Arrows of Promise (Kingmakers Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

mountains aside from a
few villages.”
    “They started out as pirates,” she recounted as they went to
the next spot, continuing to put the ward up. “They had spots along the Western
Sea coast that they’d winter in. Edge of Cloud’s Rest be one of them. Then one
of them, I forget who, lost their ship in a storm and it stranded the whole lot
of them. So they just stayed in their winter hideout and turned to banditry.”
    “That makes sense. I suppose they didn’t have any other
options. And the other gangs?”
    “Mind, this all took place about thirty or so years ago. The
original gang had infighting—no surprise there—and it split and grew into other
gangs. They could no’ live in Iysh proper at the time. Twenty years ago, Iysh
be much harsher with banditry, and more organized in taking care of thieves.
The only place to live be Cloud’s Rest. So they lived there, and took forays
into Iysh—mostly around Senn—and survived somehow doing that.” Even as she
recounted this history, Riana was surprised herself at how much she knew about
them. But perhaps it shouldn’t surprise her. She’d grown up fighting this enemy
her entire life, and her father had been fighting them most of his, so was it a
wonder that they had learned about the gangs through sheer association? “Now,
the territories up there are so established that they do no’ dare leave them
for any real space of time for fear the others will take over.”
    “Even though Iysh is now safer for bandits to live in? Huh.
Very interesting. I suppose if you’ve lived in a place for thirty-something
years, you would get attached to it. Your father mentioned to me while he was
here that they mostly like to steal from each other when they don’t have other
targets handy.”
    “Aye.” Riana made a face. “Now, we be the other target.”
    “And so you’re jittery because you have a very good idea of
what’s coming next.”
    She nodded morosely. “Ash, when I said afore that belike the
settlement will grow to meet Cloud’s Rest, I did no’ mean the bandits too.”
    He paused and put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a
comforting squeeze. “I know, I know. We’ll figure out a solution to this
madness. Ashlynn and Broden have both promised me that they’re thinking of a
strategy on how to deal with this. We’re to focus on defense and keep building
the settlement in the meantime. We can’t afford any delays in building. It’ll
hit us badly this winter if we don’t have the settlement up and running by
then.”
    While she knew all of that, it didn’t really comfort her
much. At least with the ward up, they could sleep at night, as no bandit stood
a chance of finding a way past it. But that just meant they would be more
desperate during the day to attack. It merely delayed the inevitable. Perhaps
it even made it worse.
    Ash might have to work on building the settlement, but she
certainly didn’t. “I be thinking I will take a watch as well during the day,
help our guardsmen.”
    “Your talents are better used there,” Ash agreed. “Do what
you need to. And if you really feel like we should expect trouble from tomorrow
on, stop the drills. I don’t want the bandits figuring out our patterns and
finding holes in them to exploit.”
    That was a scary notion. “I will. Ye think people know ‘em
well enough now?”
    “I think so. The drill today went so smoothly it was near
perfect.”
    It did help that they weren’t asking for anything
complicated. Riana nodded, content with this. “Then get this ward up so we can
go to bed. We need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.”
    Ash grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

    “Miss Riana,” Thorne greeted respectfully, scooting a little
over on his branch to make room for her. Riana climbed up smoothly, sinking
down into a crouch, as the branch was easily wide enough to support the two of
them.
    “Thorne,” she returned the greeting. He was as ginger headed
as she herself was, although