Read Online Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue - Free Book Online Page B

battle, my friend. This is a woman’s beast. A palfrey. What you want under you when you ride against a field of men is a destrier, like my own.”
    Point well taken. The difference between the horse Ulfr had picked out for him and a war horse like Halldor’s would be the equivalent of a moped versus an armored Humvee.
    “I suppose that means we’ll need to speak with our friend Ulfr.”
    Halldor snorted even louder than before.
    “That we will. And I suppose it goes without saying that it would be a mistake to think Ulfr our friend. He’s not a man to be trusted.”
    “It goes without saying,” Chase agreed, exchanging a grin with Halldor as they left the stable.
    Some things didn’t change, no matter what century you were in. Brownnosers and backstabbers weren’t confined to any particular period in time. People were people everywhere. Everywhen.
    They made their way around the animal pens and past the men training in the lists in time to see a familiar figure hurrying across the courtyard toward the keep.
    “Isn’t that your little healer?”
    It was indeed Christiana. Funny how just seeing her at a distance could bring a smile to Chase’s lips and set his heart racing. It was as if the sun shone a little brighter for her.
    The woman had been extraordinary over the past few days in treating his blistered feet. He’d always healed quickly. His mother had claimed he could thank his Faerie blood for that, but he’d had his doubts about the process without the benefit of modern medicine. If he didn’t know better, he’d be tempted to claim there were magical powers in those herbs she’d used.
    The only drawback to her skills was that now that he was better, he had no reason to visit her. And visiting her was something he very much wanted to continue to do.
    “Looks like she’s headed into the keep,” he observed. “Hey. Didn’t Ulfr say that was where he was going, too? To meet with Torquil?”
    “I believe he did, at that,” Halldor responded, a wide grin spreading over his face. “And since we absolutely need to get this horse business settled so that we might attend to other matters, it appears to me as though we’ve no choice but to follow the lady.”
    “No choice whatsoever,” Chase agreed, his steps already leading him in that direction.
    At the bottom of the stairs, Halldor cleared his throat.
    “I should mention that I have sensed a . . . what did you call it before?” His forehead wrinkled and then smoothed. “Yes. A vibe. A vibe that the Lord of Katanes may not welcome the intrusion into his keep of two lowly soldiers such as ourselves.”
    Chase snorted this time. He didn’t care what century it was, his personal code didn’t change. “First off, Torquil is not my lord. He’s just my employer. And if I’m not good enough to pass through his doorway, maybe I’m not good enough to wield my sword in his name. Maybe that means I’m outta here.”
    Though the thought of never seeing Christiana again bothered him a little more strongly than he would have expected. “As soon as I’m sure my wounds are completely healed, that is.”
    Halldor slapped him on the back. “Then we go together,” he said, leading the way up the stairs to the massive doors. “As soon as the little healer has finished with you, of course.”
    Why Chase’s face heated was beyond him. It just made good sense not to set out into the world until he was sure there was no residual chance of infection. He was only thinking of the logic of the situation.
    The door ahead of them opened to two guards, swords held at the ready.
    “What business have you here?” one of them asked.
    “We’re here to see a man about a horse,” Chase answered, catching up to Halldor’s side.
    When his friend lifted an eyebrow in question, Chase shrugged. It was a line he’d always wanted to use and there would likely never be a better time than right now.
    “We seek Ulfr,” Halldor clarified.
    “And there he is,” Chase