The High Druid's Blade: The Defenders of Shannara Read Free

guard and airmen set west.
    “No one got between them? Not even Raffe?”
    She shook her head. “Especially not Raffe. He knows this man, I think. They might even have done business together in the past. You know Raffe, always on the prowl for an easy score, always walking on the edge. I think there’s some of that in play. Raffe just stood back and watched it happen.”
    “What about City Watch? Did you think to call them in?”
    She wheeled back on him. “Look, I risked a lot just by coming to tell you ! Raffe told me not to do even that much, warned me to mind my own business. But I came anyway, and I might lose my job because of it! So don’t be asking me about City Watch.”
    He shut up then, deciding she was right, this wasn’t her problem in the first place, and he should just be glad she’d bothered to come tell him what was going on while there might still be time for him to do something about it.
    She started off again, walking more quickly than before, and he hurried after. “Sorry about the City Watch comment. Thank you for coming to get me. I owe you.”
    “You bet you do,” she threw over her shoulder. “Come on! Walk faster! Chrys is in trouble!”
    Picking up the pace, he did his best to comply.

T WO
    I T WAS NOT AN OVERLY LON G WALK TO THE T WO Roosters, which was situated at the northern edge of the city, just a quarter of a mile downhill from where Paxon’s parents had built their home. It was a small, intimate tavern, the sort Chrys would choose because she liked to claim places as her own. She had been Jayet’s friend all her life, and that had probably contributed to her choice of taverns after her friend went to work there. Jayet was older, but not necessarily more levelheaded. Chrys was clearly the wilder of the two, the one who needed an older sister to help guide her. Unfortunately, Jayet wasn’t up to the job.
    Still, she was better than nothing. At least she thought to voice an objection now and then, and occasionally to provide a different point of view before things got too far out of hand.
    Paxon was thinking about this as they reached the Two Roosters and pushed through the doors into the main room.
    Everything was quiet, as if nothing of what Jayet described had occured. Paxon glanced around the room. There was no sign of Chrys.
    Raffe was behind the bar trying hard to look like he was busy but not succeeding, his eyes shifting to find Paxon then moving quickly away again.
    “Do you see the man she was with?” Paxon asked Jayet.
    She shook her head. “He’s gone. So is she.”
    Paxon could see that for himself. He strode over to the bar and Raffe. “Where is my sister?”
    Raffe glanced up and shrugged. “She left with some man. Not too long ago. Why?”
    “Where did they go?”
    “How should I know?”
    “Think about it.”
    “Look, Paxon, it isn’t my job to look after girls who make foolish bets and then find out the hard way when they have to pay the price. Especially ones who just seem to be asking for—”
    He never finished whatever it was he was going to say. By then, Paxon had seized him by his tunic front and dragged him halfway across the bar. “I’m only going to ask you once more before I break your arm. Where is my sister?”
    “Let go of me, or you’ll …”
    His hand was groping for the club he kept under the counter, so Paxon dragged him the rest of the way across the bar and threw him on the floor, stomping hard on his wrist for good measure. Raffe screamed as the bones crunched.
    Paxon knelt with his knee on the tavern owner’s stomach and his hand around his throat. “You should answer me, Raffe. Right now.”
    “Airfield!” the other gasped, grimacing in pain. “He has a ship there!”
    “What’s his name?”
    Raffe shook his head.
    “Answer me or I’ll break your other arm.”
    Raffe spit at him. “Go ahead! He’ll hurt me worse than you can even imagine if I tell you who he is!”
    “Paxon!” Jayet was beside him, pulling him