The Treachery Of A Weasel

by Robert Blanchard

  I looked up slowly at Derrick, hands resting on the top of my head. When I spoke, I had every intention of speaking calmly and complying with Derrick’s request; but the more I spoke, the more the anger built up inside of me, and I could not control myself. “Alright, Derrick … as long as we are in a formal setting, I will do everything in my power to be respectful to the man who had me dragged out of my country like a dog, beaten and humiliated, and left to die in a river.”

  Derrick smiled cheerfully. “Good … that’s all I asked.” Instantly, much to my annoyance, he was back to his happy-go-lucky demeanor. Then he settled back into a serious state. “So what about Timor?”

  I sighed. “We leave in the morning. What about you?”

  Derrick looked bewildered. “Me what?”

  I sighed heavily, knowing full well that he understood. “Will you be coming with us?”

  A look of mock realization spread across Derrick’s face. “Oh, the king already gave me leave—I’m to accompany you as soon as you depart.”

  The look of shock on my face—oddly enough—brought Derrick back to full attention. “I knew there was something else I was forgetting to tell you …”

  I grinned, sighed, and shook my head, which is pretty much all you can do when you’re dealing with Derrick sometimes. “I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes, brother.”

  Derrick shrugged. “Well, I don’t know, but there’s one thing I do know …” a wide grin spread across his face, “your life would be quite dull, that’s for sure.”

  CHAPTER 3

  The next morning came quickly. I didn’t get much rest after Derrick’s unexpected visit, and soon thereafter, I was out in the city, walking around and concentrating on the task at hand.

  Of course, with everyone going, it meant that flying there on dragon back was out of the question, and that the length of our journey had been indefinitely extended. I could have gone out there myself to deal with the situation, but we tended to operate as a group as often as possible, and besides, with the threat of the Ther-lor, traveling alone was not recommended. Even though Longhaven was to the southwest of Delmar and Sirak had taken Min Lenoras in the west, we weren’t prepared to assume anything when it came to the Dyn’osi.

  Later in the day, I found out that Derrick had gone to King Baladir (much to my annoyance) to report that we were, indeed, leaving within the next few days, and he came back with great news—Baladir had offered to supply us with several horses, including pack mules. I was slightly taken aback by this magnanimous gesture, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been—in one way, you could see it as high-class posterior kissing, and on another, you could see it as simply a grand gesture. I was still extremely loathe to accept anything from the man, but there wasn’t just me to think about, and the overjoyed expression on the faces of the others at the news of the horses was enough to convince me to keep my mouth closed.

  With the addition of pack mules, the discussion of provisions took another turn as we could add even more supplies, and even—gasp!—tents! Those we ended up not having to purchase, either—Derrick, with permission from the king, got a hold of some old ones from the barracks. Baladir tried to insist that Derrick take some of the newer ones, but Derrick was adamant that the older ones would do just fine.

  With our horses and supplies set to go, and our route decided, the others retired early, wanting to get a good night of rest to be refreshed for the journey ahead. I, on the other hand, couldn’t bring myself to relax; I left my room at the inn and sought out my spot on the castle wall, the one I always used to seek if I needed some peace and quiet. It was also the same spot where Mirabelle and myself had proclaimed our love for each other months earlier, when Mirabelle had dropped her enchanted ring into Lake Apera below, proving once and for all that my love for her was real. I wished that I could have her by my side for just a little while, but she needed her rest, just as the others did, and I would not disturb it, not for my own insecurity.

  My spot on the wall overlooked the kingdom of Delmar to the south, just over Lake Apera and into the plains beyond. You could see for miles and miles, and the sight never ceased to give me a sense of peace for just a moment, no matter what turmoil I was currently experiencing. On this night, a light rain had just begun to fall, and while others might view this as a disturbance of the peace, I have always loved the rain, and it only added to the much-needed peaceful ambiance.

  I took a deep breath, took in the welcome atmosphere, and began to think …

  “I thought I might find you here.”

  My momentary astonishment quickly gave way to further peace, at the sound of a musical and very welcome voice.

