The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams by Melissa Myers Read Free Book Online Page B

He is sired by Wilhaven’s Roan stallion who goes back
to Selvin’s Glorified, an excellent animal, probably the best in
Arovan, or he was before Vanguard was foaled. On the top side
anyway. On the bottom he is of Archlen stock with a pedigree that
goes back to Foxfire who was known as one of the best chargers ever
to take the field from any land. Foxfire’s line is rare now since
he was lost in the last Seravae conflict.”
    Jala blinked a time or two and looked to
Finn. “I have no idea what he is talking about,” she whispered.
    “Valor, she doesn’t know Arovan horse
bloodlines. You are just babbling to yourself and not impressing
her at all,” Finn called to Valor who looked ready to continue the
genealogy of his horse.
    “He knows his horse’s lines better than I
know my family lines,” Jala said with a sigh. She hadn’t even named
her gelding yet, though she had a feeling that wasn’t something to
mention to Valor after his recital. After Marrow’s teasing her
about Cap’s name she was hesitant to try to choose one and had
decided to wait until the perfect one came to mind.
    “Well how is she supposed to learn if I don’t
tell her?” Valor asked with a raised eyebrow.
    “I think she has enough on her plate to learn
without the addition of pointless equine bloodlines,” Finn
countered with a smile.
    “Pointless?” Valor demanded, turning to lock
his gaze on Finn.
    Smothering laughter, Finn looked to Jala and
shrugged. “In Avanti, you show prestige by clothing and jewels. In
Firym, it’s weapons and skills. In Arovan, it’s your horse,” he
explained.
    She raised an eyebrow and let her gaze travel
across Valor from his glittering horse to the silk and linen of his
suit, to the finely polished long sword at his side. “So Valor is
in fashion in any district,” she observed.
    “Valor is what practical people call a
dandy,” Finn said with a smirk.
    Turning slowly to look at Finn she made a
point of letting her gaze slowly travel across his own mount and
silver filigreed tack, then up his shiny knee-high black boots to
the pair of swords in their gleaming scabbards, resting finally on
his face. “And what are you?” she asked in amusement.
    “Talented, handsome, charming, and feared,”
he answered smoothly with a smirk.
    “Arrogant, vain, smug, and a bully,” Valor
corrected with his own smirk.
    “Bully?” Finn complained, looking at Valor
with a wounded expression. “I’m no more of a bully than you
are.”
    “Technically I think most would consider us
both bullies,” Valor said with a shrug. “We do tend to get our way,
either through charm or force,”
    Finn shrugged carelessly. “And what’s wrong
with that?” he asked lazily.
    “Depends on how you bully and who,” Jala
said, bringing the gazes of both men to her. She shrugged her
shoulders at them and sighed. “Well, if you are bullying a Rivasan
or Cassia I likely won’t care. They earn it as far as I can see. If
you two make a habit of being bullies to those that don’t deserve
it though, you are asses,” she clarified.
    “You have married a judgmental woman, Finn
Sovaesh,” Valor said haughtily and smirked at Finn.
    “I don’t bully those that don’t deserve it so
I’m not too worried,” Finn said and let his gaze drift across the
crowded streets to the looming archway ahead of them. “Have you
ever been to Arovan’s district, Jala?” he asked.
    Shaking her head, she studied the arch as
they rode under it. It was a dark metal of some kind, though she
couldn’t say exactly what. The top of it was carved in the likeness
of two knights jousting with trails of engraved flowers covering
the sides. The city beyond was so different from the one she had
left she caught herself glancing back through the arch just to make
sure they hadn’t, in fact, used a portal.
    Small cozy houses lined both sides of the
street, made in a charming beam and stucco style. The spaces
between the houses were wide and open with