Knight of Valor: Knights of Valor

by Elizabeth Drake

  The barkeep’s hands shook, and he spilled the ale he was pouring. He wiped it up as his eyes fixed on the golden dragon etched into Sir Marcus’s armor. “Everything’s fine.”

  “I’m just passing through, but if there’s something you need, something the village needs, I can help.”

  The barkeep paused a moment too long. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Sir Marcus nodded and carried two ales over to the table Brelynn occupied. He glanced back at the barkeep, and Marcus dropped his voice to a whisper. “He knows something.”

  She swirled the liquid in her glass. “They all do, but your dragon crest scared them. Did you see the way they stared at it?”

  Marcus frowned. “It shouldn’t. Unless they were in on what happened.”

  “Anyone other than a Knight of Valor wear an insignia like that?”

  “No.”

  “You’re sure?” Brelynn asked.

  “The penalty is death if they do.”

  “And you catch them.” She blew out a breath. “A harsh punishment.”

  “We expect people to trust us, so we have to make sure they can. Impersonating a Knight of Valor is a crime against the Crown and the gods.”

  Brelynn glanced at the barkeep. “I don’t think he’s in on Three Rivers. He seems more ‘pee your pants’ scared, not ‘I’m about to get caught’ scared.”

  “No one else stuck around either.”

  “If whatever happened to Three Rivers was a warning, it worked to silence them.”

  Sir Marcus frowned into his glass. “Reminds me of the lands the lich once ruled.”

  “Makes sense. The same evil magic is here.” Brelynn sipped her ale then pushed her mug away. She slid Marcus’s away from him as well. “Don’t drink it.”

  His frown deepened. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Protection spell doesn’t like it. A rule that keeps people alive in Oskelez is if something doesn’t seem right, it’s poisoned. Yetha root’s a favorite.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Used on the unwary. Doesn’t kill you, but it knocks you unconscious. Steals a day’s worth of memories, too.”

  Sir Marcus slammed a fist on the table. “This is Tamryn. Such things don’t happen here, especially not if they recognized me as a Knight of Valor.”

  The barkeep jumped, and Brelynn’s stomach churned. Sir Marcus’s righteous anger scared her more than Mokkar Calmont’s temper.

  Before the Knight could confront the barkeeper, Brelynn threw her arms apart and knocked over both of their ales. “Don’t let on that you know about the drinks,” she whispered.

  The barkeep hurried over to clean up the mess. “Let me get you another ale.”

  “Thanks, but we should go,” Sir Marcus said.

  “No chance there’s an inn around here?” Brelynn stifled a fake yawn. “It’s been a long ride, and too many days on horseback is making me clumsy.”

  “I’m sure his lordship would be more than happy to put up a fellow Knight of Valor.” The barkeep glanced at the spilled ales.

  “Fellow Knight?” Sir Marcus asked.

  Brelynn raised her brows, but Sir Marcus shook his head and silenced her question.

  “You can both rest and have another ale while I send my son to announce you.”

  “No need for such formality between Knights.” Sir Marcus stood and hefted his shield. “Tell me how to get there, and we’ll go see him.”

  The ale-soaked rag dangled from the barkeep’s hand as he gave them directions then watched them leave.

  Brelynn’s protection spell whispered around her as they exited the inn, and the hair at the nape of her neck prickled.

  Something wasn’t right.

  Sir Marcus terrified the locals. Knights of Valor were Tamryn’s champions. Men and women devoted to Dracor, god of justice and righteousness.

  And Sir Marcus was the Hero of Tamryn. The Great Lich Slayer.

  People should be out cheering him, or at least buying him drinks. Treating him as the priest and his family had.

  What the different response meant wasn’t clear, but between that and Three Rivers, she could draw a few conclusions.

  A cold lump hardened in her stomach.

  As they rode out of town, the sensation of being watched intensified, and Brelynn glanced behind them. “Any Knights stationed out here?”

  “I don’t know the assignment roster, but this area doesn’t seem populated enough to have a dedicated Knight of Valor. It’s possible a Knight retired out here.”

  “Do all Knights still live by those oaths even if retired?”

