Read Online WINDREAPER by Charlotte Boyett-Compo - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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hair. "No, I will not see him harmed ever again."
Roget regarded Bent for a long time, then an idea struck him. He stood, thinking his slightly shorter than six-foot stature looked child-like beside the eight-foot Bent Fontaine. "How good are you at protecting yourself?"
His smile obviously confused Bent. A deep frown appeared on the broad, wrinkled face. "I do well enough."
"And do you think you could protect this poggle-headed boy?" Roget asked, thrusting his chin toward a sleeping, snoring Conar.
Understanding lit up Bent's hooded eyes. "He needs a bodyguard?"
"What do you think? Tonight is not the first time he's done something so patently stupid. With you as his bodyguard, I wouldn't worry about him." He put out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Bent's giant paw completely covered Roget's hand. "Consider him safe, Duke du Mer." He vigorously pumped Roget's hand.
Roget cringed. The man's strength was torture. When he recovered his hand, he flexed it, opening and closing his fingers. "If you're going to be one with us, Bent, you'd better learn to call me by my code name: Hawk. Duke Roget du Mer exists no longer."
Bent grinned. "It will be my pleasure, Lord Hawk!"
* * *
"Make that colossus leave me the hell alone, Hawk!" Conar glowered up at the man hovering near him. "He thinks he's my damned twin!"
Roget shook his head. Conar's temper was worse than usual this morning, due to the vast amount of ale he had consumed the day before. Twice Conar had tried to leave the room and twice Bent blocked his way.
"You're staying until it's time to leave for the keep." Roget didn't even look up when the snort of rage blew from his friend's mouth.
"I will not be dictated to!" came the thunderous reply. A tumbler of water sailed across the room, landing with a resounding crash against the hearth.
Roget smiled. Conar was like a little boy when thwarted. In a reasonable voice, Roget explained the situation. "In less than an hour we leave for Boreas Keep. You can't go into Boreas with a fogged brain. Bent will see that no liquor makes it way to your empty belly. Not this morning. Not this evening. Not tomorrow. Or the next day. Not until we have accomplished what we go to Boreas to accomplish."
"I don't need this ugly bastard guardingmy every move!"
Roget shrugged and looked at the book in his lap. He scanned the page, ignoring the angry hiss of warning from Conar. "He'll stand guard over you whether you like it or not. You can't be trusted to look after yourself, so you have acquired a nanny."
"A nanny!" The shout made the windowpanes rattle. Another object flew across the room and hit the wood paneling. "I'll not have it, Hawk!"
"You have no choice."
"I want this over-grown troll gone! Do you hear me, Roget?"
Roget glanced up with a frown of warning. It was the first time in a long time that Conar had called him by his given name. To lapse into such a dangerous mistake was a measure of how mad he truly was. "Lower your voice or, so help me, I'll have Bent gag you!"
Conar growled, his teeth actually bared. "Don't you even try something like that!"
"Then act reasonably and I won't." Roget closed his book with a snap and stood, facing Conar's anger with calm purpose. "Bent is here to guard your back. It doesn't matter what you want. You are more important to the cause alive than dead, skewered on the end of some Tribunal Guard's sword. Where you go, Bent goes. Live with it!"
Conar slammed his fist against the wall. "Hawk, but I will not be followed about like some irrational child. I can handle myself." He glanced at Bent's benevolent face. "I can take care of myself!"
"Bent will see that remains the case. He stays."
Conar glared at the giant. Short of skewering the man, he likely saw no way of getting away from him. He spat out vulgarities pertaining to Bent's maternal parentage, then slumped heavily onto the bed. He folded his arms across his chest, crossed his bare ankles over one another, and simply stared with
Roget regarded Bent for a long time, then an idea struck him. He stood, thinking his slightly shorter than six-foot stature looked child-like beside the eight-foot Bent Fontaine. "How good are you at protecting yourself?"
His smile obviously confused Bent. A deep frown appeared on the broad, wrinkled face. "I do well enough."
"And do you think you could protect this poggle-headed boy?" Roget asked, thrusting his chin toward a sleeping, snoring Conar.
Understanding lit up Bent's hooded eyes. "He needs a bodyguard?"
"What do you think? Tonight is not the first time he's done something so patently stupid. With you as his bodyguard, I wouldn't worry about him." He put out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Bent's giant paw completely covered Roget's hand. "Consider him safe, Duke du Mer." He vigorously pumped Roget's hand.
Roget cringed. The man's strength was torture. When he recovered his hand, he flexed it, opening and closing his fingers. "If you're going to be one with us, Bent, you'd better learn to call me by my code name: Hawk. Duke Roget du Mer exists no longer."
Bent grinned. "It will be my pleasure, Lord Hawk!"
* * *
"Make that colossus leave me the hell alone, Hawk!" Conar glowered up at the man hovering near him. "He thinks he's my damned twin!"
Roget shook his head. Conar's temper was worse than usual this morning, due to the vast amount of ale he had consumed the day before. Twice Conar had tried to leave the room and twice Bent blocked his way.
"You're staying until it's time to leave for the keep." Roget didn't even look up when the snort of rage blew from his friend's mouth.
"I will not be dictated to!" came the thunderous reply. A tumbler of water sailed across the room, landing with a resounding crash against the hearth.
Roget smiled. Conar was like a little boy when thwarted. In a reasonable voice, Roget explained the situation. "In less than an hour we leave for Boreas Keep. You can't go into Boreas with a fogged brain. Bent will see that no liquor makes it way to your empty belly. Not this morning. Not this evening. Not tomorrow. Or the next day. Not until we have accomplished what we go to Boreas to accomplish."
"I don't need this ugly bastard guardingmy every move!"
Roget shrugged and looked at the book in his lap. He scanned the page, ignoring the angry hiss of warning from Conar. "He'll stand guard over you whether you like it or not. You can't be trusted to look after yourself, so you have acquired a nanny."
"A nanny!" The shout made the windowpanes rattle. Another object flew across the room and hit the wood paneling. "I'll not have it, Hawk!"
"You have no choice."
"I want this over-grown troll gone! Do you hear me, Roget?"
Roget glanced up with a frown of warning. It was the first time in a long time that Conar had called him by his given name. To lapse into such a dangerous mistake was a measure of how mad he truly was. "Lower your voice or, so help me, I'll have Bent gag you!"
Conar growled, his teeth actually bared. "Don't you even try something like that!"
"Then act reasonably and I won't." Roget closed his book with a snap and stood, facing Conar's anger with calm purpose. "Bent is here to guard your back. It doesn't matter what you want. You are more important to the cause alive than dead, skewered on the end of some Tribunal Guard's sword. Where you go, Bent goes. Live with it!"
Conar slammed his fist against the wall. "Hawk, but I will not be followed about like some irrational child. I can handle myself." He glanced at Bent's benevolent face. "I can take care of myself!"
"Bent will see that remains the case. He stays."
Conar glared at the giant. Short of skewering the man, he likely saw no way of getting away from him. He spat out vulgarities pertaining to Bent's maternal parentage, then slumped heavily onto the bed. He folded his arms across his chest, crossed his bare ankles over one another, and simply stared with
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