Blood Ties (Noble of Blood Series Book 2) Read Free Page B

throwing at her.
    Coming to a stop in the middle of the yard, Dartein let out a whistle. Clyd and another ranger came out of the keep to greet them.
    “Welcome back, Sir. Any luck finding a smith? And who's the little lass back there?”
    “That little lass would be our new smith, Clyd. We will see how she fares over the next few weeks, give her a few tasks to test her out. Right now we need to find my daughter so she can help her get settled.”
    Victor's eye caught Nikkola's stealthy form sliding out from next to the keep's door. He smiled thinking of how he had taught her to use shadows to her advantage. And she was quite good at it.
    “Right here, Father.”
    Friesa whipped her head towards Nikkola, startled by her sudden appearance.
    “Oh! Where did ya come from? You are his daughter? But you are my age! Your father can't be that old!”
    Nikka laughed, her voice clear and her laugh deep. “He's much older than he looks. Now let's grab your stuff and get it up to a room. The sun is coming up!”
    Nikka and Friesa unloaded the horse of its bags and packs. Victor watched the girls as they chatted about what was inside them and then watched as they walked into the keep. The feeling of dread hit him again, right in the pit of his stomach. He hoped he wasn't right. He really hoped he didn't lose her to this human girl.
     

Chapter 5
     
     
     
    Nikkol a was incredibly excited upon meeting the new girl. Even if she was a human, it would be wonderful having another female around. She watched Friesa as the girl took in her surroundings while they walked from the main hall, up the stairs and onto the floor with Nikka's rooms. Nikka had never been around other girls before, and was curious to see what they were like. See if they were like her.
    “This floor has three rooms, but I only really use one. The whole floor is mine, though. I think my father is too paranoid to have any of the men sleep near me. Most of them sleep out in the bunk house. That’s probably the only building that doesn't need to be repaired right away.”
    She opened the door to the room right next to hers and led Friesa in. She sat the packs she was carrying down in a corner and turned towards the bed.
    “I have an extra blanket, but I'm afraid it's not very thick. We don't have company, well, ever.”
    Friesa rolled out her pack on the floor and grabbed two thin blankets.
    “Well I'm thinkin’ tha one you have plus these two should do it. Thank ya for lettin' me sleep in yer room.”
    Nikka liked the girl’s odd way of talking. It was refreshingly different.
    “Like I said, this whole floor is mine but I only use the one room. Before you get too settled in, there's a few things you need to know about us. If you want to stay on here it's pretty important to know the things that make us different.” Nikka wasn't sure if her father or Victor had told her anything.
    “Diff’rent? Because ya all don't live in a village? I'm not sure what would make ya so diff'rent,” Friesa said as she went about laying her blankets out on the straw mattress.
    “Well, you see... we aren't quite human out here. Have you ever heard of the Nobles?” She bit her lip hoping she didn't scare the girl away.
    Friesa looked up from her blanket, wide–eyed. “Are ya tellin’ me that ye're a Noble?” Nikka nodded. “Yer father and Victor, too?” Nikka nodded again. “Wait though, I thought Nobles couldn't have babies. Is he really yer father?”
    Nikka chuckled at her new friend's curiosity, but wasn't sure how much to tell her now. The sun was already peeking over the treetops and she was feeling pretty tired.
    “He really is my father, and it's a bit of a long story. I just need you to understand that our lives here in the keep are led at night. We sleep during the day, because the sun makes us sluggish. We eat meat, though it’s uncooked. It will probably take some adjustment, if you want to live on our schedule. There is a kitchen on the north side of the