TruthStone

by Mike Shelton

  “What he’s doing is not right, Shae.”

  Shaeleen rolled her eyes at her honorable brother but inside took joy at his sense of right and truth. She just shrugged as she watched Cole stride forward with singular purpose. In the blink of an eye, he was next to the boy—faster than Shaeleen thought should have been possible for Cole.

  A few others in the room had now turned their heads to look at Cole. Their surprise showed that they didn’t know where he had come from, and small whispers ensued around them. Cole put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and the boy froze and looked up at Cole. His light green eyes grew wide, but, to Shaeleen’s amazement, the boy didn’t try to run.

  Cole held his other hand out in front of him and said, “Give me the package.”

  “What package, sir?” the boy said. His accent was not from Galena but maybe from Antioch, if Shaeleen had to guess.

  “In your hand. The one you took from these good people.” Cole pointed at the table next to them. The nobles there had turned their heads and were taking in the exchange with interest.

  “Mother, my package is gone!” said a young woman at the table. “The necklace we just purchased in Stronghaven.”

  Cole raised his eyebrows at the boy and reached behind him to look for the package in his hands. The boy spun around and brought out both his hands in front of himself, with nothing in them.

  “You must be mistaken, sir,” the boy said with a small smirk. “I have nothing here.”

  Cole took a deep breath and turned the boy around. “Where is it?”

  The boy turned around in a swift, swirling motion and bent down under the table next to the nobles. When he came back up, the small package was in his hand. He offered it back to the young woman.

  “It must have fallen off your table, miss. I’m glad I found it for you.”

  The young woman took it and turned back to her parents, chattering about its contents. The rest of the room soon lost interest in the exchange, but Cole kept a hand on the boy’s shoulder and directed him over to the table where Shaeleen stood.

  He motioned for the boy to sit down with them and said, “I know what you did.”

  The boy raised his brows at Cole, grabbed a piece of bread, and stuffed it in his mouth. After chewing it and swallowing it down, he smiled. “Thanks for the food.” He began to stand up, but Cole shoved him gently back down.

  “Leave him alone, Cole,” Shaeleen said. “Can’t you tell he’s just a street urchin who slipped on board to get some food?”

  “I’m not a street urchin,” the boy said, his eyes flashing at them.

  Shaeleen didn’t feel any pain, and she gave a look to Cole that he immediately understood.

  “Then who are you?” Cole asked. “And no lies. She will know.” He pointed to Shaeleen.

  “My name is Orin. My father works on this ship.”

  Cole looked at Shaeleen, who nodded back. The boy was telling the truth.

  “And, did you take that package?” Cole asked, looking down menacingly at the boy.

  “No,” Orin said defensively.

  Shaeleen felt a sickening of her stomach with the force of Orin’s words. “You are not telling the truth, Orin.”

  “Yes, I am,” he said again.

  This time Shaeleen almost doubled over, but she tried to remember what she had learned about pushing the pain away.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Orin asked Cole. “She looks sick.”

  Shaeleen shook her head at Cole to have him not say anything.

  Cole seemed to struggle for the right words to say. “If I see you steal again, you will face punishment by the law, Orin,” Cole said. “You understand?”

  “Only if you see me steal,” Orin said with a smirk.

  Quick as lightning, Cole lifted the cap off the boy’s head and turned it upside down on the table. A few trinkets and some money fell out.

  For the first time, Orin looked afraid. “How…?” was all Orin could say.

  Cole laughed and turned to Shaeleen. “Shae, he’s got speed.”

  Shaeleen frowned, not quite understanding Cole.

  “He’s from Antioch and must have inherited some of the powers of the Garnet SpeedStone,” Cole said, keeping his voice low. “And I saw him.”

  Orin tried to grab back his stuff, but Cole moved faster. Shaeleen was surprised. This must be one of the powers he inherited as my guardian wizard.

  “But how?” Orin asked, looking more fearful now. “You’re not from Antioch. I can tell by your eyes and hair.”