  “You should be resting,” speaking to the voice behind me, smiling.

  “Perhaps,” I could hear the voice shrug, “but I knew that you wouldn’t be, and I’m concerned for you … so here I am.”

  “My love,” I said, turning around.

  Lady Mirabelle’s violet gaze and bright smile were there to greet me as I turned, and I embraced her eagerly. I really felt like I needed her at that moment—I was emotionally overwhelmed. Taken by surprise for a moment, she hesitated before embracing me back. “Did you miss me, dear?”

  “Always,” I said, smiling lightly, “but … I just … have a great deal on my mind, I suppose.”

  “And that—” she said, looking up at me, “is precisely why I’m concerned. You should have come for me.”

  “I wanted you to rest,” I reiterated.

  “And yet, I’m not,” she smiled.

  I released her from what I’m sure seemed like a death grasp and turned toward the wall. “You’re not going to lecture me about Baladir too, are you?” I asked.

  “’Too’?” Mirabelle asked quizzically.

  “Yeah … Derrick paid me a visit last night.”

  Mirabelle chuckled. “I shudder to think how that conversation went.”

  I shrugged. “In typical Derrick style, he let me know how he felt.”

  We were quiet for a moment, and then Mirabelle spoke. “I’m not going to lecture you, Aidan—you know how I feel, I’m sure. All I’m going to say to you is that you can’t hold on to that hate forever. It will eat you alive.”

  I sighed. She was right. “I know, my love. But it’s far too early for that. It’ll be quite a while before I’m ready to forgive.”

  Mirabelle put her hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be by your side, no matter what.”

  I smiled at her, my heart warm with her love. “I know you will, my love.”

  ***

  Mirabelle stayed with me that night, and her presence gave me a sense of peace and calm that I desperately needed. The next morning was bright and cheery, and we decided to take a walk in the city. People always stopped and stared at us as we passed by, and sometimes I found that to be irritating. I always had the feeling that they weren’t gawking because we were well-known soldiers—they were staring because they couldn’t figure out why Mirabelle loved a decrepit freak like me.

  “There’s no one else around,” Mirabelle said softly in my ear, aware of my discomfort. “Just you and me.”

  She always said that when we walked through crowds, and it always seemed to help a little.

  Suddenly, Derrick crossed the path right in front of us.

  “Hey, watch it, you big lug,” I said with a smile.

  Derrick turned, and seeing us, a smile spread across his face. “Look at the happy couple. It’s just so adorable.”

  Mirabelle smiled and shook her head. “Where are you off to?”

  “Off to see my mother and sister before I leave. Want to tag along? They haven’t seen you two in quite a while.”

  “We’d love to,” Mirabelle replied, and I nodded.

  Back before what happened in Delmar with the Ther-lor—in my previous life, one might say—I had saved Derrick’s mother, Mildred, and sister, Lydia, from an altercation with Derrick’s drunken father. Derrick and I were able to force him out and get him to le
ave, and after that, Derrick considered me to be a brother. Lydia was really sick at the time, and Derrick was trying to save money to get her to a healer. After we had saved Delmar from the threat of Sirak, King Baladir had learned of Lydia’s sickness and sent one of his own personal healers to tend to her. Derrick was somewhat ashamed, because he had never wanted to ask for help. Baladir had chastised him for not making him aware of his sister’s condition earlier. It was determined that Lydia suffered from some type of rare disease that I didn’t recognize, but with the right healing herbs and periodic visits from Baladir’s healer, Lydia recovered to a comfortable state. Derrick always told me that Lydia had a bit of a crush on me, despite being in her mid-teen years. When Mirabelle first started coming around, Lydia was clearly not fond of her. But over time, Mirabelle won her over with her sweet demeanor and natural charm. Now Lydia loved seeing Mirabelle as much as she loved seeing me.

  “How has Lydia been?” I asked Derrick.

  “Good,” Derrick replied with a smile. “She keeps asking when you’re coming back—every time I’m home.”

  “I’ll have to apologize to her,” I said, feeling pretty bad about not coming around more often. “Just tough for me to be here, that’s all.”

