by Dan Decker
“I barely remember her.”
“Well, the portraits still hang in the Council Chambers. Perhaps that will help.”
There were portraits of Jorad’s mother? That meant there were portraits of Adar as well. No wonder Adar didn’t need an introduction; his people would know him on sight. Soret had never known anybody wealthy enough to have a portrait done. Not even Erro’s parents had portraits.
Soret couldn’t help but stare at Jorad as if she was seeing him for the first time. His dark brown hair was tussled and standing on end, the clothes he wore were filthy and wrinkled, but he suddenly seemed something more.
That’s a stupid thought, she told herself. Why would his appearance change just because I know he comes from wealth and power? She felt a little foolish that she was so easily impressed and tried to push away the feeling.
Xarda turned to Soret. “Are you Jorad’s wife?” The question caught Soret off guard. Why would Xarda think that? She and Jorad had only just started spending time with one another; surely they weren’t bad enough to be mistaken for that?
She felt her cheeks blush and chanced a shy glance at Jorad, but he was still staring at the door. He hadn't heard the question. “We’re not married! I’m too young for that.”
“Don’t mind her too much.” Leron flashed a mischievous grin at Soret. “She's nosier then ten women combined!” He laughed. “Marriage is all Xarda thinks about. I’m just here to keep Xarda and Karn from—ouch! As I was saying, I’m just here to keep Xarda from seducing Karn. Poor man wouldn’t know what hit him. Ha!” Leron moved to avoid a punch from Xarda.
Soret couldn’t help but laugh; she cut it short when she realized that Jorad hadn’t joined her.
Chapter 12
Jorad gazed at Soret from across the table where they sat in the common room of the boarding house. They’d been talking quietly for nearly half an hour. The others had disappeared, and he’d been trying to make use of the time to convince Soret to leave Neberan, but she’d been more intent on asking him questions about Rarbon. She was fascinated with Xarda and had focused on the female Radim for some time. They’d fallen silent, and he’d been thinking of new ways to approach the point he wanted to make to her.
He inhaled and caught an aroma of something cooking in the nearby kitchen. He wasn't sure what Harri was cooking up, but it smelled delicious, and he was ravenous. He hadn't eaten much today and was feeling a little bit lightheaded. If he didn’t eat something before they left tonight, he’d regret it. They had a long road ahead of them, and he didn’t want to start on an empty stomach. He made a mental note to make sure to get some of Harri’s food; it would be at least two weeks before he’d have another opportunity to eat a decent meal.
The evening was still warm, but that wouldn’t last long. He could see gray clouds through the window and wondered if it would rain. As he watched, the sun broke through the clouded skyline and shone between the mountains of the Pinta Peaks. It was already close to the horizon, night was coming fast. Where had his last day in Neberan gone?
He sighed. There was too much on his mind at the moment to think properly. There were things he didn't understand, and he wished for a moment alone with Adar to try to dig out more details about the death of his mother, but so far hadn’t been able to make that happen. There was a lot he didn't know, and he wondered what other surprises lay in wait for him.
He had never known that his mother had been found with another man. It bothered him that Adar had neglected to mention this particular detail. He could understand why Adar hadn't brought it up, but it had happened years ago, and it would have been nice to hear it from Adar. For his part, Adar had been adamant that Nelion was faithful to him. He'd even gone so far as to imply that Tere had been the one to set him up. If Adar suspected that, why was he willing to make a truce with Tere?
It grated on Jorad that Adar had been planning this day for years, making arrangements and all the while counting on Jorad to be ready and willing. When he went to Rarbon, could he avoid becoming his father’s pawn?
He shook his head and pushed the questions away. These thoughts were getting him nowhere. Their original plan to leave today was still in place as far as he knew. Perhaps once they got out on the road, Jorad would find some time to get Adar to talk.
Adar still hadn't returned, and Jorad wondered if he and Tere had found somewhere to continue their fight. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Jorad didn’t like Tere and didn’t relish the thought of making the trip back to Rarbon with those that had tried to kill his father.
