The Outlaw King: The Line of Kings Trilogy Book One Read Online Free PDF

The baker. ‘No mistaking such a boy, eh?’
                ‘Very
well. If anyone sees the boy, they are to send a runner to your Thane. He knows
of our orders. We want the boy. No one will be harmed for harbouring him, as
long as they give him up in good time.’ The soldier said this with a warm smile
that did not touch his eyes.
                ‘What
are the boy’s crimes?’ asked someone in the crowd. Quite a crowd. This was
better entertainment than the boxing.
                ‘A
murderer. He is dangerous. If you should see him, don’t approach him. Send a
runner. The guard will take him in.’
                ‘If
we see him, we will. No reason for him to come to the Wherry, though...still,
if we see him,’ said the butcher who sold Gard and Tarn a hunk of ham earlier
that morning.
                ‘Very
well,’ said the soldier, and mounted his horse. His horse paced the ground,
eager to be off. ‘Remember, he is a dangerous criminal. Be wary of him.’
                Gard
watched them go. After the soldiers left the crowd looked to Gard. Even those
who had not seen the boy knew something was going on. While there was no love
lost between the people of the Spar and the Thane of Naeth’s men, he must still
tread carefully. They would stick with Gard, but Gard couldn’t be too sure of
their resolve when they had time to think.
                ‘The
boy is no murderer,’ he called out, once the soldiers were long gone. ‘I’ll
vouch for the boy. If anyone doubts me, I’ll meet him in the ring and fight for
the boy. Who would stand against me?’
                No
one came forward. ‘You know no one would stand against you, big man,’ called
out the baker’s wife. ‘We trust your word. Most of us here have known you many
years.’
                ‘I
for one wouldn’t go against you, Gard,’ called out one of the old men sitting
outside the tavern. His voice slurred. The crowd laughed. The tension broke.
                ‘We
believe you, Gard,’ said Tuth Morain, a pig farmer who came to the village,
like Gard, to enjoy the company before the winter. ‘Have a care though. They
were the Thane of Naeth’s men. They must not see the boy.’
                Gard
thought he could rely on the village, small as it was. He knew everyone there,
at least in passing. He was a popular man, too, and came to town often enough
to hear the gossip.
                ‘They’ll
not find him,’ replied the big man. ‘He will be staying with me, and as you
know I rarely come to the village. I’ll take responsibility for the boy.’
                ‘You
are dear to us, big man. We will keep your secret.’ This from a rotund mother
carting a fat baby on her hip. Gard knew her well enough to pass the time of
day, but could not remember her name.
                Gard
smiled, turning round to face the crowd.
                ‘The
boy’s name is Tarn. I hope you’ll come to know him as I do. As always, you are
all welcome at my door.’
                Tarn
chose that moment to come back into town. He saw the crowd turn to face him,
even the boys who bullied Rena. To their credit, they hadn’t spoken to the
soldiers. They would not go against the will of the village.
                Tarn
thought momentarily about running away from their gazes. Before he could sprint
back into the woods, Gard called to him.
                One
look at Gard’s face and the chill of fear he felt was banished. In that moment
he decided he needed to trust someone and judged Gard worthy of his trust.
                The
young often make mistakes about who to trust until they’ve been bitten a time
or two, but Tarn was no ordinary boy. Gard, for his part, understood this from
the first night the boy had fallen into his arms on his doorstep.