  “Yes, just as we must always abide by the code of conduct. Once you join the Knighthood, you join for life. The punishments are severe if a Knight of Valor breaks our code.”

  “How severe?”

  “We expect people to trust us, to come to us with anything that troubles them, and to be honest with us. To break that trust…” His mouth set in a grim line. “The punishment must fit the crime.”

  She remembered their first meeting in Eskara and how he’d expected her to trust him. The Knights of Valor had a reputation for a reason, a reputation they would protect, especially from one of their own. She almost had sympathy for this Knight. Almost, then she remembered Three Rivers.

  Chapter 29

  Sir Marcus and Brelynn followed the barkeep’s directions to a large house surrounded by fields and several out-buildings. It was easy enough to mistake the house as a farmer’s dwelling, but the horses grazing in the pasture were meant for riding not pulling a plow, the lawns surrounding the house were manicured, and no livestock were visible.

  Cold tingled over Brelynn, and she shifted in her saddle. Only a whisper, and she might not have recognized it if she hadn’t broken his spell, but the same necromancer that destroyed Three Rivers had cast something here recently.

  Before she could warm him, Sir Marcus dismounted, strode up to the front door, and knocked.

  A servant answered, and she twisted her hands in her apron when she saw his dragon crest. “Yes, m’lord?”

  “I’m here to see the master of the house. I understand he’s a fellow Knight of Valor.”

  “Aye, he’s a Knight, m’lord. Let me see if he’s taking visitors.”

  Sir Marcus stepped into the foyer, and Brelynn trailed behind him.

  A crystal chandelier too large for the room hung above them, and a thick carpet cushioned their steps. An eclectic array of expensive and highly polished furniture stuffed the rooms beyond while expensive artwork fought for space on the walls. The scent of beeswax and stale cigars teased their noses.

  It was quite a contrast to the modest exterior of the house.

  A middle-aged man returned with the maid and clasped Sir Marcus’s hand. He was average height, and while he might have once been a Knight of Valor, time had softened his middle and stolen his hair. He carried a sword, but judging by its elaborate scabbard, it had never seen combat.

  “I’m Sir Silas,” the man said.

  “Sir Marcus, and this is my companion, Brelynn.”

  He looked Brelynn up and down, a wolfish smile curling his lips. “A pleasure.”

  She inclined her head. “As you say, Sir Silas.”

  “Wait, Sir Marcus…” Silas furrowed his brows as he studied Marcus. “Not the Sir Marcus?”

  “I’m not aware of any others in service.”

  “Sir Marcus Valerian the Great Lich Slayer is here in my house?”

  “So he is.” Brelynn smiled, but she could muster no warmth for the expression.

  Silas licked his lips as he waved them into the drawing room. “Let me get you a drink!”

  Brelynn’s eyes narrowed at the tremor in Silas’s voice. “I hope it’s better than what they were serving at the tavern.”

  Sir Marcus blanched, but Silas stopped and fixed his gaze on Brelynn. He pursed his lips as she met his stare. “I’ll talk to the barkeep. Sometimes he lets it set out too long. Gets a little funny tasting.”
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  “Must’ve been a tough harvest if he’s selling spoiled ale to travelers,” Brelynn said. “Especially travelers wearing the symbol of Dracor.”

  “Bad, but not bad enough to excuse that.” The crystal glasses Silas held clanked together.

  “Do you want me to talk to him?” Sir Marcus said. “I didn’t say anything, but perhaps I should have.”

  “Don’t bother yourselves. I’ll take care of it.” Silas poured three glasses from the same decanter. “My responsibility, after all. Should’ve come down harder on him the last time.”

  Brelynn said nothing. Silas was a Knight of Valor. He shouldn’t have allowed it to happen at all, much less a second time.

  Silas handed a glass to Sir Marcus and one to Brelynn. She waited for their host to take a sip before she did.

  Silas toasted Sir Marcus, downed his drink, and refilled his glass. “I’d love to hear the story of how you destroyed the lich.”

  “Perhaps later,” Sir Marcus said. “We’re investigating what happened to a village east of here. Do you know anything about it?”

