A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind) (7 page)

I heard the rustling in the brush as the last wolf escaped the scene, as fast as it could go. The boy trying to act calm and collected after his first test of emerging maturity wiped the blood off the short sword with a rag and made as if to hand it back to me, but I declined it.

Holding up my hands in refusal I said, “No, keep it! You’ve earned it. It’s yours now.”

I saw a look of heartfelt gratitude flood into the boy’s eyes as if I’d just given him the moon. It was a nice feeling to give. I wanted to do more of it, because I liked feeling as I did right now.

I asked, “What’s your name boy? I can’t keep calling you boy.”

“Call me Larc.” The boy said.

“Larc, it is then. Let’s get out of here and bed down somewhere else for the night.”

After several days of walking and living off the land we saw the end of the moors come into view. The Litian River lay beyond the moors, as it snaked through the plains at the base of the majestic mountains that rose up in the distance. I had never been this close to the Vallian Mountains before.

I wanted to see what lay up among those lofty peaks and the green valley’s it was said that existed on the other side of the mountains.

The land of my father’s was so close! An intense desire to discover my ancestral homeland overwhelmed me and I found myself walking faster, but I pulled myself back to a sane pace for the boy’s sake.

It took awhile to get to the edge of the moors, but when we did I saw something that disturbed me. A mounted warrior was stationed just on our side of the turbulent river. He was alone, but even more curious than that was that the warrior had three saddled horses with him. He was waiting for someone. Was the warrior waiting for us? It was unlikely, but what other explanation could there be for his presence here with extra saddled horses. Why three horses? They must have known about the boy, but hadn’t sought fit to inform me about the additional passenger. That annoyed me.

Larc whispered, “Roric is he a Valley Lander?”

“Yes, I think so.” I whispered back.

I didn’t like it, but I saw little other choice in the matter. We needed those horses. “Follow close behind me.” I said, as I stood up from hiding and started walking down from the elevated knoll of the
moor
towards the warrior by the river.

Larc stood and made to follow me but hesitated for a moment, “I don’t like it Roric. Something doesn’t feel right about this!”

Glancing back at him I replied, “I don’t like it either Larc, but we need those horses.”

The mounted warrior noticed our approach almost imme
diately, but he stayed where he was with one hand holding the reins of the other three horses. The other hand I noticed was not far from the sword on his hip. As we drew closer to him some clue as to our appearance must have given him confidence that we were the party he had been waiting for, because he smiled openly and said, “It’s good to see you for it is tired I am of sitting out here in the open like a hobbled goat in front of a marsh cat den.”

I liked the man. I replied simply, “Sorry for the delay, but we got here as fast as we could. I wasn’t expecting to find you here waiting for us, but it’s a good thing as we need to get out of here quickly. Pursuit might not be too far behind us.”

The man nodded and then said, “I was told to expect three; an old man, a warrior, and a boy.”

“The boy’s father didn’t make it.” I replied.

Shaking his head solemnly the warrior glanced over to Larc and said, “Sorry lad! Your father was a good man. He will be missed. Here mount up now and let’s get you to your mother.”

The sound of the whiffs of ruffled air announced the presence of the arrows even before I saw four of them smack into the warrior’s chest causing him to real back in his saddle from the shock of their impact. Choking on his own blood the warrior cried out to me even as he tossed the reins of the
saddled horses at me, “Get away from here and save the boy!” He
said as he coughed up blood.

I leaped into one of the empty saddles and pulled Larc up behind me. I swung the horse around to face the moors from where the arrows had come from. Zoarinian
longbowmen started standing up from their concealment all along the line of the moor dunes. There had to be at least two dozen or more of them, which was how many arrows would be stick
ing out of me and Larc if we tried to make a break for it most likely.

Two groups of horsemen pulled out of concealment in the moors to either side of us and started forward toward us rid
ing along the river. I debated for a brief moment about grabbing Larc and throwing him and myself into the river, but even if we survived the raging current of the river we wouldn’t make it far without horses. I hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over me. If I had been alone I would have made a try at getting away, but I had the boy to consider now. I had to do what was best for him. Our best option it would seem was to bide our time and be patient and wait for an opportunity to escape, if the opportunity came. I’d had to wait nine years the first time to get an opportunity to escape. I don’t think I could do that again.

They evidently wanted us alive, as they had not fired up
on us. That was at least something positive. I sat where I was and watched as the Zoarinian soldiers closed in on us. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done to just sit there
and do nothing. I felt Larc’s arms get tighter around me as they closed in on us, “It’s okay Larc we’ll get out of this. You wait and see.”

After we had been disarmed they mounted us on separate horses and tied us to the saddles. A cloaked figure rode up and flipped back his hood chuckling as he did so. I recog
nized the Valley Lander warrior, who had recruited me for this assignment. At my look of surprise on recognizing him he said, “I know. I know. You’re surprised aren’t
you.
Roric, it’s really very simple to understand my perceived betrayal. The Valley Landers and their pathetic allies the Tranquil Islanders don’t stand a chance of winning against the power that the Zoarinians can bring to bear against them. It may seem that I am betraying my people in the here and now I grant you, but once this nasty conflict is over I’ll be able to help my people rebuild our nation better than it was before. We’ll advance on as a people, as we will no longer be hindered by the out of date practices our culture is fairly choked to a standstill by. I’ve been promised an administr
ator position over Artanis itself!” He finished confidently, looking as if he genuinely expected me to agree with his po
sition of treason as a point of fact statement of nationalism, when all his actions amounted to was cowardice wrapped in a cloak of power hungry envy.

