The Huntsman's War by Bennett Barclay

Author:Bennett Barclay [Barclay, Bennett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hermit Hollow Entertainment LLC
Published: 2023-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

Darkness had fallen. They were almost home. They’d been moving for… he wasn’t sure how long. Gregan stirred in his saddle and motioned to Parnit. When the Collective agent had jogged his horse up beside the pack, Gregan asked, “That was his reputation when you hired him?”

He didn’t need to see the man to hear the grimace in his voice. “Yes.”

“Did you see his face? He enjoyed it.”

There was a moment of silence. “I saw.”

“And you’ve given that man a blank check.” In the moonlight, he could see the blank look Parnit gave him. “It’s something the Banker’s Guild uses. Access to a lot of funds.”

The man sniffed. “I found that every bit as distasteful as you, Gregan, but do not expect me to apologize for the necessity of hiring him.”

“You call that necessary?”

“This is war, Gregan, and that means we must cross lines that we would never cross in peacetimes.” There was a pause. “I’d have thought you of all people would understand that.”

Gregan was thankful for the darkness that helped hide his sudden flinch. “I can condemn him for what he did because I have been in the same place. And maybe what I did, what we did that day, was wrong. I thought it was necessary. I didn’t see a choice. But I never enjoyed it.” He turned to look at the almost lost form of Parnit in the darkness. “That man enjoyed what he did today.”

The Collective’s man sighed. “He is brutal, yes. Unfortunate, yes. But he is necessary. Those people tried to undermine our war effort. Even if it was a mistake, which I personally doubt, it was a mistake that should never have been made. Those people will remember what they saw, and they won’t allow it to happen again.” The outline shifted, and Gregan knew the man was looking right at him. “No one will be allowed to undermine our war once they’ve been brought into the Collective’s fold. Absolutely no one.”

Taking the man’s meaning, Gregan turned away and grunted. “I don’t give a shit about your Collective, Parnit, you know that. All I care about is my hounds.”

After a moment, Parnit said, “Well then, don’t ever forget that our Collective holds their lives in its hands.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.