The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey Read Free Book Online

Gate Guards tended to be high-ranking, and above the general cut of mercenary, because they had to be able to read and write. Their escort squeezed them inside the door, and returned to his own post. The Gate Guard was a middle-aged, lean, saturnine man who glanced up at them from behind his tiny desk, and without a word, pulled a ledger, quill and ink from underneath it.
    The Gate Guard was of the same cut as the men on the walls; Tarma wondered if Kethry would be able to pass his careful scrutiny. It didn’t look like he missed much. Certainly Kethry looked nothing like a Shin‘a’in, so she’d have to be one damn convincing actress to get away with claiming a Shin‘a’in Clanname.
    Tarma stole a glance sideways at her partner and had to refrain from a hoarse chuckle. Kethry wore a bright, vapid smile, and was continuously fussing with the way her cloak draped and smoothing down her hair. She looked like a complete featherhead. No problem. The Guard would have very little doubt why the partner of a rather mannish swordswoman was claiming her Clanname!
    At the Guard’s brusque inquiry as to their names and business, Tarma replied as shortly, “We’re Shin‘a’in mercenaries. Tarma shena Tale‘sedrin, Kethry shena Tale’sedrin. We’re on our way back to the Dhorisha Plains; I’ve got inheritance coming from my Clan I need to claim. But we’ve run out of provisions; we’re going to have to take some temporary work to restock.”
    “Not much call for your kind on a temporary basis, Swordlady,” he replied with a certain gruff respect. “Year contract or more, sure; Shin‘a’in have a helluva reputation. You’d be able to get top wage as any kind of guard, guard-captain or trainer; but not temporary. Your pretty friend’s in mage-robes; that just for show, or can she light a candle?”
    “Ah, Keth’s all right. Good enough to earn us some coin, just no horse-sense, he shala? She’s worth the trouble taking care of, and for more reasons than one, bless her.”
    “Eyah, and without you to keep the wolves away, a pretty bit like that’d get eaten alive in a week,” the Guard answered with a certain gleam of sympathy in his eyes. “Had a shieldmate like that in my younger days, fancied himself a poet; didn’t have sense enough to come in out of a storm. Caught himself a fever standing out in a blizzard, admiring it; died of it eventually—well, that’s the way of things. You being short of coin; tell you what, one professional to another—you go find the Broken Sword, tell ‘em Jervac sent you. And I hear tell the Hiring Hall over by the animal market was on the lookout for a mage on temp.”
    “Will do—luck on your blade, captain.”
    “And on yours. Ah—don’t mount up; lead your beasts, that’s the law inside the gates.”
    As they led their mounts in the direction the Gate Guard had indicated, Kethry whispered, “How much of that was good advice?”
    “We’ll find out when we find this inn; chances are he’s getting some kickback, but he could be doing us a good turn at the same time. Thanks for the help with the ruse of being your protector; that should warn off anybody that might be thinking your services other than magery are for hire. We couldn’t have done better for a sympathizer if we’d planned this, you know, that’s why I played it a bit thick. He had the feeling of a she‘chorne; that bit about a ’shieldmate’ clinched it. If you’re not lovers, you call your partner ‘shieldbrother,’ not ‘shieldmate.’ How are you doing?”
    Kethry looked a bit strained, but it was something likely only someone who knew her would have noticed. “Holding up; I’ll manage. The more time I spend with nobody jumping me out of the shadows, the easier it’ll get. I can handle it.”
    “Vai datha.” If Kethry said she’d be able to handle her understandable strain, Tarma was willing to believe her. Tarma took the chance to look around, and was impressed in spite of herself.