Her Knight's Quest: A Warriors of the Mist Novel by Alexis Morgan Page A

him, hoping to catch him in a moment of weakness.
    He opened his eyes and offered her a small smile. “Just plain Duncan will do, Lady Lavinia.”
    “Fine then, Just Plain Duncan. I have arranged to have all of Rubar’s possessions and weapons brought to one of our workrooms.”
    She stalked around the end of her desk to sit down. “I don’t know what you expect to find, but I hope it is worth offending the trader clans. I have asked Musar and his wife to join us so they can assure their people that we mean no disrespect.”
    If the situation had not been so dire, Duncan would’ve enjoyed sparring with the lady. As it was, he needed to reassure her that his intentions were to clear the names of the two guards.
    “Although I didn’t know the second guard, I had nothing but respect for Rubar.”
    He sat up straighter in the chair and stretched his leg out, trying without success to find a comfortable position. “He went out of his way to befriend me. He was also one of the few who did not feel the need to ward off evil every time I walked by.”
    At least Lavinia didn’t wince or avoid looking at his paler-than-death eyes as so many others did. “Back in the dining hall you made it clear that you believe Rubar wasn’t in control of his own actions.”
    Duncan met her doubt head-on. “Someone used both men as weapons aimed directly at you. We need to learn how that was done and by whom.”
    “How do you know they weren’t trying to get to Musar and Ava? They were seated right beside me.”
    He didn’t blame her for asking the question, but he’d already considered that option and rejected it.
    “If Rubar wanted to kill Musar, he would’ve had plenty of opportunity while they were on the road. Staging an accident could be arranged easily enough or even slipping poison into the trader’s food.”
    He wished he could offer her a less frightening answer. “I’ve gone over what happened in my head. Both men were hunting for you. If they’d been after the trader or his wife, logically they would’ve approached them from the other end of the table.”
    She wanted to argue; he could see it in her eyes. Then she shook her head. “Before we jump to hasty conclusions, we’ll go through their belongings.”
    Her tone made it clear that she didn’t hold out much hope that they’d find any answers by rooting through Rubar’s clothing and possessions. He was as reluctant as she was, but for different reasons. It was yet another foul violation of the friendship that Rubar offered Duncan from the instant they’d met.
    And how had he repaid the man? With a sword through his gut. The guard’s face would be added to the long list of those that haunted Duncan’s dreams. And when a man slept for decades at a stretch, he spent a lot of time with his regrets.
    The sound of someone knocking dragged Duncan back to the moment at hand. Lavinia opened the door to reveal Musar.
    He gave an awkward bow. “We have brought everything to the workroom as you asked. Sister Berta will prepare the two men for burial, but she thought you might want to examine their bodies before she proceeds.”
    Lavinia glanced at Duncan. He nodded, although he wasn’t sure what could be learned when the cause of death was already known.
    “Very well.” Musar sighed. “I will stand in for the dead men’s families to ensure our customs are honored.”
    “I would appreciate that, Musar. We’ll do that first so that you can reassure your people that their friends will receive the honor and care due them.”
    She stepped past him and led the way back to the infirmary. Duncan hadn’t actually been invited, but he followed them anyway.
    The two men had both been stripped of their bloody clothes and covered with muslin. Lavinia slowed to a stop and bowed her head as if praying. Duncan suspected it was also her way of postponing what needed to be done.
    He allowed her a few seconds to collect herself and then stepped over to where Rubar lay on the