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"You!" Again Morten tried to rise. "I'll kill you myself!"
Camden gently pushed the firbolg back down. "Why should you want to kill Tavis?"
Morten continued to glare at Tavis. "He betrayed Bria
"Tavis?" Camden asked.
Gasps of astonishment and disbelief droned through the king's entourage, with Earl Wendel's voice loudest of all. "Impossible!" he declared. I've known Tavis Burdun for a decade. He'd never do something like that."
As the earl was speaking in his defense. Tavis heard Basil and Avner whispering to each other behind him, obviously concerned by the turn the conversation had taken.
"Stay where you are, scofflaws!" Tavis hissed, speaking over his shoulder. "Ru
After allowing the drone to continue for a moment, the king raised his hands for silence. Looking to Tavis, he demanded, "What of Morten's charge?" Then, almost as an afterthought, he also asked, "How does it concern my daughter's disappearance?"
"Some books were taken from Earl Dobbin, and the thief sought refuge in my i
"You can't believe him," Morten scoffed.
"Why not?" demanded Wendel. "Firbolgs can't lie."
"That runt's no firbolg!" Morten bellowed. He managed to push himself into a seated position and stay mere. "Just look at how small and ski
Camden frowned thoughtfully. "Morten might have a point there," he allowed. "But I don't see how it concerns Bria
Bjordrek stepped to the king's side. "True, sire. But who else could treat with ogres?" He spoke quietly, his gray eyes fixed on the scout. "Only Tavis has the skill to find their home and survive long enough to strike an agreement."
"That's ridiculous!" objected Wendel. "Tavis is no thief, or be wouldn't have brought Morten here. It would've been simpler to leave the oaf for dead."
Morten scowled at this. "Tavis Burdun was hiding Earl Dobbin's stolen books. If that doesn't make him a thief, nothing does," the bodyguard declared. "Why he saved me, I don't know."
"It appears there are a great many things we don't know, and it may take some time to sort them out," the king said. "Until we do, Tavis and his friends shall remain at Castle Hartwick."
A knot formed in Tavis's stomach. "What of Princess Bria
"She is not your concern. Now do as I command." Camden's eyes grew hard, and for the first time he glanced at the scout's famous bow. "Or will you take arms against your lawful liege?"
Suddenly, Bear Driller felt heavier than anything Tavis had ever held in his hands. The scout had no idea whether he could loose an arrow at his own king, but he knew that obeying Camden's order would mean Bria
"Then you are an outlaw." Camden stepped back behind Hauk's sentries, pointing a finger at the scout. "Seize him."
Bjordrek's eyes grew round. "But Your Majesty, if he-"
"No firbolg would fire on his liege." The king motioned Hauk forward. "Even a firbolg thief."
As the sergeant and his men moved to obey, Tavis nocked his arrow and in one swift motion raised Bear Driller into firing position. Basil gasped. Avner cheered, and Hauk's sentries stopped in their tracks. Several earls pulled small dress swords from their belts, and Morten managed to drag himself to his feet.
"Go on." the bodyguard said. "He can only kill one of you."
Tavis loosed Bear Driller's bowstring. The arrow hissed past Camden's head, passing so close the fletching brushed the royal ear, then shot out over the Clearwhirl's chasm. Before the color could drain from the cheeks of the astonished king, the scout was pulling another shaft from his quiver. Behind him, he heard Basil's flat feet ru
"I'm no thief." Tavis said, nocking his arrow. "But I'll do what I must to save Bria
"Traitor!" Morten shouted. "This will cost you your head!"
"Perhaps, but only after the princess is safe," the scout replied. Then, without shifting his gaze from Camden's disbelieving eyes, he began to back slowly up the trail. "Mount up. Avner. It's time to go."
No one moved to stop them.
Save for the cold breeze pouring down its steep cha
Bria
There were two ogres behind the one carrying Bria
Bria
The unvoiced call of nine vicious spirits answered Bria
The ogres continued to climb, oblivious to the death waiting above. For no good reason, Bria
That was when the whole line came to a halt. The princess craned her neck to see the cause of the delay. She found only the hunched backs of several ogres, spread along the shadowy ravine like so many boulders.
The ogre shaman's voice rolled down the ravine. "What wrong, spy?" he demanded. "Why stop?"
When the spy did not answer immediately, Bria