Thief (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 1) (28 page)

“I’ll have to send it all back across the border tomorrow,” Stobert said. “Duke Thorold has some power in Fallad. He winters some of his prized horses not far from here and pays a good price for the best feed. It means he’ll know where you are.”

“He already knew,” Kane said. “Barton was sent. Besides, knowing where we
were
isn’t the same as knowing where we are
going
. If you could delay the return of the gear for a day, or even half a day, that could help us.” He looked over at Brenna. Her eyes were half closed with fatigue. “We could use a rest.”

“I think I can manage that,” Stobert said and smiled. “I’ll send it back at dusk tomorrow. Duke Thorold won’t like it but he’s not going to be happy anyway.”

“Thank you, Lord Stobert,” Kane said. “Now, Brenna needs to rest. Let me get her settled and then I’ll be back. Come on Brenna.” He helped her to her feet and steered her towards the door. “Time to sleep.”

One of Lord Stobert’s men stood outside their door. Good. Once he left Brenna she’d be safe. The guard nodded and stepped back while Kane pushed open the door to the room and helped Brenna inside.

The room stank. He wrinkled his nose and led Brenna to the bed. As he lowered her down onto the bed her hair brushed his face. Brenna smelled too.

“What is that?” he asked. But Brenna was already stretched out on the bed, one arm bent and a fist tucked under her chin. Kane removed her boots and pulled the blanket up over her. Sleep was the best thing for her. She’d had a rough couple of days on the road. They both had.

The old steel mortar and pestle sat on the table by the door, the green mass inside it cracked and dried. Kane sniffed it - definitely the source of the smell. He nudged the side of the mortar with one finger. He’d better leave it alone. He used an old steel weapon, but this was different - older and not related to the Brotherhood. Besides, there was no telling what Brenna had put in it. He leaned over the bed and opened the shutter on the small window. He’d need fresh air if he if wanted to get some sleep later. Brenna was fast asleep when he left.

“Captain,” Stobert said when Kane returned. “I’ve poured you a brandy.”

“You should call me Kane,” he said. He took the glass from Lord Stobert’s outstretched. “I’m not Captain of the Kingsguard anymore.”

“That explains why Thorold would dare to send men after you,” Stobert said. “Who will be named captain after you?”

“My uncle has resumed the captaincy until a replacement is appointed,” Kane said and sipped at his brandy. “Duke Thorold will have a man named to the post soon, I expect.”

“It would not be good for this part of the country if Thorold were to control the Kingsguard.”

“It would not be good for any part of the country,” Kane said. “But the prophesy is now in motion. The Call has been spoken.”

“By that slip of a girl,” Stobert said.

“Do not underestimate ‘that slip of a girl’,” Kane said. Stobert would come around, Kane was sure. The man was dedicated to the Brotherhood. “I heard the Call, and I’ve seen how old steel responds to her.”

“With light.”

“Yes, with light,” Kane nodded. “But that’s not all. She can recognize people by their old steel, as she showed tonight. She knew that your man was on the road.”

“Yes, she did,” Stobert said. “So she can tell where men are by the old steel they carry? That could be useful.” Stobert paused slightly before he continued. “I hear she’s a thief.”

“Yes,” Kane said. “Quite a good one.”

“Not exactly what we’d expected from the prophesy,” Lord Stobert said. “Your uncle has declared her the true heir?”

“My uncle has no doubts about Brenna,” Kane said. “Neither do I.” If Lord Stobert had attended the meet at his uncle’s house it would have given him some time to get used to Brenna as heir. Kane finished his brandy and set the glass on the table. “You’ll be able to judge Brenna yourself in the next few days,” Kane said. “I have no doubt she’ll prove herself to you. Good night, Lord Stobert.” He then left to get some sleep.

              Brenna lifted her head off the pillow and groaned. Her neck was stiff and sore.

Despite not having ridden before she’d been so sure she’d be able to keep up with Kane on this journey. After all, she’d spent years climbing onto roof tops and squeezing into tight spots and she’d just been through all that training with Feiren and Kane. Now she felt as though she’d been trampled by a dozen horses.

