Love And Honour (Book 2)

Chapter VII

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Lord Kier signals with his hand and a young boy appears. Sparrow guides her horse, Shadow, to her other side and shakes her head. "With all due respect, the horse remains with me. He is temperamental with strangers." The boy noting her tone bobs his head and jogs away. Lord Kier scowls watching this. Sparrow raises an eyebrow, wondering how a man at least thirty years her elder can be as immature as to want to dismiss the lad himself. She removes the reins from across Shadow's neck and clears her throat. His gaze jumps back to her. She holds them out before her. "If you wish to take him though, I will not argue."

Lord Kier reaches forward and takes the reins, opening his mouth to call the lad back. He does not expect the sudden change in the horse's bearing. Ears pin back to his head and eyes roll so the white flash at him. He jumps back quickly, dropping the reins, as the horse's teeth come dangerously close to making contact. Sparrow calmly retrieves the reins and secures her horse's attention. He calms down quickly when she applies a firm circular motion to his shoulders. "You may keep him." He says with lack of breath.

Sparrow nods, her eyes bright.

"I will call for one of my sons to escort you." Her eyes flicker and he thinks he sees a glimmer of unease. A cruel sense of joy fills him at that.

"I must warn you..." she begins as he turns to give an order. He looks back at her and sees no uneasiness present any longer. "those men back there are a fraction of those under my authority. Your sons and I have a difficult history and I would hate for them to cause any more friction between our lands. I am sure you know of what they failed to achieve and my kindness towards them was only secured by the man now lying dead."

"You come here and threaten my sons?"

"No, I come here and tell you that their actions have consequences. They do not act and I will not have to react. Would you like to rethink who will escort me to your son's grave?"

Lord Kier's attention is snatched by someone behind Sparrow and she turns slightly. A striking woman raises two perfectly arched eyebrows at Sparrow before curtseying low to Lord Kier. A smile touches his lips. Sparrow tilts her head, thinking that this woman could not possibly be his wife. She knows that the boys inherited the brunet hair from their mother and this woman has the blackest hair she has ever seen. The woman flicks her eyes up and down Sparrow's attire before she grimaces.

"Miss Ebony," Lord Kier introduces, "would you do the honour of escorting Sparrow of Usani to Jasiel's grave?" Ebony's ears perk up with interest. She takes a second look at Sparrow, intrigued by the woman who Jasiel had found so interesting many months before. Sparrow regards her back, with cool disinterest.

"Whatever you wish, my Lord, I will hasten to do." Sparrow expertly loosens Shadow's girth and secures his stirrups higher up so they do not hit at his side as they walk. This gives her time to roll her eyes at the sickly submissive tone of the woman. "Sparrow.."

"Warrior Sparrow." Sparrow corrects quickly. Ebony forces a smile to her face and nods once. "You may lead the way." Sparrow continues, not bothering to mirror the pathetic smile she is faced with. Ebony turns away, her cheeks hollowing as she quells the response, she would love to give, in her throat.

Ebony leads her across a well-worn path before heading up a nearby hill. Sparrow follows, her eyes drifting around her. Wolfe has now reached their men again and Sparrow is sure she catches a glimpse of Lord Kier speaking with two men with dark auburn hair. She rolls her shoulders, slightly ashamed that the thought of facing them again makes her want to empty her system all over the ground. Last time they had met she had bested them but that result was also due to Jasiel. She swallows the lump growing in her throat but another lump soon grows. Ebony glances back at her but only sees a stony face, she does not see the inner sadness.