Page 19 of The Good Daughter

The looks on the faces of the mercenaries certainly suggested that no one liked that idea.

“Someone should scout ahead,” said Devon, from just behind me, his breath briefly tickling my ear as he spoke.

“You volunteering?” snapped Vorst, nastily.

“Good idea,” nodded Devon, with a smile.

“But…” Buck clearly objected to the fact that Devon was taking some of the merchandise (me) into danger.

“Back shortly.” But Devon was already riding.

We slowed from a gallop as we began to climb the steep hill, Devon’s horse, Siegfried, picking out a path through harsh terrain, where claws of rock tore through the surface soil.

“Sit up and keep an eye out,” said Devon. He didn’t sound anxious, but then he seldom did.

“What am I looking for?”

“Dragons, I suppose. But let me know if you see anything else interesting.”

“Soldiers?” I suggested.

“Do you see any?”

“No.”

“Well, let me know if you do.”

It was the first time I’d ‘tested the water’ so to speak in how much he knew. I was sure as sure could be that the others, even Buck, had no idea who Uther and I were or the purpose of their delivery mission. I was less sure about Devon. Suggesting that there might be soldiers out there looking for us seemed a way to hint at it without revealing anything. Naturally, he gave away nothing.

We climbed higher, weaving a safe path, away from the stretches of loose rock which threatened to send Siegfried skittering back down.

“Think they can still see us?” asked Devon.

I looked back towards the mercenaries far below. “Probably. I can still see them.”

Devon said nothing. What was he planning that he wanted to be out of sight? As we climbed to the ridge, the path took a curve behind a pinnacle of rock, hiding us from below. The landscape gave way to a brief plateau, where a few trees had taken advantage of the shelter from the wind afforded by the cliffs, and where…

… and where someone was standing.

We’d seen barely another living soul since we’d left Casper’s Relief, which was often the way in the vastness of the wilderness, so to see someone now came as a shock.

“There’s someone there!” I squeaked.

Devon looked. “So, there is. Must live around here. There’re a few herders even this far out. I’ll have a word with her, see if she’s seen any dragons.”

He gripped me around my waist and plonked me down on the ground before dismounting himself.

“You’ll be good while I’m gone?”

I hated it when he spoke to me like that, but I nodded.

“Good girl.”

“You’re still going to tie me to a tree though, aren’t you?”

“Certainly not,” muttered Devon as he looped Siegfried’s bridle around a tree branch. “I’m not tying you to a tree like a common horse. I’m tying you to a rock.”

He did so then, smiling at me to see if I enjoyed his joke.

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