  “I know, Aidan,” Derrick said softly. “You don’t need to explain to me.”

  Finally, we had arrived at the small stone structure. Derrick opened the door and called in, “Hey, we have visitors!”

  We all entered the small, yet pleasant home. There was a very tantalizing aroma in the air—smelled like Mildred was making soup. It was always nice to see Derrick’s house clean and tidy, unlike the first time I had met them—Derrick’s father had torn the house apart in a rampage.

  A dog ran up to greet us first. She observed us for a split second, then barked with delight and ran up to us. Derrick had purchased a dog in the city after our last encounter with his father. He had the dog trained to defend the house, to keep his mother and sister safe when he wasn’t home. Mandie was a golden retriever with medium length hair, and the sweetest dog you could ever encounter—unless you didn’t belong in her home.

  Mandie ran up to Derrick first, wagging her tail happily and jumping to put her front paws on Derrick’s stomach. Derrick bent low, hugging her and petting her happily.

  “How’s my Mandie girl?” He said, almost speaking as if he would to a baby. “Does she misses her daddy? Awww … does she misses her daddy?” Mandie licked his face almost frantically with joy.

  Mirabelle and I exchanged glances and smiled. Seeing Derrick like that—it was downright adorable. Familiar with us from past visits, Mandie greeted Mirabelle and I next before running around the house and jumping on the furniture in sheer excitement.

  Lydia peeked around the corner, and her eyes beamed with delight when she saw Mirabelle and I. She looked very much like Derrick, only her hair was much longer. But her eyes definitely danced with life, just like Derrick’s did. She rushed from around the corner and leapt into my arms.

  “Oh, Aidan, I’ve missed you!”

  What warmed my heart more than anything was that I was still loved and welcomed by Mildred and Lydia—even after my horrible change in appearance.

  “How are you doing, kid?” I asked, calling her by the pet name I had given to her.

  “Good!” She said, finally releasing me and leaping into Mirabelle’s arms.

  “Hey, sweetie!” Mirabelle said, smiling almost as much as Lydia.

  Lydia released Mirabelle from her death grasp of love and looked at me. “Why don’t you guys come around anymore?”

  “I’m sorry, Lydia,” I said, keeping my promise to apologize. “After everything that’s happened … it’s very difficult for me to be in this city.”

  “Baladir is a jerk,” Lydia said with a frown.

  “Don’t speak that way of your king,” Derrick said in a stern voice.

  “Besides,” Mildred’s voice came from around the corner, “Baladir is not a ‘jerk’, as you say, dear … he simply made a mistake. We all do.”

  Mildred was a short woman with gray curly hair. Age had taken its toll on the woman, but she was still strong and pleasant to be around. She walked up to me and gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. She did the same to Mirabelle.

  “And we all know who was responsible for that atrocity,” she continued.

  “That weasel Norvin,” Derrick answered.

  “Hey, no talk of him here,” I said, mock-chastising him. “This is a happy environment—no need to let him soil that when he’s not even here.”

  “Apologies,” Derrick replied with a mock bow. “Besides, he’d never come here—l” He started speaking in a baby voice again—“Mandie would bite his stupid face off. Wouldn’t you, girl? Huh?” As the mention of her name, Mandie ran back over and put her paws once again on Derrick’s stomach, receiving to her due affection.

  “Are you staying long?” Mildred asked.

  “No,” Derrick answered. “We’re leaving for Longhaven shortly.”

  “Ah,” Mildred said. “Off to deal with the mages, eh? Good luck with that.” She then turned her attention to me. “I’m glad you’re here, Aidan—come over here, please? I have something to give you.”

  “Oh, Mildred,” I said, “you don’t have to give me anything.”

  “Aidan,” she said, her voice rising a little, “just because you’re a lord now doesn’t mean you don’t have to listen to me. Come over here this instant.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I replied sheepishly. Derrick giggled as I went by, and I shot him a short kick to the shins. I followed Mildred into the living area, where a small pile of miscellaneous items sat in a corner. Mandie ran over to us and sat, curiously observing. She rummaged through the pile a little and then turned around, holding a ring. It was a plain silver ring, but it had the face of a tiger emblazoned on it.

