No True Way: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Tales of Valdemar Series Book 8) by Lackey Mercedes

Author:Lackey, Mercedes [Lackey, Mercedes]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

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The King still had hopes of arranging a suitable marriage for Lena, who was both the last surviving member of her highborn family and the King’s ward, so he required her occasional attendance at Court, and when most highborn families retired to their country estates, he arranged for her to visit those who had been friends of her parents. This meant that all too often she was visiting people she didn’t know well, if at all. She was currently on her way to stay with a friend of her late father’s near the border Valdemar shared with Rethwellan.

Robin, with visible effort, looked at the body. “You know,” he said, “I think he’s from Rethwellan.”

“Who is?”

“The body. I can tell by the clothes.” Robin had been part of a troupe of traveling Players before being Chosen, so he was probably right.

“How far are we from the border?” Lena asked.

“Less than two miles,” Robin replied promptly. “I’ve studied maps of this area until I felt as if I would go cross-eyed.”

“So he could have been dying, staggered across the border, and died on this side,” Samira said.

“Yes, he did,” Lena said promptly. “At least the vultures think he was already dying when he crossed the border, and they’re probably pretty good judges of that.”

“But what killed him?” The two Heralds moved closer to study the body—or at least as close as the vultures would allow.

Lena stayed back with the Companions, thankful that finding out who the young man was and why he was dead was not her responsibility. Not that she wouldn’t help as much as she could, but nobody was going to blame her for not knowing.

“It’s odd, though,” she said.

“This whole situation is incredible, so what is it that strikes you as odd?” Samira asked.

“Why are we the first ones to find him—assuming we are? He’s barely off the road, and the vultures are quite visible.”

“Possibly more to you than to most people, but that’s a good point.” Samira turned to Robin. “You stay here and watch the body. Don’t try to be clever; just make sure that nobody gets too close to it, especially you and your Companion. I’m going to escort Lena the rest of the way to the estate. Lord Tobias is the local magistrate. And given that we’re almost on his property, he should know if anyone found the body before we came upon it.”

“Bodies,” Lena pointed out. “There’s a vulture dead, too.”

“True, and I’m sorry for it, but I think most people are going to be more upset about the human.” Samira sighed. “And here I was thinking this couldn’t be anywhere near as bad as your last visit to the country.”

“Well,” Lena said as she studied the body, “I’m pretty sure that he wasn’t shot by the local magistrate in an idiotic hunting accident.”

“And he’s not dressed like a deer,” Samira agreed. “Really, what sane person wears brown leather to go hunting?”

“The late Lord Kristion, unfortunately.” Lena sighed. “I really hope that this visit goes better.

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