  Cole didn’t answer Orin’s question but instead looked back at Shaeleen with understanding in his eyes. Turning back to the boy, he shoved the hat at him and kept the rest of the items out.

  “What are you going to do with those?” Orin asked.

  “Give them back to their rightful owners,” Cole said.

  Orin sat back in his chair with a loud huff. “That’s not fair.”

  “Fair?” Cole said. “You stole these from their proper owners.”

  “I only take what they don’t need. It’s boring on the ship. It helps to pass the time.”

  “And what do you do with all the items you steal, Orin?” Shaeleen asked, hoping he wouldn’t lie.

  The boy thought a moment, looked into Shaeleen’s eyes, and then stated, “I give them to others that don’t have much. Some use them to buy food.”

  Shaeleen felt compassion for what the boy had done. “You aren’t keeping them for yourself?”

  “No.” Orin’s head turned down in embarrassment. “I only steal to help others, miss. I’m not a bad person.”

  Shaeleen felt surprisingly well after his statements, for she had expected lies. She nodded to Cole. “You can go now, Orin.” Shaeleen wanted to talk to her brother alone.

  Orin stood up and gave a short bow to Shaeleen.

  “I’ll be watching you, Orin,” Cole said as he also stood up, to watch the boy move out of the room. When Cole sat back down, he shook his head and said, “That boy has no honor.”

  “But he isn’t keeping the items for himself, Cole,” Shaeleen said. “He is doing something that is good.”

  “The ends don’t justify the means, Shae.” Cole opened his arms out to the side. “That would give everyone the right to make up their own rules and laws. But there has to be order and stability.”

  “Cole, settle down. He’s only a boy, and the world is not always black and white—right or wrong.”

  Cole grunted and absently popped a grape into his mouth.

  “Do you know how fast you moved toward Orin?” Shaeleen said in a quiet voice, leaning closer to her brother.

  Cole nodded. “I just thought about what I wanted to do—get to that boy as quickly as I could. I felt a small stirring inside. Then I was there. Do you think anyone else noticed?”

  “Some noticed that you seemed to come from nowhere, but I don’t think they thought anything else about it.”

  Just then, Shaeleen had to grab onto the table with both hands as the ship rocked to the side. Others in the room gasped out loud, and one woman fell to the floor.

  Before Shaeleen could say anything, Cole was at the woman’s side, helping her up.

  “Are you all right, my lady?” he asked.

  The woman seemed slightly shaken up, but she nodded her head. “Yes, yes, I am quite fine now. Thank you, young man.”

  Cole waited until the woman was back in her seat and then walked back to Shaeleen.

  “Cole, you can’t keep doing that.” Shaeleen looked around the room. Off to one side sat a lone figure in a dark cloak, his head bowed. A hood covered his head, but he had the build of a man. Then he slowly brought his head up and stared hard at Cole.

  “I can’t help it, Shae,” Cole said.

  “Well, you have to,” Shaeleen snapped back harder than she’d intended. “Others are noticing.”

  Cole looked in the direction that Shaeleen had just been looking moments before, but there was no one there now.

&nbs
p; “There was a man there,” Shaeleen said. “He was staring at you as if he knew what you’d done. His eyes were light, like ours, Cole, and he had power in them. I’m not sure who he is.”

  Cole nodded. “We need to be more careful. You are right. I’m going to our room. I need to rest.” He stood up and then turned and surveyed the stolen items on the table. “Can you give these back to their owners?”

  Shaeleen let out a deep sigh. “Yes, Cole. I will.” Sometimes his sense of honor and right go far beyond reason.

  As she went around the room to find the owners of the items, Shaeleen thought about why she didn’t feel bad about the boy’s stealing. Why did that not hurt me? Is there a difference between what is true and what could be right?

  With that thought, she finished up in the mess deck and then went to join her brother in their shared room.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  It took Shaeleen and Cole a few days to reach North Bay, a typical seaport. Nestled in the corner of the Bay of Jalen, the city was on the border of the kingdoms of Galena and Gabor. And, as such, there were abundant soldiers in town on both sides of the border. Historically, there had been some bad blood between the two kingdoms. But, of late, things were quiet—almost too quiet. The soldiers seemed restless, and bar fights broke out constantly.

