The Witch Awakening (Book One of the Landers Saga) by Karen Nilsen

Author:Karen Nilsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, romance, fantasy, paranormal, gothic, historical, novel, witch, ghost, renaissance

Chapter Eighteen--Mordric

Dinner was still on the table when I returned home shortly after sunset, so I made my way to the banquet hall without even removing my boots. Selwyn, Whitten, Talia, and Dagmar all glanced up at the sound of my heels on the floorboards, the two men rising before I waved them to sit down again. Usually I liked to hold to the formalities, but not when I was half starved after a day of riding.

I slung my cloak across the back of the chair at the head of the long table and sat, two maids instantly at my elbows pouring water and wine and filling my plate. I drained the water tumbler before I attacked the food. Roasted suckling pig, bits of buttered yam, new peas, crusty rolls to soak up the drippings.

"How was your journey, Mordric?" Talia asked. Selwyn had inherited her bothersome, fussy manners, which included asking pointless questions at the most inopportune times, all under the guise of politeness.

I wiped my mouth with the napkin, looked up, grunted an unintelligible response, and returned to the food.

Only a fool would be encouraged by this, but Talia was a fool. "Oh, that's too bad. The roads have been all mud this spring, almost impassable. We went to Calcors the other day in the coach, and it was scandalous, the amount of mud the horses kicked up. And after Ebner's fine paint job, too--the coach was ruined. It looked a disgrace, I tell you. Like some peasant's cart. I was embarrassed to ride in it. I don't see why they can't cobble the shore road . . ."

"Mother, the expense . . ."

"I don't see why. It's just a few rocks. The whole of Calcors is cobbled, every little dirty alley and peddler's street, yet they can't--"

"The merchants pay for that, and there's plenty of cheap labor for street crews in the city. We'd have to sacrifice our tenants several weeks a year if we wanted cobbled roads. Better to buy a new coach."

"But cobbled roads would look so much nicer." She pouted, an obnoxious gesture for a woman her age, for a woman of any age as far as I was concerned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said then. "The roads were dry and hard today. Not a speck of mud except in the low spots." I shoved a forkful of pork in my mouth.

"But you just said it was muddy."

I shook my head, chewing furiously. I had never said anything about it being muddy, hadn't said anything at all in fact, but she could manufacture an entire statement out of a neutral grunt. Damned harpy--best to ignore her.

"Sir?" Selwyn asked after several moments.

This time, I didn't bother looking up. "What now?"

"I wasn't going to mention this at dinner, but it's rather serious and likely requires your attention. We were actually thinking of sending you a message at court, but as you were returning anyway . . ."

"Your forethought is almost as remarkable as your circumlocution.

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