by A L Issett
“I don’t want whatever it is you are selling old man,” Tanner replied. “I want my Mary, let me walk out of here and we will forget this ever happened.”
“I am afraid I cannot,” the Regent replied. “The Black Hand is quite skilled when dealing with normal targets. They would have a problem with Tavorian mages once they are discovered. You are the only person I am aware of that has the skillset to deal Tavor such a huge blow. If anything happens to you while you are gone then your wife will get the reward I promised you.”
“No,” Tanner said bluntly.
“I must insist and will keep your wife here until you agree,” The Regent said keeping his smile. “We are both Ketians Tanner, you will save a lot of Ketian lives by doing this. Do not think ill of your friends who also believe in my vision. I have heard you and the former king were somewhat close, I want us to have that closeness. As an ally I can make you a powerful man, more than just some meat and hide seller. I could make you a hero to the people. It is time that Ket truly had one instead of the Tavorians pretending to be one of us.”
“I don’t want to be anyone’s hero,” Tanner began. “I like my quiet life free from all the politics. I just want my Mary and I’ll go.”
“Well then we are at an impasse,” the Regent replied. “I want you to train with the Black Hand. I have heard you are pretty good when it comes to basic swordsmanship but you know nothing of the other arts, like dagger or unarmed fighting. You depend more on your physical attributes than anything else. I cannot give you too long to train, you will be and out in less than a month. After which you will go into Tavor as a member of Team 3. Your job will be difficult since you have to travel the furthest, the other teams will take out the other schools. Whenever you are finished I will let you see your wife again and you have it on my word she will remain safe.”
“I’ll do your little hatchet job but just because you try to sound like one of the lads don’t make it so,” Tanner began. “You keep your bloody money and your stupid titles and praise, I want nothing from a man who kidnaps women.”
“You will receive it anyway, give it to charity for all I care. I will trust you to Jennifer’s capable hands,” The Regent said as he gestured to the rear. Tanner turned around and could see the woman from the clearing, the one that threatened Stephen and began to see red.
“Hello Tanner from Kol,” the woman said as she walked over wearing some type of form fitting black outfit. “You have been a very naughty boy, I heard what you did to that poor guard on the way over here.”
“That aint nowt compared to what I am going to do to you,” Tanner said as he stood up.
“Tanner, Jennifer is to be your teacher. You can’t wish ill of her,” the Regent said as he walked over and gave the woman a hug. “A little known secret is that Jennifer here is my niece and also was a cousin of our King before he was brutally murdered by the Tavorians. I hid her in the only safe place I knew, as a recruit for the Black Hand. She was a little older than they would have liked but she made it through the training just fine. She is only a little older than you are now, this is to be her last mission then she will receive her title and live happily as a hero of Ket, the only female to do so. When she reports back to me that the mission has been completed successfully, I assure you your wife will be released. Now I will give you some time to become acquainted then Jennifer will show you to your belongings and you can depart. Good luck, the people of Ket appreciates your sacrifice.”
“The people of Ket can go get stuffed,” Tanner replied angrily to the Regent’s back as the man walked out of the door.
“So Tanner of Kol, I look forward to us working together to see what that body can do. Too bad you are already taken” Jennifer replied.
“Listen here tart, let’s hurry up and get this over with. Other men make look at you the way a fat man does a steak but I look at you like a stuffy noble would if someone took a dump on his plate. I have no reason to talk to you about anything,” Tanner replied.
“Oh so you are playing hard to get, I love a challenge. Let’s go get your things,” Jennifer said as he walked out of the throne room. It made Tanner ill that he gazed at her if only for a second, the sway of her hips was mesmerizing as he was sure she was teasing him. Tanner put it out of his mind and went into the room, there he only found his sword and the padding he wore under his armor. The Regent thought he would be happy to wear his colors but Tanner would rather die first.
“I am going home to get some clothes,” Tanner said as he put on the padding. “I am not wearing the monstrosity your uncle put together and I’m not going to sit here and have a chin wag with you.”
Tanner stormed his way out of the castle and was greeted by many of the servants there. They all seemed happy about the Regent, the man was loved by the staff. Idiots all of them Tanner thought as he crossed the road and thought the air was unseasonably cold. Tanner walked up to his house and could see the man he had killed had been moved. In his place were two other guards who quickly parted as he made his way into his home, shutting the door behind him. Tanner took off the padding and put on a pair of suede pants along with a simple cotton top. Both fit him baggy, which was the style he preferred. He took out his spare scabbard and affixed the Sword of Ages to his back and walked out where he could see Jennifer in his living room along with two other men, one of which was his wife’s kidnapper.
“You must have an aversion to living to show your face in my house,” Tanner said as he started walking over towards the man. His opponent was older than Tanner, probably about 15 or so years and was very broad now that Tanner saw him up close. He had to be strong in order to man handle Mary but it would not help him out today.
