Epic Of Palins 01 - Dagger Star by Elizabeth Vaughan

much older.
    “Lady High Priestess Evelyn, and a guest.” Evelyn called out in response.
    There was a pause then as the greenery to the right rustled, with some sort of whispered consultation going on in its depths. There had to be at least two, maybe three—
    “Is all well with you, Lady Priestess?” The voice faltered a bit in a childish tenor.
    “I prefer honey in my kavage,” Evelyn answered.
    Three children leaped out of the pines, laughing. “Aunt Evie!” They piled out of the woods, chattering and running. Red half expected them to vault the stone, but they ran around it and mobbed Evelyn, clutching at her robes, all talking at once.
    Red took a step back as Evelyn knelt to return their hugs. The youngest one, a small blonde, was demanding her attention. “We’s guarding, Aunt Evie! We did good, didn’t we? Didn’t we?” The child turned and looked back at the pines.
    Two men emerged, dressed in leather armor and carrying long bows. The elder chuckled, but the other gave the child a cynical look. “All’s well, but for almost knocking over a Lady High Priestess. Where are your manners?”
    The child give him an angry, stubborn look. “But she’s Aunt Evie.”
    “That she is, but she’s brought a guest, hasn’t she now, and deserves respect, doesn’t she?”

    The child puffed out a breath, and swiveled her head to look Red over carefully. The others quieted, and then they all stepped back and performed a bow.
    “Greetings and welcome, Lady High Priestess Evelyn.” The tallest, a blond boy, spoke with formal tones. “How may we serve you?”
    Evelyn solemnly curtsied to the children. “Allow me to make you known to my guest. This lady
    —”
    Red snorted.
    Evelyn ignored the interruption. “This lady is the warrior Red Gloves.”
    The children bowed. Red noted the wariness in the men, but they inclined their heads as well.
    “Red Gloves, this is Tellen, Cordell, and Brela.” Evelyn indicated each child in turn. “And their teachers, Oris and Alad.”
    Red inclined her head. “Well met.”
    “Another to join the cause, Lady?” Oris, clearly the elder, asked.
    “We need to speak to Auxter.” Evelyn answered.
    “He’s at the forge, Lady.” Oris gave the children a look. “Your hour of guard duty is done. You may go with the Lady High Priestess.”
    The boys quivered, but managed to restrain themselves and gave him a formal bow. Evelyn laughed to see it. “Enough! Tell me about your lessons.”
    The children gathered about her, all talking at once. They smelled of pine sap, and had needles and leaves in their hair. Brela, the smallest, a blonde girl with eyes of bright blue, looked up at Red. “Why do they call you Red Gloves?”
    Evelyn sucked in a breath. Red gave her a look out of the corner of her eye. Bethral had warned them, then. Just as well. But did the priestess think she’d—Red made the look a withering one before looking down at the child. “I like red gloves.”
    “Oh.” Perfectly satisfied, the child reached up with both hands. Red swooped her up into her arms, pleased to see that the priestess looked a bit like a dying fish.
    Evelyn had the grace to blush. She took the hands of the two boys, and started to walk toward the path.
    Red paused, giving Oris and Alad a hard look. “And if the Lady hadn’t liked honey with her kavage?”

    Oris gave her a tight, hard smile. “You’d have two arrows in your heart.”
    “Nah,” Alad said. “I’d have gone for the thigh.”
    “We was guarding.” Brela explained softly.
    “That you were,” Red said, as she gave both men a nod and turned to follow the priestess.
    Sensible, to guard the area, but did that mean that any mage could open one of those things?
    How did you guard against that, then?
    “Your hair is pretty.” A soft hand stroked her head, and Red’s attention was pulled back to the child in her arms. Brela was nodding her head in approval. “It’s brown, like my friend’s hair. I like