as the kind of person who has ever done anything bad,” Amra challenged.
Namitus smiled. “I was a runaway and a thief as a child. I left when I’d angered too many people in and out of the Shadows. Spent the next few years living a lie and hurting good people because of it. Then I met Alto.”
“Are you really that hard on yourself, or are you trying to win my sympathy?”
Namitus gaped at her and shook his head. “You’re too young to be so worldly.”
She shrugged. “I’ve had to fill in for my mother and grow up fast.”
Namitus’s eyes widened. “Fill in for your mother? Um...how, exactly?”
Amra blinked and managed to muffle her giggles with her hand. “Not like that!” she said when she could speak again. “My father would never...he’s my father!”
Namitus breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t gotten along with Lyden the first time very well, but this time things had gone better. He was glad he didn’t have to revise his opinion of the man further.
They sat in silence and, after a few minutes, Amra leaned her head into Namitus’s side. He glanced at her, marveling at her odd mixture of youth and perception. She was a clever girl. She would make some lucky man a fine catch one day. Assuming he didn’t get her killed first.
“So what are we going to do?” she asked him after she burrowed in so that he was forced to drape his arm over her shoulder.
“My mission is to find out more about the Order,” Namitus said. “I hadn’t intended to drag you along. I hope it’s not dangerous, but that’s the flip side of the coin where I’m often in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I can take care of myself,” Amra said.
“Is that right?” he asked.
She nodded. “My father taught me how to keep ruffians and thieves away. Give me a knife or a club and I’ll show you a thing or two.”
He struggled to keep his smile off his face. “You’ll have to show me that sometime,” he said. “I could stand to learn a few new tricks.”
“Oh, I could teach you all right,” she said.
Namitus smiled and returned his attention to the surrounding camps. Amra shifted, cuddling against his side and sharing her warmth with him. He kept his attention away, pretending to ignore her. She was a delightful distraction, but one he had to be careful with. Amra was a merchant’s daughter and had goals all her own. She wasn’t like Patrina or Aleena. Her life would be best served with craft and skill, not wandering the world in search of the next adventure.
Chapter 5
“I think I preferred the desert,” Amra complained as she stared at the tall trees and thick undergrowth on either side of the road.
“Aye, the Island of Britanly was like this,” Namitus mused. He drew in a breath but Amra squeezed his sides with her hands.
“We’ve heard that story,” she reminded him. “Are you finally running out?”
Namitus snorted. “Of course not! I haven’t even begun to touch on the troll shaman yet.”
“What was that?”
Namitus turned and looked over at Corian. The elf’s face contorted as he pushed his tired legs to keep up. A day or two of walking was one thing, but this was their third and both of the elves were showing signs of tiring. Their next destination, the city of Greyfall, lay ahead of them close enough the traffic on the road had increased. He’d get mounts for the elves there.
“A troll?” Corian asked as he caught up to Namitus and Amra.
“Yes, not the sort of slobbering and dangerous troll you’d expect,” the rogue said. He reconsidered his words and grinned. “Well, maybe he is, but he wasn’t a mountain troll with hide as hard as stone; he was a swamp troll, yet not like any you’re likely to meet.”
“I met a troll,” Corian whispered.
“What’s that?” Namitus asked. “You have? Well good! You know what I’m talking about then. Except as I said, this shaman is not like any other swamp-dwelling fiend. He seems to show up in the most
Namitus smiled. “I was a runaway and a thief as a child. I left when I’d angered too many people in and out of the Shadows. Spent the next few years living a lie and hurting good people because of it. Then I met Alto.”
“Are you really that hard on yourself, or are you trying to win my sympathy?”
Namitus gaped at her and shook his head. “You’re too young to be so worldly.”
She shrugged. “I’ve had to fill in for my mother and grow up fast.”
Namitus’s eyes widened. “Fill in for your mother? Um...how, exactly?”
Amra blinked and managed to muffle her giggles with her hand. “Not like that!” she said when she could speak again. “My father would never...he’s my father!”
Namitus breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t gotten along with Lyden the first time very well, but this time things had gone better. He was glad he didn’t have to revise his opinion of the man further.
They sat in silence and, after a few minutes, Amra leaned her head into Namitus’s side. He glanced at her, marveling at her odd mixture of youth and perception. She was a clever girl. She would make some lucky man a fine catch one day. Assuming he didn’t get her killed first.
“So what are we going to do?” she asked him after she burrowed in so that he was forced to drape his arm over her shoulder.
“My mission is to find out more about the Order,” Namitus said. “I hadn’t intended to drag you along. I hope it’s not dangerous, but that’s the flip side of the coin where I’m often in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I can take care of myself,” Amra said.
“Is that right?” he asked.
She nodded. “My father taught me how to keep ruffians and thieves away. Give me a knife or a club and I’ll show you a thing or two.”
He struggled to keep his smile off his face. “You’ll have to show me that sometime,” he said. “I could stand to learn a few new tricks.”
“Oh, I could teach you all right,” she said.
Namitus smiled and returned his attention to the surrounding camps. Amra shifted, cuddling against his side and sharing her warmth with him. He kept his attention away, pretending to ignore her. She was a delightful distraction, but one he had to be careful with. Amra was a merchant’s daughter and had goals all her own. She wasn’t like Patrina or Aleena. Her life would be best served with craft and skill, not wandering the world in search of the next adventure.
Chapter 5
“I think I preferred the desert,” Amra complained as she stared at the tall trees and thick undergrowth on either side of the road.
“Aye, the Island of Britanly was like this,” Namitus mused. He drew in a breath but Amra squeezed his sides with her hands.
“We’ve heard that story,” she reminded him. “Are you finally running out?”
Namitus snorted. “Of course not! I haven’t even begun to touch on the troll shaman yet.”
“What was that?”
Namitus turned and looked over at Corian. The elf’s face contorted as he pushed his tired legs to keep up. A day or two of walking was one thing, but this was their third and both of the elves were showing signs of tiring. Their next destination, the city of Greyfall, lay ahead of them close enough the traffic on the road had increased. He’d get mounts for the elves there.
“A troll?” Corian asked as he caught up to Namitus and Amra.
“Yes, not the sort of slobbering and dangerous troll you’d expect,” the rogue said. He reconsidered his words and grinned. “Well, maybe he is, but he wasn’t a mountain troll with hide as hard as stone; he was a swamp troll, yet not like any you’re likely to meet.”
“I met a troll,” Corian whispered.
“What’s that?” Namitus asked. “You have? Well good! You know what I’m talking about then. Except as I said, this shaman is not like any other swamp-dwelling fiend. He seems to show up in the most
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