Wren (The Romany Epistles) Read Online Free Page A

nearby tree,
bleating pitifully while the sheepdog kept the stragglers from wandering. At
first glance, I could see we lost half the flock. Three lygra carcasses lay in
the tall grass, staining the ground red. The nearest died instantly, an arrow
lodged beneath its front leg and buried to the feather in the animal’s chest.
    Dardon squatted over a small, wool-covered body. He rose to
greet us as we approached. “You are late.”
    Svhen pulled Jayden to a rough stop a few feet from him.
“What happened?” I asked as I slid to the ground.
    “We had no warning. A pride of five ridgeback lygras
attacked. Arthus went down and Kat took up a defensive position over him as the
sheep scattered. I managed to kill one lygra, but then two of them started
after the horses and disappeared. Svhen ran for help while Kat and I tried to
hold off the rest. I gave up on the sheep. The remaining cats circled us. The
leader prepared to lunge when this rider came out of nowhere. He killed the
leader.” He pointed to the closest one. “It took three shots, but he managed it
after two went wild. Then he drew the other one away from us before finishing
her off with another arrow.”
    “Where is she now?” I asked.
    Dardon shrugged. “He said something about going after the
horses. A useless chase. You know how Trader gets when he spooks. Even if he
does find them, I doubt he can catch them.”
    Normally I would have agreed with him, but I now realized
that Wren understated her abilities. Anyone who made a shot like the one that
took down the lygra was a woman to approach with caution. In some situations,
two wild arrows could be ignored if the third one hit its mark that well.
    “Is Arthus well?”
    “He will live. Just a swipe at his right shoulder.” He
motioned to where Svhen was already helping Arthus to his feet. Kat hovered
over him like an anxious mother.
    As we approached, she chided Svhen for moving Arthus too
quickly.
    “It is just a scrape, Kat.” Arthus grimaced.
    “Yeah, give the man some room, girl. He can walk. The cat
didn’t get his legs,” Dardon pointed out.
    “But he lost blood,” she protested. She flicked her braid
over her shoulder. Strands of golden hair kept falling into her face. She
glared at Svhen’s departing back. “You are not planning on making him ride
back, are you?”
    “What do you expect him to do?” Dardon towered over her. “He
isn’t exactly in the best condition to walk back and if you think we are going
to haul his sorry butt back to the keep just because you want us too, you are
delusional.”
    “He is injured,” Kat protested.
    Dardon rolled his eyes. Svhen grunted and proceeded to
assist Arthus onto the horse.
    She turned to me, pleading with her eyes. “He is injured,
Tourth. Shouldn’t we be more careful with him?”
    “He has been in a lot worse condition before. Let Svhen take
care of him. Once we get back, you can mother him all you want.” Tucking a
strand of silken gold behind her ear, I bent to kiss her forehead. “I take it
the lygra did not manage to get your tongue. Are you whole otherwise?”
    She nodded with a distracted frown. “Thanks to that
stranger. I thought for sure I was a dead woman when she showed up.”
    “She?” Dardon frowned. “It was a man.”
    “No, a woman in a man’s clothing.” Kat’s lips tightened and
her hands went to her hips.
    “I think I would know a woman if I saw one.”
    “I am the female here and she was a woman.”
    Seeing that this could become another of their famous rows,
I decided to put a stop to it. “I am sorry, Dardon, but she is a woman.”
    Dardon turned to glare at me. “You always take her side.”
    “Oh, hush it, Dardon, and see for yourself.” Kat pointed out
an approaching rider.
    I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from me at Dardon’s
face. Wren returned, leading the two runaway horses, a feat he proclaimed
impossible.
    She halted her mount with a single command and the other two
followed. Trader,