Absolutely not . Meanwhile Captain Kerrn wants to arrest Conn—for our own protection. She warns very darkly that Conn will land us in trouble unless he is chained up.
Then during our ride, Argent asked if he could have Conn as his servant. I suppose Argent’s idea is better than turning Conn over to Captain Kerrn. Knowing Conn, he will not like being a servant, but he must be given something to do or he will get into trouble. Argent will keep him out of Kerrn’s way.
We don’t have time for these distractions. A brokencarriage wheel slowed us down yesterday, and I was half-tempted to leave it behind. We must get to Desh as soon as possible. While we are on the road, who knows what terrible things are happening back home in Wellmet. I cannot get Conn to speak of them. I am worried about my mother, too, and the wound she suffered. Magister Trammel said she was improving, but she seemed so weak and pale before we left.
CHAPTER 18
T he first thing I did was steal my knife back from Captain Kerrn. And I nicked one of her knives, too, because I’d be better off with two. I hid them in Rowan’s bags, so when Kerrn grabbedme and searched me she didn’t find them.
As Kerrn stalked away with steam coming out of her ears, Rowan came up to me. We’d been traveling all day; after eating a big breakfast I’d taken a long nap in the cart with the baggage, resting my shoulder and ribs, which were still sore. Rowan had ridden her horse alongside Argent and Kerrn. Now we’d camped in a forest clearing.
“Conn,” Rowan said, shaking her head, “you’re going to get into trouble. You need something to keep you busy.”
No, I didn’t. I had plenty to do, just traveling to Desh.
“And as the leader of this envoyage, I’ve decided what that something will be.” Rowan folded her arms and gave me her sly, slanting look. “Several somethings, actually.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You don’t need to glare at me, my lad,” she said. “The first thing is, I want you to write to Magister Nevery and tell him you’ve joinedus and that you are well.”
I shook my head. If Nevery got a letter from me, he’d just throw it in the fire.
“The second thing,” Rowan said, “is that you will serve Argent.”
“No,” I said.
“No one else will take you on, Conn. It’s Argent or nobody.”
“Nobody, then,” I said.
Rowan shook her head. “Argent is a very good friend; he will treat you well, don’t worry.” Argent himself was passing by, and she called to him. He set down the horse’s saddle he was carrying and came over.
“Yes, Lady Rowan?” he said, with a little bow of his head. He ignored me standing there.
Rowan smiled at him. “Argent, this is Conn, your new servant.”
“I didn’t agree to this, Ro,” I said.
“Hush,” she answered. “It’s for your own good. You will serve him until we get home to Wellmet.”
Except that I wasn’t going home to Wellmet. I knew this, but every time I thought of it a new misery eel hatched in my stomach. Then I thought about Benet and a whole nest of eels hatched. I kept quiet.
Argent bowed. “Thank you, Lady Rowan.”
“I think you will get along well,” Rowan said, “if you give each other a chance.” She pointed at me. “Conn, if you want to travel with us, you must make yourself useful.”
Argent bowed again, and Rowan walked away, smiling.
For just a moment I hated her.
Argent looked down his long nose at me. “It is quite clear to me that you are not a proper servant. You are scruffy, and Captain Kerrn says you are a thief, and you talk like a gutterboy.”
Because I was a thief and a gutterboy. Stupid Argent. He’d be scruffy, too, if he’d slept under a bush for the past six nights. “I am not your servant, Argent,” I said.
His lip curled. “Apparently you are. The alternative is that.” He pointed at the forest. I’d have to leave the envoyage, he meant, unless I served him. Drats.
“I feel it is my duty to teach you better
Then during our ride, Argent asked if he could have Conn as his servant. I suppose Argent’s idea is better than turning Conn over to Captain Kerrn. Knowing Conn, he will not like being a servant, but he must be given something to do or he will get into trouble. Argent will keep him out of Kerrn’s way.
We don’t have time for these distractions. A brokencarriage wheel slowed us down yesterday, and I was half-tempted to leave it behind. We must get to Desh as soon as possible. While we are on the road, who knows what terrible things are happening back home in Wellmet. I cannot get Conn to speak of them. I am worried about my mother, too, and the wound she suffered. Magister Trammel said she was improving, but she seemed so weak and pale before we left.
CHAPTER 18
T he first thing I did was steal my knife back from Captain Kerrn. And I nicked one of her knives, too, because I’d be better off with two. I hid them in Rowan’s bags, so when Kerrn grabbedme and searched me she didn’t find them.
As Kerrn stalked away with steam coming out of her ears, Rowan came up to me. We’d been traveling all day; after eating a big breakfast I’d taken a long nap in the cart with the baggage, resting my shoulder and ribs, which were still sore. Rowan had ridden her horse alongside Argent and Kerrn. Now we’d camped in a forest clearing.
“Conn,” Rowan said, shaking her head, “you’re going to get into trouble. You need something to keep you busy.”
No, I didn’t. I had plenty to do, just traveling to Desh.
“And as the leader of this envoyage, I’ve decided what that something will be.” Rowan folded her arms and gave me her sly, slanting look. “Several somethings, actually.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You don’t need to glare at me, my lad,” she said. “The first thing is, I want you to write to Magister Nevery and tell him you’ve joinedus and that you are well.”
I shook my head. If Nevery got a letter from me, he’d just throw it in the fire.
“The second thing,” Rowan said, “is that you will serve Argent.”
“No,” I said.
“No one else will take you on, Conn. It’s Argent or nobody.”
“Nobody, then,” I said.
Rowan shook her head. “Argent is a very good friend; he will treat you well, don’t worry.” Argent himself was passing by, and she called to him. He set down the horse’s saddle he was carrying and came over.
“Yes, Lady Rowan?” he said, with a little bow of his head. He ignored me standing there.
Rowan smiled at him. “Argent, this is Conn, your new servant.”
“I didn’t agree to this, Ro,” I said.
“Hush,” she answered. “It’s for your own good. You will serve him until we get home to Wellmet.”
Except that I wasn’t going home to Wellmet. I knew this, but every time I thought of it a new misery eel hatched in my stomach. Then I thought about Benet and a whole nest of eels hatched. I kept quiet.
Argent bowed. “Thank you, Lady Rowan.”
“I think you will get along well,” Rowan said, “if you give each other a chance.” She pointed at me. “Conn, if you want to travel with us, you must make yourself useful.”
Argent bowed again, and Rowan walked away, smiling.
For just a moment I hated her.
Argent looked down his long nose at me. “It is quite clear to me that you are not a proper servant. You are scruffy, and Captain Kerrn says you are a thief, and you talk like a gutterboy.”
Because I was a thief and a gutterboy. Stupid Argent. He’d be scruffy, too, if he’d slept under a bush for the past six nights. “I am not your servant, Argent,” I said.
His lip curled. “Apparently you are. The alternative is that.” He pointed at the forest. I’d have to leave the envoyage, he meant, unless I served him. Drats.
“I feel it is my duty to teach you better
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