A Brother's Price by 111325346436434 Read Free Book Online Page B

mothers would kill her!
    Raven’s tap came at the door.
    ‘‘Enter,’’ she called, trying to control her grin and failing.
    ‘‘We are in a good mood.’’ Raven used the royal plural. The captain carried a steaming pail of water.
    ‘‘We are.’’ Ren unrolled the nightshirt and carefully folded it, vowing to herself never to wash it. A farmers’
    son, no matter how beautiful or talented, could never be prince consort. Last night, though, had been glorious, and stopping where they did made it all the more pure. Raven lifted one eyebrow in question and poured the water into the washbasin bowl. ‘‘The Queens Justice rode in with the false dawn. They spent the last of yesterday sweeping the woods and the neighboring lands for five miles. A lot of tracks, many from us when we were searching for Odelia. No sign, though, of the guns or Odelia’s attackers. They’ll be combing them again today.’’
    ‘‘I didn’t expect any.’’ Ren stashed the folded nightshirt into her travel bags. ‘‘The thieves had since the night before last to tuck the guns away. The Whistlers found Odelia hours before we arrived, and we waited about an hour for Queens Justice to arrive. Odelia’s attackers would have been complete fools to wait around for a second chance.’’
    ‘‘So you think they’re gone?’’
    ‘‘Certainly it’s a far more comforting thought than the idea of them lurking behind every bush, looking for an open shot.’’ Ren splashed warm water onto her face.
    ‘‘Bounder had a theory on why the attackers didn’t use pistols. She says that the Whistlers are notoriously 40
    Wen Spencer
    rough on poachers. A shot fired would have brought them out in force, and no one in their right mind would want to take the Whistlers on.’’
    Water dripping from her chin, Ren looked at Raven.
    ‘‘Only locals would know about the Whistlers. She thinks one of the locals had a go at Odelia?’’
    ‘‘Heron Landing apparently has a good bit of river trash.’’ Raven named the nearest town, home of Bounder’s garrison, at least ten miles from the Whistlers’ farm.
    ‘‘Seasonal workers, outcasts, drifters, all of whom have been in the area long enough to learn about the Whistlers, and wouldn’t be above doing some dirty work for hire. It would fit the description of the riders Heria saw.’’
    Disposal tools. Did they even know who Odelia was?
    Or had they been told just to kill the red-haired woman on the roan mare? Considering her family’s reputation at meting out severe punishment for regicide, one could almost be sure that the hired thugs were kept ignorant. Still, the ignorant disposal tools were human beings. They might have seen or heard something they weren’t supposed to, information they’d gladly trade for their lives.
    ‘‘Is there a sheriff for Heron Landing?’’ Ren asked.
    ‘‘Aye.’’
    ‘‘Have the sheriff round up all the trash. Check them for studded truncheons. Find out where they were yesterday. See if any of them heard of someone hiring for a killing. Have her use whatever means she needs to find us a lead.’’
    ‘‘Yes, Your Highness.’’ Raven gave a slight bow and left. Ren dried her face, watching the door close behind the captain of her guard. Raven never called her ‘‘Your Highness’’ in private, never bowed. Why the sudden change? Was this some subtle hint that Raven thought Ren was finally acting like a firstborn?
    Jerin woke shortly after dawn as normal. He bathed quickly in the washbasin, brushed out his hair, braided A BROTHER’S PRICE
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    it into one long braid, and pulled on his best shirt, a blue chambray that matched his eyes. After waking Doric and helping the ten-year-old brush out his hair and braid it, Jerin sent him out to gather eggs in the henhouse. Liam and baby Kai, Jerin gathered up and carried downstairs into the kitchen.
    Corelle, Eva, and Kira had gotten up earlier to tend the stock. Heria had the cook fire built up for