Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) by Sedgwick Jamie

Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) by Sedgwick Jamie

Author:Sedgwick, Jamie [Sedgwick, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fiction
ISBN: 9781478364832
Publisher: Timber Hill Press
Published: 2012-09-13T04:00:00+00:00


Chapter 18

Less than half of the contestants bothered to respond to the summons. Most of them hadn’t really hoped to make the team, they’d just wanted to challenge themselves and forget their problems for a few hours. The twenty who did show up genuinely wanted to be part of my team. I made sure to thank them for that.

I announced my choices: Jenna, the farm girl with a quick wit and a strong body. Kale, the general’s nephew. The boy who refused to be held back even when he was four, and who had scored higher across the board than anyone else. Brand, the middle-aged blacksmith with arms like tree trunks and a chest like a barrel. If anyone could lift a four-hundred pound anvil onto a wagon, it was Brand, and he was handy with an axe as well.

Last came Wil, a wiry young man in his late teens who was skilled not only at archery, but also with any edged weapon he came across. He could throw knives with deadly accuracy and he was dangerous with a short sword. His strength and speed would come in handy, both in battle and at work. That was my team, five of us in total. I congratulated them on their hard work and told them to sleep well: we would begin tomorrow.

Then I went to see Robie.

It was dark when I entered the tent and I stood there for a moment, letting my eyes adjust. “I heard the others talking,” he said a weak voice.

“I thought you were asleep. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve slept more lately than I care to remember.”

“Perhaps you should quit acting like a fool.”

Robie uncovered his lantern and weak, flickering light washed over us. His eyes were sunken and his face pale. He’d lost too much blood in the past few days. I suddenly found myself very worried for him.

“I heard them say that you’d chosen a team.”

I settled on the edge of his cot and felt his forehead. His skin was cool. “I have.”

“I’m not on the team, then,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “Robie, after what you’ve done in the last two days I should have you locked up. You’re in no condition to fight Vangars. I’d be surprised if you could build a campfire right now. Even if you found the strength to keep up with us –which I find highly unlikely- you still wouldn’t be of any use.”

Robie pushed himself upright, grimacing as he did so. “How about Tam? Will he be of use to you, then?”

“Robie-”

“Don’t make excuses,” he said. “I don’t care anymore. Tell him congratulations. I hope the two of you are very happy together.”

“What?”

“I know what’s going on. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and the way you watch him. It’s perfectly obvious that the two of you were meant for each other. After all, I can’t run through the trees, or see in the dark-”

“I sent him away.”

“-And since you both have so much in common… you did what?”

“I sent Tam away.



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