Oath of Swords by David Weber

Author:David Weber [Weber, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy
ISBN: A1416520864
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2006-12-31T06:00:00+00:00

They did get some sleep, but not immediately. Zarantha was still up—not surprisingly—and insisted on rechecking the work she'd done on their wounds. And then, of course, Bahzell had to tell her what had happened and as much as they'd been able to guess about why. He did not mention any nocturnal visits by goddesses, but that was hardly relevant anyway.

Zarantha heard him out with remarkable calm, but her dark eyes were haunted when he finished. Rekah sat quietly beside Tothas' bed, her oval face white, yet she said nothing, and Bahzell touched Zarantha's knee gently.

"Lass," he said, abandoning the "My Ladies" he usually remembered to use, "you've bought into more trouble with us than we'd any notion, either of us. I'm knowing you've need of help to get home, but it's in my mind you might best be considering whether it's our help you need."

"Because of the dog brothers?"

"Of course because of the dog brothers! I've told you why Harnak wants me dead—aye, and his father, too—and a pair of hradani aren't after being the hardest targets to spot. We're like to bring them down on you again, and—" He paused, then sighed. "Lass, d'you think Brandark and I don't know you've troubles of your own? We're not wishful to make them worse."

"After the way I trapped you into this?" Zarantha blinked damply, and Bahzell shrugged.

"As for that, I've no one to blame but myself for mixing in your troubles in the first place, and it was you kept me out of jail and away from ni'Tarth's daggers. Aye, and so far as that goes, the dog brothers would've been more than pleased to have me penned up in a cell like a sheep on slaughtering day!"

"No one to blame but yourself," Zarantha murmured. She swiped a hand across her eyes and smiled at him. "You're not nearly so hard a man as you'd have people think, are you, Bahzell Bahnakson? First that girl in Navahk, then me. And do you think I haven't seen the way you watch after Tothas?"

He looked away uncomfortably, and it was her turn to pat his knee.

"Tell me this, Bahzell. If I were able to find someone else to see us the rest of the way home, what would you and Brandark do?"

"Well, we couldn't be staying here, for if one thing's sure it's that the dog brothers know our whereabouts."

"So you'd be moving on anyway?"

"Aye, that we would."

"In that case, if you're still willing, I'd rather move on with you. As you say, I've troubles of my own, and—"

She broke off, almost against her will, and shook her head. The Horse Stealer looked closely at her, recognizing her temptation to tell him whatever she'd so far concealed, but he recognized her decision not to, as well. He felt disappointed, yet not truly resentful. Whatever it was, he'd already accepted its seriousness, and her willingness to continue in company with two hradani marked for death by the Assassins Guild only reinforced his sense of her desperation.

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