Partisan - Book II

Arrival

Fitted with fresh horses, new clothes, and bags full of food, the three women ride out of Solveigard City in much higher spirits than when they had entered. Leo had come down early to see them off, pulling his sister into a big hug, then hugging Tara too when she was too slow to get out of the way.

He had hesitated when he got to Allayria; perhaps he sensed her unease, or was intimidated by the title. Either way, he held out his hand and she took it. His other hand came quickly down over hers, holding it there, and he murmured, leaning in:

"Thank you for watching out for my sister."

She hadn't liked this, being so close to him, the intimacy of his hand over hers. She had felt boxed in, trapped, but a Paragon cannot be weak and so she had steeled herself, lifted her chin, and answered:

"Of course."

"You're always welcome here—whether you come in the front door, back door, window, or chimney," he had said, letting her hand go with surprising gentleness and stepping back as she climbed onto her horse. "If you need anything, write to me. I'll keep my ears open here and tell you and Fae if I hear anything you might be interested in."

"Likewise," she had said, and he flashed her a brilliant smile.

Yes, all-in-all the side-trip back to Solveigard went very well. Allayria briefly touches the metal bangle on her wrist now, knowing its twin is dangling off the wrist of a very grumpy thief somewhere back in the smoke-plumed city. He'll cheer up when she brings him back some Jarles treasure. Maybe a fine porter.

"How did the meeting with your 'dodgy' contact go?" Fae asks suddenly, pulling up alongside Allayria as the road widens. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"Hm? Oh, yes," Allayria answers. "He'll help."

"But was that all that you wanted?" Tara interjects, pulling up on her other side.

Allayria twists in her seat at this and stares at the Beast-caller blankly. Clearly she's missed something.

"He was a handsome man," Fae adds, a wry smile splitting on her face.

"He had a very elegant mouth," Tara continues. "A little wide, but very artful."

"And dark eyes."

"Lovely hair too."

"How—?" Allayria sputters. "Did you—?"

Fae shrugs.

"I might have forgotten to mention the hidden room behind one of the bookcases."

"When you said you were meeting with a man who 'ran in different circles than Fae' I definitely imagined someone dirtier and cruder," Tara says. "Why again was it that we couldn't meet him?"

"You—" Allayria exhales, feeling bright patches of red burning on her cheeks. "I promised him no one else had seen him. I told him I'd keep him anonymous—"

But Fae waves her aggravation away.

"We're not going to tell anyone. We're your team," she settles back onto her horse but can't help the sly smile that resurfaces on her face. "He was very handsome though."

Allayria doesn't know what to say to that, so she just looks away, out across the road. She hadn't really given the subject much thought, and she didn't want to give it any further thought either. Events had not gone well for her the last time she had consulted her heart on such things.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe not as handsome as Hiran," Tara muses and the two other women look over at her.

"What? He may be the biggest ass on this side of the sea but—"