Besieged (The Outcast Chronicles) by Rowena Cory Daniells

Author:Rowena Cory Daniells [Daniells, Rowena Cory]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Solaris
Published: 2012-06-24T04:00:00+00:00

AS IMOSHEN WALKED down the boulevard with Reoden, Vittoryxe’s accusations kept replaying in her mind. Why couldn’t the others see how important the Sagoras’ research was?

Their children ran on ahead, escorted by Reoden’s hand-of-force, her sisterhood’s scryer and a gift-warrior. Two Malaunje followed with food and blankets. Imoshen carried some hand-reels; she planned to teach Reoden’s children to fish. Iraayel already knew how.

She didn’t see why T’En were prohibited from preparing food. It was one of those customs that made no sense to her. What if they had to fend for themselves? Today she found the restrictions on T’En particularly irritating.

The sound of laughter made her look up. Iraayel and Reoden’s choice-son, Sardeon, were teasing Lyronyxe. The boys had both turned twelve last winter’s cusp, but they were already taller than Lyronyxe, who had turned thirteen just after midwinter.

Her sacrare son would have been eight. It still hurt to think of him; it always would.

‘You’re very quiet today,’ Reoden said.

‘Do you think knowledge should be shared?’

Reoden blinked then laughed. ‘I never know what you’re going to say next. Why so serious? Look around you. Isn’t it a glorious day?’

Shop doorways stood open, flowering plants hung from balconies, the sweet smell of baking reached them as the eateries prepared for the day’s mid-morning rush, while T’En, Malaunje and the occasional Mieren in their distinctive red half-capes passed by.

Reoden linked arms with her.

The youngsters were at the next cross-street. Imoshen frowned. ‘Wait for us, Iraayel.’

When they caught up, Reoden’s hand-of-force grimaced.

‘A day on the barge, drifting across the lake... I am going to be so bored.’

‘Think of it as a well-deserved break,’ Reoden said.

A loud clatter and a short sharp scream startled everyone on the street. It seemed to have come from a brotherhood eatery. Imoshen caught a glimpse of a courtyard, tables under a blossoming tree in the sunshine.

‘Someone’s hurt,’ Reoden said. ‘I must–’

A Malaunje girl of about ten came running out. There was blood on the front of her work apron. ‘Someone help! Ma’s hurt and my brother–’

Reoden turned to her hand-of-force. ‘Take the children to the boat-house. I’ll be down soon.’

Imoshen gestured for Iraayel to go with the others and took the girl by the shoulders, escorting her inside the eatery. When they reached the courtyard, she saw the stairs from the balcony had collapsed.

Shattered crockery littered the courtyard. Two people were injured. At a glance, there seemed to be broken bones, cuts and bruising. The youth was sitting up, holding a wound on his forearm closed. The mother wasn’t moving. Reoden went to the mother first.

Imoshen sat the child down, checked her over for injuries, found none, then lifted the girl’s chin. ‘You aren’t hurt. Everything is going to be all right. Do you understand?’

The child nodded.

Imoshen went to help the healer. ‘What can I do?’

‘I don’t know. What can you do?’

‘I have basic healing training.’

While they stopped the bleeding and strapped broken bones, Imoshen could feel the healer’s gift. With each touch, Reoden encouraged flesh and bone to knit.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.