Back From Chaos (30 page)

He nodded to the guard, who grabbed the man’s hair and put a knife to his throat. The prisoner sat as straight as he could to back away from the touch of the blade against his neck, eyes crossed and almost bulging out of their sockets as he tried to see it. Gaelen nodded to the guard, who backed the knife away slightly but still kept hold of the man’s hair.

Gaelen had not misread the man. He was a follower and a coward. In moments, they had a list of all the gang members and confirmed the leader’s name as Markel.

“
We know Markel took a prisoner to question him. Why?”

“
He didna trust ’im. He wanted to join us.”

“
Join you for what purpose?”

The prisoner paled but did not speak.

Gaelen nodded and the knife went back to his throat, this time drawing a thin line of blood.

“
Next will be an eye.”

Gaelen stated this so calmly, Narlost had no doubt of its truth. “He was following orders, m … my lord. We were to find a way to …” his voiced died in a choked whisper.

“
To what?” At Gaelen’s nod the point of the knife poised just in front of his right eye.

“
To kill your lady.” It emerged as an almost inaudible whisper and a wet stain spread across the man’s breeches.

“
Who gave Markel those orders?” The knife held steady.

Narlost looked wildly around the room without moving his head to avoid the knifepoint so close to his eye. Seeing that Sinnath was absent, and none of the others showed any signs of stepping in to help him, he sagged as much as seemed possible with the blade in his face, and, with a beaten look, whispered, “Sinnath.”

It was done.

Gaelen returned to his chair and sank back into it, looking at each of his advisors in turn. Grim resignation, residual shock, and sorrow registered on each silent face. The evidence could not be denied. He remained silent for several moments as if trying to make up his mind how to proceed.

He turned back to Narlost. “Traitor, your life is forfeit.” Then he rose, went to the door and invited Klast in. “Klast, this man has admitted to treason. We have what we need from him. He will be executed, but we need more than this to convict Sinnath. Have you any suggestions? Can this prisoner be of more use to us?” The strategy had been agreed on in their private conference, but Gaelen wanted the others to hear it.

“
My lord, the members of his band will have found out by now that he is missing. They will be suspicious. We must arrest all of them before they inform Sinnath. I propose we let them find the prisoner’s burnt body in the warehouse. It will lead them to believe he lost his life in the fire, and so buy us time.”

“
If we kill him first, will his wounds not be visible?”

This, too, had been rehearsed.

“
My Lord, may I suggest that he be strangled, so there are no visible wounds? The bruises can be partly covered with burns.”

“
Good. Do it.” Gaelen made it sound like this was an ordinary decision, trying to hide his distaste. He hoped that only Klast would know how difficult this was for him. Nothing escaped Klast, he knew. But he wanted his advisors to see that he had full command. They all watched in silence as Klast approached the traitor. The guard stepped back out of the way, and Klast’s large hands reached for the terrified man’s neck. As he squeezed, the man bucked and kicked, then twitched and fell still. Klast released his grip and let his hands fall to his sides.

Gaelen was aware how much Klast hated this part of his work, necessary though it was, and sent him an understanding look. Klast had confided more than once that it filled him with self-loathing to kill someone who could not defend himself. Yet, he never hesitated to do his duty. Gaelen felt a stab of sorrow for his friend. He knew Klast would have nightmares tonight, as would he.

“
Klast, I rely on you to see that the body is correctly disposed of.” He turned to the others. “My friends, you have heard it. Sinnath has turned traitor. But to convict him in a way that no one can question his guilt, we need more. You will speak of this to no one. Go on as if you have learned nothing. In time, we will have what we need. Let us leave now so Klast may be about his business.”

He opened the door and left. Gaelen knew they wanted to talk, but his exit and Klast waiting inside gave them no choice but to follow him out. This, too, had been part of the plan.

~ 69 ~

A RUSE

Klast closed and barred the door behind Gaelen and studied the body, deciding the best way to make it look burned but still recognizable. He found what he needed to do now almost as repugnant as killing the man. After a moment he gave a long sigh, untied the body and slung it over his shoulder. He carried it out by the secret passages that only he and Gaelen knew to a cell in the wall at a far corner, where the smell of smoke would not draw attention. There he gathered a small pile of kindling and set it ablaze. He turned the body in several directions to create random burn marks on both skin and clothing. Then he stomped out the fire and rolled the corpse in the ashes. Satisfied, he carried the body to the passage that opened closest to the warehouse and waited for dark.

He could hear by the faint voices coming through that the blaze had not been completely put out yet. This told him that he still had time to deposit the body before the man would be missed. Finally, all the noises ceased. Klast left the passage to confirm the fire was out and all the people returned to their homes to eat and rest. Thankfully, no other buildings had burned, though he noted scorch marks on the one adjacent.

When he was certain no one would see him, he hoisted the body once more. Being careful not to step on areas that were still hot, he entered the skeleton of the warehouse. He found a spot where the fire had burned, but now had no live embers left, and lay the body face down in the ashes, confident it would be found on the morrow. Then he went in search of a bath and a large jug of wine, not necessarily in that order.

Nightmares plagued Klast, so he slept little in spite of his fatigue. Dawn had him up, dressed and at the stables, preparing for a long ride to clear his head. He looked up in surprise to see Liethis striding purposefully toward him. Something told him this was not a coincidence.

~ 70 ~

RELUCTANT HERO

Liethis smiled at him in greeting as she walked toward him. “I am ready to go home, but before I leave I must speak with you.”

Klast’s heart sank, but he managed to keep his face impassive. He merely gave a silent nod to show he was listening and waited. He wondered what she could want with him.

