Read Warprize for Free Online Page B

standards.
    She sighed. “Have you been out working all this day?”
    I stuffed my mouth with a bite of bread and waggled my eyebrows at her. Anna leaned back in her chair and let out a laugh that set her whole body to shaking. Anna, Goddess love her, knew how to laugh. She caught her breath, laid her fat arms on the table and looked at me shrewdly. “His Mightiness pulled the army back within the walls this day, against Warren’s wishes. The Warlord’s men are before the walls.”
    “I heard as much in the market. Is that true?” Not that I doubted her. Anna always seemed to be the first to know.
    “Aye.” She leaned forward and snagged the last of the bread. She turned her head and bellowed at someone over by the fire. Then she looked at me. “I hear tell that Warren was saying that His Mightiness panicked.” She sniffed. “Blood tells.”
    “Anna.” I scolded her. She hadn’t liked the foreign queen and didn’t like Xymund and never had. But Anna was an institution and Xymund loved his comfort and his meals. So there was a truce of sorts. He stayed away from her domain, and she let him run the kingdom with a full stomach. She shook her head, setting the chins to wobbling. “Heard tell he’s sent a messenger to ask for terms.”
    My eyes flew open at that. I thought that the battles had been going well, but perhaps Xymund’s pride would not allow him to admit to anything less. For Xymund to even agree to talk to the man who had beaten him so soundly, so recently, was a sign that things were bad. A plate appeared on the table, this time with slices of toasted bread and cheese, with roasted onion. I dug in, getting a piece before Anna could reach for one first. The cheese was still hot and bubbling on top, and I blew on it, eager for a taste.
    Anna inhaled her piece, impervious to the heat. She reached out a fat finger and prodded my basket. “
    Does he know that you were out there again today?”
    I shrugged, my mouth full.
    “I suppose you charmed your way past that son of mine.”
    I shrugged.
    She tapped her finger on the table, which caused ripples to move up her fleshy arm. “Watch yourself, child. Xymund is not Heath, to be wound around your finger. You are a thorn in his side, and you can only push so far.”
    “Look whose talking.”
    Anna focused a serious look on me, but said nothing more.
    The doors to the main dining hall opened and in walked Othur, Anna’s husband and the castle seneschal. A great barrel-chested man, he made his way through the servants toward us. He was sweating, his brown hair plastered to his skull. He looked very tired and very pleased at the same time.
    “Anna, my love.” He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a hearty kiss. “You did a wonderful job as usual.”
    “Goddess spare me from High Courts.” She grumbled, but I could see that his praise had pleased her. Othur grabbed a chair and sank into it with a sigh. He snagged the last slice of bread and cheese. “And you, young lady.” He bit into the bread and chewed. “He is looking for you. And getting worked up about it.”
    I didn’t have to ask who “he” was. I sighed and started to wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. Anna smacked my head and bellowed something that resulted in a bowl of warm water and cloths being set in front of me. “Child, you are filthy. At least see to your face and hands. What is that on your jerkin?
    ” Anna pushed away from the table. “No, I don’t want to know. Let’s see if we can clean you up.” I did not resist. Since I had been a child, and after the death of my mother, Anna had the raising of me. While my smiles had no effect on her, she was always there with the warmth of her hearth and her love. I knew better then to try to avoid her fussing.
    Othur wisely sat quietly, with a mug of ale, while I
    washed. He was always a quiet one, but when he spoke, you needed to pay attention. Anna tsk’ed over the state of my tunic, and took a wet cloth to the