He turned his attention back to Soret. She was more relaxed than before, which meant that she didn’t believe him that the Hunwei had returned. The Hunwei were scouting Neberan out for a reason, and he didn't know how long they had, but if he could get her away tonight, he'd feel better about leaving.
“It’s not safe here,” Jorad said. “Whether you come with me or not, you need to leave. Convince Barc and Hira to go to the mountains. Take enough provisions to last for several months, maybe longer.” Barc's store would have more than enough supplies for them, and he had the horses to carry everything. They could get away tonight if they hurried.
Soret shook her head. “The mountains? My father wouldn’t last a week. Besides, how do you want me to convince them?”
“Tell them you want to see the countryside.”
The door to the inn opened, and Jorad turned expecting to see Adar and Karn. Instead, he saw Thon and several of the town guard. Erro wasn’t with them, so he turned his attention back to Soret.
“What if we come with you?” Soret asked. Her question surprised Jorad; did she really think she could convince her parents? Had she decided to believe him about the Hunwei?
No, that wasn’t it. The look in her eyes told him that she was thinking about Rarbon.
The guards approached their table, and he looked up into Thon’s face and could tell that there was going to be trouble. Thon’s eyes were bloodshot and his lips drawn back as if he intended to bite somebody. He still wore his big sword on his back, and there were six other guards with him. Jorad recognized all of them but didn't know any of their names. He all of the sudden got a bad feeling. Had Erro found the other wanted poster? That one that resembled him a little bit more?
Jorad took several deep breaths to calm his anger. It didn’t matter what Erro had done, Jorad was not going to take it out on these guards. Thon was a good man, and he was just doing his job.
Thon placed his hands on the table and leaned down. “You’re coming with us. We should have listened to Erro.”
“What did Erro say now?” Soret asked.
“Bram is dead,” Thon said. That took Jorad by surprise. Who was Bram? Thon’s face contorted as he continued to speak. “Stabbed a dozen times. Take him.” He motioned to the other guards who grabbed Jorad from his chair, one of whom snatched away his sword. Jorad allowed it to happen without a fight; it would only make matters worse if he hurt the guards. Erro was probably hoping Jorad would do just that. It wouldn’t matter if it came out that somebody else was this Bram fellow’s murder if Jorad cut up half the guard when they tried to take him into custody.
“I haven’t killed anybody.” Jorad didn’t know who this Bram fellow was, but Erro’s jealousy was insane if he was trying to pin this man’s murder on Jorad. Perhaps it was Erro who had been the one that killed Bram.
Jorad saw the swing coming and tightened the muscles in his abdomen. Thon’s punch took Jorad in the stomach. Melyah! His arm was like a battering ram. Soret yelped as Jorad doubled over, gasping for breath. The guards continued to hold him though Jorad saw looks of disapproval on several of their faces. Whether it was aimed at Thon or him, he didn’t know.
Thon hit him in the head, and he saw stars. It was quickly followed by another to his gut again. Jorad struggled to breathe and felt like he was about to pass out. After several painful seconds, he was on the cusp of panicking when he managed to get some air into his lungs. He breathed again.
It felt like everything else in the world was pushed away as he struggled for another breath. Nothing matter more than being able to suck in another lungful of air.
“That’s enough,” one of the other guards said.
“Bram was a friend and a good man,” Thon said. “You’re not getting away with this.”
“I didn’t even know Bram, why would I kill him?” Jorad continued gasping. It took some effort, but he managed to straighten out. The hunger he'd been feeling earlier had been replaced with nausea, and his head hurt as if it had been hit with a hammer.
Several of the guards looked uncertain about Thon’s behavior, but none of them looked ready to interfere. Jorad thought of his daggers under his coat and in his boots. If Thon kept this up, Jorad would be forced to protect himself. He was certain he'd be able to take out Thon, but the six other men posed a problem he couldn’t handle alone and unfortunately there wasn’t anybody else in the room with him other than Soret. She came into view and the look of concern and anger she wore weakened his resolve to attack. She might end up hurt if he retaliated.
