Free Noble Falling by Sara Gaines Page A

to her other companion. I reached out to her horse and ran my hand along his sleek neck. My heart jumped into my throat as I realized I had turned my back to someone capable of killing me in an instant. Even though I had told myself she meant me no harm, I could not help the chill creeping along my skin. I strained my ears, listening to Kahira’s footsteps approach. She was quiet, and when she spoke, I had no idea she was that close.
    “His name is Taewin.”
    My breath caught in my throat as I sensed her body so close to mine.
    “Despite what I led you to believe earlier, I did not steal him.” Kahira moved to her horse’s front, gently rubbing his nose, but my pulse was still racing, “Not technically, at least.”
    “I did not….” I faltered. “I wouldn’t assume….”
    She let out a low chuckle, focusing all her attention on the large horse. “Of course you did. Why would you not think I was a thief? Really, based on your friend’s reaction, I think it’s safe to say you think much worse of me.”
    She was marked as a criminal, a mysterious brand was cruelly burned into her flesh, and yet she had risked her own life to save mine. I did not know what to think of this woman.
    “All I know, all I hope, is that if you intended to harm us, you wouldn’t go through the trouble of helping us to begin with.” I was thankful to regain some measure of calm within my voice, even if I was unsure how I had managed such a feat.
    “You shouldn’t worry. I’m not going to do anything.” Her voice was incredibly even.
    “Then, Kahira, tell me how you found yourself in possession of such a fine animal?” Her gaze met mine, and I felt the blood run to my cheeks.
    She faltered for a moment, as if she were struggling with the decision to tell me anything. However, it wasn’t long before she moved to my side and placed her hand on the massive horse’s head.
    “I came across him a few years ago, when Enza and I found ourselves facing our first winter alone. I heard the piercing cry of a terrified horse in the distance and followed it, simply because it was the only sign of other people I had encountered in weeks. The weather was growing cold, the trails had largely been abandoned, and I was starved. Thankfully, it didn’t take me long to find the camp where he was tied up. I don’t know how long he had been there, but he was obviously hungry, and he had fought so hard against his bridle that it had cut into his flesh.
    “His cries distracted me at first, but once I calmed him, I finally listened to Enza’s barking and looked around the camp. Weak from traveling, the shock at seeing a body on the ground just a few feet away knocked the last remains of strength from my legs. Scrambling to put as much distance between the body and myself, I pieced together what must have happened.
    “The man was definitely a Northern clansman, but the knight had died from something I didn’t care to guess. Whatever it was, even he didn’t see it coming, or he would have released Taewin. But, figuring the man was no longer in need of him, Taewin became mine. Of course, he was in no shape for me to ride, so I struggled to bury the knight in the frozen ground and stayed at his camp while Taewin recovered—along with Enza and me—using the knight’s remaining supplies.”
    Kahira finished her story as Taewin dropped his head toward a patch of grass. Leaving her horse to his dinner, Kahira turned her attention to me. A haunted glint flashed in her eyes.
    “I would love to have a horse like him.” Without the large animal for us to focus on, my nervousness began to return.
    “You’d be surprised. He can sure carry a lot of weight, but his gait is not as smooth as what you can find in the breeds around here. It took me a while to get used to.” Kahira looked toward Taewin’s saddle and the rest of his tack. “Took me even longer to get used to heaving that onto his back.”
    Ori’s shout, informing us our dinner was ready,