The Taming (Peregrine 1)

“My lady!” Joice said excitedly as she burst into the room and began chattering.

Liana’s thoughts were so occupied with her husband that she did not at first hear Joice’s words. “What? Fire Lady? What are you talking about?” When Liana began to understand the story, she laughed. It seemed the story of Liana’s lighting Rogan’s bed had traveled all over the village as well as the castle, and she had been dubbed the Fire Lady.

“Two of the Days have already gone back to their parents in the village,” Joice said, “and the others are afraid of you.”

There was pride in Joice’s voice, and Liana thought it was ironic coming from this woman who had counseled meekness. If she’d continued to follow Joice’s advice, last night would never have happened.

“Good!” Liana said firmly, flinging the covers back and getting out of bed. “We shall use the fear while we have it. Perhaps you and the other women should mention poison and…snakes—yes, that’s good. If a maid doesn’t do her work, I might have snakes put in her bed.”

“My lady, I don’t think—”

Liana whirled on her maid. “You don’t think what, Joice? That I should use my own judgment? Do you think that I should continue to rely on your advice?”

Joice knew she’d lost her power over her mistress. “No, my lady,” she whispered. “I meant…” She couldn’t finish.

“Fetch me the green silk, then come and do my hair,” Liana said. “Today I begin to clean my house.”

The people of Moray Castle found that the Pale Rabbit had indeed turned into the Fire Lady. They were used to working for the Peregrine brothers, who demanded five things at once of each person, but this little woman, in her brilliant green dress, her fat blonde braids down her back, demanded ten times the work of the masters. She took every man and knight from his usual task and set him to hauling trash. Fireplaces were shoveled out. Bucket after bucket was filled with bones and filth and dumped into the now-empty Neville wagons and hauled away. Liana got Zared to find three other boys and the four of them set about killing rats. She sent men to the village to hire women to scour the walls and floors and furniture. She also hired men to use weighted nets to start dragging the moat and when the nets would not sink into the filth but floate

d on top, she ordered the men to dig a trench and drain the filth away—if it will move, she thought. The men balked at that, fearing Lord Rogan’s sword more than they feared her fire.

“My husband will give permission,” she said to the two men before her, both of them afraid for their lives.

“But, my lady,” one man said, “the moat is for defense and—”

“Defense!” Liana gasped. “An enemy could walk across it as it is now.” But no matter what she said, the men would not start digging. She gritted her teeth. “Where is my husband, then? I will go to him and we will settle this between us.”

“He is beating farmers, my lady.”

It took Liana a moment to understand. “What?” she whispered.

“Someone is stealing, and Lord Rogan beats men until someone tells him who the thieves are.”

Liana raised her skirts and ran inside the castle walls. While her horse was being saddled, she got directions to where Rogan and his brother were and minutes later she was riding furiously across the countryside, six armed knights close behind her.

The sight that greeted her was one of horror. One man was tied to a tree, his back bloody from whip lashes. Another three men stood together, shaking with terror as a man held his bloody whip aloft. Four women and six children stood by crying, two of the women on their knees and begging Rogan for mercy. Six Peregrine knights stood to one side of Rogan and Severn, who were deep in conversation, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around them.

“Stop!” Liana screamed, and came off her horse while it was still running. She hurled herself before the cringing farmers. “Do not kill them,” she said, looking into Rogan’s hard green eyes.

Rogan and his men were so shocked, the knight lowered his whip for a second. “Severn, take her,” Rogan commanded.

“I will find who is stealing from you,” she shouted, twisting away before Severn could grab her. “I will deliver the thieves to you and you may punish them, but not these random people.”

Her actions and her words effectively silenced everyone, from Rogan down to the children whose father was tied to the tree.

“You?” Rogan said, as much surprised as anything.

“Give me two weeks’ time,” Liana said breathlessly, “and I will find your thief. Terrorized peasants do not produce good crops.”

“Terrorized…” Rogan began, then his bewilderment left. “Get her the hell out of here,” he commanded his brother.

Severn’s big arm caught Liana’s waist and pulled her from in front of the three condemned men. Liana thought fast. “I’ll lay you odds I can find your thieves in two weeks,” she shouted. “I have a chestful of jewels that you have not seen. Emeralds, rubies, diamonds. I’ll give them to you if I do not produce the thieves in two short weeks.”

Once again, Rogan and the people quietened and stared at her. They were all wondering what manner of woman she was, Rogan wondering most of all.

Severn’s grip on her waist loosened, and Liana went to her husband and looked up at him as she put her hand on his chest. “I have found that terror breeds terror. I have dealt with thieves before. Let me do this now. If I am not right, in two weeks’ time you may kill all of them and you will have the jewels.”

Rogan could only gape at her. She had nearly burned him to death last night and now she was making a wager with him like a man and interfering in his business. He had half a mind to yet send her to the dungeon.