Lorik The Protector (Lorik Trilogy) Read Free Page A

never has meaning, you fool.”
    “Good gods, woman, what has happened to you? You sound like a bitter old crone.”
    “You aren’t the only one with broken dreams, Lorik. You think this is how I imagined life outside the Marshlands?”
    “At least you have Stone.”
    “Until some drunken sailor or outlaw kills him. Then what do you suppose I’ll do?”
    “Stone can take care of himself.”
    “He was doing a pretty good job of that until today,” Vera said scathingly. “Of course now he’ll have to find another way to earn coin, and with his reputation tarnished, the ingrates here will only become more bold. You should have let him beat you.”
    “Sorry, that’s not who I am.”
    “You don’t even know who you are,” she said, the words felt like scorching brands burning into Lorik’s tortured soul. “You’re fighting because you feel like it will give meaning to your life, but you’ve already turned your back on everything that should have been important to you.”
    “I’m not the one who left Hassell Point,” Lorik said angrily. “That was your plan, remember?”
    “I do, but I also remember asking you to come with us.”
    “You didn’t need me tagging along.”
    “I didn’t? I didn’t need my best friend? Liam didn’t need a partner? It was your pride that kept you away, and now it’s your pride leading you to fight someone else’s war.”
    Lorik was speechless. He had never considered that Vera might have needed him, or even Stone for that matter. He’d always assumed that his presence would be a burden. Guilt rose up inside of Lorik like bile, bitter and nauseating.
    “I don’t care what else you do,” Vera continued. “But don’t drag Liam north. Don’t even offer the possibility to him. He’s desperate to find a place to belong, but I don’t intend to see him killed. I love him, Lorik. Do you understand that? Don’t take him away from me.”
    “I’m not,” Lorik said. “I just... well, I don’t even know why I came here. I wanted to see you again, that’s all. I wanted to make sure you’re all right.”
    Vera frowned. She was pretty in her own way, but not beautiful. Her normally jovial expression was marred now by worry and fear. She looked at Lorik with piercing eyes.
    “Another drink?” the inn keeper asked timidly, setting down another pint of ale.
    Lorik nodded but didn’t speak. His mind was spinning. Vera seemed different, and she was not happy to see him. The pain of her rebuke hurt the big teamster more than anything in the Pit. He had been lost when she left the Marshlands with Stone. He’d felt abandoned, although he knew he had no right to feel that way. Vera wasn’t his woman, just a friend. Still, it seemed that all the joy in his life had fled right along with her.
    “I’m sorry,” he managed to say.
    “I know,” Vera said. “I am, too.”
    “I’ll leave,” he said.
    He stood up and drank some more of the ale. Then he set the wooden cup down and looked at Vera one last time.
    “Good luck,” he said.
    Then he turned and started walking toward the door.
    “We leaving already?” Selber said in surprise.
    “It’s time we got back to the ship,” Jons said.
    “You sound like an old woman,” Selber said. “Would you quit worrying and loosen up a little? We’ve got plenty of time. Let’s find you a more lively establishment, eh, Lorik?”
    Lorik didn’t answer. He walked to the door and was about to step outside when Stone entered. The two men looked at each other for a long moment. Then Lorik stepped back so that Stone could pass. Lorik could see that Stone was moving gingerly.
    “You hurt?” he asked.
    “Not permanently,” Stone replied. “Where are you going?”
    “North,” Lorik said, starting to step around his friend.
    “Wait, do you have to leave right now? Let’s have a drink. I don’t know about you but I’m starving.”
    “Another time, perhaps,” Lorik said.
    Stone was surprised, but he didn’t try to stop Lorik