Delivering Kadlin Read Online Free PDF

his tunic, and she followed behind him, watching his muscles move beneath his smooth skin. He’d unsheathed his sword and was using it to push back the tall cattails that grew between the shore and the trail.
    He stopped and tapped the top of a tall stone with the blade.
    Kadlin rode up beside him and leaned in to look at the marker. She read the inscription aloud, “‘‘In memory of Astrid, daughter of Arne and Hilda, a most skilled and clever girl.’ Did you know her, Bjorn?” The Viking shook his head. “Never heard of her. The stone just shows where to turn.” He led his horse away from the monument and headed for the tree line.
    Directly across from the memorial was a narrow gap in the trees. The mouth of the trail was grown over with grasses, but once they stepped under the shadowy canopy, the path became clear and it was wide enough for the two horses to walk abreast. It was much cooler here, but the chill that ran over Kadlin’s skin was not from the temperature.
    The forest quickly grew denser and darker, and her head jerked at every noise from the underbrush. Her pony’s ears pricked up, and she focused on relaxing her body and mind. She stayed close to Bjorn and stole glances up at him sitting confidently on his tall mount. She noticed that he barely moved his head, but his eyes never stopped searching their surroundings. Rain pattered on the leaves overhead, but few drops made it through to the riders. Soon, it stopped altogether. The thunder moved away from them, and Kadlin began to relax.
    “Where are we—”
    Bjorn held up his hand to stop Kadlin’s question. His eyes were focused on a spot in the trees ahead. Her body tensed again, and her heart pounded in her throat. The Viking reached forward and slowly retrieved his bow and an arrow from the saddle. His horse stood as still as a statue while Bjorn raised his weapon and pointed it at the edge of the forest to his right.
    Kadlin held her breath, waiting to see what beast would emerge from the shadows. She heard the creak of the wood when the Viking pulled back the string against his thick antler thumb ring.
    The moment the deer stepped onto the path, Bjorn loosed his arrow. It flew straight into the doe’s heart, and she crumpled to the ground. Bjorn slid from his horse and tossed the reins to Kadlin. She watched as he gutted the deer, rolled it over to drain then hauled it back to his mount. The horse didn’t stir while the Viking draped the carcass over its shoulders.
    “This should smooth the way with your host,” he said, swinging back up on his horse.
    Kadlin wondered about their destination even as the path widened and the underbrush gave way to more purposeful plantings. Fruit bushes heavy with berries larger than she’d ever seen lined the sides of the trail.
    The horses stepped into a large clearing. The trees had been cut back to allow the sun to shine on a lush vegetable garden. The neat rows ran up to a tiny cottage, its window boxes overflowing with herbs.
    “Who lives here?” Kadlin asked.
    “Someone who can help,” he answered.
    The door of the cottage opened, and a tall, thin woman emerged. As she stepped into the sunlight, Kadlin realized that she was quite old. Her brown hair was streaked with silver and fell in a thick braid down her back to her calves. She stood erect and moved lithely, which had given her the illusion of youth.
    The woman nodded at the travelers as if not at all surprised by their appearance in the forest. She had a large knife in her hand, and though no malice showed on the old woman’s face, Kadlin felt a knot of alarm gather in her belly.
    “I’ve been expecting you, Viking,” the old woman said. She nodded towards a low wooden trough near a stone well. “The water is fresh.”
    While the horses drank, Bjorn hauled up the bucket from the well and filled the dipping gourd. Kadlin sipped the icy water and watched the old woman turn her back on them and walk around the side of the cottage. Bjorn