(Swords with Souls)
Medieval Fantasy Fiction
By Dan Watt
(Author of BARD series)
(Author of the Plagueborn series)
– Adult content –
A Gathering of Mourners
Lara watches as her grandfather’s corpse burns to ash.
“I heard you’re good with knives,” a confident female voice asks from beside her.
She jolts from the sudden appearance of the hooded girl who came with Madame Swan. “Why do you ask?” she asks clenching her hands over the knife and dagger she has belted to her dress.
“Do you know Sir Oliver?” the girl asks.
“Of him, his uncle I know.” She tries to hear the intent of the conversation in the girl’s voice but it just sounds conversational.
“He’s looking for a companion I hear. Someone inconspicuous to guard him.”
She snickers. “No man would dare have a girl protector, it would make him look weak, and like a fool.”
“Aren’t men fools anyway?” the girl asks, and this time there is a furiousness to her voice.
“Being one and getting called one are two different things.” She gazes across the pond. Her grandfather built sturdy things, and although his corpse is mostly ash now, the row boat might be salvageable. Would he want that? It wasn’t like his soul would haunt her if she kept it. Tomorrow, early, she would go with the circus caravan to give his soul and the deceased grandfather of Ganesha a new home. “Perhaps another day would be more appropriate to have this conversation,” she chastises the girl.
“Tomorrow we will talk again,” the girl replies with a more sensitive tone.
“Tomorrow, I leave early so you’ll have to wait much longer than that.” Did this girl not drink the special grog she and Gwen prepared with their grandmother? There was no dreaminess apparent in her voice.
“I’ll go with you as soon as I get Madame Swan home safely.”
Lara glances at Madame Swan and the very close standing ranger Crimthann. “I don’t think she’ll need your protection.”
“Then I’ll go with you on the mornin’. You really should have proper protection. I’ll talk to Sir Oliver.”
“Don’t bother.” Lara starts to say but the girl has already disappeared into the night.
People I Follow
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