Page 139 of Shadow Queen
Adrian quickly brought his shield up as he continued to spar, but just as quickly forgot and dropped it back down as he darted around his rival.
“Shield up!” Soren bellowed again.
Adrian jerked it back up, continuing to work his opponent, but as he cut behind the early, he dropped it low again for more range of his sword arm.
Soren stalked out to the field and grabbed the early by his practice armor, shoving him back and pulling his own sword. He launched a swinging blow at Adrian. Adrian darted to the side, but Soren pivoted with a surprising grace. The commander sliced through the air and poured down blows on Adrian with a fury. The attack threw the Northman back, and he shouldered his shield as he crouched low behind it. Wood splintered from the shield as Adrian stumbled farther back. Each blow from Soren had the power of death behind it. Norah’s breath caught in her throat. Soren drove Adrian against the railing, cornering him and raining a storm down over him.
“Soren!” Norah cried.
The lord commander paused and drew back.
Adrian straightened slowly, holding his shield high, breathless with the exertion of defense.
The commander grabbed Adrian’s shield and pulled it down, using it to slam him up against the railing. “Thatis what battle’s like,” he snarled. “The enemy doesn’t dance around. He attacks with everything he has because it’s you or him. Your speed will help you, but your shield will save your life.Keep.It.Up!” Soren shoved him back and then walked to where Norah was standing. “Again!” he called back over his shoulder, and the men came together for another round.
Norah tried to steady her breath. “Was that really necessary?” she hissed. “You could have seriously hurt him!”
“He has to learn,” he rumbled as he watched the sparring.
Or lose a limb, Norah thought to herself. More likely lose a limb. “You don’t have to be that hard on him.”
He pulled his eyes from the men and glared at her. “I do.” Then he looked back out to the field. “I can’t be soft with him. He’s going to be a commander one day. A great one.”
Norah stared at him. This man confounded her. He obviously cared, in his own strange Soren-like way, but she wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse. She hoped it a blessing because she needed his help now.
“Regarding Adrian,” she said, “there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“You’re not sending him back,” he said firmly.
“No, um,” she paused, puzzled by his concern with that. “I’m not. No. Something else. Um…” Why was this so hard? “What if Adrian had his eye on someone, a woman, that he wanted to wed?”
“The doe?” he asked without looking at her, his eyes still on the men in the field.
Soren’s description of the girl felt… strangely accurate. Any other time Norah would have been amused. “Sevina, yes. What if he wanted to marry her?”
“Her family’s one of the oldest noble families in Kharav. Getting her hand won’t be an easy task. The Bear needs to speak to her father. He’s the head of the family, yes?”
“Yes, but… Well, obviously he isn’t here, and even if he were, your entire army thinks he’s the enemy of Kharav, so I don’t imagine that would go well.”
He chuckled darkly. “Probably not,” he said, still not taking his eyes from the earlies.
Not helpful at all.“Then what should Adrian do?” she pressed.
He looked at her, his annoyance etched on his face. “He should find another woman,” he said shortly. “Or better yet, no woman at all. I want him focused on his study.” Then he turned his eyes back to the field.
Norah huffed a frustrated breath as she shook her head. This man was impossible. But she needed his help. Adrian needed his help.
“Sevina’s with child,” she said abruptly. She pursed her lips together and pulled them in between her teeth. Her stomach twisted as she waited for a reaction.
He didn’t look at her, but neither did he look at the field. His brows came together, but he didn’t speak. Concern? Anger?
“He told you this?” he asked finally.
“Yes. He asked for her hand, and Sevina’s father denied it. Something about a Provision Promise and how he’s a Northman and brother to the lord justice.”
Soren was silent for a moment, then he said, “He needs to tell his brother. It will be the Bear’s responsibility.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can get him to do that. He fears Alexander’s disappointment too much.”
