The Coming Storm by Valerie Douglas Read Free Book Online
Authors: Valerie Douglas
see more of the Kingdoms as she’d been longing to do.
Although she’d ridden out with their own Hunters and the Woodsmen many times, she thought she might do well to ride with those of another Kingdom. Remembering always that she was Geric’s only Heir and couldn’t be replaced. Not that she ever forgot. She would also need to present herself to the High King. She thought she might also like to see the High King’s city of Doncerric again now that she was older. It would do her well to spend some little time among the High King’s Court.
In a way, such decisions weighed on her.
Easier to think that perhaps when she returned from the hunt she would go visit her grandmother. It was too much to be hoped she might get some more sword-training too when she was there but she hoped it anyway. Although her skill was better than most, there was still much that she would know. Considerably lighter of spirit at the thought, she enjoyed the banter among the Hunters and shared in it.
They found the boggins and there were more than one, as reported.
It took days to hunt them down and two escaped back into the borderlands but two didn’t.
Weary and frustrated, Gwillim looked at her. “Four of them. Days pursuing them. They led us a merry chase indeed. Last week a boggart. More than a week or so before that, a firbolg. I hope whatever is stirring them up will leave be. It will stop soon, else if that happens too often for too long we’ll be a tired band of Hunters.”
Again that weird shiver went through her.
Ailith shook her head, smiling reassuringly even if she didn’t feel it.
“It will, Gwillim.”
“An optimist,” he said, with a grin, “that’s what you are.”
Her eyes twinkling, shaking off her own misgivings, Ailith said with a smile, “Ever and always, Gwillim.”
Leaving him and the others at their camp, Ailith was more than glad to return to the castle and the bath she was looking forward to there. It would be heaven to sink into a tub of warm water and sluice off the dirt that cold mountain streams hadn’t. She was so looking forward to it she had to sidestep a man coming out of the main doors.
She hadn’t even sensed his presence, he was suddenly just there, bowing his head respectfully as he hurried past her.
There was little more than a moment for a brief impression of a thin nondescript man of sandy hair.
Ailith frowned after him, bemused caught for a moment.
Catching the blacksmith going by, Ailith said, “Dothan, who is that man?”
With a quick glance over his shoulder, the burly blacksmith raised his eyebrows and looked at her. “That would be Tolan, my lady. Your father’s hired him to assist him.”
Startled, Ailith said, “I wasn’t aware my father needed someone to assist.”
“Neither,” Dothan said, “did anyone else. Sommat impulsive of your father but the man seems efficient enough.”
Curious now, Ailith wandered back to her father’s office.
He was bent over tally sticks and bags of coins.
“Hello, father,” Ailith said, wandering in to give him a kiss on the top of his head.
Slightly distracted, Geric looked up and smiled. “Oh, Ailith, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Amused, Ailith said, “It’s been three days, nearly four.”
Leaning back in his chair, Geric shook his head and eyed her. “Where does time go? It’s good to have you back, sweetling. I’m guessing you’re for a bath. Tell me all about it at supper?”
“Certainly,” Ailith said. “I heard you hired an assistant.”
His fingers toying with the tally sticks, Geric seemed preoccupied. “What? Assistant? Oh. Tolan. Yes. It seemed a good notion, with all this borderlands activity, to free you up to ride with the Hunters or go on circuit for me.”
That seemed reasonable enough but Ailith still felt unsettled. There was something odd about her father but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Are you all right?,” she asked, suddenly.
With an absentminded nod, he said,
Although she’d ridden out with their own Hunters and the Woodsmen many times, she thought she might do well to ride with those of another Kingdom. Remembering always that she was Geric’s only Heir and couldn’t be replaced. Not that she ever forgot. She would also need to present herself to the High King. She thought she might also like to see the High King’s city of Doncerric again now that she was older. It would do her well to spend some little time among the High King’s Court.
In a way, such decisions weighed on her.
Easier to think that perhaps when she returned from the hunt she would go visit her grandmother. It was too much to be hoped she might get some more sword-training too when she was there but she hoped it anyway. Although her skill was better than most, there was still much that she would know. Considerably lighter of spirit at the thought, she enjoyed the banter among the Hunters and shared in it.
They found the boggins and there were more than one, as reported.
It took days to hunt them down and two escaped back into the borderlands but two didn’t.
Weary and frustrated, Gwillim looked at her. “Four of them. Days pursuing them. They led us a merry chase indeed. Last week a boggart. More than a week or so before that, a firbolg. I hope whatever is stirring them up will leave be. It will stop soon, else if that happens too often for too long we’ll be a tired band of Hunters.”
Again that weird shiver went through her.
Ailith shook her head, smiling reassuringly even if she didn’t feel it.
“It will, Gwillim.”
“An optimist,” he said, with a grin, “that’s what you are.”
Her eyes twinkling, shaking off her own misgivings, Ailith said with a smile, “Ever and always, Gwillim.”
Leaving him and the others at their camp, Ailith was more than glad to return to the castle and the bath she was looking forward to there. It would be heaven to sink into a tub of warm water and sluice off the dirt that cold mountain streams hadn’t. She was so looking forward to it she had to sidestep a man coming out of the main doors.
She hadn’t even sensed his presence, he was suddenly just there, bowing his head respectfully as he hurried past her.
There was little more than a moment for a brief impression of a thin nondescript man of sandy hair.
Ailith frowned after him, bemused caught for a moment.
Catching the blacksmith going by, Ailith said, “Dothan, who is that man?”
With a quick glance over his shoulder, the burly blacksmith raised his eyebrows and looked at her. “That would be Tolan, my lady. Your father’s hired him to assist him.”
Startled, Ailith said, “I wasn’t aware my father needed someone to assist.”
“Neither,” Dothan said, “did anyone else. Sommat impulsive of your father but the man seems efficient enough.”
Curious now, Ailith wandered back to her father’s office.
He was bent over tally sticks and bags of coins.
“Hello, father,” Ailith said, wandering in to give him a kiss on the top of his head.
Slightly distracted, Geric looked up and smiled. “Oh, Ailith, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Amused, Ailith said, “It’s been three days, nearly four.”
Leaning back in his chair, Geric shook his head and eyed her. “Where does time go? It’s good to have you back, sweetling. I’m guessing you’re for a bath. Tell me all about it at supper?”
“Certainly,” Ailith said. “I heard you hired an assistant.”
His fingers toying with the tally sticks, Geric seemed preoccupied. “What? Assistant? Oh. Tolan. Yes. It seemed a good notion, with all this borderlands activity, to free you up to ride with the Hunters or go on circuit for me.”
That seemed reasonable enough but Ailith still felt unsettled. There was something odd about her father but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Are you all right?,” she asked, suddenly.
With an absentminded nod, he said,