Page 26 of Legacy of Thorns
“Would it really be so bad to give their idea a try?” she murmured to Finley, Archer’s dejected face in her mind.
Finley gave a rough laugh. “You say that because you don’t know what Morrow’s like when it comes to these schemes. He always has some new, brilliant idea for making money, and Archer is always equally convinced it’s a good idea. And while you wouldn’t think it to look at her, Nisha is almost as easily persuaded. Why do you think they gave control of the purse strings to me? After the first brilliant idea failed, they decided I should have the deciding vote.” His voice lowered even further, the lines on his face deepening. “None of them want to become my Father.”
A spurt of interest briefly drove back the sleepiness, but one look at Finley’s expression dissuaded her from further questions. He would tell her more when he was ready.
And when she passed Archer on her way to the bedroom, the boy already seemed to have recovered from his momentary low spirits. He was standing with Morrow, whispering excitedly.
“I could at least carve them. Just in case. As long as I make them right away, they’ll be Legacy infused and should store well enough.”
She didn’t catch Morrow’s rumbled reply as she slipped through the door, but the tenor of his voice sounded positive. A smile lingered on her face as she prepared for bed, and within minutes, she was stretched out in bed. Despite her late afternoon nap, Daphne fell asleep immediately—as she could do anywhere, anytime.
Daphne didn’t stir when Nisha left their shared room for the final watch of the night, but she woke before any of the men. She joined Nisha in the main room, relieved to see the fire was already out and the fireplace cold.
“No disturbances in the night?” she asked.
“All quiet.” Nisha was preparing breakfast, her moves practiced and confident.
Daphne joined her, working silently for several minutes before speaking. “How did you end up traveling with Finley and Archer? Are they family?”
“Myfamily?” Nisha’s hands paused, and she looked up at Daphne in surprise. “No.” She resumed her work.
But after another moment of silence, she continued. “I’ve been traveling on my own since I was twenty. Never had much of a hankering for settling down, but didn’t much fancy tangling with the Legacy either, so I’ve stayed within Oakden’s borders. Reckon I’ve seen most of the kingdom by now.”
“Did you find it lonely?” Daphne asked.
She had traveled further than Nisha, but she had never been alone.
Nisha pondered the question, although her hands didn’t still. “At times. At other times I enjoyed the solitude. Then three years back, I encountered several men trying to cart off a couple of lads. Couldn’t let that stand.”
She retrieved plates from one of the packs and used them to set the table.
“Two lads?” Daphne asked.
Nisha chuckled. “Finley was just a lad back then himself, though he doesn’t like me to say so. He still is sometimes, though he’s past twenty now.”
“Oh, of course.” Daphne hid a smile, imagining Finley’s reaction if he was present. “So you rescued them. But why did you stay with them after that? It’s been so long.”
Nisha shrugged. “Seemed clear they’d get themselves straight back into trouble if I left, so I said I’d stay until they shook off those men. And here I still am.” She smiled slightly. “I guess I must like having company after all.”
“They’ve been chased for so long…” Daphne murmured as she carried food to the table. “They really don’t know why?”
“Not a clue.” Morrow joined them, his hair spiking in all directions. “Though Finley’s been trying to find out. I joined them six months after Nisha. I was on my own before that as well, but for my part, I never enjoyed it.” He scratched his head. “You could say I have a bit of a tendency for getting into trouble when I’m on my own. That’s what had happened back then. They found me in a spot of bother, and Finley talked my accusers down, pretty as you please.”
Morrow shook his head. “No doubt he was gifted at birth, that one. Never encountered such a tongue in my life. He always gets us out of scrapes, no matter how tight they appear.” Heshrugged. “So I figured if I was going to get into scrapes one way or another, better to do it in the company of someone who can get me back out again.”
“It’s the smile as well,” Nisha said reflectively as she served the food. “It could charm the most cold-hearted curmudgeon. And frequently does.”
“Of course, Archer bids fair to do even better,” Morrow added with his rumbling laugh. “He can even charm us.”
“More’s the pity,” Nisha grumbled. “Or he would never have gone into that barn in the first place. Went against my judgment to agree.”
“That assumes you could have stopped me,” Archer said cheerfully from the doorway of the left bedroom, unabashed to find them discussing him. “And you only agreed in the first place because you knew that if you didn’t, I would have snuck off and done it on my own.” He swept Daphne a flourishing bow. “Good morning, fairest Daphne.”
Daphne sighed. Apparently the Legacy’s effect hadn’t worn off overnight. Her eyes slipped past him, looking for someone else despite herself.
She stood abruptly. What was she doing? She needed to get outside and clear her head.
“I’m going for a walk,” she announced. “And no, Archer, you’re not welcome,” she added before he could declare his intention to accompany her. “I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I hear or see any sign of anyone.”
