The Dragonprince's Heir by Aaron Pogue

Author:Aaron Pogue
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi

The captain wasted no more than moments issuing new orders to the squad tending to the wounded bandits, then my keeper handed him my horse's lead and the captain secured it to his saddle. He sent one short, appraising look skimming over everyone in the dell—his own men and the bandits and me—then nodded sharply.

"Good," he snapped. "T1irah by dawn. Hup!" Then he wheeled his horse and set off north at a good clip. Even with the lead I had to urge my horse with my heels to keep pace with him.

Behind us, the other squad was still busily searching and tearing down the bandits' camp. He'd clearly intended to leave them to straggle along after us, but I'd expected the soldiers from the squad who had arrested me to form up behind the captain and me. Instead, they disappeared into the darkness. I did notice the shadowy figure of the wizard fall in on the captain's other side, but the others were nowhere near us.

The captain kept a close eye on me for perhaps the first half mile, just long enough to make sure I wouldn't fall from the saddle with my hands tied behind me. Then he visibly relaxed. He rocked easily with the motion of his horse's gait, and his gaze fixed on something far away ahead of us. I could almost believe he was staring straight at the city walls.

My first thought had been to escape, but now I saw a better option. The captain clearly didn't fear me, and if he'd hated me he wouldn't have given me a horse. He had captured me to end a violent quarrel, but perhaps in the quiet calm of this long ride I could win him over. My gaze kept drifting to the saddlebag that held my sword. I heeled my horse a pace closer to his.

"Captain," I said softly. "I think perhaps I owe you an apology. I should not have threatened your men back there."

He only grunted in response, and it was half a laugh.

I ducked my head. "I owe you my gratitude, as well. I'd gotten myself into a dangerous situation—"

"We know Old Jim's crew well." He said it offhand, as though he hadn't even heard me. "Rumor has followed them all the way from the north coast, but we never got close enough to spot them before. Seen plenty of the corpses they left beside the way."

"And, again, I express my gratitude—"

"The fire caught our attention. Six days on the trail of this crew, and we'd long since lost the scent. Then a nuisance fire on the Cara road pulled us away."

"They robbed me there," I said. "They left me at the inn."

"And you hunted them across wild plains, ready to cut them down in the dark."

I turned to meet his eyes and dropped my attempts at meek submission. "I have suffered more than one misery in the last week. I want only to return home." I licked my lips and nodded to the pack that held my sword.

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