Duskfall Read Online Free PDF Page B

leave, he’ll follow.”
    “You’re leaving?” Eranda asked. Her stare was vacant.
    “Tonight,” Knot said. “I don’t belong here. Never did. The Watch’ve wanted an excuse to run me out of town since the day I showed up. They blame me for the massacre, and that stays on my shoulders. But I need you all to take care of Winter. You’re all she has left, now.”
    “
You’re
her husband.” Lian’s eyes flashed. The young tiellan hadn’t been happy about the marriage, and, now that Knot was abandoning Winter, his distrust would only grow.
    Knot didn’t have time to make him understand the alternatives.
    “She’ll be safest here with you. Far as I’m concerned, the ceremony last night never happened.” Anger glinted in Lian’s eyes, but Knot could tell he agreed when he didn’t say a word. It seemed Knot had gambled wisely.
    “Will you do this for me?” Knot asked.
    “We’ll do what we can,” Darrin said, “for her.”
    That was good enough. Knot turned to Lian. The tiellan glared at him a moment longer, but finally nodded.
    “Where will you go?” Darrin asked.
    “I don’t know,” Knot lied. No use giving them a reason to follow. “Cineste first, but after that… I don’t know. Best you don’t, either.”
    Before anyone could respond, the door rattled on its hinges. “Town Watch!” a voice shouted from outside. Dust shook from the frame.
    Knot cursed. “Do as I say, don’t argue,” he whispered. In one swift movement, he lifted Eranda up from the floor and grabbed a cooking knife from the table, the blade scraping against her throat.
    The door burst inwards and three watchmen shuffled in, wearing leather and chainmail, brandishing spears and clubs.
    Knot looked at them defiantly, hoping his ruse would work.
    One of the watchmen sniggered. “Come to finish the rest of ’em off, have you?” He had a wide, round face made even larger by his thick beard. “Can’t say that’s a service we wouldn’t want, but you were involved with murdering a priestess.”
    Lian started to speak, but Knot shot him a glare and shoved the knife harder against Eranda’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood. He didn’t have to see Eranda’s eyes to know they showed real fear.
    “Move and I’ll kill her,” he growled at Lian.
    The watchmen advanced, trying to surround Knot.
    “Why don’t you just come with us,” the fat-faced man said. “Leave these elf-folk alone.”
    One of the other men sniggered. “Not like we really care what happens to ’em anyway. You kill her, fine by us, but then you’ll have her husband
and
us to deal with. Not in your favor, friend.”
    Looking around wildly, Knot finally dropped the knife, shoving Eranda towards her husband. “Get me out of here,” he mumbled, trying to sound beaten. “These elves stink.”
    The watchmen rushed in, grabbing his arms. He shot one last look at Lian, who nodded almost imperceptibly as the men dragged Knot away.
    * * *
    Knot waited until they were far enough from the hut to avoid suspicion falling on the tiellan family. It was still dark, dawn was an hour or so away, and snow floated down in large flakes.
    He had at least two things in his favor. The first was the snow. If it kept up, it would cover his tracks out of town. The second was the fact that the watchmen hadn’t bound him. They dragged him along, one man on each arm, the fat-faced man behind him with a spear point pressed against Knot’s back. Their mistake.
    Knot planted his feet, and the men stopped.
    “What the—”
    Knot crashed his heel sharply into the knee of the man who held his right arm. Bone snapped, and the man sank to the snow, screaming. Knot’s body seemed to know what to do instinctively. The man to his left still gripped him tightly, so Knot turned and pulled him in front of his body in time to catch a spear-thrust from the fat-faced man behind. He fell limply to the snow. The fat-faced man stared dully at the comrade he’d just impaled.
    The man with