Venture Untamed (The Venture Books) by R.H. Russell Page A

will not be a career as a guard for a former bondsman.”
    “Sir.” Venture looked at Beamer, not Hunter. Now, more than ever, he regretted all the stupid things he’d ever done. “I’ve been in some trouble. But I’m doing better. By the time I’m grown—”
    “There will be trouble,” Hunter interrupted. “My father, Prowess Longlake, High Judge of Springriver County, is certain of it. A simple hearing. The testimony of a few trustworthy witnesses. That is all it will take. Do you understand?”
    Venture understood. He understood that he wanted to strangle Hunter and Prowess Longlake, the so-called judge, who would dig up his own witnesses to made-up trouble. Venture scraped his chair back, hands clenched into fists, teetering on the edge of rage and reason. Hunter adjusted his sword and glanced at him purposefully.
    “Delving,” Beamer said, “Will you excuse us, please? Venture .”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Back in the training room, Venture headed straight for the striking bag in the corner and put everything he had into trying to knock the beans out of it. Even Earnest left him alone.
    Once Beamer had returned to the training room without Hunter, he took Venture aside. “I know Border’s involved in this. I’ll keep an eye on him, but that’s all I can do for now. If I kick him out of my center on a hunch, he’ll only find a way to make things worse for you. For all of us. You’re going to have to . . .” Beamer stopped and shook his head.
    “Just take it?” Venture felt utterly sick.  
    Beamer frowned and rubbed his swollen knuckles. “You’ve got find that place between your sense of outrage, your sense of pride, and your sense of honor. You’ve got to be careful. There’s no honor in proving them right, understand?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “How many times have you been disciplined for fighting?”
    It had been months since he’d been in trouble, but still—“Too many, sir.”
    “I can’t defend you if you can’t stay out of trouble. One more fight, and you’re out of here.”

    Earnest was careful not to pair Venture and Border up for swordplay, and so he made it through the rest of training without getting into trouble. It was a shame though, for it was Jade’s day for her weekly self-defense lesson, and she’d shown up matside. She would have liked to see Venture give Border a few nice welts.
    “Vent,” she said when he came to greet her and to retrieve his bag, “I had Able bring me a few minutes early so I could see your new class.”
    “What’d you think?”
    “As usual, you outshone them all,” she said dramatically.
    “Ha, ha.” Venture resisted the urge to give her a gentle shove.
    She leaned in close. “Seriously, some of the boys outside said Hunter Longlake showed up, trying to get you kicked out of here.”
    “Beamer says I’m fine as long as I stay out of trouble.”
    She gave him a skeptical look.
    “What?”
    “Well, that’s not exactly your strong-point, is it? It’s true the only kind of trouble you get into lately is with Border and his friends, but then that’s exactly the kind of trouble you’re talking about, isn’t it?”
      Before Venture could respond, Web, a boy who’d recently arrived from the Eastern Quarter, smiled self-consciously at Jade and said, “Vent, who’s your friend?”
    He was a nice enough kid, but still, Venture wanted to give him a good whack and warn him that the next time he looked at her, he’d better make sure she stayed all the way dressed in his head.
    “His friend?” Border came up to them, his face all grin. “That’s funny. I thought she was his master’s daughter.”
    Jade caught Venture’s eye. Her look pleaded with him, Please Vent, be careful. Calm down .
    “That too,” he said cooly, putting a hand on Jade’s elbow and moving past Border, toward the doorway, before Border could say anything else.
    But a tall, broad-shouldered frame filled that doorway, ending Venture’s hope for a dignified exit.