“You pretended to find his body,” Thon said. “How stupid do you think we are?”
Jorad had forgotten about the corpse they’d found while on patrol. Adar must have reported it. It was a safe bet that this was who Thon was referring to. “Think about this. If I killed him, why would we report his murder?”
Soret tried to step towards Jorad, but a guard pushed her back and caused her to trip on a chair leg.
“Leave her alone!” Jorad said as she fell to the ground. He tried to free himself from the guards, but they held him tightly. Thon had appeared to be looking for an excuse and this was it. He grabbed Jorad away from the other guards and slammed him into a wall, cracking his head and blurring his vision.
When Jorad could see again, he noticed that the common room, which had been almost empty before, had begun to fill with people. He struggled to free himself from Thon’s grasp, but several of the other guards latched onto him as well and the anger that Jorad had been trying to keep at bay was finally released. As Jorad gasped, he managed to wrench his arm free and grabbed for a dagger. He hoped Soret wouldn't get hurt, but he couldn't let Thon kill him. Before he could grasp it, his arm was again secured by one of the guards.
Jorad tried to knee Thon in the groin but missed and hit his leg. It only served to make him angrier. Thon slammed a ham-sized fist into Jorad’s chest.
“Baurn!” Thon said to the guard that had pushed Soret. “Help her up.”
Through his blurred vision, Jorad saw the guard that Thon had called Baurn hold a hand out to Soret but she sneered and stood without help. There was a tense moment when Jorad could tell that Soret was thinking of doing something to Baurn, but it passed, and she turned away.
Jorad took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Kneeing Thon had been foolish. The next time he attacked, it would have to be a killing blow. That meant he had to get to a dagger and attack immediately if he was to have any chance of success. Thon wasn't going to let him leave this room alive. Jorad could see it in his eyes.
“Thon! Has Kore possessed you?” Anny screeched. She must have just entered the room, but Jorad hadn’t seen it happen. “Get out of my house. Now!” She was breathing heavily, her apron straining under each breath. She waved a large wooden spoon at Thon. “Get out!”
“Jorad murdered Bram and he's resisting arrest.”
“He was complying until you started beating him!” Soret stepped towards Thon; she looked ready to slap him.
“Are you cotton-brained?” Anny asked. “Jorad isn’t a murderer! Bram was always fooling around with other men’s women. Why don’t you look to them?”
“Multiple people saw Jorad arguing with Bram last night near the place where his body was found.” Thon spoke through clenched teeth.
“Is Erro your main witness?” Jorad asked, hoping to distract Thon by continuing the conversation. Thon’s glare was answer enough. The guard holding Jorad's left arm looked the weakest, if Jorad freed it, he could grab the dagger he kept on his right side. “I was with Adar last night. Did Erro mention anything about him?” Jorad eyed the guard who looked uneasy holding his sword but the man was too far away. He put the sword out of his mind. His best hope was one of his daggers.
Thon growled. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
Jorad noticed Xarda and Leron enter the room as the insanity of the last couple of days came crashing down on to him. His insides swirled in turmoil and he found himself opening and closing his hand. As his anger spiked, he almost reached for his dagger prematurely. His head hurt, and he was still having trouble breathing. He took another breath, trying to calm down. His timing would have to be right for this to work. He'd only have one shot.
Jorad stared into the eyes of Thon. His normally friendly face was pulled back into a scowl, and his eyes were determined.
Would Leron and Xarda join the fight when Jorad attacked? He closed his eyes, took a breath, and released it again. This had all happened because of Erro, the bitter, jealous fool.
“Erro is manipulating you,” Jorad said opening his eyes. “Bram--”
“Don't you dare utter his name!” Thon put his hands around Jorad’s neck. From the corner of his eye, Jorad saw Xarda pull a dagger out and hold it to her side as she approached. Leron was right behind her. They both wore the look of people headed into battle. Jorad was grateful for their presence. The guards wouldn’t be expecting them so they may have a chance at overcoming all of them.