  Silas set his drink aside and tucked his hands into his pockets. While he stared at Sir Marcus, the rest of his body faced the door. “That was an unpleasant bit of business.”

  “What happened?” Brelynn asked.

  “A traveling merchant found it that way and reported it to me. At first, I thought it was just a fire.”

  Brelynn frowned. The entire town of Woodfield would’ve smelled the smoke from Three Rivers. If it had been a normal blaze, the people of Woodfield would’ve helped Three Rivers put it out so it didn’t spread.

  “More than just a fire,” Sir Marcus said. “Took a lot of work to purify it and put the souls to rest.”

  “You purified it?” Silas’s lips drew into a tight line.

  “The Great Lich Slayer doesn’t tolerate evil in any form, and whatever happened to that town was evil.” Brelynn smiled at Sir Marcus, then turned her gaze to Silas while she kept the smile plastered on her face. “Looks like it’d been that way for a while. Was there a reason you didn’t purify it?”

  Silas glanced at her then back at Sir Marcus. “Too much dark magic for me to get through it. I’m no Lich Slayer.”

  “Did you report it to the Dragon Church in Aerius?” Sir Marcus asked. “There was a lot of necrotic magic. They should have sent a team down to cleanse it and assist with finding the culprit.”

  Silas licked his lips. “Yet you cleansed it by yourself.”

  “He did.” Brelynn fought to keep her voice even. “And freed the souls still being tormented by the necromancer’s spell.”

  “I didn’t realize the necromancer trapped any souls.” Silas stared past her. “I was working to track down the dark mage. Wanted to get things sorted before I reported in to the Dragon Church. I may not be Sir Marcus Valerian, but I can take care of my lands and people.”

  “No one would’ve thought otherwise,” Sir Marcus said, his brows knitting together. “Not all Knights channel Dracor in the same way. Our duty is to help the villagers and catch the necromancer that did this. We need to report what happened.”

  Brelynn stared at Silas. If he was a Knight of Valor, he should know that. And he should’ve reported what happened in Three Rivers. Any lord should’ve reported it. Only reason he wouldn’t was if he feared the necromancer would come for him.

  Or if he benefitted from it.

  Brelynn’s skin prickled, but she hid her growing skepticism as she sipped her drink.

  Sir Marcus’s frown deepened. “Is there anything I can do to help you find this necromancer so we can bring him to justice? We can’t let him escape after what he’s done, and I have experience with dark wizards. We need to stop him before he hurts others.”

  Silas shook his head. “I found no clues as to who it was, where they’d gone, or even why. The fire didn’t leave much, and no witnesses survived.”

  “Hard to find clues when you couldn’t feel the trapped souls,” Brelynn murmured into her glass.

  Silas licked his lips and tried to change the subject.

  Brelynn wouldn’t let him. “I know a little about wizards, and it’s odd that a necromancer would spend that much magic, trap that many souls, then leave. There was still a lot of magic left even after all this time. Can’t imagine how powerful the original spell was.”

  “Not certain myself. I was away on business when it happened,” Silas said.

  “Business.” Brelynn’s lips quirked.

  “There has to be a reason for a necromancer to venture this deep into Tamarian lands,” Sir Marcus said. “Something he wanted. Something he needed. And with Three Rivers as a source of power for him, he’s probably still in the area.”

  “Doubtful now that we’re on the lookout.” Silas took a large swallow of his drink then refilled it.

  “Being on the lookout won’t stop such a powerful necromancer.” Brelynn paused until Silas glanced at her. “But it’s brave of you to search for a mage whose spell was too powerful for you to purge.”

  “It’s my duty.” Silas puffed up his chest.

  “He’d have to hunt down the necromancer. Part of our vows.” Sir Marcus touched her arm, but she didn’t look away from Silas.

  “The Knight’s vows.” Brelynn nodded. “Such an important part of your order. Sir Silas didn’t take the vow of poverty as we can see from his lovely home. Wise as a man needs his comforts in retirement. So which vows did you take?” Brelynn set her drink aside as she laid her trap for the man she was certain wasn’t a Knight of Valor.

  Silas met her gaze then focused on the floor.

  Brelynn let the silence stretch, offering him nothing but a smile.