“Save me your threats boy,” the man replied. “I have seen your fighting style and although you killed some of us, the ones you killed were stupid and clumsy. You do not impress me.”
Tanner drew his blade as Jennifer stepped in between them. “Tanner of Kol we are going to need Nance where we are going, he is our best fighter. Be a dear and work together with him, he may save your life sometime in the future.”
“That’s the dodgy bastard that hurt my Mary,” Tanner began. “Things will be finished with us when he is dead in the ground, now move out of my way.”
“Your bravado means nothing to me,” Nance replied as he let out a yawn and picked up a painting of Tanner and Mary. “And I did not hurt your wife, I saw her here as quickly as possible which was my job.”
“You know Tanner,” Jennifer said as she pulled one of Tanner’s unruly curls out of his face. “The sooner we finish this the sooner you can have what you want.”
Tanner glared at Nance as he soon realized that Jennifer was too close for comfort as pushed her out of the way. Jennifer laughed and made a gesture towards the door which Tanner walked through after giving Nance a hard shove with his shoulder as he passed by. Before long the group was out on the street where a carriage was waiting. Tanner climbed up with the driver, after tossing his sword inside on one of the benches. With any luck one of them would pick it up and kill the other. The driver took off as soon as everyone was situated and Tanner could see he was making his way to the west side of Ketol, probably out the small gate there. Tanner could hear the group below him inside the carriage talking but ignored them as the driver went westward out of the small gate and towards the White River where the group got off. Waiting for them were two figures also in the black form fitting clothes they all wore. The figures in black nodded at the ones in the carriage as Tanner could feel the sword somewhat even though he was not touching it. The Sword of Ages thirsted for the newcomers; Tanner sent out a tendril at both of them and could see they were mages and instantly drew his magical cancellation field in to his body. He could never make it go away, but spells directed at just him would fail.
“Come on now hero, pick up your little sword and follow us on the raft,” Tanner heard Jennifer say as the woman looked up and gave him a little smile then walked towards the mages mak
ing sure to sway her hips suggestively. Tanner hated to admit he looked but then again so did the rest of the party he could see as he jumped down. The sword cried out for the blood of the mages but Tanner held it in check. Years ago when he assaulted the sleeping mages in Tavor his sword had done much killing and because of it the sword’s thoughts and powers had become much clearer. The sword drained life away from mages and fed it to its wielder. Tanner had noticed although it had been only two years that he was not aging. He had killed over sixty mages with the blade. He would not begin aging according to the sword for another 300 or so years. Not only that the sword transferred some memories of things to him, Tanner had never even taken up sewing but apparently one of the mages had and he knew the finer points of needle working which shocked his wife one day when she was repairing some of his clothes. Tanner was secretly worried about what was happening to him when he killed a mage with the blade, he reveled in the power. He had enjoyed killing the mages he thought as he got on the small raft the mages had with them. Tanner knew the finer points of casting magic and was sure that he could teach the subject if given a chance. Tanner heard the mages do an incantation and suddenly the boat was off. Tanner thought they were moving at an impossible pace, faster than a longboat rowed by strong men even with a favorable current. Tanner could feel with his tendrils only one mage was doing the pushing and that he couldn’t last long. The mage’s reservoir of magical energy wasn’t very big and it was about at 75% despite only having just started. When the mage dropped down to half the other mage took over. Tanner wondered how long they would travel at this pace and grudgingly admitted to himself that this was the best way to travel. The mages kept this pace up until the darkness faded and the first rays of light appeared before they steered the boat off to the side. The mages had very little magical energy left between them but Tanner surmised they had gone a great deal. Tanner watched the rest of his companions depart the boat before he also got out, the Sword of Ages still screaming for blood.
CHAPTER 3
MARY
Mary sat in her room and cried. She had seen Tanner and he seemed so upset he was ready to burst. She had also seen when the fight left his eyes. Earl Tox wanted him to kill again, something she knew Tanner wanted no part of. She had held him when he awoke at nights, frightened and scared of all the things he had seen. She had held him when he cried himself to sleep and now he was being forced to do it again, all because of her and his care for her safety. Mary let her tears flow as he heard a soft knock on her door.
“Go away,” Mary said between sobs wanting to be alone in her grief.
“Mary it’s Golden,” the voice on the other side of the door replied.
“I don’t care, go away,” Mary said starting to get a little angry.
“Mary you haven’t eaten anything, I have a tray of food for you,” Golden replied as Mary could hear the pleading in his voice.
“I am not eating that poison, take it and give it to the dogs,” Mary said harshly as she started wiping away her tears.
“Mary it is not poison, I had the cooks make it special, just for you,” Golden replied.
