Free The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series by J.G. Gatewood Page A

Havenbrook disappeared.
    He did his best to get more information out of the daughter-heir. The guards laughed knowing her temper, and that she had no tolerance for useless banter. It would be a long month if they ignored one another, so he knew he needed to try.
    He turned and gazed at her beautiful face. “So, Liniana, I think we should get to know one another better.” He got right to the point. “Are you promised to another?”
    She couldn’t believe his boldness and scoffed. She thought now would be a good time to start prying for information she could later give her father. “While I agree we should better acquaint ourselves, I don’t think that is any of your business.” After a long pause, she turned to him. “I have to say I’m very intrigued by this entire mission. I’ve never met anyone before who has no recollection of who they are. Maybe you need to start telling me what you know, and maybe it will unlock some of your memories.” She thought for a moment, but spoke before he had a chance to. “Which brings me to another point, I know you don’t know your name, but I cannot continue calling you ‘knight’.”
    He knew she was right. “Do you have any suggestions?” he asked.
    She thought for a moment. “I’ve been pondering this since I met you, and I think you remind me of my brother.” He had an astonished look upon his face, which she’d expected. “Or I guess what my brother would have been like had he been allowed to reach full manhood.” She looked as if she might cry for a moment as she drifted off in thought. “He died when I was eight and he was six. He succumbed to a fever.” She leveled her gaze toward him. “His name was Tirene. If it’s okay with you, I would like to use it as your name.”
    He considered it. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He almost wanted to ride closer to console her, but he felt like it might be inappropriate. “Tirene seems like a strong name, and I would be honored to use it.” She smiled at him.
    Silence came over them. He wished he had kept his mouth shut about the status of her relationships as it now seemed to have created a divide. He didn’t know how to broach the subject and smooth things over. Without finding the words, he continued in silence.
    The sun crested in the afternoon sky and the heat became unbearable. Fortunately, they had reached a point in the road where there were plenty of pines providing ample coverage from the heat of the sun. Tirene enjoyed the relief the shade offered, when he noticed he could hear a river up ahead.
    He looked toward Liniana, and without asking, she led them toward a small clearing. They got down off their horses and led them to the water. She pulled strips of dried beef out of her bag and headed toward the base of a tree, sitting down and motioning for him to join her. He accepted some of the dried meat and sat down. The guards made their way to a cluster of rocks to enjoy their own lunch.
    Tirene ate a few strips of beef before asking, “Tell me more of the Alliance.”
    As she finished chewing, they heard a small rumble from up ahead. Tirene stood to get a better view of what approached. It appeared to be a merchant’s wagon with an old man driving. As the wagon neared, he moved his hand to the hilt of his blade. The driver approached and continued on his way. Liniana gave a small wave that went unnoticed.
    She looked toward Tirene and said, “That’s odd, normally people around here are friendlier than that.” She sat back down to continue their conversation. “You’re unfamiliar with the Alliance?” He shook his head at her, so she proceeded. “When my grandfather was young, Havenbrook and Melina had been at war for decades. The lands were barren with most people having fled to the safe havens of the capital cities. The war left very few soldiers, and they were vulnerable.” She stopped to eat more dried meat before continuing. “Shakiel stayed out of the battle until both nations stood on