Ru Emerson - Night-Threads 05 by The Art Of The Sword

Author:The Art Of The Sword
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-08-08T11:52:31+00:00

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8

Chris’s party camped in the woods near the place Aletto’s company had stopped four years earlier, only a few miles outside Podhru’s north gates. The evening passed quite pleasantly, if too cool and foggy for Ariadne’s tastes and clothing; the Zelharri armsmen were used to weather of this sort, but Dija and Vey were nearly as unhappy as Ariadne. Chris disliked damp, foggy weather but thought it better than Sikkre any time of year—or Zelharri, where it was probably cold, damp and snowing in the higher villages already. But, it’s eighty and sunny in the Caribbean; that beats anything Rhadaz has this time of year. Can’t wait. Maybe he’d have a chance to skin-dive again, once his most immediate problems were taken care of. Ariadne would really think he’d slipped a cog.

Just now she was wrapped in two blankets, huddled with Dija under a third as close to the fire as the two dared sit. Good thing Robyn had insisted on his taking all those extra blankets, even though they made an awkward additional bundle to fasten onto the pack horse. Just as fortunate Ariadne had left most of her luggage in Bez, to be picked up on the way back, of course. Shoulda got her something fur-lined or quilted in Sehfi, definitely warm gloves. Of course, Podhru won’t be chilly like this and we’ll be inside at night. Astonishing, how much warmer it is once you get out of these woods and next to the sea. And we ‘re leaving this climate almost at once.

But if they came back in mid-November, even Sikkre would be chilly in the morning and there would be snow in the mountains. Chris grinned. It would be very interesting to see what she really thought about snow once she got her feet and hands in it. We come back this way in winter, I will definitely have to get her

something warm to wear. It made him uncomfortable—providing for someone. Not just buying gifts for a mother or an aunt, but the supporting thing. Ariadne was accustomed to men providing for their women, of course. But provided for by Chris? He had no idea how she felt about being beholden to him.

Far’s I know, she doesn’t even like me, even though she’s talking to me like real people. Right, I can hear you, Jen, just ask her. Sure. Me, too. Just now they were getting along quite well, thank you, and he wasn’t about to rock that boat. Great relationship.

The evening passed quietly, almost pleasantly; the two women crawled into their shelter as soon as dinner was over and Chris rolled into his blankets once he’d helped clean up and banked the fire.

But by the time they were on the road the next morning, not long after daybreak, he and Ariadne had already snarled at each other and she wasn’t speaking to him again. He urged his mount ahead of the rest of the company. “Not my fault,” he grumbled. The horse turned to eye him.

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