Always frank, Liethis got right to the point. “Klast, Earth has shown me an omen. I am not certain why it is so, but there can be no doubt that it is important for the future of Bargia and all of its neighbours. If you ignore what I tell you, I fear it will take Earth a long time to recover from the disruption the plague and the invasion of Catania have left. To heal Her, Balance must be restored, and you have a key role to play.”

Klast stood beside her, eyes averted, hands held loosely behind his back, his face wearing an unreadable mask. When Liethis mentioned that his role was crucial, his head rose abruptly, and he looked at her directly for the first time. He dropped his show of indifference, knowing she could see through it.

Liethis smiled kindly. “This surprises you. You have never thought of yourself as anything other than a spy, as someone of no importance.”

Klast realized then that he could hide nothing from her and let go of his mask completely.

“
Liethis, tell me what I must do to help assure Bargia’s future. I will do what I may.” Klast hesitated. “But you know I am loyal to Lord Gaelen. Will I be required to betray him? If so, it will go hard for me.” He made no attempt to hide his anxiety. “I owe his father my life. Since his death, Lord Gaelen has proven a fair and apt leader. To break his trust may be more than I can do.”

“
No, Klast, I see no treason in your future. Gaelen’s rule is secure for now. If you succeed in this, it will remain so for many years to come. No, what I see concerns your connection to Brensa.” She looked steadily at him.

Klast gaped in unfeigned astonishment. What could Brensa have to do with the future of Bargia?

“
Klast, I do not fully understand why, but your connection with Brensa must not be severed. It needs to grow stronger. Difficult as it may be, you must foster closer ties with her. I sense that doing so will also ease the pain you both carry, though the way may prove difficult for both of you.”

Klast felt both puzzled and agitated. He had thought it best to keep aloof from Brensa, even after realizing that he loved her. He believed he had nothing to offer her.

Liethis continued before he could reply. “I have seen you remove yourself from her since she recovered from her illness. This must stop. She needs you, and I sense that you need her as well. Speak to her. Find out how you may make peace with your feelings for each other. She does not hide her love for you. Do not think you are able to hide your love for her from me, either. Lord Gaelen is aware of it too.”

The look she gave him was filled with empathy. “Remember, Gaelen is your friend as well as your lord. Some things are hard to hide from those who care for you. I have informed him of what I am telling you, and he understands its importance.”

“
I will do what I may, lady, to be sure. But I must think on how.” His mind whirled. This revelation was so unexpected that it completely unnerved him.

“
You will find the answers you seek.” Liethis voice conveyed her confidence.

Liethis left with assurances that Klast would speak with Brensa and not avoid her further. A deeply troubled Klast watched her go. He could not imagine what, exactly, he was supposed to do.

~ 71 ~

KLAST’S DILEMMA

Liethis’ admonition put Klast in turmoil. He could not get around the problems that developing closer ties with Brensa posed. Unanswerable questions kept his head going in circles, and he got no closer to finding answers no matter how much he thought about it. Some of the questions concerned his relationship to Gaelen and how his work would be affected. Others revolved around what his relationship with Brensa would look like. Was he to be her guardian … her friend … her … lover?

Was he supposed to join with her, to take her to wife? That last idea frightened him most … and led to even more questions. If he and Brensa joined, how would they solve the problem of Brensa’s fear? Brensa had been so damaged that he believed she might never be able to lie with him without terror or pain. Hurting her by insisting was out of the question. She trusted him. Nothing would incite him to break that fragile trust.

Could they live together as brother and sister? How would he manage that? He could no longer deny he desired her. Would they grow to hate each other? Liethis had been so vague about the nature of their destiny that he had few clues to go on. The more he wrestled with the problem the more rattled he became.

In the end, he decided talking to Brensa might be the best way to find some answers. He had been such a solitary person for so long that the idea of consulting another, especially a woman, was alien to him. So before approaching Brensa he went to Gaelen for advice. Since Gaelen had been told of the problem, and since he owed him first loyalty, that seemed a good place to start. He sent a message requesting that Gaelen meet him in their usual spot.

Klast lit the lone tallow candle in the cell where he waited and paced, head down, hands clenched at his sides. Sitting was out of the question. The two rickety chairs remained close to the table, undisturbed. He looked up, startled, when Gaelen appeared at the door

“
My friend, it is good to see you again.” Gaelen smiled warmly. “My lady sends her regards, as does Brensa.”

Gaelen sat down on one of the chairs but did not bid Klast to do so. He opened directly, “I understand that Liethis paid you a visit before she left?”

It was more statement than question. Klast understood the intention. Gaelen was letting him know he anticipated the reason for the meeting.

“
Am I correct in thinking this is what you wish to speak to me about?”

Klast struggled for the right words. “Indeed, my lord. I find myself in a most difficult situation.” Then, as if Gaelen had been part of that conversation, he added, “Although Liethis assured me it would not interfere with my allegiance to you.”

“
That is good to hear. I know you well enough to understand how hard that would go for you.” He caught Klast’s eyes and added, “Your loyalty is not in question, my friend. How may I help you?”

Klast took a deep breath, collecting the courage to proceed. “My lord, it appears I must foster closer ties to Brensa. Until now, I had believed it best for us both if I remained away from her, and discouraged her affections for me.” He glanced at Gaelen for a reaction, but he could read nothing but interest there.

Klast plunged on. “I deemed it both dangerous and unwise to let any tie between us become known, for her safety. And I believed it unjust to expect that she should concern herself with my own safety, when my duties take me away from Bargia.”

“
Perhaps I can ease you on that level at least, Klast. I had planned to speak with you after we had resolved our business with Sinnath, but perhaps this is a good time to do so.” Gaelen stopped, looking at Klast directly. “Understand that what I offer is a proposal only, not an order. But perhaps it will make your decision regarding Brensa easier.”