“Then you eat it, now go away,” Mary said as she fixed herself as she could hear her door opening. In walked her brother, at least who she used to think of as her brother. Mary thought back to when she was captured and forced to sit in a cage while being roughly transported. She had been made to relieve herself in front of men and anyone else peering into the open cage. Mary had thought upon seeing her brother he would kill the man. All Golden did was let him pass even when she explained all that happened to her. The Princess had made sure she was cleaned up but now Mary saw the so called kindness for what it really was, a form of control. Like when you beat a dog every day with a stick to ensure it does a trick for you, when you don’t use the stick the poor animal thinks it has some great reward because it was not being mistreated. She was that dog now she thought. She was confined to this room, only able to walk the palace if she kept the big strong men outside her room with her at all times.
“Mary you have to eat something,” Golden said as he walked over to her and put the tray down.
“I told you to eat it, I want nothing from the likes of you,” Mary said viciously. “Go take it to your new master. I wonder what father would say if he knew you sided with a man that sent your best friend off to die and locks your sister away. Would he be proud? Would mother be happy with your choices?”
“Mary, what choice do I have?” Golden said as he sat down. “The people love our Regent and he is concerned about their welfare, the greater good. Whether I go along with his wishes is a moot point, he would still have you in this room and Tanner would still be out there fighting for your safety. I can at least make sure you are not being mistreated and can give you a shoulder to cry on.”
“Your friend is out there right now Golden, the same friend who always made sure we had enough meat to eat. He is out there risking his life to protect me,” Mary said as she looked her brother in his eye. “All the while where is his best friend? Is he out there with him, also putting his life on the line? No, he is here like a coward eating at the table of the man who is responsible. When you sit and eat your food, made special just for you, do you wonder if he has had anything to eat? No you don’t. Now get out of my room Golden Tox, you are not worthy of the name of Diamondson.,”
“If you need me Mary, I will never be far away” Golden said as he left the tray.
Mary opened the window of the tower and tossed the meat outside, tray and everything and watched as it clattered to the ground. She was satisfied with herself, now she had to figure out a way to leave. They had taken her dagger and it looked like they had cleaned the room of anything that could be used as a weapon. Whoever had been in the room had been thorough. Mary went to sleep then, she was hungry and a bit thirsty but she would not allow herself any comfort while Tanner was out there risking his life.
The next morning Mary woke up to three cheerful women in her room. They were the same three that had taken her dirty clothes and given her a dress to wear. Tanner knew them from the time he had stayed in the castle and had introduced her to them before.
“Leave my clothes alone,” Mary said to the oldest one of the bunch.
“I can’t have you walking around dirty Mary,” Maude replied. “That husband of yours is a good man, he has saved our princess and fought off the Tavorians. I will not be having his wife walking around looking like one of the street rats.”
“You will leave my clothes alone Maude. I don’t want or need you in my room, now go away,” Mary said as she got out of her bed.
“Now Mary, I heard your Tanner is off doing some kind of important mission and I know you are worried about him. But you have to take care of yourself, it is what he would want,” Maude replied.
“An important mission?” Mary said shocked. “That bastard Regent sent him to die and told him if he doesn’t go he would kill me. This was not Tanner’s choice, now get the pit out of my room.”
“You must be mistaken Mary,” the younger woman Sarah spoke up. “The Regent has been nothing but kind to everyone, if he needed Tanner to do a mission it would be for the good of Ket. All men should serve Ket, the only reason you are here is in case the Tavorians decide to go after you. Here you are safe from them sending any assassins.”
“You must all have cock in your ears,” Mary said as she snatched the dress away from Maude and stood right in her face, the difference in height comical. Mary was taller by at least a head and was built more solidly than the other women. “I asked you to get out of my room but I can make you get out if that is what you want.”
“We will be back after you had some time to calm down child,” Maude said as she shook her head and left the room with the other women in tow. Mary calmed down a bit after that but her throat was parched, she hadn’t drank anything since the day before last and she started feeling a little weak, even light headed. Yelling at the three servants had taken it out of h
er and she barely made it to the bed before she laid down, more like was forced down since her body was weak. Mary laid there and heard another knock, this one more forceful. Before Mary could talk a female peeked inside the door, made eye contact then disappeared. The door opened wider and the Regent walked in smiling and carrying a plate of food. The smell made Mary’s stomach rumble, her throat cried out for the goblet he was holding.
“Hello Mary,” the Regent said cheerfully. “I have talked to your brother and he told me you were worried about poison. I have made this meal with my own two hands and although it may not taste as great as Maude’s food, I assure you it is poison free.”
“I don’t want your food, you eat it,” Mary said happy her voice did not break.
“Well I have already eaten, this plate is for you,” The Regent said cheerfully as he sliced opened a roll and buttered it. “I apologize once again for your treatment on the way out here, I will try to make amends while you are staying with us. If you would like anything other than leaving I will try my best to make it happen.”
“I don’t want your food or anything from you,” Mary spat. “Get out of my room.”
“Now Mary, I have heard the way you treated my staff and your brother,” The Regent replied as he put on a pitying smile. “I know things are difficult for you right now, but nobody deserves to be mistreated.”
