From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(31)

“Think they are going to lynch him?” Emily asked softly as she watched Neph drop down from the wagon and turn back toward town.

“Or trample him.” Sovann suggested. “I came with him, however, so I’m following now before they get the mistaken belief that I echo his sentiments toward them. I can see Jail and Madren at the edge of the crowd. I’m going to follow Neph just long enough to reach them and pretend I don’t know Neph if the knights go for their swords,” he added softly as he dropped down from the wagon and moved quickly to follow in Neph’s wake.

Emily watched him go but remained sitting perfectly still where she was. There was no doubt in her mind that interesting conversations would follow that speech.

“Bloody bastard,” a woman sighed loudly, followed by a sniff of disgust. “Surely they have enough commons to build barracks.”

“Lord Neph, a moment please,” another woman called loudly over the buzzing of the crowd. Emily turned quickly in that direction in time to see the woman Bridgette had named as Savy dismounting from her horse and approaching Neph with a smile on her beautiful face. Her long red hair was pulled back neatly and her armor shone brightly in the fading sunlight. To any other man, her appearance alone would have brought a smile. Neph however simply glowered at her.

“I was wondering perhaps if there might be some sort of arrangement we could come to in regards of Officer’s quarters,” Savy purred, giving Neph a smile that would have melted most men in their boots.

Neph let out a long sigh and glanced back toward the town. Pointing at the small crowd of onlookers Neph looked back toward Savy. “Do you see that goat the boy over there is holding?” Neph asked in a voice filled with mock patience.

“Yes,” Savy answered, sounding a bit confused as she glanced between Neph and the goat the pretty smile faltering on her lips.

Emily clamped her mouth shut tighter to keep from laughing aloud. She knew Neph well enough to know what was coming next. The Delvay mage was crude and reliably an * even to perfect strangers such as the poor unsuspecting woman before him. Sovann apparently knew what was coming as well as he was edging quickly back to stand beside Jail who didn’t look all that pleased himself.

“Well Savy, if given the choice between bedding you and bedding that goat, I would choose the goat, for the simple reason that I know where that goat has been. You, on the other hand, I can only guess where you have been, and it is a very long list that does not flatter you at all. So, as to any special arrangements you might like to make, just remember in my mind the goat ranks higher,” Neph said with exaggerated kindness and patted her gently on the cheek before turning to walk away once more.

“I have a house! I’ll make arrangements!” Madren yelled loudly as he stepped forward toward Savy waving a hand to get her attention.

Neph planted a firm hand on Madren’s chest and shoved him back toward Jail as he walked past. “By the gods, Jail, I thought you fixed that,” he grumbled.

“I helped him overcome his lack of confidence and his fears Neph. Not even the greatest Mind mage can overcome the fact that he is nearly forty and still a virgin,” Jail sighed as he took Madren by the arm and pulled him back toward town.

“Wait, Jail, wait! I don’t mind sharing my house with their officers. Wait! Let go!” Madren protested, his feet dragging in the dirt as Jail continued to pull him along. “I have a house!” Madren called over his shoulder loudly, nodding with enthusiasm toward Savy.

“That’s seven minutes and fifty-four seconds,” Noble called loudly to the assembled knights. “I bet under ten minutes before she was offering her charms. So pay up you bastards. The next closest bet was fifteen minutes and that is nowhere near mine.”

“For the love of the Aspects, Noble at least let the Delvay get out of earshot before calling out the bets,” Foster sighed and pushed his horse forward toward Bridgette who was rubbing her face with her hand.

“Not at all what I expected.” Bridgette sighed as she lowered her hand and inhaled deeply. She watched with a weary expression as Noble made his way through the crowds gathering coins from his various companions. “He really bet on that then?” she asked Foster with a frown.

“And on whether or not they would take her up on the offer,” Foster explained with a smile.

“What else did he bet on?” Bridgette asked sounding a bit worried.

“If Valor would be a drunk. If Lady Merrodin is as generous with her charms as the rumors in Sanctuary imply and if Nob survives the first week in Merro,” Foster answered as he leaned back in his saddle.

“Why would Nob not survive the week?” Bridgette asked with an upraised eyebrow glancing toward the large man that was still happily eating grain.

“He had a few mishaps on the trip here that he is likely to suffer for,” Foster began then shrugged. “Minor things really. Pissed on Connely during the ship ride. I really think he meant to aim it over the rail though. Ate most of Noble’s card markers on the ride south from Brannaford. They do look a bit like candy squares though. You know like the hard candy they sell in the Amdany sweet shop. Honestly, I’m surprised Nob didn’t die from that. They were glass markers. Ahh. And then there was the incident with using Tessa’s undergarments as a pillow because they smelled nice.”

“When were you going to inform me of this?” Bridgette asked in a voice that held no anger, simply resignation.