The taller one’s eyes widened slightly then nodded. “That would be me your lordship,” Daniel replied.
“You know me?” asked Lord Haran, somewhat surprised.
“Not by name, no,” he replied. “You merely have the bearing of nobility.”
“I see,” said Lord Haran. He didn’t offer to give his name. “What is your business in all this?”
“In all what your lordship?” replied Daniel.
“The attack on my person, the death of my people, not to mention the atrocities laid at the feet of your acquaintance Captain Glaver.”
“Merely in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he explained.
Riyan came to the fore and said, “You told my mother you were here to offer your aid in expediting matters with Duke Alric.”
“That is true my lad,” he replied. “Unfortunately I will no longer be able to aid you as you have murdered a number of the Duke’s men.”
Lord Haran gazed at Daniel, what he may have been thinking was unreadable.
“Will you please let us go?” he asked. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Ha!” said Seth. “We overheard you and I quote: ‘We know the location of the Horde. I’ll use my influence in Duke Alric’s court and have the land rights to this area transferred to me. Then, we can come and strip the place of everything.’
“I never said such a thing,” Daniel replied with complete sincerity. “Like I said, events swept my friend and I along like a flower petal upon the water.”
“Lies!”
From out of the woods stepped Rupert. Eyes wild, clothes stained with blood, he made a frightful sight.
“Rupert?” exclaimed Riyan.
Ignoring everyone save Daniel, he came forward. “You murdered my father,” he accused. “Confessed by your own lips. You orchestrated everything, I can see that now.”
“I don’t know what this boy is talking about,” Daniel told those gathered around him.
“I trusted you!” Rupert said, anguish in his voice. Coming closer, they could see a slight madness in his eyes. Finally, he glanced to the others. “With my help he murdered everyone who was drawn to Quillim by the rumors of the Horde.” Pausing, he looked to his hands. “Their blood stains my hands.” Rubbing them together, it almost seemed as if he was trying to rid them of the imagined stains.
Glancing up again, he gazed at Daniel. “After all that I have done for you, your final act of betrayal was to try and take my life,” he said softly. “That was when my eyes were opened and I saw you for what you truly are.” Then almost inaudible he said, “And what I had done.”
“That’s true,” Seth said quietly. “My brother and I saw it.” Beside him, Soth nodded in affirmation.
Moving once again, Rupert quickened his pace toward Daniel and drew his sword. Silently, he raised it to strike.
To the others watching the unfolding drama, Daniel exclaimed, “You cannot stand by and let him kill me!” He looked to Riyan and said, “This is murder!”
Riyan shook his head. “No, this is a son’s justice for the murder of his father. And for all the hurt done to Quillim and her people by you.”
Daniel began struggling to free himself, but Kevik’s spell was too strong. “But I didn’t kill him!”
Rupert raised his sword as he came closer. Daniel’s eyes widened as he looked at the approach of death. “Father!” Rupert cried out as with all his might, he brought the sword down. Striking the shoulder blade, Rupert’s sword cleaved its way halfway into Daniel’s ribcage through bone and muscle before coming to a stop.
When the sword finally came to rest, Rupert remained motionless as he continued holding the hilt. Silence hung in the air as everyone waited for what he would do next. When he finally let go of the hilt, he turned about and glanced to Riyan. “I’m sorry for everything,” he said. Then without a word, walked to the trees and disappeared. Riyan and the others didn’t realize it at the time, but that would be the last time any of them would ever see Rupert alive.
Once Rupert left, Daniel’s man began begging for his life. But such was not to be. Chad accepted the duty of silencing him and with one thrust, it was over.
For the rest of that day, they sought and located an out of the way area where they buried the dead in a large, communal grave. Then in an attempt to mask the grave, they gathered individual plants from many different areas and planted them atop the grave mound. By the time they were done, rain had started to fall and began the job of removing the evidence that people had ever been there. In such a remote area, it was unlikely another person would stumble upon the entrance to the Horde. Above the entrance, they had woven the vines together to better conceal it. When spring came and the vines began growing once more, the entrance would again be well hidden.
Before darkness fell, the two groups gathered together. Riyan and his group had reclaimed their horses and equipment, as well as a spare for each from those of Captain Glaver’s. Lord Haran and his men took the rest.
“What route do you plan to take on your way home?” Riyan asked Lord Haran.
“First, we must go to Aquillian and speak with your King,” he replied. “My uncle has brought our two nations perilously close to war and I must set that right.”
“Our families are on their way to Terix which is on the way to Aquillian,” Riyan explained. “If you are agreeable, we could travel that far together.”
Nodding, Lord Haran said, “I would like that.” Giving Riyan a grin, he signaled for his men to get underway.
Riyan led them on a route toward the south ford that would avoid any possible contact with the inhabitants of Quillim. As much as he loved the village of his birth, there was no reason to return. The home in which he grew to adulthood was gone, his mother and Freya were no longer there, everything he cared for was on its way to Terix.
As he rode through the countryside, he thought of the last year and the changes his life had taken. Who would have thought that a simple shepherd boy would one day be riding in camaraderie with a Warlord of the Tribes! Smiling to himself, he thought of the friends he had made and the adventures they survived. But most of all, he thought of Freya and their future life together. Man, it was a good day to be alive!
The End
Check out the other epically adventurous worlds of fantasy author
Brian S. Pratt
The Morcyth Saga
James, a high school senior, went looking for a job. But instead, he begins what turns out to be an adventure of a lifetime. Whisked unexpectedly to a world where magic works, he must learn to master its power, all the while searching for the meaning of why he was brought there and what he must do.
Dungeon Crawler Adventures
For those who enjoy dungeon exploration
without all the buildup or wrapup.
Fans of his previous works, especially The Broken Key, will discover Underground to be full of excitement and surprises. First in a series of books written for the pure fun of adventuring, Underground takes the reader along as four strangers overcome obstacles such as ingenious traps, perilous encounters, and mysteries to boggle the mind.
Ring of the Or’tux
In many stories you hear how ‘The Chosen One’ appeared to save the day. Every wonder what would happen if the one doing the choosing bungled the job?
In Ring of the Or’tux, that’s exactly what happens. Hunter was on his way to a Three Stooges’ marathon when in mid-step, he went from the lobby of a movie theater to a charred tangle of stone and timber that once had been a place of worship. From there it only gets worse for the hapless Chosen One. First, an attempt to flee those he initially encounters (who by the way are the ones he was sent there to save), lands him into the merciless clutches of an invading army (those whom he was supposed to defeat).
The Adventurer’s Guild
Jaikus and Reneeke are ordinary lads whose dream in life is to become a member of The Adventurer's Guild. But to become a member, one must be able to lay claim to an Adve
nture, and not just any adventure. To qualify, an Adventure must entail the following:
1-Have some element of risk to life and limb
2-Successfully concluded. If the point of the Adventure was to recover a stolen silver candelabra, then you better have that candelabra in hand when all is said and done.
3-A reward must be given. For what good is an Adventure if you don't get paid for your troubles?
Jaikus and Reneeke soon realize that becoming members in the renowned Guild is harder than they thought. For Adventures posted as Unresolved at the Guild, are usually the ones with the most risk.
However, when they hear of a party of experienced Guild members that are about to set out and are in need of Springers, they quickly volunteer only to discover to their dismay that a Springer's job is to "Spring the trap."
If they survive, membership in the Guild is assured.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 Page 55