Read Online Warden (Book 2: Lure of the Lamia) by Kevin Hardman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kevin Hardman
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asked, somewhat mystified.
“The barn. She’s in the barn.”
“Who?” Errol asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“Gale, you young idiot.” And with that, Bea went inside, leaving her husband Dennis outside snickering at a dumbfounded Errol. On his part, Errol was on the verge of protesting, saying Gale had nothing to do with his visit, when Dennis placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Listen,” said the older man, “you don’t ride this far out just to give a warning like that – especially when sending word by a raven would have been faster and just as effective.”
Errol could have kicked himself. His clumsy attempt at masking his true motives hadn’t fooled anyone.
“Now,” said Dennis, pointing Errol in the proper direction. “The barn.”
Errol sighed, and then began walking. A few moments later, he reached the barn, the door to which was open. Inside, he saw Gale cleaning out stalls. Even hard at work performing a distasteful chore, Errol was surprised to find his heart skip a beat at seeing her. She glanced in his direction as he came in, but didn’t stop working.
“Good evening, Warden,” she said when he got close. “Something I can help you with?”
“Uh, no,” he said. “I just really wanted to talk.”
“That’s ironic,” she said, continuing to muck out the stalls with a shovel. “Before, when I had nothing but time, you had nothing to say. Now that I’m in the middle of chores, you find your tongue.” She paused, holding the shovel upright and leaning against it for a moment. “Well, out with it.”
“I, uh…well, I…” Now that he was in front of her, words appeared to be deserting Errol again. Scrambling for anything to say, he finally asked, “Were you, uh, planning to go see the troupe perform?”
“I was. Possibly tomorrow, if I can finish my chores soon enough.”
“So you’ll be going in the evening, after you finish things here?”
“Yes.”
“Then I want you to have this.” He held out a bracelet towards her – a shiny band of metal covered in strange runes.
Gale took it gently from his hand, looking it over. She recognized it as one of the ornaments worn by Jarruse – the sorcerer who had forged weapons from the Wendigo’s bones. Jarruse had claimed that the bracelet’s magic would protect the wearer from the monsters of the Badlands.
“If you’re going to be out in the evening,” Errol went on, “and traveling home in the dark, you should have it.”
“I won’t be coming home in the dark,” she said. “Several of us girls from the outlying farms are going to stay with Margo Messen.”
Errol nodded in understanding. The Messens operated Stanchion’s general store and lived in a large home not far from town. It made sense that some of the girls would stay with them. In fact, there were several families with homes near where the troupe was performing that would be entertaining guests until the performers left town.
“You should keep this,” Gale said, trying to hand the bracelet back to him. “You need its protection more than I do. I’ll be fine.”
“I want you to have it anyway.” He took the bracelet and slid it over her hand and onto her wrist. Then he took a deep breath, and blurted out the rest before he had time to think about it and decide against it. “You’re special to me, Gale. I need you to know that.”
Gale looked at him in unabashed surprise, and then the corners of her mouth slowly twisted up into a smile. This was as close as Errol had ever been able to get to saying something meaningful, and it had taken him months to get there.
“Well, it’s not the piece of jewelry a girl ideally dreams of getting,” she said, looking at the bracelet admiringly. “But I’ll take what I can get…for no – ”
Her words were cut off as Errol, surprising himself, leaned forward and kissed her. She initially seemed on the verge of resisting, then yielded, letting her shovel drop to the ground forgotten
“The barn. She’s in the barn.”
“Who?” Errol asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“Gale, you young idiot.” And with that, Bea went inside, leaving her husband Dennis outside snickering at a dumbfounded Errol. On his part, Errol was on the verge of protesting, saying Gale had nothing to do with his visit, when Dennis placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Listen,” said the older man, “you don’t ride this far out just to give a warning like that – especially when sending word by a raven would have been faster and just as effective.”
Errol could have kicked himself. His clumsy attempt at masking his true motives hadn’t fooled anyone.
“Now,” said Dennis, pointing Errol in the proper direction. “The barn.”
Errol sighed, and then began walking. A few moments later, he reached the barn, the door to which was open. Inside, he saw Gale cleaning out stalls. Even hard at work performing a distasteful chore, Errol was surprised to find his heart skip a beat at seeing her. She glanced in his direction as he came in, but didn’t stop working.
“Good evening, Warden,” she said when he got close. “Something I can help you with?”
“Uh, no,” he said. “I just really wanted to talk.”
“That’s ironic,” she said, continuing to muck out the stalls with a shovel. “Before, when I had nothing but time, you had nothing to say. Now that I’m in the middle of chores, you find your tongue.” She paused, holding the shovel upright and leaning against it for a moment. “Well, out with it.”
“I, uh…well, I…” Now that he was in front of her, words appeared to be deserting Errol again. Scrambling for anything to say, he finally asked, “Were you, uh, planning to go see the troupe perform?”
“I was. Possibly tomorrow, if I can finish my chores soon enough.”
“So you’ll be going in the evening, after you finish things here?”
“Yes.”
“Then I want you to have this.” He held out a bracelet towards her – a shiny band of metal covered in strange runes.
Gale took it gently from his hand, looking it over. She recognized it as one of the ornaments worn by Jarruse – the sorcerer who had forged weapons from the Wendigo’s bones. Jarruse had claimed that the bracelet’s magic would protect the wearer from the monsters of the Badlands.
“If you’re going to be out in the evening,” Errol went on, “and traveling home in the dark, you should have it.”
“I won’t be coming home in the dark,” she said. “Several of us girls from the outlying farms are going to stay with Margo Messen.”
Errol nodded in understanding. The Messens operated Stanchion’s general store and lived in a large home not far from town. It made sense that some of the girls would stay with them. In fact, there were several families with homes near where the troupe was performing that would be entertaining guests until the performers left town.
“You should keep this,” Gale said, trying to hand the bracelet back to him. “You need its protection more than I do. I’ll be fine.”
“I want you to have it anyway.” He took the bracelet and slid it over her hand and onto her wrist. Then he took a deep breath, and blurted out the rest before he had time to think about it and decide against it. “You’re special to me, Gale. I need you to know that.”
Gale looked at him in unabashed surprise, and then the corners of her mouth slowly twisted up into a smile. This was as close as Errol had ever been able to get to saying something meaningful, and it had taken him months to get there.
“Well, it’s not the piece of jewelry a girl ideally dreams of getting,” she said, looking at the bracelet admiringly. “But I’ll take what I can get…for no – ”
Her words were cut off as Errol, surprising himself, leaned forward and kissed her. She initially seemed on the verge of resisting, then yielded, letting her shovel drop to the ground forgotten
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