by the man’s
behavior. He heard noise behind him and turned to look back
instinctively. Trina pulled her sword free from the body of the
goblin that had surrendered and walked toward him. She looked
around him and passed him, and then stopped and stared up at
him.
Trina reached up with her free hand and laid
it on his shoulder. She pulled him so he bent over, bringing his
face closer to hers. She twisted her head and kissed him on the
cheek, and then whispered in his ear, “Don’t ever do that to me
again.”
Alto straightened, a fire burning in his
cheeks. He was so baffled by the kiss, it took him a moment to
process what she’d said. She slipped past him, pausing only to
check on both men to ensure they were dead before heading toward
the cave-in. Alto stared after her, his lips parted in an unasked
question.
“My friend, you’ve won something no man or
boy from her village could ever get.”
Alto stiffened, hearing Namitus speaking so
close to him. He turned and saw the boy staring after her. “What’s
that?”
“Her favor.”
“Her favor? She just touched, I mean…,” Alto
hesitated, confused. Had she kissed him? Maybe she’d leaned to
close as she tried to speak to him. The feel of her lips still felt
warm against his cheek. It certainly felt like she’d kissed
him!
“Yes, her first kiss. Her favor. You’ve won
it and earned the envy and wrath of a lot of Kelgryn.”
“What of you?” Alto asked, forcing some sense
into his head. He recognized the faraway tone in Namitus’s
voice.
“I’m the son her father never had. I’m her
play toy. She uses me to spar with, verbally and, when her father
and others aren’t around, with weapons. I teach her the magic of
poetry and song and through her, I learn its deeper mysteries.”
“But how do you feel about her?”
Namitus smiled. “I love her. I’d lay down my
life for her if she but asked me to.”
Alto nodded. “I’m sorry. I had no intentions
with her. I have none, I mean.”
Namitus chuckled. “Her heart’s not for me. I
like you, Alto. You’re a mountain of a man, or you will be soon
enough. But you’re not like those thugs. You’re smart and you’re
kind. If we make it out of here, I see great things coming your way
in time. You’re young—we all are—but Patrina could do far worse
than to end up with someone like you.”
“Bah, bunch of whelps that don’t know nothing
about the fine arts of love,” Drefan wheezed as he walked up to
them. He looked around at the bodies. “Well done with the gobs,
though. And a pair of men pretending to be Kingdom soldiers!”
Alto looked at the chaos around him. He’d
caused all of it. By himself, except for the goblin Trina had
executed. He took in a deep breath, noticing the stink of death for
the first time. He sheathed his sword, forgetting to clean the gore
from it, and nodded.
“Your hip all right?” Drefan asked him.
“What?” Alto turned and looked at his leg.
His leather gaped open from a slash in it caused by the man’s
blade. Blood had dripped down his leg but the wound was shallow. He
winced as he became aware of it, and then he nodded. “Aye, I’ll be
fine.”
“Good, then fetch me one of their blades
since your lady friend has mine.”
Alto blushed again but failed to act in time.
Namitus had already grabbed both swords and was handing one to
Drefan. “We’d better hurry,” Namitus said. “She’s not known for
being patient.”
Up ahead, Trina was sitting in the cave-in,
staring at them. “Hurry up!” she called to them.
Drefan and Alto looked at Namitus. The boy
with wisdom beyond his years gave them a knowing grin. Alto
chuckled while Drefan winced. They turned and walked toward her,
intent on finding their way out of the mines.
Chapter 8
“Where do we go?” Alto asked. They’d stopped
past the cave–in to plot their next move and enjoy the lantern that
was hanging from a spike driven into a support beam. The
behavior. He heard noise behind him and turned to look back
instinctively. Trina pulled her sword free from the body of the
goblin that had surrendered and walked toward him. She looked
around him and passed him, and then stopped and stared up at
him.
Trina reached up with her free hand and laid
it on his shoulder. She pulled him so he bent over, bringing his
face closer to hers. She twisted her head and kissed him on the
cheek, and then whispered in his ear, “Don’t ever do that to me
again.”
Alto straightened, a fire burning in his
cheeks. He was so baffled by the kiss, it took him a moment to
process what she’d said. She slipped past him, pausing only to
check on both men to ensure they were dead before heading toward
the cave-in. Alto stared after her, his lips parted in an unasked
question.
“My friend, you’ve won something no man or
boy from her village could ever get.”
Alto stiffened, hearing Namitus speaking so
close to him. He turned and saw the boy staring after her. “What’s
that?”
“Her favor.”
“Her favor? She just touched, I mean…,” Alto
hesitated, confused. Had she kissed him? Maybe she’d leaned to
close as she tried to speak to him. The feel of her lips still felt
warm against his cheek. It certainly felt like she’d kissed
him!
“Yes, her first kiss. Her favor. You’ve won
it and earned the envy and wrath of a lot of Kelgryn.”
“What of you?” Alto asked, forcing some sense
into his head. He recognized the faraway tone in Namitus’s
voice.
“I’m the son her father never had. I’m her
play toy. She uses me to spar with, verbally and, when her father
and others aren’t around, with weapons. I teach her the magic of
poetry and song and through her, I learn its deeper mysteries.”
“But how do you feel about her?”
Namitus smiled. “I love her. I’d lay down my
life for her if she but asked me to.”
Alto nodded. “I’m sorry. I had no intentions
with her. I have none, I mean.”
Namitus chuckled. “Her heart’s not for me. I
like you, Alto. You’re a mountain of a man, or you will be soon
enough. But you’re not like those thugs. You’re smart and you’re
kind. If we make it out of here, I see great things coming your way
in time. You’re young—we all are—but Patrina could do far worse
than to end up with someone like you.”
“Bah, bunch of whelps that don’t know nothing
about the fine arts of love,” Drefan wheezed as he walked up to
them. He looked around at the bodies. “Well done with the gobs,
though. And a pair of men pretending to be Kingdom soldiers!”
Alto looked at the chaos around him. He’d
caused all of it. By himself, except for the goblin Trina had
executed. He took in a deep breath, noticing the stink of death for
the first time. He sheathed his sword, forgetting to clean the gore
from it, and nodded.
“Your hip all right?” Drefan asked him.
“What?” Alto turned and looked at his leg.
His leather gaped open from a slash in it caused by the man’s
blade. Blood had dripped down his leg but the wound was shallow. He
winced as he became aware of it, and then he nodded. “Aye, I’ll be
fine.”
“Good, then fetch me one of their blades
since your lady friend has mine.”
Alto blushed again but failed to act in time.
Namitus had already grabbed both swords and was handing one to
Drefan. “We’d better hurry,” Namitus said. “She’s not known for
being patient.”
Up ahead, Trina was sitting in the cave-in,
staring at them. “Hurry up!” she called to them.
Drefan and Alto looked at Namitus. The boy
with wisdom beyond his years gave them a knowing grin. Alto
chuckled while Drefan winced. They turned and walked toward her,
intent on finding their way out of the mines.
Chapter 8
“Where do we go?” Alto asked. They’d stopped
past the cave–in to plot their next move and enjoy the lantern that
was hanging from a spike driven into a support beam. The
Similar Books
