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The soldiers holding shimmering spears glared at the settlers standing around. Erbrand met the stare of one and got the most unsettling smile he had ever seen. They seemed destined to kill. If they were any reflection on the lords that commanded them, lady Saeryn and Thornden were in for a rough counsel. Erbrand stepped to one side of the doorway closer to Kara. She looked up at him and Erbrand smiled, reached down and grasped one of her hands. He tried not to show it, but he was nervous about the arrival of so many soldiers for a simple counsel. Would they try to proclaim one of themselves as the lord of Scarburg?
The nobles dismounted. Erbrand could only hear mumbling, but from the countenance that they bore, it was not flattering talk they were using to describe lady Saeryn. Indeed, one of the nobles approached her and spoke to her as if she were the daughter of a hobnail. Couldn’t the varlet see the nobility in her? If Erbrand were of higher class in the world, even a soldier, he would have spoken. He growled with frustration at not being able to reprimand the noble for his insult.
“Speak up Thornden,” Erbrand mumbled under his breath. “Show your authority! Don’t let the lady stand alone!”
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