by Kris Hiatt
“I may have been wrong about you,” Tabor said, moving up beside Treace.
“I let him win, sir.”
“That’s obvious. I meant that after your actions against Drokier, I thought you were selfish and only thought about yourself, not for the good of others. But judging by what you did for Liern, and the smile on his, and his father’s face, maybe I was wrong about you,” Tabor said, walking away before Treace could reply.
“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for my son,” Liernin’s wife, Amana said.
She was at least as old as her husband, but the years were not as kind to her as they were him. He still had a full head of hair, salt and pepper, yet the wrinkles on his face made him look more distinguished. The grey hair and wrinkles on Amana didn’t do the same for her; they just made her look like an average older woman. But when she smiled, like she was at Treace just then, he could see what it was that had drawn Liernin to her in the first place. When she smiled, even with all the wrinkles and grey hair, she was still beautiful. He knew that Liern was her second child, her first dying at birth years ago, which explained the reason for having Liern at an age older than most other women.
“I did what I could, my lady,” Treace said, bowing slightly.
“And you did a wonderful job,” Liernin said, walking up to join them, putting his arm around his wife’s waist.
“That’s why you hired me,” Treace said.
“True, but we both know the outcome wasn’t because of his training, but yours.”
“Then he did just what you paid him for, dear,” Amana said, not understanding the truth.
“He has earned every piece,” Liernin agreed.
“He is bright, and has a good heart,” Treace told them.
“And he has taken to you,” Liernin said.
“It’s true, he talks about you all the time,” Amana said.
“I don’t think he’s the only one who’s taken a liking to you,” Liernin said, jutting his chin to Treace’s right.
“You stop that,” Amana said, slapping her husband on the shoulder and pushing him away as a beautiful young lady walked up to Treace. Her curly brunette hair bounced as she walked toward him and her blue dress was trimmed with a white lace that he had seen before. As beautiful as the young lady in front of him was, his mind raced back to a yellow dress and the lovely lady that wore it while standing on a bridge that spanned a river.
“I finally get to meet The Wolf,” she said, extending her hand.
“At your service,” Treace said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle shake.
“I see, and not fully tamed,” she said, tilting her head to the side and furrowing her brow for just a second.
Treace wasn’t sure what she was referring to, and his attention drifted just off to her side, where Liern and his three friends were standing and talking excitedly. One of them gave Liern a high five.
Treace’s mind snapped and whirled back to the past.
He was lying on his side on the ground, his head hurt profoundly and blood covered his eye. He could see a rock in front of him and in the distance he could see Wren giving a high five to one of his friends.
After these years, the memory of what actually put him in the medical finally came crashing down upon him. Somehow, it didn’t surprise him; Wren always was very mean to him, why wouldn’t he be involved in Treace’s accident? That explained why no one saw anything; not a single one of Wren’s friends would cross him on that. They backed his story to the letter, whatever it was, but that didn’t matter now. He remembered.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said, bringing him back from his thoughts.
“You didn’t, and it’s not you, but I need to go,” Treace told her and left.
He went to his new quarters on the third floor to be alone so he could think. He was placed in one of the guest rooms during his service with the baron, and found it to be absurdly lavish; he could live for years off the money he could get by selling everything in the room. But, he had to admit, the chair he sat in was wonderfully comfortable, even if he could barely hear his fingers drumming on the arm through the fabric. It was a great place to practice finding The Calm, and even practicing the Path of Heart, which he had been doing since given the room shortly after becoming the baron’s personal guard.
Wren was a shit, he knew that, and his memory of what happened didn’t do anything but add to that. He was a bully, and while Treace despised bullies, he couldn’t do anything about it now, and that fact only made it worse. Why did he attack him anyway? Was it out of just pure malice? Did Treace do something to Wren he didn’t remember? He knew the reason; it was just Wren being Wren, and it bothered him.
It bothered him that he had gotten away with it, and it bothered him more, however, because he found he didn’t like the feeling of wanting to do something, to make something right, but unable to do so. So he simply went to bed, thinking of Wren, Exodin, Jensen, his mother, all his friends, and of course, Emiah, who often found her way into his mind.
He thought of Moff, who he had still not seen, and after being well over a month late in his return, Treace guessed his friend had finally decided to completely quit the College and sit back in Kadenton having fun, drinking it up with his family, and leaving his friends from College behind.
He supposed that was probably for the best, though, he was able to concentrate on his new job, and didn’t think the baron would appreciate someone with a hangover using weapons around his child.
Still, though, he couldn’t help but think of Moff and how he missed being around him. Life sure had a way of mixing things up on you. Just when you thought you knew how something was going to go, it turned out to be far from what you expected.
He missed his family. He missed his friends, and, he had to admit, he was angry that Moff didn’t at least tell him his plan to leave. Most of all, though, he was angry with Wren.
It took him many hours to fall asleep.
