Betrayal of Thieves by C. Greenwood

Author:C. Greenwood [Greenwood, C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction
Published: 2012-12-08T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Not until I saw the priest did I realize how anxious I had been. It hadn’t occurred to me before to wonder what I would do if this were all some trick of the river woman’s. But on that score my fears were instantly put to rest, because there was no mistaking the priest, even if his mode of dress was different enough to startle me. Gone were the gray robes, which had always looked incongruous on him anyway, and the chainmail he used to wear beneath. In place of that costume, he now wore a loose cotton shirt and the same wide-legged trousers worn by the river men. His skin had darkened since the last I saw him, I supposed from his days out on the water, so that he could almost pass as one of the river people.

No, at first glance he hardly appeared the warrior priest I sought, and I felt a brief stab of disappointment. If he had set aside generosity as easily as he had shed sword and mail, my efforts to locate him would all have been for nothing. What if he didn’t even remember me? Or worse, what if he did, but he no longer held such a charitable view towards woods thieves? Might he betray me to the city guard? My hand moved of its own accord to brush the lightwood of my bow for reassurance before I remembered I couldn’t reach the weapon, as it was still covered by my coat.

Luckily, after the briefest of pauses, recognition flickered in Hadrian’s eyes.

“Ah, it is the little woods thief who tried to kill me on the road through Dimmingwood,” he said.

I was relieved his tone held more amusement than malice.

“Forgive me, but I have to correct your memory,” I said. “I believe it was you who threatened to kill me. You were going to cut my throat if my friends didn’t meet your demand to free the other travelers.”

“So I was. How could I forget? You’ve grown quite a bit since our last meeting. Upon my mother’s ashes, I almost didn’t recognize you. I was just wondering the other day whatever became of my ragged, thieving friend. So you finally decided to take up my offer, did you? I have to confess surprise at seeing you here, since I had the impression on our last meeting that you were less than enthralled with me. But I suppose it was inevitable the magic would draw you to me.”

“Magic?” This came from Fleet, who leaped into the conversation before I had a chance to respond. “What’s this about magic, eh? No one said anything about dark powers to me. Have you been keeping secrets? I haven’t been running about all this time with some kind of necromancer, have I?”

His tone was jesting, but I recognized the touch of fear that crept across his face, sensed the hidden revulsion most folk of the province harbored toward those with magical abilities. But Fleet was a professional and his look of unease was swiftly put aside to be replaced with something else.

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