I didn’t say anything.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the sword? You knew it was sentient, but you never said a word. How am I supposed to trust you after that?”
“I didn’t think you’d believe me.” I tried to keep the pain from my voice with little success.
“I can’t take it anymore. First it was spirits of dead children, then it was your sword … I’m tired, Alaric. I just want a normal life.”
“Do you think you can handle a normal life?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure going to try.”
“I risked my life for you.”
She dropped her head, but her voice was still clear. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think this is easy for me?”
I nodded. “Yes, Theona. I think it’s all too easy, but that’s okay. I really didn’t expect any kind of commitment or integrity from a thief.”
Her eyes flashed, but she never replied. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked out of my life forever. It was ironic. After all this time, I had finally gotten the last word, yet I still felt like the loser. I blinked to fight back the tears. Graham placed a gentle hand on my arm.
“I’m so sorry.”
“So am I.”
Though he stood by my bedside for a long time, neither of us spoke another word.
The next day, I received a visit from the Chancellor. He was wearing an outfit similar to the one he’d worn when he sat beside me in the arena. In his right hand he held the Sword of Truth, in his left the Drintu champion’s shield. He laid them both against the wall. Then he turned and faced me.
“You are to be congratulated. That was as amazing a display of courage as I have ever seen.”
“I would say thank you, but I’m still not talking to you.”
“I understand completely, but at least hear me out.” He waited for my nod before continuing. “The Labyrinth of Kerrenar is a very dangerous place. If we didn’t conduct ourselves in this manner, we would soon be wiped out by the other races that dwell here. Whether you accept it or not, it is necessary for us to defend our borders.”
“And that gives you the right to threaten my life?”
“Perhaps not. But it is our way. While you slept last night, I had quite a conversation with Graham. I wish I would have had that conversation before I sentenced you. It is not often I come across well-meaning creatures down here.”
“Go on.”
“We are not a mean spirited people, Alaric. We are like you. We do what we must to defend ourselves. Surely you can not fault us for that.”
I wanted to lash out at him. I wanted to hurt him for all I had been through. I drew a deep breath and let it out. I was angry with Theona, not the Chancellor. “No, I don’t suppose I can at that.”
“Good. Let this magical shield be a token of our respect for you. You may stay as long as you like.”
“That’s very kind of you. What of my friends?”
“Graham is welcome to stay as well.”
“What of Jeren and Theona?”
“They’ve continued their descent into the Labyrinth, though I can’t imagine why anyone would want to enter such dangerous territory.”
“Greed. They’re looking for treasure.”
“Treasure?” The rat-man seemed surprised. “There is no more treasure in the Labyrinth of Kerrenar. It’s been gone for ages. Your friends are going to get themselves killed.”
The thought of Theona lying dead tugged at my heart, but no more so than the thought of her and Jeren together. She had once assured me she had no interest in Jeren. Was it possible their relationship would remain platonic? No, I decided. There was too much common ground between them. In many ways, Jeren was a much better match for my Theona than I would ever be. It hurt to not have her, but if she could be happier with him, so be it.
“Theona’s safety is no longer my problem. All I really want to do is get back to the surface.”
The Drintu smiled. “There, I think we can be of some service, but not quite yet. You still have healing to do and once you’re back on your feet, there will be a celebration held in your honor. You will stay for it, won’t you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
We continued to talk for a long time, until I grew tired and the Chancellor of Ezwindru left me. I was asleep only moments after he walked from the room.
“Alaric?”
I opened my eyes and looked around. The room was empty.
“Can you hear me?” It took me a moment to recognize that the Sword of Truth was speaking to me.
“Yes, I can hear you. Do I want to?”
The sword chuckled. “I just wanted to thank you.”
I was quite taken aback. My weapon had never before addressed me so pleasantly. “For what?”
“For reuniting me with my sister. I’d like to introduce you to the Shield of Reckoning.”
I sat up in bed. The room spun. I had spent too long on my back.
“What!”
“Hello, Alaric,” said a woman’s voice in my head. “It’s so nice to make your acquaintance.”
“Look, I don’t think I can deal with any more surprises. Don’t tell me, you are somehow related to the Drintu warrior’s shield.”
“She’s my sister.”
Realization lit my eyes. “That’s how I won. She took control and left him open for my thrust.”
“Of course,” replied the Sword of Truth. “My essence was imprisoned in this sword centuries ago by an enemy of our family. My sister’s essence was imprisoned in the shield. The wizard then sent the shield into the Labyrinth of Kerrenar. He also changed the name of the Dangling Dagger, so no one would be able to find it. He hadn’t counted on Jeren, apparently.”
“Let me get this straight. The reason you wanted to go to the Labyrinth of Kerrenar was to find your sister?”
“That’s about it.”
“You might have said something.”
“Sorry. After all I’d been through, I couldn’t bring myself to trust you.”
“So you mean now, instead of having one talking armament, I’ll have two?”
“That’s about the size of it.”
