Read Online Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman - Free Book Online

been breached somewhere, that’s no small thing. He wants to send someone in to see what’s what. Check the Spears at least, see if the trouble’s there.” Her deep blue eyes sparkled. “Someone with powerful blood .”
    She knew him well enough to know how the words would make him squirm, and for that reason he refused to take the bait. “Makes sense, if he wants the Spears looked at. Others would be too weak to get close to it without a week-long ritual to pave the way. I hear the Skandir are particularly weak-willed.”
    She didn’t go for his bait either. “Of course, I pointed out you were hardly up to the job, since you don’t even speak the language.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “The Alkali speak a different language?”
    â€œAye. Leadership does. Sometimes the priests. It’s an ancient thing, from before the Dark Times. They don’t use it around . . . ah, outsiders .”
    How like the Alkali, he thought. Anything to set themselves apart. They were a proud people—some would say arrogant—who never let the other Protectorates forget that they had been masters of the northlands long before the war against the Souleaters brought strangers to their shores. And they were masters of it still, at least in their own minds.
    That the Alkali Guardians had dropped out of sight now, just when Souleaters were being sighted again, was ominous indeed. Had they tried to take a stand against the creatures and fallen? It was hard to believe that such a thing could have happened without them sending out a cry for help. But perhaps it had all happened too swiftly for that.
    He shook those thoughts from his head. “All right, so who is to be my translator? Some myopic little bookworm, no doubt, that I will have to protect from tree branches as we ride? Assuming he can ride at all.”
    â€œYou should be so fortunate.” She slapped his chest lightly with a folded piece of paper. “Rumor has it you’ve been assigned an arrogant Skandir who has no great love for the Alkali. Oh, and she’s a woman, too. No doubt she’ll slow you down each time she needs to take a piss.”
    He took the paper from her and quickly looked it over. Favias had provided them with a letter of introduction in case their presence in Alkali lands was questioned. That in itself was disturbing; normally Guardians needed no special clearance to go about their duties. “Maybe I’ll leave her behind if she takes too long.”
    â€œMaybe she’s the best shot in the region and you won’t get ten strides if you try it.”
    He refolded the paper and tucked it into his shirt. “Maybe she has drunk too much Skandir ale recently, and thinks her talent is more than it is.”
    â€œTen kroger says it is better than yours. Your choice of target and terms.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t carry kroger, you know that.”
    â€œThen you forfeit, do you?” She smiled pleasantly. “Too easy, Kierdwynner.”
    He chuckled despite himself. “So who else is coming?”
    â€œNo one. Just you and me and the cold, high road. Favias wants us in and out quickly. Up to the Wrath and then across to the east, check out each of the Spears in turn until we find the source of trouble. Preferably before the Alkali even know we are there. Other Guardians have different assignments.”
    Rhys nodded. He would have liked a witch to ride along with them, even if they never needed to use his power, but Seers were notoriously sensitive to the Wrath, and wouldn’t survive that long an exposure. Supposedly it was the price they paid for focusing their witchery on visionary matters; it made them doubly vulnerable to powers that affected the mind. “Dawn, then?”
    â€œIf you can get up that early.” She pulled out a slender knife with a carved bone handle. “I wouldn’t want to strain your noble blood.”
    He grabbed her