  Sir Marcus frowned, but he stayed silent.

  Before Silas answered, a maid bobbed a curtsey in the doorway.

  “Come in,” Silas said to the young woman.

  “Will Sir Marcus and his lady be staying for dinner, m’lord?”

  “Most certainly.” Silas leapt to his feet. “They’ll be our guests for the evening, unless they need to stay longer, of course.”

  “Just the night,” Sir Marcus said. “We’ll be heading out at first light.”

  Silas swallowed. “Off in a rush?”

  Brelynn shrugged and kept her words light. “Lich Slayers never get a rest. Dragon Council will come looking for Sir Marcus if we don’t get back quickly.”

  Sir Marcus grimaced. “More than you realize.”

  “Wouldn’t want to keep you from your duties.” Silas blinked a couple of times. “No, wouldn’t want that at all.”

  “It was a tough morning, and we could use a little rest before dinner,” Sir Marcus said. “But only if you’re sure that whoever destroyed that village is gone. We’ll help in any way we can.”

  “Three Rivers?” the maid asked.

  “Yes,” Sir Marcus said. “Do you know anything about it?”

  “No, Sir Marcus.” She stared down at the floor. “Just to stay far away from it.”

  “No need for that anymore,” Sir Marcus assured her. “We purified it and put the souls to rest. Destroyed the underlying spell, too, so the necromancy won’t seep back.”

  Silas silenced the maid with a glare. “Show them to the guest rooms. I’m sure they’re exhausted.”

  “Thank you.” Sir Marcus nodded to Silas then followed Brelynn down the hall after the maid.

  “Will you be needing one room or two?” the maid asked.

  “Two,” Sir Marcus said.

  “One,” Brelynn corrected.

  “One room might be better, but here are two rooms,” the maid whispered. She opened a door on either side of the hall. “Dinner is around six bells.”

  “Any other Knights been through here?” Brelynn asked.

  “None that cleansed Three Rivers.” The maid bobbed a curtsey and excused herself.

  Chapter 30

  Marcus glanced into the two rooms, and while they were as ostentatiously furnished as the rest of the house
, there was nothing strange about either of them. However, the massive bed that dominated the center of each room made him swallow back inappropriate thoughts.

  Brelynn pulled his arm through hers, tugged him into the room with exterior windows, and locked the door behind them.

  Her strange behavior pricked his pride.

  Marcus tried to keep his irritation from seeping into his words. “You may not like the Knights, but-”

  “He’s not a Knight of Valor.”

  “Brelynn-”

  “If he were a Knight of Valor, he’d have corrected me on the vows. I suspected he wasn’t, but that confirmed it.”

  Her words voiced his own misgivings. But it was such a huge transgression and an affront to Dracor Himself. No one would commit such blaspheme.

  Marcus’s frown deepened. “He could’ve been being polite.”

  “Why would correcting me on your vows be impolite?” Brelynn shook her head. “He doesn’t know them. Or if he does, he doesn’t want to talk about them because he’s not following them.”

  A cold lump balled in Marcus’s stomach. “A Knight of Valor would die before he’d go back on his vows.”

  “Why didn’t he send word to Aerius? Why did he leave those souls to suffer? And we’re not talking about a few days. You saw Three Rivers. That fire happened a while ago.”

  “He might not have known the necromancer trapped the souls, but you’re right. He should’ve reported it.” The cold lump in Marcus’s stomach hardened.

  “A Knight of Valor wouldn’t abandon people like that. Even dead people.” Brelynn clasped his hand between both of hers. “If only half of what you’ve told me about the Knights is true, how could he not feel the trapped souls if the Dragon Church trained him?”

  “Not all of us have as much practice at it as I do.” But she was right again.

  Brelynn stared at the door. “The maid knows he’s corrupt. She wouldn’t meet his eye, and she recommended I room with you. Makes me wonder if he’s been taking liberties with his house staff.”

  “A Knight would never!”

  “A Knight of Valor wouldn’t,” Brelynn agreed. “I hope I’m wrong. I hope he’s just incompetent. But if I’m right, he has every reason to want us both dead. Whatever he is, promise me you won’t leave me alone with him, okay?”