Death and Honor: Book 1 of 2 Read Online Free PDF

would make an excellent lesson for the boys.”
    “By all means,” Jeremiah said. “Anything you can discover would be good. Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
    “No, everything’s been quiet, even Xander behaved himself. Oh, I almost forgot, Duncan’s coming out for a visit tomorrow. His note mentioned relaxing for a day before some important meeting.”
    “Is he bringing his family?”
    “He didn’t say, but I assume Jolie and Morgrin will come, they usually do.”
    “I should get their rooms ready.”
    “Jeremiah, relax, I’ve already got the maids working on it and the last thing they need is you fussing over them like a mother hen.” She crinkled her nose. “I think you should take a bath instead.”
    Jeremiah felt like a new man after washing off a week’s worth of sweat. He rolled his shoulders, glad to be rid of forty pounds of steel hauberk. Since his wonderfully efficient wife had the preparations for Lord St. Jaques visit under control he was free to check in on Burt and question the prisoners.
    Outside clouds filled the sky and the wind held a nip, a reminder that summer wasn’t there yet. The short walk to the cottage did wonders for Jeremiah’s aching legs. When he arrived he found the cottage door unlocked, but he knocked anyway.
    “Come on in.” Burt said.
    Jeremiah pushed the door open and found Burt tidying the room, his bandage gone, and the injured arm seeming to give him no trouble. “Feeling better?”
    Burt looked up. “Oh, aye, sir. That healer of yours done a hell of a job. I reckon my arm’s better now than before I got stuck.”
    “Bones will be pleased to hear it, but don’t praise him too much. He’s near impossible to deal with now.”
    “How’d you make out with them bandits?”
    Jeremiah smiled. “They won’t be troubling anymore caravans. We killed half of them and the rest are locked up in our prison. We’ll be taking them to Lord’s Way to face the king’s justice in a couple days.”
    “Damn good thing. Seems a man can hardly walk down the road without getting shot at. So what’s to happen to me now, sir?”
    “Nothing, you’re free to be on your way. If you prefer you can stay on until we run the bandits in and ride back with us.”
    “I reckon I’ll do that. Don’t care much for traveling alone at the moment.”
    Jeremiah left Burt to his cleaning and walked across the yard to the barracks. When he stepped inside the two score men inside snapped to attention. “At ease. Have the prisoners caused any trouble?”
    “No, sir,” Marcus said. “I understand Lord St. Jaques is coming tomorrow. Will he be inspecting the men?”
    “I doubt it. I think he’s looking to relax.”
    Marcus’s shoulder’s dropped as the tension went out of him. Professional solders hated it when a nobleman got it in his head to tell them the best way to handle their business.
    “Come on, I want a word with our guests.”
    The bandits were crammed into three cells meant to hold half as many men. The sour smell of sweat almost brought a tear to Jeremiah’s eye. Marcus coughed. “We either need a bigger jail or to stop taking so many prisoners.”
    “Attention!” Jeremiah said. “I require information. Whoever provides it will get a reduced sentence. What was so important about that caravan? Why was it attacked?”
    When no one spoke Jeremiah said, “I don’t want to administer beatings, but if that’s the only way to get you to talk I will.”
    One of the bandits eased his way over to the bars. “It ain’t that we don’t want to tell you, me lord, it’s just we don’t know nothing. The boss says where and when and we attack.”
    Jeremiah frowned at the man.
    “Let me get a couple of the boys,” Marcus said. “We’ll beat the truth out of them quick enough.”
    Jeremiah laid a hand on his second in command’s shoulder. “No need for that. I’ve dealt with his kind often enough to tell when they’re lying, he’s not. You must have some