Page 65 of Peregrine's Call
More memories came flooding back to her. She had found a farm nearby. An old couple gave her bread before she could even ask, and then told her how to get to the nearest village.
“We go upstream,” she announced, nudging her horse forward.
Pierce looked worried. “You’re sure?”
“She said we go upstream,” Tav nearly growled, his usual patience evaporating in the cold. “After you, my lord.”
Robin grew more confident as she went on. When the light began to fail, the sky sliding into ever deeper shades of grey, Octavian called out, “Shouldn’t we look for a place to sleep tonight?”
She turned in her saddle. “There’s a village up ahead. And it has an inn.”
Pierce smiled, but Tav shook his head. “Inns mean people, and people mean gossip. Is there somewhere else, somewhere protected from the weather?”
Robin bit her lip. “Maybe.”
“I have money to pay for an inn,” Pierce said. “And I for one think that another night in the cold will hurt us.” Hearing a meow, he loosened the buckle on the basket tied to the horse. The lid was pushed up from within, and Govannon’s face appeared. The cat looked at them with pure sadness in its eyes.
Robin’s heart lurched. She didn’t mind seeing Pierce shiver, but to abuse the cat or the horses any further would be cruel.
“We must risk it,” she said to Tav. “We’ll arrive after dark, and if we leave early in the morning… Anyway, Estmar and the others don’t know what route we’re traveling since we never even stepped onto the main road through the wood.”
Octavian looked unsure, but then nodded. “The horses will recover far better in a stable than outside. We might actually make better time tomorrow.”
Pierce muttered praise to God on hearing he’d sleep indoors. But if Robin thought that meant he’d be more pleasant to deal with, she was mistaken.
Chapter 25
Not for the first time,nor for the last time, Robin wanted to slap Pierce across the face. From the moment he entered the inn, Pierce seemed determined to display the worst traits of the upper class. He talked down to the innkeeper, who was a perfectly pleasant woman of middle age. He looked around the ground floor as if it were no better than a sty, when in fact the front room and the tavern beyond were scrubbed, with clean rushes spread upon the floors, and had several lit sconces to chase away the darkness.
The innkeeper said that the upper sleeping loft was empty, but Pierce waved the suggestion off.
“I require a private chamber. It’s absurd to think that I would be content with anything less.”
“We do have a separate bedchamber,” the innkeeper said, her eyes taking in Pierce’s travel-stained but expensive clothing. “Though there is no need since we have no other guests now. You and your companions would have the entire floor to yourselves.” She spoke slowly, as if debating whether she ought to have mentioned it. Many innkeepers would have jumped at the chance to earn a few more coins by renting as many beds as possible.
“You don’t need a private chamber,” Tav said, his eyes narrow. “And I’ll feel better if I know what you’re up to.”
Pierce sneered. “You can’t stay awake all night.”
“Care to wager?”
The innkeeper held up her hands. “Oh, no. That’s enough! I don’t know what you’re about, sirs, but I don’t want to host trouble. You can eat in the tavern, but no rooms tonight.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Pierce pulled out several coins, the shine of copper and silver gleaming in the candlelight. “You don’t want to make a living?”
The innkeeper gnawed her lip, eyes locked on the money. “Well…a private chamber for you and your wife, and the soldier will sleep in the common room himself?”
“I am no man’s wife,” Robin said before she thought better of it. Then she remembered Geoffrey Ballard for the first time in weeks and wondered if he’d even heard or cared that Robin was missing from Cleobury.
The innkeeper was clearly puzzled at how such an odd collection of travelers ended up at her door. “Oh. I have only one private bedchamber, but you may sleep with my barmaids if that is preferable?” Perhaps she was offering Robin escape from the two men.
Robin just shook her head. “I thank you, but a pallet in the common room is fine. My assistance may be needed at any time.” Such as if Pierce decided to run away in the middle of the night.
Tav said, “You can stay with the women if you like. The choice is yours.”
“So she can sleep where she likes, but you tellmewhat to do?” Pierce complained.
“I trust Robin. I don’t trust you.” Tav’s words were as blunt as they were honest.