  “There were plans for a third child,” she said softly, “but it wasn’t to be. We had rings made for each of the kids to give to them when they got older—back when Derrick’s father was a more responsible human being. Anyway, Lydia wears hers all the time—it has the symbol of a butterfly on it. Derrick wore his until his fingers grew too big for it.”

  “What symbol did Derrick have on his ring?”

  “A lion.”

  “Should have been a hyena,” I said with a chuckle. “He laughs like one sometimes.”

  “I heard that!” Derrick yelled from the kitchen, his voice somewhat muffled—clearly, he had gotten into his mother’s soup.

  Mildred laughed, and then she extended the ring to me. “I want you to have this.”

  I was taken completely by surprise—I didn’t know what to say. “Oh, Mildred … you don’t—”

  “Don’t you dare tell me I don’t have to give this to you,” she cut me off. “You have been a brother to Derrick, and I consider you a son.”

  I was choked up and speechless. My body froze completely and I had no idea how to react.

  “It’s beautiful,” Mirabelle said from behind me, her chin suddenly resting on my shoulder.

  Lydia was suddenly next to me, head on my other shoulder and arm wrapped around my back. Mildred continued, “You are family, Aidan. Both of you.” She nodded toward Mirabelle as well.

  “Bit too sentimental for me,” Derrick mumbled, and he turned to walk away.

  “Don’t you dare, young man,” Mildred said, and Derrick stopped in his tracks. It was funny to me that this tiny woman’s voice could stop a giant like Derrick.

  Derrick sighed heavily. “Fine.” He walked over to the group. “The two of you already know I consider you family. Let’s not get all choked up about it.”

  I smiled at him and turned to Mildred. “Thank you. This means so much to me.”

  Mildred smiled in return. “Just remember—no matter who may treat you badly in life, you always have a home and a family here.”

  I bowed—something I didn’t do very often unless I absolutely had to. “I am truly honored
to be a part of your family—even to a giant sourpuss like Derrick here.”

  “Keep it up, and I’m going to show you what a sourpuss I am,” Derrick responded with a smirk. “Well, now that everyone’s all teary and emotional, we should probably be leaving. The king will be waiting for us at the gates.”

  I sighed heavily—not because we were about to embark on our journey, but because I knew King Baladir would be waiting to see us off.

  Oh, well—the sooner I got there, the sooner it would be over with. We bid Mildred, Lydia, and Mandie farewell and left the house. I followed Derrick and Mirabelle to the main gate, hood pulled low over my face, trying not to feel all the stares that were certainly burning a hole through me.

  Iskandor, in human form, was waiting alongside Baladir at the gates. It still made me smile just a little to see Iskandor (even though he wasn’t in his true form) standing next to the king of Delmar, a symbol that Delmar was now a dragon-friendly country. Whenever the two were together, they could be found engaged in conversation quite often, and it was clear the two had grown close. One might think this would annoy me, but really, I couldn’t have cared less. Mostly, I was just happy for my dragon friend.

  Baladir smiled as we approached, which made me grit my teeth in irritation. Thankfully, it was mostly obscured by my hood.

  “Are you all ready to depart?” Baladir asked.

  “I believe so, Your Majesty,” Derrick answered.

  “And you, Aidan?” Baladir turned to me.

  “All too ready,” I blurted out, then immediately realized my mistake. Meeting Baladir’s gaze, I tried again. “I am ready, Your Highness.”

  “Be cautious on your journey,” Baladir warned.

  Now I just felt like he was patronizing me, but Iskandor spoke up before I could put my foot in my mouth again. “I will protect them, Your Highness.”

  Baladir smiled back at Iskandor, then turned back toward me. “May the Gods guide you on this journey, Aidan.”

  A scathing retort was on my lips, but I could feel Derrick’s eyes on me. Keeping myself in check, I managed a slight bow and to utter, “Thank you, Your Majesty” in a very low voice.