Page 40 of Truth's Blade

Someone did step out of the shadows where the road turned into the main street, though.

“Help you?” He was dressed like a town guard, in a tunic with a leather vest, leather arm braces and sturdy boots. A half-blade hung from his belt, but his hands were relaxed at his sides.

“Please,” Theo said, easily. “We’re looking for the inn.”

“You’re late on the road.” The man indicated they follow him.

“We misjudged our timing, but we could see the lights every now and then on the road, and decided it would be better to push through than make camp so close to town.”

The man drew in a deep breath. “Misjudging timing is common around these parts, but it feels like the wind has changed.”

Theo felt Melodie tense by his side.

“The air does feel fresher,” she said. “I feel like I’ve had a headache all day, but I think it’s just the exhaustion speaking.”

The man gave her a quick backward glance. “If you’ve been on the road all day, I’m not surprised.” He gestured ahead of him, to a building with the lower floor lit up, and a few lights on in the story above. “The Warven Inn. Should have a room for you, and place for your mounts.”

“Thank you.” Theo watched as the man sauntered away, disappearing into the dark.

Neither of them spoke about him, or what he’d said, until they had the horses stabled, and were sitting in a warm corner of the inn with two steaming bowls of stew and a half loaf of bread between them.

“Not even here, I think,” Melodie said, and he forced himself not to look behind him, to whoever her eyes had flicked to and then away from before she began to eat.

He threw himself into eating, as well, and enjoyed the way the small nook they’d settled into crammed them so close together. He would usually feel a little crowded and uncomfortable, but instead he just felt happy.

When they were finished, the innkeeper came to fetch their bowls herself.

“It’s a good wind you blew in on,” she said. “This is the first night we haven’t had raised voices in I don’t know how long.” She stacked the bowls and grabbed up their mugs. “I had the boys warm water for a bath for you,” she said, nodding to Melodie. “I know someone who’s saddlesore when I see them.”

Melodie gave a wincing smile. “Thank you. I might have difficulty just getting up from my seat, I’m so stiff.”

The innkeeper gave a chuckle. “I’m Peg Hanson, but everyone just calls me Peggy. I spent some time in the saddle, but I’m very glad to be in one place, and off a horse these days.”

She whisked away at a call from the bar, and Theo reached out and helped Melodie out of her seat. “Do you want to be carried upstairs?”

She gave another delightful blush and shook her head. “Maybe an arm to lean on, though.”

He held out his arm, and she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow.

They had adjusted his clothing on the road in to Warven to make him look less like someone in the military, and had invented a story of journeying to Illoa from Taunen, but there were still curious eyes on them as they made their way out of the tap room toward the stairs.

Everyone here was a potential enemy, and Theo let his gaze sweep the room as casually as he could before he helped Melodie up the stairs.

A man stared at him from a table, a mug of ale in front of him.

Theo nodded to him politely, and after a moment’s surprised pause, the man nodded back.

If he could, Theo would hold a sword to each of their throats and frighten the truth from them, but they were alone here, with no help and no idea of who they were dealing with.

They would have to tread carefully.

CHAPTER 17

Melodie woke slowly,in the golden glow of sunrise. She could feel the light on her face, and the sounds of a busy inn outside the window. She sensed Theo lying next to her, the bed dipping a little toward him, and she realized she felt safe and comfortable.

She stretched and winced a little at the stiffness in her muscles, and then remembered how she’d crawled into bed after her bath and fallen asleep immediately, leaving Theo to worry about securing the room.

She winced as she looked to her right and found him awake, too, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded beneath his head.

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