WindLegends Saga 9: WindRetriever by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Page A
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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WINDRETRIEVER 50
"Meaning I'm not falling for it. You're not leaving this ship to go wandering about in Odess. Those are Conar's orders and I will abide by them." He smiled. "Just as you will, milady."
"But she's here!" Catherine argued. "She came all the way here to meet the ship!"
"I don't care," Sajin replied. "You aren't going ashore, Catherine."
The Tzarevna stood up, her face a chiseled study in absolute fury. She crumpled the note in her fist then shook it at Sajin. "I will not be dictated to, nomad!"
Sajin cocked his head to one side. "You and the Outlander make some pair," he joked. "He doesn't like to be dictated to, either."
Catherine would have yelled at the Kensetti, but the door to her cabin opened and both turned to see Rupine standing in the doorway. His face was as white as snow.
"What is it?" Sajin hissed, walking to the man.
"I can't wake him, Your Grace!" Rupine replied. "I can't wake Khamsin!"
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 51
Chapter Eight
Azalon glanced at the dark walls of the keep and felt uneasy. The entire structure had been painted jet black: the chains on the drawbridge, the saw-teeth of the portcullis, even the glass panes in the windows. Surrounding the keep was a forty foot wide moat filled with slithering, venomous reptiles and the ugliest crocodiles he'd ever seen. There was no vile smell emanating from the moat, but the thrashing and the snapping and spitting within those steep stone walls made Azalon gag.
"It wouldn't do to fall in that, would it?" Yuri remarked as he and Balizar crossed the drawbridge. Both men were staying as close to the center of the planking as possible, keeping their mounts in tight check.
"I wouldn't like to, no," Balizar replied, keeping an eye on the largest amphibian in the moat.
Sajin eyed the moat just as warily as he followed behind the men. He noticed that Catherine didn't seem to be worried about her progress across the drawbridge. Her eyes were on the cart where her husband lay. The strain of the last two hours was stamped clearly on her face.
Despite both Rupine's and Catherine's trying, neither had been able to wake Conar. There was a bright red splotch of blood on the pillow beneath his right ear when they had turned him to his back.
"I was afraid of this," Rupine had breathed. "He's hemorrhaged again."
"Conar!" Catherine had pleaded, gently shaking her husband. "Wake up!" When the Serenian did not move, she had turned her terrified eyes to Sajin.
Sajin had sent for the cart and within ten minutes, the small procession was on their way out of Odess and into the foothills of the Uralaps where the old woman had told Catherine the Woman Healer could be found. They had ridden for what seemed like hours before coming to the trail that led up to the keep. As soon as they were within hailing distance, the drawbridge had began to lower.
"Not the most hospitable of places, is it?" Rupine asked Azalon. He looked nervously about him as they entered the outer bailey.
"Why the hell have they got it painted black?" Azalon asked, amazed at the solid ebon walls and blacked-out windows. Even inside the bailey, there were no shiny surfaces showing on wood or metal. Everything had been dulled with black paint.
"Creepy," Balizar remarked. "Damned creepy."
Sajin glanced up at the sheer walls, frowning at the color, himself. He felt distinctively uncomfortable, actually a bit worried, but one look at Catherine told him she had expected to find things no different. That was, he thought with a pang of regret, if she noticed anything save Conar McGregor's pale, pale face.
"Milady?" Yuri whispered as he reached out to touch Catherine's arm. He pointed at an old woman who was standing at the top of a long, winding staircase.
Catherine followed his direction and nodded. "Sonja," she answered and dismounted before any of the men could help her. She walked to the cart. "You men will have to make a litter and carry him upstairs."
Sajin glanced up the steep
"Meaning I'm not falling for it. You're not leaving this ship to go wandering about in Odess. Those are Conar's orders and I will abide by them." He smiled. "Just as you will, milady."
"But she's here!" Catherine argued. "She came all the way here to meet the ship!"
"I don't care," Sajin replied. "You aren't going ashore, Catherine."
The Tzarevna stood up, her face a chiseled study in absolute fury. She crumpled the note in her fist then shook it at Sajin. "I will not be dictated to, nomad!"
Sajin cocked his head to one side. "You and the Outlander make some pair," he joked. "He doesn't like to be dictated to, either."
Catherine would have yelled at the Kensetti, but the door to her cabin opened and both turned to see Rupine standing in the doorway. His face was as white as snow.
"What is it?" Sajin hissed, walking to the man.
"I can't wake him, Your Grace!" Rupine replied. "I can't wake Khamsin!"
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 51
Chapter Eight
Azalon glanced at the dark walls of the keep and felt uneasy. The entire structure had been painted jet black: the chains on the drawbridge, the saw-teeth of the portcullis, even the glass panes in the windows. Surrounding the keep was a forty foot wide moat filled with slithering, venomous reptiles and the ugliest crocodiles he'd ever seen. There was no vile smell emanating from the moat, but the thrashing and the snapping and spitting within those steep stone walls made Azalon gag.
"It wouldn't do to fall in that, would it?" Yuri remarked as he and Balizar crossed the drawbridge. Both men were staying as close to the center of the planking as possible, keeping their mounts in tight check.
"I wouldn't like to, no," Balizar replied, keeping an eye on the largest amphibian in the moat.
Sajin eyed the moat just as warily as he followed behind the men. He noticed that Catherine didn't seem to be worried about her progress across the drawbridge. Her eyes were on the cart where her husband lay. The strain of the last two hours was stamped clearly on her face.
Despite both Rupine's and Catherine's trying, neither had been able to wake Conar. There was a bright red splotch of blood on the pillow beneath his right ear when they had turned him to his back.
"I was afraid of this," Rupine had breathed. "He's hemorrhaged again."
"Conar!" Catherine had pleaded, gently shaking her husband. "Wake up!" When the Serenian did not move, she had turned her terrified eyes to Sajin.
Sajin had sent for the cart and within ten minutes, the small procession was on their way out of Odess and into the foothills of the Uralaps where the old woman had told Catherine the Woman Healer could be found. They had ridden for what seemed like hours before coming to the trail that led up to the keep. As soon as they were within hailing distance, the drawbridge had began to lower.
"Not the most hospitable of places, is it?" Rupine asked Azalon. He looked nervously about him as they entered the outer bailey.
"Why the hell have they got it painted black?" Azalon asked, amazed at the solid ebon walls and blacked-out windows. Even inside the bailey, there were no shiny surfaces showing on wood or metal. Everything had been dulled with black paint.
"Creepy," Balizar remarked. "Damned creepy."
Sajin glanced up at the sheer walls, frowning at the color, himself. He felt distinctively uncomfortable, actually a bit worried, but one look at Catherine told him she had expected to find things no different. That was, he thought with a pang of regret, if she noticed anything save Conar McGregor's pale, pale face.
"Milady?" Yuri whispered as he reached out to touch Catherine's arm. He pointed at an old woman who was standing at the top of a long, winding staircase.
Catherine followed his direction and nodded. "Sonja," she answered and dismounted before any of the men could help her. She walked to the cart. "You men will have to make a litter and carry him upstairs."
Sajin glanced up the steep
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