Read Online Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) by Jamie Sedgwick - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jamie Sedgwick
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hundreds of miles of golden prairie, it occurred to me how easily we might have missed the place entirely. It had never been hard to find with my plane, but a person on foot might have walked right by and never even realized it. Upon reflection, I realized that I may have been overconfident in my abilities. Had we been traveling half a mile to the west, we would have missed the place entirely.
“I don’t get it,” Robie said. “Why would General Corsan choose a place as far from civilization as he could get?”
“It is that,” I agreed. “But the general did spend many years protecting the Borderlands from the Tal’mar. I suppose this place is home to him now.”
“Just him?” Robie said. “Does he live alone, then?”
I nodded. “When I was here last, I asked the general if he would ever find a mate. His answer was that he was too old to take care of himself, so why would he want to take care of someone else?”
Robie snorted. “Crazy old man. More likely he just doesn’t want to share his wine.”
We made the short trek down the hill and found the general working in the barn. He had a forge fired up, and appeared to be working on a pair of shears. We startled him as we appeared in the entryway and our shadows passed over his work area. He jerked his head around, blinking with his good eye (Corsan had lost an eye in battle many years earlier, and still had not only the eye patch to remind him of that grim battle, but a long scar that ran diagonally from his forehead to his cheek). He recognized us and waved as he set the hot steel aside.
“Breeze, it’s good to see you! I didn’t hear your plane,” he said as he came to the front of the barn.
“I didn’t fly,” I said. “Do you remember Robie?”
“Of course.” They shook hands and Corsan looked back and forth between us. The smile faded slightly from his face. “What’s going on? You two look like someone just kicked your favorite dog.”
“General, we have to talk,” I said. “Something terrible has happened.”
“All right, come on into the house. I’ll get you a drink. You two look as dehydrated as a pair of old saddlebags.”
“And food?” Robie said. “Do you have food?”
The general laughed. He guided us to the springhouse behind the cabin, where he fetched a jug of cool sweetthistle tea and then led us inside. His home was a true split-log cabin, but it was larger than most. The general had designed and built it himself, using all the knowledge he had gained while working as an engineer with the Tal’mar. He had built a rather impressive home. It seemed large for one person, but then the general never did things small. With some modifications, the house could have been turned into a lodge to house a dozen people, but as it was the place was very nice.
Corsan gave us bowls of soup from a pot simmering over the fireplace, and while we ate, we told him about everything that had happened. He listened intently, asking a question or two but for the most part simply digested it all. After we had told him everything, he leaned back in his chair and stared through the kitchen window at the miles of wild grain waving in the breeze.
“These Vangars came here for something,” he said absently.
“My grandmother said it was steel they came for,” I said. “They know about Blackrock steel.”
The general considered that. “She may be right, but they won’t stop at that. They came with too much force. If it was just steel they wanted, they could have negotiated. They want more.”
“Like what?” said Robie. “So far, we’ve only seem them taking captives. Do you think they’re here for slaves?”
“That’s possible,” the general said. “Until we know more about them, we shouldn’t suppose too much, though. What about the two of you? What are your plans?”
“We’re going to Anora first,” Robie said. “Hopefully, they managed to hold the Vangars back. I’m worried about Riverfork.”
“I’m not
“I don’t get it,” Robie said. “Why would General Corsan choose a place as far from civilization as he could get?”
“It is that,” I agreed. “But the general did spend many years protecting the Borderlands from the Tal’mar. I suppose this place is home to him now.”
“Just him?” Robie said. “Does he live alone, then?”
I nodded. “When I was here last, I asked the general if he would ever find a mate. His answer was that he was too old to take care of himself, so why would he want to take care of someone else?”
Robie snorted. “Crazy old man. More likely he just doesn’t want to share his wine.”
We made the short trek down the hill and found the general working in the barn. He had a forge fired up, and appeared to be working on a pair of shears. We startled him as we appeared in the entryway and our shadows passed over his work area. He jerked his head around, blinking with his good eye (Corsan had lost an eye in battle many years earlier, and still had not only the eye patch to remind him of that grim battle, but a long scar that ran diagonally from his forehead to his cheek). He recognized us and waved as he set the hot steel aside.
“Breeze, it’s good to see you! I didn’t hear your plane,” he said as he came to the front of the barn.
“I didn’t fly,” I said. “Do you remember Robie?”
“Of course.” They shook hands and Corsan looked back and forth between us. The smile faded slightly from his face. “What’s going on? You two look like someone just kicked your favorite dog.”
“General, we have to talk,” I said. “Something terrible has happened.”
“All right, come on into the house. I’ll get you a drink. You two look as dehydrated as a pair of old saddlebags.”
“And food?” Robie said. “Do you have food?”
The general laughed. He guided us to the springhouse behind the cabin, where he fetched a jug of cool sweetthistle tea and then led us inside. His home was a true split-log cabin, but it was larger than most. The general had designed and built it himself, using all the knowledge he had gained while working as an engineer with the Tal’mar. He had built a rather impressive home. It seemed large for one person, but then the general never did things small. With some modifications, the house could have been turned into a lodge to house a dozen people, but as it was the place was very nice.
Corsan gave us bowls of soup from a pot simmering over the fireplace, and while we ate, we told him about everything that had happened. He listened intently, asking a question or two but for the most part simply digested it all. After we had told him everything, he leaned back in his chair and stared through the kitchen window at the miles of wild grain waving in the breeze.
“These Vangars came here for something,” he said absently.
“My grandmother said it was steel they came for,” I said. “They know about Blackrock steel.”
The general considered that. “She may be right, but they won’t stop at that. They came with too much force. If it was just steel they wanted, they could have negotiated. They want more.”
“Like what?” said Robie. “So far, we’ve only seem them taking captives. Do you think they’re here for slaves?”
“That’s possible,” the general said. “Until we know more about them, we shouldn’t suppose too much, though. What about the two of you? What are your plans?”
“We’re going to Anora first,” Robie said. “Hopefully, they managed to hold the Vangars back. I’m worried about Riverfork.”
“I’m not
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