Bonded: Book One of the ShadowLight Saga, an Epic Fantasy Adventure by Mande Matthews Read Free Book Online Page B

fingers together in order to flash
the warding sign in her direction. Hallad tensed under the continual scrutiny,
wishing for a nocked arrow and the familiar slickness of the green wood of his
bow in his hand.
     
    *****
     
    Before long they had
stabled their horses and found lodging and a meal in Merchants’ Row along the
wharf—a rough part of town willing to serve travelers without references. Rolf
gulped at the warm mutton stew. Erik merely twirled his spoon in the bowl, his
mind adrift in a tortured space. For all her grace, Swan wolfed as many
portions as Hallad. Open stares met with the young woman, dissecting her
appearance—her sword, her armor, her beauty. Swan’s tightening muscles showed
that she sensed the threat, but her outward demeanor remained icy. Hallad knew
better, though. In the past few days he had come to recognize that the emotions
swimming through him often belonged to the woman, though he did not know how or
why he had entered into such a connection with his charge.
    A weathered man
approached their table, wearing sailors’ britches and a yellowed shirt, darned
with multi-colored stitches.
    "Ho strangers."
    The din of the crowded
room eased as heads turned to gawk. The man leered at Swan, rubbing his hands
together as if he were just invited to a feast.
    "Ye look like fine
sorts," said the man as he stared at Avarr's signet.  Hallad had
taken to wearing his father's clasp to pin the top of his mantle closed . "What say ye for the woman? I got ten
coppers. Aram coppers at that."
    "Klur, she ain’t
your sorts. Leave ‘em be," said a husky serving woman as she scuttled over
and whacked the man’s bottom with her rag.
    Raucous laughter spilled
over the smoky room.
    "Jealous, are ye?"
He winked at the serving woman, grinning. "I’ve got enough for the two of ye."
    With a meaty hand, he
bent and squeezed the server’s rump. Another chorus of howls broke out from the
spectators.
    Rolf smiled, lifted his
mug and pronounced, "My kind of place."
    Hallad searched under
the table for his knife, feeling the cool end of the hilt meet his palm.
    The plump server
stretched her neck down.
    "Sorry sir, they
ain’t got manners down here."
    She eyed the signet on
Hallad’s mantle as well, lingering too long for comfort, and then scuttled
away. She pulled a serving girl aside, whispering into her ear. The girl
glanced at the group and nodded, then scampered to the door and disappeared.
    "I don’t like this."
Erik shot up from his seat, gathering his cloak.
    "We should purchase
our supplies and find the Temple," Hallad suggested, pushing his chair
back to rise.
    Swan, quicker than
Hallad and without making a sound, already stood by his side.
    "Not so fast! I
made ye an offer. Me Lord’s been a looking for this woman. I’ll buy her to save
the trouble of fighting ye." The man’s breath stank of fermented honey.
    "What do you mean?
Who’s looking for her?" Hallad asked.
    "He’s drunk,"
offered Erik. "Come, let’s leave."
    "Nei, friend. Won’t
be that easy. See, me Lord’s had me on the lookout for a pair like ye. Is the woman
he wants." He poked a dirty finger at Hallad’s chest. "Ye be
disposable."
    Klur grabbed Swan’s wrist,
pulling his sword from his scabbard to brandish at the group.
    "I’ll be taking her
now. So’s ye three back off and ye don’t get hurt."
    Before Hallad and Erik
had a chance to contest, Swan swirled. In one fluid movement she grabbed the
man’s forearm and flipped him over backward, slamming him to the ground. Her
sword appeared in her other hand as she jammed the blade under the man’s chin,
nicking his flesh with the tip. A trail of blood trickled over his skin,
sinking down to the mead-soiled floorboards.
    Klur threw his hands
over his head, pleading.
    "He didn’t say ye
was dangerous! Ye ain’t worth the bounty. I give!"
    The hall clamored. Men
laughed, pounding their mugs against their tables.
    "Klur! Klur!"
    A man from the crowd
yelled, "Got yourself a valkyrie