underneath a large stone
overhang at the side of a hill. Liselle guided her horses into the
large area before dismounting. He had even put a rabbit on a spit
over a small fire.
Liselle listened to the rain coming down
harder. Lightning brightened the sky momentarily. A few moments
later, thunder rolled down from the mountains. Gusts whipped loose
strands of hair about her face. She breathed in deeply as Tathan
finished with the horses.
“This is a nice place to camp,” she said.
There would be a great deal more to say, but it was a start.
“I found it when I was younger. It was fun
to explore the valley.” He paused for a moment then said, “I’m
sorry I left you. You have every right to be mad.”
“That’s good, because I am mad. You
left me out there by myself.” The ride had given her time to calm
down and handle the conversation maturely.
He stared at the fire. “I wanted to give you
the opportunity to leave in a different direction should you not
want to travel with a killer.”
“Don’t be condescending, Tathan! I want to travel with you.” She threw her arms up in
exasperation. “What I don’ t want is for you to be a
killer!”
He moved his gaze to her. The expression in
his eyes was solemn. “You saw how I fought those warriors. I
learned to fight like that in the guild and other places. There
were a few guilds in the city and they were always fighting. The
one I was in was destroyed by a rival guild.”
Liselle put her hands on her hips. “You seem
to get into a lot of trouble, Cousin.”
“I know, right?” he agreed with another
mischievous chuckle. “I escaped the city and went to another,
Dralin in the country of Altordan. It’s a crazy place of magic and
wizards.” Tathan motioned for her to sit as he continued. “In
Dralin, I took a few small jobs before working for a wizard as his
bodyguard. Eventually I left and rambled wherever my feet took me,”
he finished with a smile.
“It sounds as though you’ve had an amazing,
but dangerous life, Cousin.” Liselle looked out at the rain coming
down as he offered her a plate of rabbit with roots and bread. “You
said you were a killer. Does that mean you kill people for fun? Do
you enjoy it?” she asked.
He looked at her in shock. “Enjoy it? . .
.”
“Yes. Do you kill because you like killing?”
she asked.
“I . . . No. No, no, no,” he said, shaking
his head. “I don’t enjoy it, but I’m good at it. I do what I feel
is needed.” Tathan looked at her intently. “I promise you that I do
not kill for fun. I don’t like killing.”
“Do you like thieving?” she asked, curious.
Lightning struck nearby, illuminating the camp in eerie light. She
felt a drop of rain splatter into their shelter and hit the side of
her face.
“I . . . well, yes.” His fingers fidgeted
with his plate. “It’s challenging and fun.”
“You are odd, Cousin, but you’ve been honest
with me about everything. I just don’t understand you,” she
said.
“You’re my family, Liselle. The only family
I have left,” he told her. “I’m being brutally honest with you,
even though I know you may hate me and leave. I would rather you
hate me now than find out later and hate me then.” He hung his head
in dejection.
She came over and hugged him. “I don’t hate
you, Cousin. We need each other right now and I’ll figure out how
to deal with the rest.”
He returned the hug and they held onto each
other for strength. It rained for the rest of the evening and into
the night. The occasional lightning and distant thunder was oddly
comforting.
Chapter
7
“Aaaggghhhh!” Tathan woke with a scream,
sword swinging through the air as he jumped out of his sleeping
bag. He landed on his toes, looking for danger.
Liselle jerked awake. Her sleeping roll was
wrapped around her and she struggled to get out. When she did,
Tathan was standing there looking sheepish. “There’s no danger
Cousin. It was just a nightmare.”
“Oh. Well
overhang at the side of a hill. Liselle guided her horses into the
large area before dismounting. He had even put a rabbit on a spit
over a small fire.
Liselle listened to the rain coming down
harder. Lightning brightened the sky momentarily. A few moments
later, thunder rolled down from the mountains. Gusts whipped loose
strands of hair about her face. She breathed in deeply as Tathan
finished with the horses.
“This is a nice place to camp,” she said.
There would be a great deal more to say, but it was a start.
“I found it when I was younger. It was fun
to explore the valley.” He paused for a moment then said, “I’m
sorry I left you. You have every right to be mad.”
“That’s good, because I am mad. You
left me out there by myself.” The ride had given her time to calm
down and handle the conversation maturely.
He stared at the fire. “I wanted to give you
the opportunity to leave in a different direction should you not
want to travel with a killer.”
“Don’t be condescending, Tathan! I want to travel with you.” She threw her arms up in
exasperation. “What I don’ t want is for you to be a
killer!”
He moved his gaze to her. The expression in
his eyes was solemn. “You saw how I fought those warriors. I
learned to fight like that in the guild and other places. There
were a few guilds in the city and they were always fighting. The
one I was in was destroyed by a rival guild.”
Liselle put her hands on her hips. “You seem
to get into a lot of trouble, Cousin.”
“I know, right?” he agreed with another
mischievous chuckle. “I escaped the city and went to another,
Dralin in the country of Altordan. It’s a crazy place of magic and
wizards.” Tathan motioned for her to sit as he continued. “In
Dralin, I took a few small jobs before working for a wizard as his
bodyguard. Eventually I left and rambled wherever my feet took me,”
he finished with a smile.
“It sounds as though you’ve had an amazing,
but dangerous life, Cousin.” Liselle looked out at the rain coming
down as he offered her a plate of rabbit with roots and bread. “You
said you were a killer. Does that mean you kill people for fun? Do
you enjoy it?” she asked.
He looked at her in shock. “Enjoy it? . .
.”
“Yes. Do you kill because you like killing?”
she asked.
“I . . . No. No, no, no,” he said, shaking
his head. “I don’t enjoy it, but I’m good at it. I do what I feel
is needed.” Tathan looked at her intently. “I promise you that I do
not kill for fun. I don’t like killing.”
“Do you like thieving?” she asked, curious.
Lightning struck nearby, illuminating the camp in eerie light. She
felt a drop of rain splatter into their shelter and hit the side of
her face.
“I . . . well, yes.” His fingers fidgeted
with his plate. “It’s challenging and fun.”
“You are odd, Cousin, but you’ve been honest
with me about everything. I just don’t understand you,” she
said.
“You’re my family, Liselle. The only family
I have left,” he told her. “I’m being brutally honest with you,
even though I know you may hate me and leave. I would rather you
hate me now than find out later and hate me then.” He hung his head
in dejection.
She came over and hugged him. “I don’t hate
you, Cousin. We need each other right now and I’ll figure out how
to deal with the rest.”
He returned the hug and they held onto each
other for strength. It rained for the rest of the evening and into
the night. The occasional lightning and distant thunder was oddly
comforting.
Chapter
7
“Aaaggghhhh!” Tathan woke with a scream,
sword swinging through the air as he jumped out of his sleeping
bag. He landed on his toes, looking for danger.
Liselle jerked awake. Her sleeping roll was
wrapped around her and she struggled to get out. When she did,
Tathan was standing there looking sheepish. “There’s no danger
Cousin. It was just a nightmare.”
“Oh. Well
Similar Books