Chapter 21
“This isn’t a practice sword, and no one will be faking a fight. If you pull this from its scabbard, you better intend on using it. No playing around with it, understand?” Treace asked Liern as he strapped a short sword on the boy’s hip. The numerous ships creaked with the gentle waves behind him, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before they boarded the one the baron claimed as his own. It was clearly the most well-crafted and expensive ship in the harbor. Intricate designs were etched all along the wood and the sail had the largest emblem he had ever seen sewn into it.
“I know, Treace,” he replied.
Treace understood why Liernin would want his son to wear a real sword; the boy was twelve and had learned to use it, somewhat at least. It would look odd if he weren’t wearing a sword on his hips, so Treace had Smith make a new sword, this one slightly shorter and much thinner than a traditional sword. That way, Liern could wield it easier. He wanted two swords, as Treace wore, but Treace was firmly against that; he could barely control one sword, let alone two. In the end, the boy was happy enough to be wearing a real sword and going with his father on an important meeting. Treace was against Liern joining them as well, but Liernin was set on getting his son as much experience as possible in matters that pertained to being a baron.
“If anything happens to the baron or little Liern here, since I won’t be there to protect them, I’m holding you responsible,” Tabor told Treace as he finished buckling the sword on the boy.
Tabor was selected by Liernin to stay behind and was in charge of the day to day operations while the baron was gone.
“So will I,” Treace said.
“Then at least we agree.”
Treace knew Tabor felt slighted, having not been chosen to teach Liern, and because he wasn’t selected to be the baron’s personal guard. He had made it a point to tell Treace that on several occasions, usually saying he would have been the better choice due to his relationship with the family and all his years of experience. Treace thought his
relationship was the biggest reason it would be a huge mistake, but he never responded to Tabor’s words.
“Nothing will happen to him ma’am, I promise,” Treace said to Amana, who had been watching everything to that point in silence. “It’s only a meeting.”
“See that you keep that promise. And after being the wife of a baron for many years, I’ll tell you that meetings never go the way you want or predict. Sometimes they last for hours or days, sometimes mere minutes and tempers sometimes flare. We don’t really know the brothers at the College, so you better be ready, just in case,” she said, kissing Liern’s forehead and moving off to say goodbye to her husband.
Treace nodded his response and put his arm around Liern and hugged him against his side. Liern looked up smiling and while Treace knew she spoke from experience, he had a man on the inside at this meeting; dozens in fact. He thought the only thing to worry about was Shamir; the brothers were all on his side. Besides, even if Tabor wasn’t there, Liernin had a dozen guards with him. Half of those dozen being members of the Elite Guard, including Primain and Treace. He would be safe.
“Here, eat this,” Treace told Liern, handing him a few slices from the root he purchased once he found they would be going by sea.
“What is it?”
“Ginger. It helps so you won’t throw up on the ship. It’s not pleasant, I assure you,” Treace said, munching on a few of the slices. The flavor was powerful, and he hoped Marn was telling the truth about the root.
“It’s not very tasty,” Liern said, chewing on some of the root.
“It’s not that bad,” Treace said, looking at Archbishop Vrindel, who had convinced Liernin to let him come along. He had told the baron that if the leaders of two respective cities and the leader of the College were there, then it only made sense that the leader of the Church should also be involved in the discussions. His gaudy robes hung around him, and Treace hoped the Church would never absorb the College, if for no other reason than so he wouldn’t have to wear robes like those.
“Alright, let’s go, Kilindric’s waiting,” Liernin said from the front of the line.
“Go give her a hug,” Treace told Liern a few seconds later, indicating his mother. As soon as the order was given to leave, the boy looked directly at his mother and kept his eyes on her.
He did as Treace told him, running over to give his mother a long hug before running to catch back up to Treace in line.
“If my mother were here, I’d hug her before we left,” Treace said, seeing the red in the boy’s face.
“You would?”
“Absolutely. There’s no shame in showing love for someone, especially your parents, no matter how old or young you are.”
“Where is your mother, Treace?” Liern asked.
“Home, in Lake City I guess.”
“Oh. Do you miss her?”
“Every day that I’m gone,” he said, thinking of her.
They boarded the ship and settled in; the baron talking with the ship’s captain, who Treace didn’t recognize, and Liern with him, listening to every word.
“Did you say you were from Lake City?” Primain asked.
“I did, though I didn’t know you heard.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to listen in, it’s just that I was in front of you in line and couldn’t help it. You know, no one knows much about you, so I thought I’d ask.”
“Not much to tell, really. I’m from an area that is nothing like Haven; as a kid we had to worry about a few drunks and the local wildlife, that’s about it. No one stole from each other and there weren’t any murders.”
“You say that like it happens all the time here.”
“Even once a year is too much,” Treace told him.
“True,” Primain said. “But is that where you learned to fight?”
“Yes, I was taught by my friend, Exodin. A good man, and a great teacher.”
Primain and another guard, both of whom were older than Treace, looked at each other with slightly surprised looks.
“What is it?” Treace asked.
“He’s got a scar down his nose?” Primain asked, running his finger along the ridge of his nose.
