Page 66 of Tears of the Wolf
Brynn feigned ignorance. “Why not?”
Olfirth grunted noncommittally.
“I am fond of this place.” Brynn looked to the village visible at the bottom of the hill, then back to the old thane. “And its people.”
Olfirth gave no visible reaction, but she hoped he caught her meaning. She would protect the people of Ombra, standing over his corpse if need be.
“As I said, my husband and his men have not yet returned.” Brynn continued, projecting that this was a mild inconvenience, but nothing too serious. “You will have to stable your own horses since the stable boys are gone, but we will do our best to make you feel welcome until the food is prepared.”
“Food?” Olfirth cocked his head at her.
“You have come to eat with us, have you not?” With her soft smile held up like a shield, she forced herself to show calm, friendliness, and hospitality.
Thorn remained at her side, rigid as stone, glaring right back at the men.
From the way he blinked at her with a mild scowl, Olfirth had not expected her to say that at all. His mouth tightened as he took her in.
One of the warriors at Olfirth’s side nudged his horse toward the older man. “Lord—”
Olfirth raised a fist, signaling for the young man to stay silent.
Brynn and the old thane stared each other down. She could see his mind spinning behind his dark eyes.
Ash came along Brynn’s other side, whining as she too dropped down to sit. She nosed Brynn’s hand, probably confused why the strangers weren’t dismounting.
Brynn petted the dog’s head, keeping her attention on the riders.
She might not be able to kill all nineteen men before they ran her down, but she could kill Olfirth and perhaps three or four others. If the dyrehunds attacked the horses to create a diversion, she might even be able to take down half of them before they even reached her.
It wasn’t good odds, and it had been a long time since Brynn had used killing spells. But she would sell her life dearly and Olfirth would gain nothing but his own demise by attacking her.
She saw from the way he looked at her that Olfirth understood.
Brynn couldn’t outright threaten Olfirth, especially in front of his men. A threat would be an insult. For warriors like him, insults had to be avenged, else he would appear weak.
By inviting him to her table, she was offering him a way out. He could accept her hospitality, or he could find out exactly what Istovari sorceresses did to mere men who encroached on their husband’s lands.
Olfirth seemed to wrestle with the decision for a long moment. His warriors remained silent at his back, showing a better level of discipline than many Brynn had met.
Finally, Olfirth straightened atop his horse, nodding slowly. “We are grateful for your hospitality, Lady Brynn. Despite us arriving so early.” Then he dismounted.
Thorn made a low huffing sound as if to say,That’s what I thought.
“Lord?” It was the same younger man who had tried to speak earlier.
“Dismount, Evred. Show some respect for the lady.”
Olfirth’s men followed his lead, stepping down off their horses. As the last man’s boots hit the ground, Brynn knew she had won.
Cenric
It was Edric who spotted the small shape of the girl racing down the road as if the hounds of the Dread Marches were snapping at her heels.
“Aye, what now?” Edric grumbled, wiping his brow.
They’d been cutting barley all day, the fruits of their labors in sheaves around them. Everything would be gathered up in wagons and taken back to the longhouse for threshing.
Friend?Snapper rose from where he had been lounging in the shade of a wagon.
