Page 69 of Shadows of Winter
“Tell me something that isn’t blatantly obvious.” Targon stepped up to Vlerion’s side. “Is yours asleep?”
“Crenoch imbibed alcohol,” Vlerion said.
Targon gave Kaylina an exasperated look, as if he knew without a doubt that she was to blame. Just because she’d poured the goblets and sat down outside with her brother to sample them and write descriptions for the tasting menu…
“We have to do something about her,” Targon said.
A chill went down Kaylina’s spine. What did that mean? That they would send her home? That they would kill her?
“What?” The wariness in Vlerion’s tone suggested Kaylina had reason to be concerned about Targon’s attention. Had the ranger captain made people who were no longer useful to him disappear before? How ruthless was he?
Targon eyed the taybarri shifting closer to Kaylina, wanting her to return to petting it. She kept her arms down. It moved its head to rest its broad jaw on her shoulder.
“You’re not helping,” she whispered.
It whuffed in her ear.
“I think she’s an anrokk,” Targon said.
A what?
“Likely,” Vlerion said.
Kaylina looked for her brother, memorizer of encyclopedias, but he lingered in the doorway several yards away, a towel in his hand.
“As long as she’s here—” Targon pointed at the ground, “—they’re going to be drawn by whatever allure she’s exuding.”
“Just the allure of honey,” Kaylina said.
“It’s more than that.” Vlerion looked at Targon. “Will you send them back south?”
“Oh no. Anrokk don’t come along that often. Jastadar is the only one we have right now, and he’ll retire soon, something that very few rangers get to do.”
“Not many live long enough to,” Vlerion said.
“Exactly. But if the entire taybarri herd is looking out for you in battle, your odds go up.”
A couple of the rangers gave Kaylina dark looks that she couldn’t interpret. Once they’d realized their taybarri were only at risk of naps and not death, they’d stopped glaring at her about poisoning them. So, what fresh irritation was gnawing at their insides now?
“Must be nice,” Vlerion said softly. Wistfully.
Ah, was that it? They all wanted to be anrokk, whatever that was.
Targon snorted at Vlerion. “The herd would probably trample you if you fell.”
“I’m aware,” Vlerion said, that wistfulness lingering in his eyes as he looked from the snoring taybarri to Kaylina.
“Report to ranger headquarters at dawn, Korbian,” Targon told her.
“Ah, why?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why, my lord. Do they not teach children in the southern province proper etiquette when addressing nobles?”
“At least she hasn’t called you a pirate,” Vlerion said.
That earned him an exasperated look from his captain. Good. Kaylina didn’t know what was going on but didn’t feel she should take the brunt of everyone’s ire.
“Why, my lord—” Kaylina worked hard to keep her irreverence out of her tone, “—do you want me to come to your headquarters again? My injury is getting better—thanks for asking—but I don’t think I’m ready to demonstrate my marksmanship abilities.”