“Is a position of power and influence so important and honor so cheap a sentiment that to squander it all as you are, a thing worth doing? You’re by this one act of treason wiping out the efforts of all your ancestors before you to be free. The noble ideals that they’ve fought and died for, for count
less generations before you, all gone now because of you! Just so you can have a bigger piece of a pie that doesn’t even exist in any context of reality!” I said, as I looked him over contemptuously wishing for a weapon so that I might slit his traitorous throat.

One guard leaned over in the saddle and backhanded me across the face. It hurt, but I smiled back at him in return. He made as if to do it again, but the traitor motioned him to stop. “Roric, if you live much longer, which I doubt, you will find out that honor has very little to do with helping one get through life comfortably and besides what would you an escaped arena rat know of honor in the first place?”

The soldiers around us laughed, as if it was a good joke, but I gave no response, which seemed to anger Lent
a little because he pulled his mount around abruptly and rode to the head of the column.

They took us to Cassis. It was odd and yet highly ironic how the beginning of
all the calamity that had befallen me in my life should be where I ended up in at the end once more.

I hated this city. I had come here as a boy marveling, but as a man I cursed it with my eyes. Gradually the opulence of the city encroached around us as we entered deeper into it. Buildings reached for the sky boldly trying to make up for the flatness of the plain they were built on, even as garishly colored silks flapped in the breeze coming off the sea.

They took us to the citadel located in the middle of the city. The citadel was built more for the appearance of force rather than any strategic initiative, being located in the middle of the city as it was. It was in no position to defend the city should the city be attacked, but then the Zoarinians were confident that was an option beyond the realm of possibili
ties, as who could face their superior numbers on the field of battle and win?

The streets were thronged with the denizens of the city, who were as colorful in attire and appearance as their city was. Rich colors and a plethora of wares for sale were to be seen on display all around us. One got the feeling that anything, and everything could be bought in this city if the price was right. I knew full well the dark hidden secrets that lay around each street corner and in the people themselves. See
ing all this again brought back the buried memories of my years spent in the arena dungeons. The memories forced their way into my consciousness and made me long for un-consciousness or diversion of some kind so that I could push away the dark thoughts swirling in my mind.

We were led chained into the governor’s judgment hall. Rich gilded tapestries hung from the high walls around us. The ceiling of the hall was vaulted along the entire length of it in a display of powerful craftsmanship. Ornate chandeliers hung down from the center beam of the roof and illuminated the hall brightly, for there were no windows to shed their natural light on the scene. There was an elevated dais at the far end of the hall located under the ceremonial banner of the
city of Cassis. Court guards were lined along the walls and it was through these we passed by on our way to the upraised dais and the figure that sat there.

Reaching the dais we were forced to kneel at the base of the steps leading up to it. Iraca, the governor of Cassis spoke in a smug tone of voice, “Well done Lent! You shall be richly rewarded for your invaluable services. You may go now to collect them.” He said waiving Lent off with one hand.

“Thank you sire!”
Lent said as he fairly bounded to his feet and made to turn to exit the room, only to be met with a sword that sliced through his middle upon him turning to leave. Half turning back to the governor, which tore the i
mbedded sword from the executioner’s hand, he stared disbe
lievingly up at Iraca. As the fear of death clouded into his face he croaked out, “You promised me a reward! You promised!” He sank to the floor, as his disbelieving eyes remained focused on the governor.

The governor sneered down at Lent, “I’ve given you the only reward that every Valley Lander can expect at the hands of the Zoarinian Empire, which is death! Get him out of here! He’s staining my rugs!”

The governor returned his attention to us as Lent’s body was dragged away. “And now let us get down to business. It took some doing Roric, but I have to congratulate you on delivering the boy into our hands safely.”
Chuckled the gov
ernor. Puzzled, I looked over at Larc, who looked back at me blankly and shrugged. “You didn’t think we knew about
the boy’s father spying on us and the supposedly valid intelligence that he had gathered on our battle plans for our conquest of the north did you?” The governor asked while laughingly he continued
. “We fed him that information. It’s all quite useless you see, with just enough truth added in to keep it believable. Everything you’ve done and risked for this boy has been for nothing!” The governor said clearly delighted with himself.

“I don’t understand! Why is the boy important? He’s just a harmless boy! Let him go, as he’s done nothing wrong!” I said angrily shaking the chains binding my hands in front of me.

“My dear boy you don’t understand the rat’s nest that you’ve become involved in do you! The boy is more im
portant than you know and far more important than just a common brigand such as yourself!”

I looked at Larc not understanding and then back to the governor as he began to elaborate.

“We would have preferred his mother, but alas she slipped through our fingers years ago.”

“My mother is dead!” Larc said defensively speaking up for the first time.

“No, she’s quite alive and well actually. She is a member of the Valley Lander high council. In charge of their security sector, such as it is.” Mused
the governor.

“We suspected that the boy was still in Kharta, but we lacked knowledge as to where he might be. The boy’s father had outlived his usefulness, and the decision had been made
to terminate him, when we received word through our sources of the intended rescue of the boy and his father. The father may have outlived his usefulness but the boy; howev
er, is still quite useful to us. Through him we will manipulate his dear mother to allow our agents access to strategic points of interest, which will aid us in our invasion of the Valley Lands. What do you think will get the picture of the new state of affairs across to his mother the best, a finger or a whole hand?”

I lunged for him gaining several steps up the dais before I was jerked back to the bottom by the guards behind me.