Free Songreaver by Andrew Hunter Page A

go
to sea yet.”
    “Oh, sorry,” Garrett said, “Were you looking
for me?”
    Mrs. Nash nodded. “You and Mister Tinjin. I
was hoping you’d both come back from the war.”
    “Oh, Uncle’s not back yet, but he should be
pretty soon,” Garrett said.
    “Well… I suppose this is all for you then,”
Mrs. Nash said, taking the basket from Kent and holding it up.
    Garrett grinned, then his face fell. “I’m
afraid I don’t have any money right now,” he said.
    Mrs. Nash shushed him. “No need for that,
boy. We’re just glad you’re back safe.”
    Garrett smiled and climbed down from
Ghausse’s back to let them in the front door with the key he had
found in an envelope in the kitchen. He then lead Ghausse around to
the carriage house to feed him the last of the dried meat they had
left over from the campaign. He left the side door open so that
Ghausse would have access to the garden fountain when he got
thirsty. Garrett didn’t like the thought of saying goodbye to the
wolf now, but he would have to give him back to Marla soon, if only
to ensure that he was properly cared for.
    Garrett came back inside to find Mrs. Nash
trying to make the best of the empty kitchen. She had found a
couple of cracked plates in a cupboard and had sent Kent out to
find a pail of water to prime the kitchen pump. She laid out a
selection of breads and cheeses on the counter, along with a
half-length of sweet sausage and fresh baked apple pie.
    “I wish I’d thought to bring a few forks,”
she said, holding up a carving knife and a pairing knife.
    “Doesn’t matter to me,” Garrett said, his
stomach grumbling at the sight of the food.
    She passed him the paring knife and he
thanked her before carving off a hunk of sausage and biting into
it. He grabbed more food and stuffed it in, only pausing when he
realized Mrs. Nash was watching him with a satisfied smile on her
face.
    “Sorry,” he said, “You want some?”
    “No, dear,” she said, “I just like seeing a
hungry boy eat. It makes me happy, you know.”
    Garrett nodded and took another bite of
bread, making a point to chew with his mouth closed this time.
    “Got it,” Kent said, entering the room with a
sideways shuffle. Drops of water spattered on the dusty floor
beneath when the water bucket that he carried bumped against his
knees. Mrs. Nash thanked her son and turned her attention to
priming the kitchen pump with the water he had brought.
    “Is that a real redbuck sword?” Kent said,
his eyes locked on the scabbard at Garrett’s waist.
    “Huh? Oh, yeah,” Garrett said. He pushed a
piece of sausage into his mouth to free up his hand and then drew
out the blade. Kent’s eyes widened at the sight of the dull gray
blade.
    “Did you kill the guy that had it?” Kent
asked.
    “Kent!” Mrs. Nash hissed, “None o’ that
now!”
    Garrett shook his head. “No,” he said, “my
friend gave it to me. I don’t know where he got it.”
    “Can I hold it?” Kent asked.
    “Kent,” Mrs. Nash chided, “You let Master
Garrett enjoy his supper now.”
    “But, ma!”
    “It’s all right,” Garrett said. He held the
blade out and let the younger boy take it.
    Kent held the sword at arm’s length and
stared, reverently at the blade. “This is great!” he whispered.
    “You can have it,” Garrett said, without
really thinking about it. He immediately regretted saying it, not
so much because of Mrs. Nash’s tense reaction, but because this was
the second blade that Cenick had given him that he had now
lost.
    “Thank you!” Kent said, waving the blade
around in front of him.
    “Yes… thank you,” Mrs. Nash said, forcing a
quivery little smile as her eyes flicked back to where her youngest
child was wildly cutting at imaginary foes with a sharpened
blade.
    “I’ll teach him the basics after dinner,”
Cenick’s voice called out from the hallway door.
    Garrett jumped in surprise and blushed as he
turned to face his friend. “I… hope it was all right,” he