The Outlaw King: The Line of Kings Trilogy Book One by Craig Saunders Read Free Book Online Page A

wanted to be.
                ‘I’m
a bit thirsty, big man. You must be parched.’
                Gard
sucked his lip thoughtfully. ‘I don’t suppose it would hurt to go back to the
house for a bite to eat and some refreshment.’
                Tarn
smiled hopefully. Gard laughed. ‘We’ll go back to the house. But only for a
drink and some cake, mind. It’s not time for lunch yet.’ He knew the boy needed
food. Hell, Gard needed food. He didn’t begrudge the boy his food breaks. It
was his belly talking, after all. So long as the boy had food in his stomach
Gard knew he would happily work all day without tiring.
                ‘Do
you want a piggy back?’
                ‘I
don’t think you could carry me,’ said Tarn, lengthening his stride at the
thought of some cake and a glass of milk.
                Gard
tried to clip him round the ear, but Tarn skipped out of reach.
                As
they neared the house, now totally free of the remnant of the long winter, Tarn
could hear voices. He looked at Gard, and Gard shrugged at him.
                ‘I
don’t know who it is. Why don’t you go and see?’
                Tarn
ran up to the door and pushed it open. To his surprise Molly sat at the table
in the kitchen and opposite her, Rena. She wore a red dress and her hair free.
Tarn noticed her feet were as muddy as his, but for some reason her hair wasn’t
wet. He didn’t think to ask her how she walked through the rain and stayed dry.
                He
stood dumb for a moment, until Rena broke the silence for him.
                ‘Hello,
Tarn. I came to see you but Molly gave me a drink first. I was thirsty.’
                Tarn
finally found his tongue. ‘Rena! I thought about coming to see you, but I’ve
been so busy.’
                Gard
finally managed to clip him round the ear. ‘You could have asked to go, you
know. I didn’t know you had a girl.’
                Rena
blushed.
                ‘She’s
just a friend,’ said Tarn a little too hurriedly.
                Molly
and Rena gave Tarn a look that he couldn’t quite fathom.
                ‘Well,
I’m sure you two would like some time alone, wouldn’t you? There’s cake. Help
yourselves. Come on, Gard, don’t just stand there like a lummox.’
                ‘But
I’m thirsty, woman.’
                ‘Come
on!’ said Molly, exasperated, and dragged a complaining Gard out of the
kitchen.
                Now
Tarn had Rena alone he didn’t know what to do with her.
                ‘Well,’
he said. ‘I guess it took you a while to get here.’
                ‘I
couldn’t very well walk through the snow.’
                ‘Oh,
I didn’t mean that!’ said Tarn. ‘I meant today.’
                ‘Oh,’
Rena blushed again. Tarn wondered why she blushed so much. Come to think of it,
his scar felt hot. He wondered if he was as red in the face as she.
                He
sat down because he didn’t know what else to do.
                ‘How
was your winter?’
                ‘Hard.
Not many people came to visit. Everyone just stays in the village during the
winter. A bit lonely to tell the truth. I thought about coming to see you, but
mother wouldn’t let me out in the snow.’
                ‘It
was a bad winter.’ Tarn smiled at her. He felt embarrassed, but he thought he
could say it. He swallowed and finally said, ‘It’s good to see you.’
                Rena’s
smile lit up the room.
                The
two of them walked around the farm and out into the woods. They spent the day
talking about the winter, and about Rena’s mother, Mia. Tarn spoke about Gard
and Molly, but Rena did not ask where Tarn came from, for which he