“Yes,” Treace said, remembering the scar.
The two exchanged looks again and the other guard, whose name Treace couldn’t remember, shook his head slightly at Primain.
“He tell you he was from here in Haven?”
“No.”
The other guard looked hard at Primain, who only sighed before nodding his head.
“Listen,” Primain said.
“No,” the other guard said, interrupting Primain, shaking his head.
“He has a right to know, and I’m gonna tell him,” Primain said, staring at the man unblinkingly.
The other man sighed and shook his head before relenting.
“Fine, but I want no part in it,” he said and went to another part of the ship.
“Listen,” Primain said again, this time turning to face the rail and looking over its edge and down into the water. He spoke quietly and even Treace had to strain just to hear over the sounds of the ship on the sea. “Exodin was Drokier’s protégé, his number one student.”
“Exodin was in the guards here?” Treace asked more loudly than he intended.
“Yes, but don’t interrupt and listen closely, you shouldn’t speak his name so loudly again, either,” Primain said, looking around to see if anyone else had heard.
Treace had no idea that Exodin was from Haven, or even a part of the guards, and was even more lost as to why he shouldn’t speak his name.
“As I said, he was Drokier’s number one, and in many aspects, he was his equal. I fought Exodin on several occasions, and only managed to defeat him once, and I’ll admit that it was by luck that I did so. Now I know why you’re so good,” Primain said.
“But, that’s not the point. The point is that Exodin fell in love with Tabor’s daughter. In fact, he had gotten her pregnant.”
“He has a child?” Treace asked, not believing it.
“Had a child, and stop interrupting, this is going to take long enough and you’ll have even more questions at the end that I probably can’t answer,” Primain told him.
Treace wondered what he meant by had a child, and even if they were talking about the same Exodin, and thought about describing him, but decided not to interrupt and let Primain finish. He didn’t even know that Tabor had a daughter; the man never spoke of her and Treace didn’t remember ever seeing him with a woman young enough to be his daughter.
“Tabor and Drokier were close, despite the fifteen years or so difference between them. Tabor’s daughter was several years younger than Drokier was, but he was infatuated with her. Somehow, he convinced Tabor to allow him to marry her, an arranged marriage, which doesn’t happen that often anymore, so Drokier must have offered something quite valuable.”
Treace remembered the pained look on Exodin’s face when he first asked if he had a woman in his life. Must be the pain was due to loving someone and losing them to another man.
“Exodin and Relandra met in secret, so neither Tabor nor Drokier knew of their love. Exodin wanted to tell Tabor, but Relandra must have put a stop to it, because as far as I know, Tabor never knew until it was too late,” Primain said, scrunching his face as if trying to remember the details.
Treace didn’t think what happened in the story sounded like something the man he knew would do.
“Now, you have to remember, Exodin was still fairly young then, barely even twenty I think, and Relandra was a couple years younger than he was. I don’t know all of the details; I only know what Exodin told me and what little Tabor and Drokier mentioned after the fact.”
Treace hoped Primain would get to the point already, the suspense was killing him. What happened to cause Exodin to leave his love and his child? How did Drokier take being slighted by another man?
“Once Relandra became with child, they had to tell the truth, and Tabor was quite angry
with the two of them. He almost kicked Exodin out of the guard, and probably would have if it wasn’t the only source of income for his daughter and upcoming child. If you thought Tabor was mad, Drokier was furious. You could only imagine their friendship came to an abrupt end.”
Treace could surely imagine that.
“Anyway, nine months later, Relandra went into labor and it was a difficult one. She was in the medical for nearly two days. In the end though, she died during the birth, and sometimes God punishes us all, because the child she borne was also dead,” Primain said, looking down at his feet.
Treace couldn’t believe it. No wonder Exodin looked so pained. Not only did he lose the love of his life, but he lost a child along with her. He couldn’t imagine how his friend must have felt, and most likely still did.
“Both Tabor and Drokier blamed him for her death, and the death of the child, which is stupid, but I guess under such circumstances, anger and grief don’t always make for a clear mind. Drokier attacked Exodin and gave him that scar you see down the ridge of his nose. He nearly died that night as well, because Drokier surprised him and when his sword came in at his face, Exodin didn’t even have a weapon on him. He managed to duck back, mostly out of the way, and ran before Drokier could finish the job.”
Treace thought it must be a terrible scar for Exodin to have. Not only did he have the memory of what happened, but he was reminded whenever he saw his own reflection or felt his face. He felt very sorry for his friend.
“Tabor calmed Drokier somehow, that part’s not really clear, but it was later decided that Exodin had to leave the guards and leave the city. No one really knew where he went, and I suppose it’s for the better. I don’t think Drokier has ever forgiven him, and Tabor probably hasn’t either. Who knows what Drokier would do if he knew where he was, especially now that he’s got nothing better to do.”
Treace knew all too well what Primain was talking about.
“Anyway, I thought you deserved to know about him. I’d want to know if I were in your shoes.”