She let her head drop back onto the bed. She didn’t want to move, not yet. She craned her neck to see if Kane was still sleeping but he wasn’t there. A steaming pot sat on the table by her head, one chipped white cup beside it. Was that tea? Had Kane left it for her? How late was it, anyway? She didn’t really remember coming to bed last night. Just a few disjointed memories of Kane leading her through the door. After that, nothing.

Startled, she sat up. With a grunt of pain swung her legs over the side of the bed. She’d let Kane take complete control, which made her feel uncomfortable. Even worse, now she remembered that he’d gone back to talk to Lord Stobert. She’d been alone and exhausted with Stobert’s guard outside of the room. What if he’d meant her harm? She remembered her vague uneasiness when she’d seen the guard last night. Was he there to keep her safe or keep her in? Kane obviously thought it was the former. She wasn’t so sure. She
was
sure she wouldn’t leave herself vulnerable again, no matter what Kane thought.

She lifted the lid on the pot - it was tea. She poured a mug and shuffled over to sit in the chair by the window. She tugged the curtains aside. From where the sun was in the sky it was close to mid-morning. In the courtyard a kitchen maid had almost finished cleaning up after the morning trade. It would be a cold breakfast then, but at least there was no sign that Kane expected them to ride today.

Brenna finished her tea and limped over to the washbasin. Her legs were stiff after sitting for just a few moments. A splash of cold water on her face revived her a little and she peered into the mirror. Brothers, but she looked a wreck. The skin was dark purple where she’d been hit, and her lip was still swollen.

She picked up the mortar and looked at the paste that caked it. She’d meant to clean it out last night. She added a little water and mixed it until it was a smooth paste again. Maybe being in contact with old steel all night would make the paste work faster. Old steel was magic, right? Brenna plastered her face with the paste. It was dry by the time she’d cleaned the mortar and pestle.

With a second cup of tea in hand, she moved back to the window. The paste soothed the hot, tight skin around her eye. Once the paste was dry enough, she flaked it off and rinsed her face. Now to find something to eat.

Brenna stepped out of the kitchen into the courtyard, a cold bun with cheese in one hand. She hadn’t seen any of Stobert’s guards, which was a relief. They were members of the Brotherhood, but they were Lord Stobert’s men through and through - she wasn’t sure they would ever be loyal to her, no matter what Kane thought.

This late in the morning the common room had been empty. A kitchen maid told her Kane had been around earlier, so Brenna had relaxed and grabbed something to eat. Now she needed a walk to try to loosen up her stiff muscles.

She licked the crumbs off her fingers and wandered over to the stable to look in on Blaze. Brenna was grateful that the poor horse had managed that wild ride without throwing her – it had allowed Lord Stobert and his men to reach her and Kane in time.

Blaze was in a stall at the back of the stables. Runner poked his head out of the stall beside her and she rubbed his nose before she unlatched the door to Blaze’s stall. Blaze snorted and snuffled at her hand.

“Hey there,” Brenna said. “You seem to be recovering. Let’s see if there’s any damage.” She ran her hands over the horse’s shoulder and down one front leg. It had been years since she’d had a horse as a patient but her hands remembered what to feel for. Blaze didn’t flinch when she touched her, which was a good sign. She worked her way around the horse, gently checking each leg and hoof. When she finished with the right front hoof, Blaze nuzzled her neck.

“All right.” She laughed. “I’m done now, don’t be so pushy.” She straightened up and the horse nudged her hand. “Sorry Blaze, I don’t have any treats with me.”

“Here, give her this.”

She looked up to see Kane at the stall door. He held up a piece of apple and she grabbed it.

She held her hand out, the apple on her flat palm. Blaze’s breath tickled her palm as the horse gently lipped at the piece of fruit. A soft snort and then the apple was gone.

“There you go,” Brenna said. She stroked the white patch on Blaze’s nose as the horse crunched the fruit. Then the velvety nose nudged her hand again.