  Even though they now stood on dry land, Shaeleen still felt like she was moving back and forth. She was glad she didn’t get sick on the ship—besides during the lies she’d heard. They had seen Orin a few other times, but he had seemed to purposefully avoid them—especially with the looks Cole gave him.

  Today, the sun was warm and the air was thick with moisture from the sea. Shaeleen wiped her brow and motioned Cole toward the shade of a nearby building. The buildings here were different than the ones in Stronghaven. They were newer, for the most part, the port having grown in size over the last ten years or so. White was the predominate color here. And most of the buildings stood about three stories tall, with shops on the bottom and living quarters on top.

  “So, Shae, what’s first?” Cole asked.

  Shaeleen thought for a moment, pulling on the power of the IntelligenceStone to order her thoughts. “We need to find out where Prince Calix resides.”

  Cole nodded his head. “Well, let’s find an inn first. We will need a place to stay for at least a few days. I wonder what part of town is the best. Where would a lady of your stature stay?”

  “The prince’s quarter is where you want to be, my lady,” piped up a younger voice. Orin was peering around the corner.

  “Ah, Orin.” Shaeleen smiled. Then she squinted her eyes at him, wondering if they’d said anything that shouldn’t have been overheard. “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough to know I can help you.” Orin looked from Shaeleen to Cole. “At least, if your guard here will allow it,” he said, emphasizing guard in a way that made Shaeleen know that Orin knew more than he was letting on.

  Shaeleen glanced at Cole. “Well?”

  Cole nodded at her, showing that she was in charge. Then he spoke to Orin. “You must follow my rules. I guard the lady here and won’t abide any stealing, lying, or cheating.”

  “Is he always this way?” Orin asked Shaeleen.

  She laughed. “Oh, yes, Orin. He is very serious about protecting me and living up to his code of honor. I wouldn’t push him if I were you.”

  “I will require some payment up front,” Orin said.

  Cole opened his mouth to push back, but Shaeleen put her hand in the air and waved it in a brisk motion, saying, “Pay the boy, Cole. I have a feeling he will be useful.”

  Cole growled softly and reached toward his pocket to pay Orin. Before he could do so, Orin proceeded to take a small pouch out of his own pocket and hand it sheepishly over to Cole.

  “No hard feelings, sir.”

  Cole’s eyes went wide, and his face turned red.

  Shaeleen stifled a laugh behind her hand.

  “How did you…?” Cole asked. “That’s my pouch. Were you not going to tell me?”

  “I did tell you…well, I gave it back to you, anyway,” Orin said, his cap hiding his eyes. “Isn’t that the honorable thing to do?”

  “Why, you little…” Cole said as he stepped toward Orin, moving mere feet in the blink of an eye. But, when he reached the spot where Orin had been, the boy still stood a few feet away. Cole ground his teeth and jumped again, appearing at the boy’s side before Shaeleen could even figure out what was going on. Again, Orin still stood a few feet away from Cole.

  Shaeleen watched in wonderment as both of them used the power of the SpeedStone. Cole was turning red, and Orin had a big grin on his young, freckled face. Suddenly, Cole reached out his hand and, without touching him, knocked Orin to the ground. With two strides, Cole stood over the boy.

  “Don’t ever play games with me again, boy.”

  “Cole, Cole!” Shaeleen raced to her brother’s side. “What has got into you? What did you do?”

  “I don’t know, Shae,” Cole whispered in embarrassment, out of Orin’s hearing. “I don’t know how to control my new powers.”

  Quietly, Orin stood up on shaky feet, staring at Cole. He gave a small nod of respect. “Sir, I apologize for provoking you. I can tell you are much more than you seem.”

  Shaeleen ground her teeth in frustration. If Cole continued to use his newfound powers in public, rumors would start to spread.

