Fall of the Tower 1 by Cecelia Isaac

Author:Cecelia Isaac [Isaac, Cecelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-23T16:00:00+00:00

Mattias

It was a good thing about the guard, at least, that they did not have much clothing to choose from. And so, when Mattias met Cleo in the yard in the afternoon, they both wore the same off-duty clothing of breeches and tunic that they had worn the last time they'd seen each other in the tavern.

That being said, the sameness of their outfits meant personalities came out in the details, and he noticed her braids were pulled back in a half-twist, not just a simple tail.

He wondered if she'd also spent the morning being berated by her friends. His couldn't believe his luck, and as he'd dressed they'd discussed his chances of being dumped by someone as cool as Jawego, while critiquing his hair and pointing out wrinkles in his clothing, before shouting good luck as they shoved him out the door. It had been, overall, much like any of his few other dates, he realized now.

She smiled as he approached, which sent his stomach to his knees. He was going to mess it up, wasn't he? Great Eye, then every older guard would know of it—

"Hi, Freas."

No more time to second-guess. He straightened his shoulders. "How are you?"

"Good, you?"

"Great." A pause. "I got us horses."

"Oh, thank you!"

They had to reserve them, and the space, since there wasn't much room in Carnate for riding, and of course they could not leave.

"Which stables?"

He gestured north, and so they fell into step, leaving the guardhouse and going north along a large thoroughfare.

The road was crowded and noisy, and conversation was hard to sustain.

"Did you hurt your wrist?" he asked, noting a splint on her right hand.

"No, just tweaked it during saber. I'm fine."

"Shall we take the High Road then?"

She agreed readily, and at the next opportunity, they left the hard-packed dirt road and mounted the High Road, here a wooden track decorated with vines that draped off the sides.

They both knew the way, and he followed her snow leopard form along the path. They dismounted near the north wall. From the High Road, Mattias could make out the craggy landscape beyond the wall. That landscape was the reason the Hji couldn't effectively surround the whole city. But it kept Carnate contained just as well, for they had no safe way to move an army out, and encircle the Hji themselves. Not that they would anyway, not with the huge numbers of the Hji.

He didn't let the morose thoughts cloud his day, though, not when Cleo shifted and smiled back at him.

The hostler checked them in, and didn't mince words when she told them everything better be back in one piece. She softened slightly when the stablemaster greeted Mattias warmly.

Then they were out on the streets. This was as far as Mattias had planned, but now that he was on a horse, he didn't worry about it. He didn't care if all they did was ride about all afternoon. He relaxed into his seat.

Jawego, he was glad to say, rode comfortably, without the stiffness or bumpiness he'd mocked in other guards.

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