have time,” I said. “We have to keep moving.”
“All right, but if we keep moving like this much longer you’re going to be moving without me. I have to eat and rest once in a while, you know. I’m human.”
I froze, searching for the insult in his words. I wasn’t sure if he’d intended one or not. “I’m human, too,” I said. “What’s your point?”
He rolled his eyes. “Breeze would you please get off your high horse for a few minutes? I know you have human blood, but you also have Tal’mar blood.”
“So what? Are you saying I should have stayed with them? Because a few hours ago you were convinced that we should go south.”
“That’s not what I said. I’m just hungry, that’s all. I’ve hardly had a bite to eat in two days and I’ve been up all night, walking. If I go on much longer, I’m going to drop. You’ll have to forgive me for being human but that’s what I am. I guess you should just go on without me, since I’m beneath you anyway.”
“Beneath me?” I said. “I didn’t say that!”
“Didn’t you?”
He turned away, walking back towards the stream. I watched him, wondering if I’d been behaving as badly as it sounded. He was tired. I could tell it from the way he walked, from the stoop in his shoulders and the way he favored one leg over the other. He probably had blisters on his feet. His boots were nice but they weren’t designed for walking like this. If I’d taken the time to notice, I may have seen the dark circles under his eyes as well. I’d been too wrapped up in my own concerns.
“General Corsan’s farm isn’t far from here,” I said. “Maybe an hour, no more than two. That’s where I had been planning to stop. We should find food there, and maybe even a steamwagon we could borrow.”
Robie had knelt down next to the stream. He was drinking from it as I spoke. He splashed cool water over his face and neck and then stood up, smiling. “Well why didn’t you say so? Let’s get moving!”
He rushed up the embankment and continued past me. I watched him, mystified. Could the thought of food and a comfortable ride have so rejuvenated him, or had I overestimated his exhaustion? I shook my head and started after him.
It was strange to me, crossing land by foot. I had taken long walks before but I’d never covered so many miles on the ground, especially not at such a meandering pace. In the trees, I could cover great distances in relatively short periods of time. Here on the plains, I was as helpless and plodding as a plow horse. I did have a distinct advantage over Robie however, not only because of my Tal’mar blood, but because I was lighter and less burdened.
Robie had not only his cutlass to bear, he had also taken a battle harness with two good-sized swords from the body of a slain Vangar warrior. I had thought at first that the blades would be ridiculously large for him, but once Robie had slung them over his shoulder, I realized they weren’t a bad fit. I wondered if he truly knew how to fight with weapons like that. I supposed it was something he had learned over the years while I’d been flying around with my head in the clouds. It was just one more opportunity he’d taken advantage of that I had missed.
We reached the general’s farm in a little over an hour. As we came over a rise and saw the tiny patch of green vineyards surrounded by
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