Free Chased By Fire (Book 1) by D.K. Holmberg

doing that, would there be any reason not to? At least this way he got away from the city for a while, away from an already-annoyed Lins. Maybe he could stop disappointing his mother, if only briefly.
    He sighed. “I’ll go.”
    She watched him before finally nodding. Turning to Roine, she asked, “How long?”  
    Roine shook his head. “I don’t know. A week. Maybe longer.”
    “Prepare for longer, Tannen. You will leave in the morning?”
    Roine nodded.
    His mother stood at her desk. “Then take tonight to gather what you need, Tan. And be safe.”
    He nodded.
    “Roine, a word?” she asked.
    Tan turned and left his mother’s office, pulling the door closed behind him. As he did, a snippet of unexpected conversation wafted through the door. He paused to listen and what he heard left his heart hammering in his chest.
    “I know this must be important if you were sent.” The door muffled her voice.
    “It is.”
    “Your name…Roine?”
    Roine said nothing.
    “Reminds me of the ancient language. Roinay .”
    “Not many know the ancient language.”
    She snorted. “It’s no secret I studied at the university. But roinay ? Tainted?”
    “Your point?”
    His mother paused before answering. “No point, then. But with Grethan gone, Tan is the best we have. If what he told me yesterday is true, you face a danger like we’ve not seen in the kingdoms in years.” There was a pause. “Theondar…” She paused again and Tan frowned, wondering why his mother would mention the name of that warrior. “You must protect him.”
    “I will do my best, Zephra.”

CHAPTER 9
Service and Roots

    Tan sat in his small room, staring at the wall. A small lantern sputtered, the oil already burning out. Had he not planned on leaving, he would have collected more lard oil. The stuff smelled foul and burned with a thick, pungent smoke. Nothing like the clean lamp oil Lord Lind used. Probably Lins, too.
    The bed was shoved against the wall, but still there wasn’t much space in his room. The place his mother managed to secure for him was in the servant quarters. And even then most of the other rooms had more space. They were certainly warmer in the winter than his room. At least with the heat of the summer, his room finally had some benefit.  
    A small trunk rested near the end of the bed. Inside was everything else he owned. Not much, really. A few changes of clothes. Some books his father had long ago given him. A necklace given to him when he’d turned sixteen that he never wore. A long hunting knife. His bow hung on a hook he’d worked into the stone, the quiver laying on the floor near it.  
    Emotions rushed through him. He should be thrilled his mother asked him to lead Roine through the upper reaches, but he couldn’t help but feel hesitation. The only other time he’d traveled that far had been with his father. And he had nothing like his father’s skill. Besides, going with Roine—the Athan to the king—meant serving the king. Did he really want to serve?
    A light knock rattled the thin door. Tan jumped off his small bed. Other than his mother, he didn’t have any visitors. Well, Bal sometimes, but she usually got in enough trouble that she spent most evenings in the kitchen cleaning.  
    Cobin waited for him on the other side. “Gonna let me in?”
    Tan pulled the door open and Cobin stepped in. Since he’d moved into the manor house, he didn’t think Cobin ever visited. Once Cobin had visited often, but that had been before.
    “You gonna come to me?” he asked.
    “About what?”
    Cobin grunted and scrubbed a hand across his face. “About what. You think I haven’t heard?”
    Tan shook his head. He should have gone to Cobin to tell him about Roine. Might be that Cobin would be better to travel with him than Tan anyway, but a part of him really wanted to get away from Nor for a while, even if only for a week.
    “Yeah, I should have said something. When I saw—”
    Cobin grunted again. “When you saw