“That’s all I have. You’ll have to ask Kane.” Brenna looked at him and he shook his head. “We’ll get you more later. You deserve it.” With one final pat, she left the stall.

She matched her strides to Kane’s as they wandered out of the barn and away from the inn.

“I take it we aren’t riding today?” she asked.

“No. I thought we could use the time to recover. How are you feeling?”

“I’m still a bit stiff, and I’ll have bruises for a while yet. But it’s mostly just aches and pains.”

He reached out a hand to touch her bruised face. She stopped and turned to him and her breath caught in her chest.

“And this?” he asked.

His fingers traced the bruise and she felt her face grow warm, her eyes locked on his. Then his hand dropped to his side and he looked away.

“It looks much worse than it is,” she said, flustered. “I put a poultice on it and the swelling is almost gone. A few days and the bruising will fade as well.”

“Yes, I smelled the poultice,” he said. “I had to open the window in the room.”

Brenna laughed. “It is rather pungent.”

“It wasn’t just the room that smelled,” he said.

“I could have made a poultice that smelled worse.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “I still could.”

“Please, no,” Kane laughed. “I promise to supply you with more apples for Blaze.”

“Since it’s for Blaze, I won’t make the other poultice.”

They started back to the inn but after a few steps Kane slowed and turned to her.

“We need to talk to Lord Stobert about meeting with Duke Ewart,” Kane said, his voice serious. “I could find Ewart myself but Lord Stobert will be able to do it more quietly. I don’t want Thorold to know about this meeting. I’m going to ask Duke Ewart to go to Kingsreach. Someone on the king’s council has to challenge Thorold.”

“Should I come?” Suddenly Brenna was nervous. Duke Ewart wasn’t in the Brotherhood. He might look at her as a servant - as the bastard daughter of a servant. Brenna didn’t want anyone to look at her that way again. In Thieves’ Quarter she’d been respected as a healer and a thief and since the Brotherhood had come into her life she’d been the heir to their prophecy. She liked being respected and listened to. And Duke Ewart was her father’s cousin, though she doubted he knew it.

“You should meet him,” Kane said. “He won’t understand your position but you’ll be able to get a sense of the man.”

“I don’t trust Stobert,” Brenna said. “Or his men.”

“He’ll come around,” Kane said “He’s Brotherhood. He did rescue us.”

“Yes,” Brenna said. “But I don’t
trust
him.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. You’re the heir to the prophecy. He’ll rely on that in the end.”

But she did worry about it. She’d felt something in the old steel. She just wished she understood what it was.

In early afternoon, Kane rode off with Lord Stobert and his men. They were going to check the border to see if Barton had crossed into Fallad. One of Stobert’s men would also deliver the horses and gear they’d captured to Thorold’s nearest minor lord.

She was under Lord Stobert’s protection so she’d be safe at the inn, but before he’d left, Kane had asked her to try not to attract any undue attention. Brenna would have smiled if she hadn’t been so relieved to have Stobert and his men gone for the afternoon. She was a good thief in part because she was good at not being noticed.

She was too stiff to try to ride but she took Blaze out for a walk in a nearby meadow. With the horse tied to a tree Brenna dropped a hand to her knife hilt, closed her eyes and
reached
out through the old steel.

She felt Kane almost immediately. He was safe. Had she really thought Lord Stobert might harm him? She
looked
for Lord Stobert’s sword and knife. Today there was none of the unease she’d felt previously. Had she imagined it? She dropped her hand from her knife. The connection was still there, but fainter. Was she uncomfortable with Westley Stobert only because of what she’d felt through old steel? No. He’d made some assumptions and decisions for her and when she’d challenged him he’d been unhappy. He’d covered up his displeasure quickly. Maybe too quickly.  Was he hiding something?

It was late afternoon and although Brenna had the beginnings of a headache, she was still no closer to understanding what she’d felt through the old steel. She’d tracked Kane and Lord Stobert back to the inn so she untied Blaze and headed back to the stable. She’d meet up with them there.