The Knight of the Red Beard

by Norton, Andre

  “What does this mean?” she asked Einaar.

  “Warkats come and go as they please, you know that,” he replied. “They have ever allied themselves with men when it suited them, as they did with my brother and also with Ashen. There is no longer need for them, and so they have returned to their home, somewhere in the far northern reaches.”

  “Well, they might have notified me,” Zazar said grumpily. “Weyse is heartbroken over Finola’s absence.”

  “She will figure out where her friend has gone. She will visit from time to time, and all will be well.”

  “Bjaudin NordornKing is lucky to have you as his most trusted friend and adviser,” Zazar said.

  “Thank you, Madame.”

  She turned somber. “They had a full life, didn’t they.”

  For a moment, Einaar seemed at a loss as to her meaning. “Oh. Gaurin and Ashen. Yes, they did.”

  “I only wish—Well, I wish I could have told them that I . . . that I loved them.”

  “I think they knew, Madame Zazar. I think they knew.”