“Leave him alone!” Soret screamed.
Thon continued to squeeze, and Jorad gasped as he struggled, all thought of his plan to attack pushed out of his mind by his desire to breathe. His head was starting to spin. It wouldn’t be long now before he blacked out.
Anny screamed at the other guards. “You can’t let Thon kill him!”
“Thon, let go.” Jorad recognized Baurn through his fading vision. “Once you’ve calmed down, you’ll see I’m right.”
“I won’t regret this!” Thon said.
Anny came up, stood right beside Thon, and touched his shoulder. “This is wrong.” Xarda was only a foot away from Thon now, but she waited. Jorad tried to speak, he wanted to urge her to attack, but all that came out was a groan.
Thon let go, snarling as he did. Baurn and the others dragged Jorad to the door as he gasped for breath. He’d never realized how much breathing meant to him and it was something he wasn’t going to take for granted again. He took breath after breath. The more air he got into his lungs, the hotter his temper became.
Thon wasn't any calmer either. Several of the guards were standing at his side, and one placed a hand on Thon's arm. Thon didn't take his eyes off Jorad as he swatted the man’s hand away. Thon would come at him again, Jorad didn't have any doubt. The attack had been delayed, but it hadn't been stopped.
Jorad's eyes locked onto Soret. Her eyes were red, and her face was covered with worry. Xarda and Leron stood at her side. He had to get her out of Neberan, and he couldn't let his anger get in the way of that. He focused on breathing. When Thon came at him again, Thon would come at a time when he would be certain to win. Jorad would have to be ready. That meant watching and waiting. That meant letting logic take control again.
“Who is going to pay for the damage?” Anny demanded.
Baurn avoided Anny’s glare as he took in the room and muttered. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Sorry.” He nodded and motioned towards the door.
“The mayor will hear about this,” Anny said.
“Jorad--” Soret began.
Jorad cut her off. “Tell Adar.”
As the guards led him out the door, Jorad resisted the urge to feel his face, which felt as if it was a bloody pulp, or rub his neck, which he was sure had imprints from Thon’s hands. He swallowed. For a moment there, he'd been wondering if he’d ever be able to swallow again. The sun was almost down, and he checked the sky, hoping that the Hunwei didn’t choose tonig
ht to come. It was still cloudy and thank Melyah, he didn’t see any ships.
Chapter 13
When the setting sun covered the street in shadow, Adar naturally became more alert. Ruder had mentioned to Jorad that the Hunwei attacked Wasat at night, but Adar didn't know if that meant that they preferred to attack at night or if he was reading too much into it. Regardless, he couldn't stop from becoming more wary of the possibility as the sky became darker. The Hunwei had scouted out Neberan less than a day before. How long would they wait before attacking? What preparations would they need to make?
“Your father remarried,” Karn said disturbing Adar’s thoughts, he was walking beside Adar. “You have a half-brother.”
“I heard.” It made sense that Abel had felt the need for another heir. When Adar had heard that particular rumor, he hadn’t had trouble believing it. Once he was out of the picture that would have been one of the first things on Abel’s agenda to secure his power and position. As long as there was another Rahid in line to succeed, it would be far easier for him to maintain his influence. By the sound of it, Abel hadn’t even waited a month before announcing his engagement.
Several small children ran by, drawing Adar’s attention. He frowned. Considering the size of Neberan and the town’s lack of defenses, there couldn’t be much that the Hunwei would need to do before they were ready. He was beginning to wonder if he should just treat Neberan as already lost since he’d already done what he could. He’d warned everybody that he’d come in contact with today and had even sought out the mayor. There hadn’t been a single person who had believed him or been willing to listen beyond the first sentence or two. The only thing to do now was to focus on moving forward. He needed to get Deren’s tablet and send Jorad on his way to Rarbon.
One of the children cried out from behind him, and his heart wrenched with sorrow. He resolved that he wouldn’t stop warning anybody that would listen, but he knew that he would continue to still receive scorn and disbelief for his troubles.
