Free Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 by Brian S. Pratt Page B

frightened look when she realized her son may have broken the Duke’s law. “What is going to happen?” she asked. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Kaitlyn who laid a hand on her arm.
    Daniel shrugged. “That would depend on whether or not your sons can get the Duke’s twenty percent to him before he finds out what’s happened,” he replied. “And from the way the rumor is circulating, that won’t be too far off.”
    “Oh my,” Elle said.
    “What will the Duke do to them?” Kaitlyn asked. Her hand began shaking with fear for her son.
    “They’ll stand before his court and will face a charge of thievery,” he explained. “If found guilty, they’ll lose their right hands.”
    “No!” cried out Elle as tears formed in her eyes.
    Kaitlyn patted her friend on the arm again. “It hasn’t come to that,” she said reassuringly in a voice tight with her own emotions.
    Daniel nodded. “That’s right,” he said. “I have friends in the Duke’s court and could facilitate their paying of what they owe the Duke.”
    “You would do that?” asked Elle.
    “That’s why I’m here,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure your boys have no idea there was such a law, else they wouldn’t be in the trouble they are now.”
    “Riyan would have done what was right if he had known,” asserted Kaitlyn.
    “Chad too,” agreed Elle.
    “I’ll be in town for awhile,” he said as he rose from his chair. “If they should return to Quillim, have them come to me immediately. The sooner we get this rectified, the better.”
    “Thank you,” Kaitlyn said. Realizing Daniel was ending the meeting, she helped Elle to her feet. Her friend leaned heavily upon her as they turned and headed for the door.
    “Just one more thing,” he said.
    Pausing, they turned back toward him. “Yes?” asked Kaitlyn.
    “It might be best to keep all this quiet for now,” he said. “The fewer who know about what’s going on, the easier it will be to get this reconciled without incident.”
    Kaitlyn nodded, she could see the wisdom in that. “We will,” she assured him. Then turning back for the door, they left the inn.
    Elle began sobbing in earnest as they passed from The Sterling Sheep and into the street. “There, there,” Kaitlyn said to her friend. “We have to be strong for our boys.”
    As they started down the street back to Elle’s home, Kaitlyn saw Rupert emerge from around the corner across the street. Her breath caught when she saw him. What if Rupert found out? She was sure he would inform the Duke on Riyan since he was the only thing preventing his marriage to Freya from moving along.
    She felt Elle’s grip tighten on her arm as she too saw Rupert emerge. Moving along quickly they were soon back at the Kelon home and sent Eryl on his way. There they talked for hours about their sons and what the future may hold in store for them.

    As night deepened over the small town of Quillim, a second stranger rode through the quiet, snow covered streets. He made his way to The Sterling Sheep where he dismounted and secured the reins to the rail outside. Glancing around at the deserted streets, he made his way to the door.
    Inside, he paused in the shadows before the common room and scanned the tables. When he didn’t find who he was looking for, he made an inquiry of one of the workers and was soon heading to the rooms on the second floor.
    Knock! Knock!
    Two firm raps on the door to room eleven, and two seconds later, the door opened a crack. “Yes?” a voice asked from within.
    “It’s me,” the stranger replied. The door opened wider and he entered the room.
    “About time you got here,” Daniel said.
    Disregarding the comment, the stranger asked, “Well?”
    “It’s done,” Daniel replied with a grin. Then as the other man entered the room, he closed the door.

Chapter Five
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    Darkness had fallen on their second day out of Hunter’s Reach. Progress was slower than any of them had