“I hardly know what to say.”
“Then say you’ll have us and call it a day.”
I smiled. “Graham isn’t going to believe this.”
“You don’t have to tell him.”
“Don’t start with me. No more secrets, okay?”
“Okay.”
I slowly sat up and let my aching legs dangle over the side of the bed. I stretched painfully and slowly shifted the weight to my feet. I was tired and weak, but at least I could stand. I limped a few steps from the bed, then returned. By the time I sat again, I was exhausted.
I lay back down, but didn’t find sleep immediately. I was too busy thinking about the soul of a man imprisoned for centuries, deprived of the company of the only being that could really understand him. I finally fell into an uneasy sleep, filled with barely remembered dreams.
Graham and I stayed with the Drintu for several days. We learned a lot about their culture and even some of their language. We were treated well and I found I quite liked the rat-men.
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about Theona. While I worried about her at first, as the days passed, I managed to set aside the emotion. I couldn’t protect her any longer. She had made her choice and there was nothing I could do about it. I did say a prayer for her safety though. I felt it was the least I could do.
After several weeks, I finally began to tire of my newfound fame. I was going to say something, but Graham beat me to it. It was late one night when he broached the subject.
“Alaric, I think we should think about leaving here.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I like the Drintu, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the sky again.”
“And I want to see my family.”
I thought about the race of warrior giants that lived somewhere in the south. I’d grown up on stories of their adventures
.
“Would you like some company?”
Graham placed a single massive hand on my shoulder. “I would be honored.”
We still stayed on for several days longer. It wasn’t as if we were in a rush. After all the running, it was finally nice to feel secure, if only for a short while.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Book Three
Chapter Twenty-four
I was completely unprepared for the scream, for any number of reasons. For one thing, it cut through the darkness like a knife, carried on a chill wind that was as out of place as the sound. For another, my life had been uncharacteristically uneventful for several weeks now and I was just getting used to the slower pace. And finally, it carried within it a chord of sheer terror, the likes of which I had never before encountered.
Graham was on his feet before me. I have often wondered how a man so large could move that fast. Even without his boots, he was over eight feet tall. I looked at him as I buckled on the Sword of Truth and grabbed the Shield of Reckoning, but didn’t stop to pull on my own boots. From the sound of things, we didn’t have much time.
Tindal was only a step behind the giant. He was the third and final member of our party. Though we’d only recently met, I liked the dapper swordsman, if for no other reason than he listened to me speak of my adventures with some semblance of rapt attention. Whether or not he believed any of it, I couldn’t say.
The woods were dark, but the glow from my blade illuminated the landscape enough for me to see. A less agile man might have smashed into a tree, but not I. I settled for tripping over a root. Several steps ahead of me, I heard Graham’s voice, though the insistent scream overshadowed his words. I climbed to my feet and kept running.
When I burst into the clearing, I stopped to take stock of the situation. The scene was like something out of a nightmare. Several large, red-cloaked individuals danced around the source of the offending noise, a woman tied to a stake. An unnatural ring of fire surrounded the woman, distant still, but slowly making its way toward her. Her stare was fixed on the flames, which she regarded with the type of horrified awe I usually reserve for the King’s tax collectors. Graham looked in my direction, no doubt ready to take action on my cue.
Tindal had no such compunctions. He moved toward the woman, only at the last minute realizing the flames were high enough to keep him from her.
I pulled my blade and charged into the center of the dancers. They ignored my intrusion and continued to chant and circle. Only when I noticed I could hear the chanting, did I realize the screaming had stopped. I risked a glance in the direction of the stake. The woman was watching, eyes expressionless. I only had a moment to observe her, before the largest of the dancers turned toward me.
“Why have you come? Are you so impatient to experience your demise?”
“I’ve faced greater odds than this.” I wasn’t sure it was a true statement, but it sounded good.
For the second time in my life, it was a shout from Graham that saved me. “Alaric, behind you!”
I should have been more aware, but weeks of relative inactivity had made me careless. I whirled, only at the last moment, slicing a hand from one of the red-cloaks, rendering the golden dagger it held useless. Graham jumped in to stand behind me. They regarded us for only a moment before they broke rank. I took a halfhearted swipe at one as he ran past, but didn’t pursue when it missed. I continued to watch until all seven vanished into the darkness. Only then, did I return my attention to the woman.
The flames were closer now and I knew time was running out. I dropped my sword and shield, removed the dagger from the severed hand and jumped through the flames, falling and rolling as soon as my feet touched the ground. The heat, as I passed through the wall of fire, was beyond intense, but I landed safely inside the ring. I kicked several logs away from the stake. This bought me enough time to cut her down. She was shaking, but seemed physically unharmed.
Now that I was closer, I could better make out her features. She was attractive, in a casual way, though she was more than somewhat disheveled at the moment. Hair as red as the flame, or perhaps it only looked that way by its light. Her green eyes were wide with equal parts hope and desperation. I suspected her skin was fair beneath the soot.
