Malice (Faithful & the Fallen 1) by John Gwynne Read Free Book Online Page B

pulling his own to cover his face.
    The figure drew closer and Evnis rose, strode towards the newcomer. He was tall, an unstrung bow in his hand, a face full of lines and creases. And cold eyes. Evnis thought he was younger than
he looked.
    ‘This is for you.’ The man held out a leather cylinder.
    Evnis pulled the parchment out, cracked the wax seal and read in silence. After long moments he grimaced, rolled the parchment and slipped it into his cloak.
    ‘Your mark is a hold to the north-east of the Baglun,’ he said, ‘on a hill just beyond the river. Stockaded wall.’
    ‘That sounds close to Dun Carreg.’
    ‘It is.’
    The man grunted. ‘How many.’
    ‘A family of six.’
    ‘How many able to hold a blade?’
    ‘Two men, one boy that’s started in the Rowan Field. The rest are women and a bairn.’
    ‘I’ll not be killing women or bairns.’
    Evnis squinted. ‘Has Braith picked the right man for this job?’
    ‘He’s not complained so far.’
    Evnis shrugged. ‘Do it tonight. There’s a wedding feast at the fortress, so if you need corpses to make your point you will have to wait for them to return home. Make sure their hall
burns bright.’
    ‘Aye,’ the man grunted and strode back into the trees.
    ‘We done here?’ Helfach asked.
    Evnis pulled the parchment out from his cloak and read it again:
    Greetings, faithful one. Braith is well placed, now, his position strong. Use his men well. Stir Brenin from his lair, as quickly as you can. The time approaches. On the
     matter that you contacted me, if your wife’s ailment is beyond the healers, you must use the earth power. Find the book. You know where it is. Find the door and you shall find the book.
     Uthas says it will help you, though nothing will save her except the cauldron. Take her to it if you can.
    Remember the cause, remember your oath.
    He hawked and spat, then lit a taper and burned the message.
    ‘We’d best get back,’ he said, swinging into his saddle. ‘If I do not make it to the handbinding Alona will curse me for a traitor and petition Brenin for my head on the
block.’
Traitor. If only she knew the depth of my treason
.
    Helfach snorted. ‘Let the bitch try: you have Brenin’s ear.’
    ‘Aye, but so does she, and more. And she hates me, will always blame me for her brother Rhagor’s death.’
And rightly so, he thought
.
    In silence they rode their mounts out of the dell, through a thin scattering of trees and back onto the road for Dun Carreg. With the wind in his face, Evnis’ thoughts returned to the
letter. ‘
The time approaches . . . remember your oath
.’ How could he forget?
To make Rhin high queen, to bring about the God-War, and Asroth made flesh
. He grimaced.
Had it really been eighteen years since that night in the Darkwood? Sometimes it felt like a dream, sometimes he wished it
had
been a dream. Things had seemed much simpler then.
    See it through
, he told himself.
No other choice now
. His thoughts drifted to Fain, as they were always wont to do, given enough time.
One thing for sure, I must find that
book
.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    CORBAN
     
     
     
     
    As Corban drew closer to the river the ground began to level out. To his right he saw the salmon weir.
    He looked at the trees that dotted the far bank; they quickly became dense and thick, marking the boundary of the forest. The same tingle of excitement that he always felt whenever he was near
the Baglun rippled through him.
    He rode his pony across the ford, hooves splashing and cracking on stones, up the other bank and into the embrace of the forest.
    The giantsway continued into the Baglun, its stones slick with moss. Latticed branches above cast the world in twilight. Somehow the shadows eased his mood, soothed him.
    He allowed the pony to walk at its own pace, imagining himself a great huntsman like Marrock, tracking a band of lawless men come raiding from the Darkwood on the northern border. He had heard
as much from his da. Thannon liked to