The Huntsmen Read Free Page A

are well and safe, Princess," he murmured, guiding her to a stream. Listening for a time, he nodded, "We can rest here for a moment and then we’ll continue on.” Moving to a boulder, he pulled the pack off his back and dug out the skin of water, "It's a little warm but it’s better than leaving tracks too close to the stream.” Digging around, he pulled out a pouch, "Dried fruits and some dried meat if you want something to at least fill the void until we can get a proper meal."
    She accepted a drink from him and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I hope you’re right,” she told him gently. “I truly hope they’re able to forgive themselves when it all comes out.” She took another drink from the water skin he gave her. “How were you able to see through her ruse?” she asked quietly, eyeing him suspiciously.
    Snorting at that, Dierk pulled out a strip of meat and nibbled on the corner, "Not that hard really," he told her softly, "especially when the mask slips if you don't bow and scrape just the way she likes. She's not very good at keeping it in place at all times. Plus there were three of us there. Baldric and Niklaus, you'll meet them later, Baldric kept the Queen’s attention firmly on him while Nik and I made side comments to irritate and annoy. The fact we left with all our parts attached is actually the truly astonishing part of this tale. We'd been drinking earlier and really, we’re not all that smart in our choices of words when we don't drink let alone when we've imbibed a bit."
    She snorted and shook her head. “Sometimes only those that are highly inebriated can see through her. I know my father didn’t see through her until she was stabbing him with the intent to kill. I pray she failed but since I’ve never seen him since or heard word of him around the palace, she may not have.” She whispered, “And I was stupid enough that I didn’t see through her either. Not until she had me tossed into the dungeons.”
    Reaching out, he lightly touched her bent knee, "I’m sorry for the loss of your father. He was a good and kind, but firm king. He has been greatly missed since his passing. We will help you in any way we can, Princess. We’ll ensure the Queen is deposed and you’re rightfully put on the throne as you should be."
    She nodded and sighed. “Thank you,” she told him softly. “Dierk, I appreciate that a great deal,” she murmured, “I want that woman dead. I truly want her to face punishment for all that she’s done. She deserves to be judged by not only myself, but the people as well. She’s taken so very much from them and has to pay.”
    Nodding, he held out the satchel of snacks to her. "It's not very tasty but it is filling," he said with a shrug. "Though the dried berries are rather tasty," he added with a smile as he continued to nibble on a chunk of meat. "We'll take another few minutes and then we should get moving. At some point we need to cross this creek bed but I’m hoping there's a spot ahead with a downed tree or something that will provide us a path that won't reveal where we've gone."
    “Just don’t take shortcuts because of me. I can travel where you lead. I’ve spent my life preparing for this.” She looked down at the wedding dress and snorted. Lifting it, she shook her head. “The bitch was going to marry me to someone that could be my grandfather, but that wasn’t good enough. She planned to kill me before I made it to his home so she could have a reason to invade. It’d be the only way she could get my father’s men to invade another land,” she murmured softly. “So don’t take shortcuts because of me. I am not a pampered princess. I’m a woman on a path to avenge her father's death.”
    Eyeing her up and down, he nodded, "There won't be any shortcuts on this journey, Princess, but we’ll need to get you into something a little more suitable than that dress. Your movements may need to be fast and that will only weigh you down.”