She looked at me, then at the surrounding inferno. I could see the question in her eyes and it was a good one. Now that she was down, how would I get her out? I looked at her, then at the stake. I squatted with my back against the wood.
“Up you go.”
She hesitated only briefly, before placing a foot on each shoulder. She used the post for balance, as I straightened my legs. Sweat poured down my face and into my eyes. I blinked several times, but it didn’t help. Fortunately, the ring of fire was still a few feet away. I wasn’t looking forward to its arrival.
Graham moved toward the flames, until I could see the pain clearly on his face. Still, he didn’t flinch. Though he was outside the ring, he stood closer to it than I. For a pacifist, the giant was one of the bravest men I’d ever known.
“You’re going to have to jump,” I said. “I’m going to take a step in Graham’s direction and he’s going to catch you. Do you understand?”
She nodded, though she didn’t look happy. Not that she had a choice. Fortunately, she was small and thin enough for me to easily support. I took a step away from the post. She shifted her weight from the pole to my shoulders. I felt her hands on top of my head and winced as she clutched my hair to keep her balance. I moved slowly forward, until there was only a thin wall of flame separating us from the giant. The heat tore at me, but I forced myself another step closer, closing my eyes tightly against the pain.
Graham’s voice blared over the crackle of flames. “Jump. I’ll catch you.”
I opened my eyes just in time to see him pluck her from over the fire. I nodded approval, only now realizing rescuing myself would require some attention. I looked around for the thinnest and lowest portion of the inferno. Behind me, the flames had almost reached the post, which gave me an idea.
As I started to climb, the Sword of Truth spoke in my mind. He was still out there somewhere, beyond the flame. “This is suicide, Alaric.”
“You have a better idea?”
I spoke aloud, certain the roar of the flames would prevent my new companion from hearing. If Graham heard, it didn’t matter. He knew of my blade’s rather wry intelligence.
“I suppose not. It was nice knowing you.”
“As ever, your confidence in my abilities is staggering.”
The sword performed the mental equivalent of a shrug, which I only barely noticed. I had reached the top of the pole, which was fortuitously high. I was also fortunate the top was flat, giving me something to stand on, if only barely. It would simply be a matter of pushing myself away from it, hopefully over the fire. I could feel the top of the flames licking my legs and knew I was out of time. I drew a breath and jumped.
I felt the flames around me and then I was through. I hit the ground and rolled, hoping to quickly extinguish myself, in case I’d caught fire. Tindal was on his way to my aid, though I was already climbing to my feet, when he reached me. He looked at me with newfound respect.
“That was amazing.”
Graham was just behind him. “That was insane! Are you all right?”
I had to think about if for a few seconds. I realized I was hunched over and straightened to my full height. “I think I am. What about the girl?”
We turned to look at her. She sat off to the side, legs extended, rubbing her chafed wrists. I was not surprised she remained silent, as her throat was no doubt sore from recent activity. She rubbed her ankles as well, before making her way shakily to her feet.
She regarded us with some apprehension. It didn’t matter that we’d saved her. A woman alone in such a situation would be at our mercy, and until she could be certain of our intentions, she would be wary. I smiled to reassure her, though I think it only made her more nervous.
> “Are you all right?” I asked.
She nodded. “I will be. Thank you.” Not surprisingly, her voice was a low rasp.
“You’re fortunate we were close enough to come to your aid. I don’t suppose many people travel this road.”
“I will have to take your word for it, since I don’t know where I am.”
“You have a name?”
“I am called Aynslae.”
“Alaric Swifthand, at your service.”
She nodded, but remained silent.
“And how, Aynslae, is it that you happened to find yourself in your current situation?” asked Tindal. A note of suspicion tinged his voice.
“They attacked the caravan this afternoon, killed the family and took me.”
“This group took a caravan? I find that hard to believe. What about the guards?” he persisted.
“The guards were on their payroll. They stood by and drank beer during the attack.”
I gave Tindal a sharp look, hoping to silence him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I was just a servant and a mistreated one at that.”
Tindal turned and walked a few steps away. I could see he wanted to continue the interrogation, but he deferred to me, perhaps impressed by my performance. I don’t know what he was worried about. I couldn’t see this small woman as a physical threat, and we didn’t have anything worth stealing.
“You won’t be mistreated here. I’ve been on the wrong end of a whipping post once too often myself.”
It was her turn to be skeptical. I’m sure my appearance bespoke of no such mistreatment. I was determined to prove her wrong. “If you should decide to stay with us, I will protect you.”
She smiled sadly. “Why? I am nothing more than a servant. I have no recourse. I have no skills, no papers, I can’t read or write. I can not think but that you must have some hidden motive to treat a servant so.”
I thought about it. What she said was true. Without money, she couldn’t go off on her own and without our protection, she would fall prey to the first interested party. Indeed, why would I offer her protection without taking something in return. “Well, perhaps there is something you can do for me.”
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