Patricia Briggs by The Hob's Bargain

Author:The Hob's Bargain
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Magic, Fantasy, General
ISBN: 9780441008131
Publisher: Ace
Published: 2001-03-01T06:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

By the time we got back to the village, it was almost dark. I slipped off my perch behind Wandel before we quite stopped. The Lass crow-hopped twice, making the harper soothe her so he could dismount. She hadn’t liked carrying double.

“Melly!” I called from the yard.

She came to the door of the inn, wiping her hands on her apron. “What is it? Oh, lords and ladies, it’s Albrin. And Kith as well.” She dashed into the public room briefly and returned with a number of patrollers who were gathered at the inn before practice.

“No, no,” she commanded as they started to take Albrin from Kith. “Wait. I sent Manta and Ice to get the door from the kitchen. He’s been jostled enough.”

The Beresforders had wasted no time; they showed up with the kitchen door on the heels of Melly’s words. Carefully, Albrin was lowered to the door.

When I started in behind the boys carrying Albrin, Melly stepped in front of me. “Oh, no, you don’t. You don’t look much better than he does. I’ll have too much help as it is, don’t you frown so. I’ll do better not having to clean you up off the floor, too. You go right on in there and pour yourself some of the mead I’ve heating by the fire, missy. When we’ve settled Albrin, I’ll have a dinner brought to you. I’ve seen less tired faces on corpses, child. In with you.”

As Albrin was carried up the stairs, I hovered in the doorway until Melly’s flapping apron drove me into the tavern. I took a clean mug from behind the bar and poured it full of the sweet-smelling mead. Though the tavern itself was empty, I could hear noises from the public room beyond that indicated people were there.

Peering through the doorway, I saw a couple of the fishermen eating dinner at one of the tables. Engrossed in conversation, they didn’t look up as I wandered in. The only other person in the room was Koret, slumped against the back wall with the remains of whatever he’d been drinking in the glass. From the look of the table, the helpers Melly had commandeered had been drinking with Koret. I don’t know why he hadn’t come himself.

He looked up and raised his eyebrows when he saw me. I brushed at my clothes somewhat ineffectually, but there really wasn’t much I could do. I sat down opposite him, gingerly, stretching my leg out before drinking the warm mead.

“I heard you rode out after Kith,” he said. His voice slurred slightly. “Not the smartest thing to do.”

“No,” I agreed, wondering if his surprise was at my survival rather than at seeing me here. Perhaps I ought to be offended.

“Kith’s here. Wandel and Albrin, too,” I told him, though he knew, already. “I’m not certain if Albrin’s going to make it. They sent me here to get me out of the way.” There was a spill on the tabletop and I touched it with my finger, pulling the moisture around in odd patterns.

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