Read The Wasteland Soldier, Book 3, Drums Of War (TWS) for Free Online

“Just seems a lowly task for a veteran Captain.”
    “What are the rumours?”
    “I don’t listen to rumours.”
    “That’s because most of them are about you.”
    She smiled, puffed on her pipe. “True.”
    The villagers inside the Holy House broke into song. Sweet harmonies floated around the village. Clouds edged across the sun. The light rain continued to fall in the mid morning gloom.
    “But if I was to listen to rumours,” she said. “I would’ve heard about a new treaty with the Kiven. A trade agreement. Something to do with food for iron.”
    Duggan’s eyes lingered on the Holy House. He raised his pipe to his mouth.
    “Touron politics don’t interest me, Quinn. You know that.”
    “Is there a new treaty?”
    “All I know is they want my signature. Along with many others.”
    “You’re not happy about it, are you?”
    “I just do my job.”
    “Are the iron mines running low?”
    “I’m a soldier, Quinn, not a politician. But I thought Ennpithia had a strong enough economy meaning we wouldn’t have to trade with those bastards.”
    He hated them and she understood the hatred. He had served in the Churchmen Regiment for more than thirty years and his son, Devlan, had followed him into the service only to be killed in the civil war a decade ago. Ruthlessly cut down at the Place of Bridges only hours after a peace treaty had been brokered and cemented by the Archbishop. But it had taken nearly a day for the order to reach the battlefront where the senseless fighting had continued to rage and Devlan had died for absolutely nothing.
    “So there is going to be a treaty with them?”
    Duggan jabbed his pipe toward the Holy House. “You keep badgering me and I’ll order you to attend Reverence Morning.”
    “I’m a servant. You know that.”
    He looked at her. “Bollocks.”
    “Now you’re being nasty.”
    “Will you be gone when I get back?”
    “I’m leaving this afternoon. Jeremy will keep an eye on Daniel. I need to understand what happened to her.”
    “Your niece died a pointless death, Quinn. That’s what happened. I’d hate to see you suffer the same way.”
    He lowered his pipe.
    “She probably went up there on a dare.”
    “Mosscar is a long way to ride for a dare. I need the truth.”
    “You do whatever you need to do but no more arson attempts on Holy Houses. There are only so many things I can blame on Sal Munton.”
    “Thank you for protecting Daniel.”
    His hand went to the cross on his armour. “Lord forgive me for lying but I know what it is to lose a child. It can break a man – or a woman - more than any blade or arrow.” He paused. “I questioned everyone, Quinn. No one knew why she had gone there. Daniel was working. He didn’t even know she’d left. I couldn’t find any answers. Your brother said she’d become very secretive. He thought something was troubling her but she never told him what it was and you were on the road.”
    “Thanks for that,” she said, flatly.
    “You bloody know I didn’t mean it like that. Look, whatever you do, just make sure I don’t come across any bodies.”
    “You won’t.”
    Duggan nodded and smoked and continued to listen to the Reverence Morning service.
    “You might find that it was nothing more than a tragic accident.”
    “No one wanders into Mosscar by accident, Duggan. That would be the same as throwing yourself off a cliff or sticking your head in an open fire.”
    He gestured helplessly with his hands. He had no answers for her.
    “What about Boyd?” he asked. “How’s the fat shopkeeper going to cope without you?”
    “Be nice. He’s my friend. And he’s hiring Dobbs and Farrell.”
    “That pair of wankers. Both of them are not worth half of you.”
    “Thank you, but there’s no one else. Not unless you can spare a few Churchmen.”
    Shouts suddenly filled the air. Duggan sprang to his feet. He ran toward the centre of the village. There was more shouting. Quinn narrowed her eyes. A number of