n it would ke her act unladylike. But now she didn’t have a choice. If she refused, the nks would figure out her secret.
So, taking a deep breath, she grabbed the cup, brought it to her lips??.??.??. and drank the contents down in one long gulp.
Skatch looked down at the young soldier, who was now lying beside the fire. He was out cold. The liquid had done its trick. The nt he had spotted the young n, Skatch had known he would be an easy rk. The boy reeked of innocence and naiveté. All it had taken was the one glass of wine and Hua Jun had passed out. Now he lay there, half his face covered in dirt, oblivious to the vent around hi
Lifting a hand, Skatch rubbed his now hairless chin. The fake beard he had been wearing was hanging underneath his chin, giving his skin a chance to feel the fresh air. Turning, he saw Raish strapping the warrior’s sword to the back of the horse’s saddle. The huge anil shifted on his feet, clearly aware that sothing strange was going on.
“We have the horse and the sword,” Raish said, giving the rope around the sword one final tug to ke sure it was secure. He nodded at the warrior on the ground. “Let’s strip hinbsp; and take his arr.”
Not waiting for Skatch’s perssion, Raish leaned down and reached to unlace the young warrior’s arr. But before he could finish, a loud, ugly bird appeared out of nowhere. Raish swung his ar around, trying to keep the bird at bay. But the creature kept ing, its eyes wild and sparse feathers flying. With a shout, he naged to swat the bird, sending it soaring.
But it doubled back iediately, attacking again. This ti, Raish didn’t bother with his hand. Instead, he reached down and unsheathed his own sword. It whooshed through the air as he brought it up, the tip pointing directly at the oning bird.
This ti, the bird stopped.
“Brother?” Skatch asked, watching the interaction with a xture of curiosity and asent. He wasn’t sure why the bird seed so protective of the warrior, but it was clear the creature wanted Raish nowhere near hi “Leave his arr. And the sword.”
Raish looked over, surprise on his face. “What?” he said. He and Skatch had been working together for years. Never once, in all that ti, had Skatch left sothing of value behind when there was sothing of value to be had.
“There’s sothing about this young n I like,” Skatch said, shrugging. His eyes lingered on the warrior. In sleep, the young n looked even re innocent. “He’s an underdog, like ourselves,” he added.
“Spea
So, taking a deep breath, she grabbed the cup, brought it to her lips??.??.??. and drank the contents down in one long gulp.
Skatch looked down at the young soldier, who was now lying beside the fire. He was out cold. The liquid had done its trick. The nt he had spotted the young n, Skatch had known he would be an easy rk. The boy reeked of innocence and naiveté. All it had taken was the one glass of wine and Hua Jun had passed out. Now he lay there, half his face covered in dirt, oblivious to the vent around hi
Lifting a hand, Skatch rubbed his now hairless chin. The fake beard he had been wearing was hanging underneath his chin, giving his skin a chance to feel the fresh air. Turning, he saw Raish strapping the warrior’s sword to the back of the horse’s saddle. The huge anil shifted on his feet, clearly aware that sothing strange was going on.
“We have the horse and the sword,” Raish said, giving the rope around the sword one final tug to ke sure it was secure. He nodded at the warrior on the ground. “Let’s strip hinbsp; and take his arr.”
Not waiting for Skatch’s perssion, Raish leaned down and reached to unlace the young warrior’s arr. But before he could finish, a loud, ugly bird appeared out of nowhere. Raish swung his ar around, trying to keep the bird at bay. But the creature kept ing, its eyes wild and sparse feathers flying. With a shout, he naged to swat the bird, sending it soaring.
But it doubled back iediately, attacking again. This ti, Raish didn’t bother with his hand. Instead, he reached down and unsheathed his own sword. It whooshed through the air as he brought it up, the tip pointing directly at the oning bird.
This ti, the bird stopped.
“Brother?” Skatch asked, watching the interaction with a xture of curiosity and asent. He wasn’t sure why the bird seed so protective of the warrior, but it was clear the creature wanted Raish nowhere near hi “Leave his arr. And the sword.”
Raish looked over, surprise on his face. “What?” he said. He and Skatch had been working together for years. Never once, in all that ti, had Skatch left sothing of value behind when there was sothing of value to be had.
“There’s sothing about this young n I like,” Skatch said, shrugging. His eyes lingered on the warrior. In sleep, the young n looked even re innocent. “He’s an underdog, like ourselves,” he added.
“Spea