Ties of Blood Read Online Free PDF

a quick breakfast. As Rene had suggested Eloen headed toward Boral. There was no reason to travel fast as the town was only a half a day away. There she could buy some more dresses so she wouldn’t draw any attention. As soon as they were outside the sight of the farm Eloen thought about strapping her sword back on but decided instead to position it in her pack so that it could be easily reached in an emergency.
    It was the first time she had been without a sword since she was thirteen. Without it she felt naked and exposed. “I can’t wait to get this over with and get back home. No offense guys but I want to be somewhere I’m not forced to wear a dress all the time.”
    Darryl looked back at her giving her a toothy grin. “You do look charming though, almost like a real woman.”
    “I know, now we look like sisters.” Eloen said returning his smile.
    “True, but I’m still the pretty one.” Darryl said batting his eyes.
    Eloen passed the time by searching the horizon. The remnants of winter still dotted the landscape, but the first days of spring were sprouting up through the ground and on the near barren trees. The further they moved in country the trees began to appear with more frequency. It made the bleak landscape more enjoyable and the songs of the robins settled in their branches were music to her ears.
    Ballard spent most of his time scouting ahead. He would disappear for long period of times and report back with what he had seen. The rocks and trees began to give way to farms and homestead they closer they got to the town. Off in the distance Eloen could see a small river winding its way across the countryside.
    The closer they got to the river Eloen began to ignore Darryl and his antics, standing in her stirrups every so often in hopes of getting a glimpse of the village. Shortly before they reached the river she was rewarded with her first look at the small village. The problem was that the town was on the other side of the river and she didn’t see any place to ford, leaving them with a choice of which direction to go.
    It was Ballard who came up with the solution. Ballard and Darryl would ride out in different directions following the river and they would take the first suitable crossing they could find. If none was found they would turn back before nightfall, and decided what to do in the morning. Eloen didn’t like the idea of being left alone but she it looked that she had little choice in the matter.
    Watching the two men ride off in different directions Eloen let out a small sigh. The village in the distance taunted her with the promise of a good meal and a soft bed. With the men out of sight, she dismounted her horse her feet sinking into the soft ground of the riverbank. Looking down at her now mud covered feet she let out a stream of curses. She should have known after the rain the night before the ground would still be soft.
    Moving back a little from the river Eloen found a spot that was solid. After laying down one of her spare saddle blankets she sat down and waited for her companions to return. To pass the time while she waited she started rummaging through her travel pack. The first two sections were filled with food and their third was filled with her gear. The others had an assortment of other items though they were mostly empty.
    It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for, two daggers. One had a small blade only a little more than two inches long. It had a good balance and could be thrown a good distance with accuracy but in close range it was next to useless. The other dagger wasn’t as well balanced and the hilt was a gaudy and uncomfortable in her hand but its blade was sharp and long enough to use in a fight.
    Sitting the daggers aside Eloen started searching for the other items she needed. After searching for a long time all she could find was some spare horse tack. Pulling out a set of worn reins she began cutting them into strips. Once everything was ready she