Page 28 of Thorns & Fire
‘They’reWarswords.’
‘Warswords aren’t as infallible as they once were,’ Wren argued.‘Whereas I am analchemist, a storm wielder—’
‘I know what you are,’ Torj countered.
‘I think you’ve forgotten, Bear Slayer,’ she challenged.
‘I don’t forget.’
Her eyes were green flames.‘Nor do I.’
Torj speared his fingers through his hair, a noise of frustration escaping him.He hated that she had a point.Hewouldinfiltrate the camp if it were anyone else with him.Any information from the inside was vital given the current state of the midrealms.
‘We stake out the perimeter, see if there’s a smaller, unguarded entrance.We look,that’sall,’ he said at last, already wishing he hadn’t.He unsheathed his dagger and pushed the grip into Wren’s hands.‘Take this.’
‘I have a knife—’
She fell silent as his hands closed over hers.‘It’s not weighted or sized right for you,’ he told her.‘But along with your throwing poisons, it will serve you better than that needle you have in your boot, or the hairpin you’re so fond of.It’s Naarvian steel.’
She glanced back to where his hammer was strapped to his saddle, hidden beneath a sheet of canvas.‘What about you?’
‘It’s too recognizable,’ he explained.‘My fists are weapon enough.’
Wren scoffed.‘Warsword arrogance never ceases to amaze me.’
Torj almost smiled at that.‘Stay close.’
After ensuring there were no lookouts atop the wall, they followed the line of the palisade, searching for a side entrance.They were in luck.A smaller gate was open, a cart of supplies abandoned beneath its arch, its owner clearly called away to whatever was happening further inside the encampment.Torj could hear the rallying cries already.
Dozens of tents had been erected beyond the paling, while work had started on more lasting stone structures – a town in progress, by the looks of things, clearly unsanctioned by any ruler of the midrealms.They crept deeper into the stronghold, where permanent buildings stood and the voices grew louder.Torj memorized as many details as he could.Audra would demand specifics upon his return.
They pressed themselves into a recess between two towering walls, the stones rough at their backs, but keeping them hidden.From there, they could see a sliver of the makeshift town square beyond, where a crowd had indeed gathered.
But Wren wasn’t looking at the scene before them.She was looking at her feet, where a small, furry creature was weaving itself between her boots, purring so loudly that Torj was convinced it would give their position away.
Wren did not, as he expected, shoo the feral cat away.Instead, she reached down and scratched behind its ears, a sad smile on her face.
‘I never took you for an animal lover,’ Torj said, wrinkling his nose at the stray.The thing was probably riddled with fleas.
Wren didn’t look up from where she was stroking the creature’s long ginger fur.‘I’ve actually always wanted a cat...Someone to keep me company during the late hours in the workshop.’
‘Ever thought of a person instead?’
‘You might have noticed this, but most people annoy me.’
Torj snorted.‘I prefer dogs,’ he told her flatly.
‘Then I suppose you were right,’ Wren quipped, not missing a beat.‘It would never have worked between us, Warsword.’
He blinked at her for a moment, not knowing whether to laugh or be offended.He nudged the cat away and returned his attention to the assembly.
Torj didn’t like what he saw.The rally’s fervour seemed to grow with each passing moment.A speaker’s voice rose above the crowd, words indistinct but tone clear – passionate, angry.
‘Did you see much of this during your travels?’Wren asked quietly, not taking her eyes off the eager mob.
‘Beyond the work of tracking the traitors?We saw traces of it.’Torj tried to ignore the heat radiating from her body, tried not to breathe in her heady scent.‘Posters on noticeboards, conversations in taverns, reports of missing people...but not a full-blown gathering.Not like this.’
Wren tensed beside him.‘It’s an age-old tactic, though, isn’t it?Target the poorer populations on the outskirts and work your way in, amassing followers as you go with promises of a better world...’