  “Let’s go, you two.” Shaeleen crooked her finger at both of them. “No more bickering. Orin, you will act honorably with us or you will leave my employ immediately. Cole, you need to watch yourself and don’t let a mere boy goad you. I thought you had more sense than that. I am here on important business and can’t have this type of distraction.”

  Both Cole and Orin looked ashamed, and they mumbled their apologies to Shaeleen.

  “Well then,” Shaeleen continued. “Orin, show us the way to the prince’s quarter.”

  Cole shoved a few pieces of luggage into Orin’s hands. “It would not do for Lady Shaeleen to carry her own luggage.”

  Orin glared at him but took the luggage anyway. He struggled under its weight, but Shaeleen could tell that Orin would never admit it.

  After walking a few blocks away from the docks, they turned onto a larger street big enough for two carriages to pass each other. The street was made of smooth stone, with walkways on either side. The buildings here were still predominately white, but the awnings were colorful, with each shop showcasing its name in bright lettering.

  The fishy smells of the docks had faded behind them and was replaced here with something new and wonderful. Shaeleen stopped without warning and moved her head around, her nose in the air.

  “What is she doing?” Orin asked Cole.

  Cole grinned. “Looking for something sweet, I would assume. It’s her vice.”

  Shaeleen turned to the two. “I can smell something so delicious. Cinnamon and sugar…” She proceeded across the street and down two shops.

  When Shaeleen entered the bakery, the smell of sweet cinnamon bread filled the air. Shaeleen rushed to the counter and looked at all the cakes, pies, and breads they had for sale. Her stomach rumbled, and the portly man behind the counter laughed.

  “You sound hungry, miss,” the man said, wiping some stray flour off his arm. “If you don’t mind me saying, we have the best sweet cinnamon bread in all of North Bay.”

  Shaeleen had heard similar boasts before, but this time she felt the stirrings of truth. She motioned for Cole to play his part as her guard and protector. He stepped forward and opened his pouch of money. He sent a quick glare at Orin, as if to say, Stay away from my things.

  “Three of your finest please, sir,” Cole said, removing a silver coin from the pouch.

  The man brought out three of the largest sweet rolls Shaeleen had ever seen. Her mouth was watering just by having to wait the few precious moments for Cole to finish the transaction.

  Soon they sat themselves down at
a small table outside the store. Shaeleen was oblivious to anything else as she devoured the tasty treat. But, suddenly, she felt more than saw Cole stiffen, and then Orin, who was sitting beside her, gazed intently down the street.

  “We’re being followed, miss,” Orin said.

  Shaeleen looked at Cole. “He is correct, Shae. A man in a long, dark cloak lags behind us a few shops and looks in our direction.”

  With the pretense of using a cloth to wipe some stray crumbs off her face, Shaeleen turned slightly in her seat. She tried not to show her surprise but turned around slowly.

  “It’s the man from the ship,” Shaeleen said in a whisper. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Why would someone be following you?” Orin asked. “Aren’t you here to meet a suitor?”

  Without having to give a lie, she ignored the boy’s question and only asked one of her own: “How far until the inn, Orin?”

  “Another block,” Orin said. “Not far at all, but…”

  “Just show us the way.” Cole motioned them all to stand, and then they began to walk forward.

  “I’m going to go into this shop,” Cole said as he stopped in front of a leatherworker’s shop. “I need a new belt and scabbard for my sword.”

  Shaeleen rubbed her forehead. Cole was lying. But she didn’t want Orin to know, so Shaeleen nodded and motioned for Orin to stay with her. She knew Cole was going to try and get closer to the man that was following them. It was a smart thing to do, but she still worried about her brother.

  “I will meet you at the inn,” Cole said, his eyes telling Shaeleen to be careful.

  Shaeleen took Orin’s empty hand in hers, and they continued down the street. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Orin redden from the tips of his fingers to the ends of his ears. She smiled and pulled him along faster.

  Before getting too deep in the crowd, she glanced back and saw the man again. He was just passing the store Cole had gone into. The man’s eyes scanned over the area.

  “Hurry, Orin,” Shaeleen prodded. “That man is still following us.”

  Orin moved out in front and pulled Shaeleen along.