Candra's Freedom by AJ Nuest

Author:AJ Nuest
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007550579
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2013-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Wind from the north, crisp and clear with a lofty gust. Perfect for a southward descent.

Rowena absently stroked Dart’s breast, his cream and brown-spotted plumage gliding like silk along the edge of her index finger. Feet braced upon the wide window ledge, wind rider flapping in the breeze at her back, she sized up the bustling activity occupying the lawn five stories beneath her chamber window.

Several of her brothers-in-arms cranked the giant gear which manipulated the pendulum swing of the massive sand bags, and the first obstacle she would need to clear along the narrow beam at the gate of the Gantlet. Five held the tension in the release cable as one locked the iron catch in place. Eibel bounced his significant bulk on the rope bridge, testing its durability and strength. The ends chafed against the high wooden platforms topping two vertically reinforced poles, the thin pieces of twine connecting the hand ropes to the base twanging like a mistuned lute. Master Denmar perused the labyrinth of walls, dead ends and various nooks and crannies which comprised the course. He occasionally tugged a length of rope here or a shoved his booted heel against a wall there, shouting instructions before moving onto the final section—a circular teetering base the guards had affectionately dubbed “the table of doom.”

Four of her five opponents waited nearby on the lawn, just outside the cordoned-off area for the nobility, but close enough to be ogled by a flock of gushing, hankie-fluttering maidens. Rowena rolled her eyes even as her respect for the men elevated several degrees. Without a doubt they noticed the ladies’ blatant attempts at flirtation, but her challengers weren’t known as the best of the best for nothing, and not one among them wavered in their keen assessment of Master Denmar’s last-minute course modifications.

Each wore a leather chest plate stamped with the royal crest, an arsenal of lethal weapons dangling off their shoulders and hips, shields either waiting near their feet or decorating their backs like dented, scarred turtle shells.

Rowena smirked. Apparently her reputation preceded her. Luckily, so did theirs.

Keegan—over-confident, eager, ready to barrel into any situation and take the lead. He would position himself first, and thereby make a hazardous mistake. Syme—the best archer in the guard. His arrows accounted for more kills than a dozen of his brothers combined. He would hide, let his deadly aim do the work, and hopefully back himself right into a corner. Rinald—the jester. His valiant tales of victory through insurmountable odds were legendary…and also worth a wagonload of dung. He would most likely try to distract her, perhaps play a game of wits. Too bad no one had told him women were the smarter of the sexes. Tristan—now he was a threat. A warrior in his prime yet with enough experience he didn’t suffer fools lightly. He would be methodical, engage her in physical combat in hopes of wearing her down. She would need to strike fast.

But where was the fifth? Her wide sweep of the surrounding grounds and forest edge came up empty.

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.