Tragedy (Forsaken Lands)

by Cooper, Sydney M.

  This is what you want to talk about? Now? This way? Teveres opened his barriers just enough so she could hear his surface musings. The mental attenuation took concentration, but not as much as he might have expected.

  I'm bored. And tired. And nobody says anything meaningful. 'Keep up,' and 'Careful' are not conversations.

  Why... like this?

  Would you rather speak out loud?

  Well... no. I'm just not used to hearing so many thoughts that aren't mine.

  You get used to it. I used to hear thoughts all the time before I learned to block them out. Aia opened her hands wide, closer to the fire.

  Why would you do that?

  It's rude to listen to people's private thoughts, and I don't want to hear half of what they have to say anyway. Aia smirked beside him, lighting up her face. The streak of mischievousness looked good on her, even with the black smudges under her eyes.

  I suppose that makes sense, he replied.

  I asked you a question, and you still haven't answered. How did you end up in my house?

  I was brought in by a Justice, or so I assume, the one that I threatened.

  Why were you threatening a Justice?

  Silence, for a moment, remembering his rage. He hoped the man was already dead, but he doubted it. He raped a young woman. I made the mistake of pretending to be a hero.

  That doesn't sound like a mistake to me, her thoughts were tentative. It sounds honorable.

  This is apparently what honor buys in today's world, he thought back at her sourly. I don't regret helping her; I regret not killing the Justice when I had the opportunity.

  You don't like to kill people.

  The statement, though obviously true, softened him. She knew, and even believed, that killing wasn't something he sought. Even he wasn't always confident of his own intentions. I don't see how you can be so sure.

  I know what a hateful person looks like, she replied. You're not like that at all.

  The depth of the conversation might have been sleep delirium, and her naked honesty scared him. Her sentiments shouldn't have meant much, but they cheered him somehow. Everything about her presence made the world a little less painful.

  She was nodding off before he could say anything back. Glancing around and still seeing no sign of Garren, Teveres tugged her over to the sleep sacks and urged her to slip inside. If he was right, they wouldn't have much time in them. He rolled into his own sack and was asleep in seconds.

  Naturally, he was correct about the limited sleep. Their tacitly benevolent captor allowed only a few hours' rest before they were at it again, just as the dew was beginning to decorate the bristles on the trees. The three of them walked on in intermittent silence, Teveres and Aia occasionally batting thoughts back and forth on trivial matters - the changing of the weather or the way the path had not been travelled in many months.

  The sight of Torvid's Rest could not come soon enough. Teveres could see the buildings through the branches of the trees, smoke rising delicately from the chimneys. On the highest hill was a mountainside temple, the religious site of Torvid's Rest. Its unassuming tan slabs were built directly into the side of the hill. The settlement below was a hodge-podge of houses, most of them surrounded by large food gardens. Goats, chella, and rabbits milled through the dirt roads. A large inn with a steepled roof towered above the common houses, easily the largest building after the temple.

  It was well into the afternoon by the time they approached the entrance of the inn at Torvid's Rest. The street outside the lodge was empty. It was early autumn, the end of the days of pilgrimage. Few travelled to Torvid's Rest after the summer, and none dared venture into the woods during the winter.

  Teveres's feet and head were throbbing with a hot vengeance. Garren tapped both of them on the shoulder before they reached the door.

  "You will follow my commands. Once we enter you do not leave for any reason. If you need anything from the outside I will arrange for it." Garren's instructions were short and pointed.

  Teveres and Aia nodded. Words were too much effort.

  The main door led to a well-appointed if quiet drinking hall, a handful of patrons sitting at the bar with mugs between their hands. The bartender, a scraggly-looking old man who matched the inn's decor perfectly, glanced up at them only momentarily to spare a nod for Garren. The unspoken communication prompted Garren to lead them swiftly to the right down a long ha

  Garren placed an additional key into a small keyhole, barely visible in the wooden floor. When the lock clicked, a handle popped out. Teveres and Aia watched the spectacle in a mix of intrigue and befuddlement when Garren opened a trap door to reveal a ladder. Garren hopped down without using the steps, the sound of his impact deceptively soft given his size. He reached up to help Aia to the ground.

  The hidden basement was a different place entirely. The room was adorned with several tables of better repair than the ones upstairs, each with a small candle in the middle. A rare, fully-stocked bar took center-stage next to a kitchen door. Two hallways jutted out on either side of the room, where men and women in overly form-fitting clothes could be seen milling about. Teveres surveyed the place carefully, unable to hide his smirk.

  "A whorehouse," Teveres croaked, his tongue dry from their journey. "This is the rendezvous point?"

  "I would not use that term here if I were you," Garren muttered.

  A woman appeared from behind the bar at the sound of Garren's voice. She walked with an air of respectability, wearing a long black trench coat over dark, tailored clothing. Burnished brown hair was ragged cut against dark skin; she wore the wide, welcoming smile of a woman in management.

  "Garren!" Her voice was loud and exuberant, belying her subdued color palette. She reached her arms around the Kaldari scout, giving him a visibly tight hug.

  Aia and Teveres exchanged confused looks. Teveres shrugged, pulling out the two nearest chairs for Aia and himself.

  "Alexandria," Garren greeted the woman, clapping her on the shoulder. If it was possible, the Kaldari scout looked happy. "It's good to see you."

  "We weren't expecting you for two more days at least," the woman replied. "These are your friends?"

  "Teveres, Aia, this is my old friend, Alexandria," said Garren.

  "Alex is fine. I'm the owner of this establishment - anything you need, you ask for me." Alex reached out to shake hands with both Aia and Teveres. Teveres instantly took a liking to the woman in spite of himself. "Skies! You two look exhausted. What have you been doing to them, Garren?"

  The way Alex's warm personality softened Garren's harsh edges was almost comical. His whole face was suddenly considerate. "Circumstances in Nivenea changed..." Garren cleared his throat, "I can tell you the news later."

  Alex gave Garren a knowing look, reading the concern hidden in his words. She just nodded. "Understandable. I guess you will be staying for a few days?"

  "If you have room."

  "I have two right now," Alex replied. "Only one bathing room, sorry to say."

  "Aia should go first," Teveres volunteered.

  Aia was about to protest when Alex flashed another barbarian-softening smile in Aia's direction. "He's right, ladies first. Come on, I'll show you the way. Here," She handed two keys to Garren. "Doors 5 and 7. Don't wreck the place."

  Alex shuffled Aia out of the room with great haste, leaving Teveres and Garren standing together. Teveres tensed, giving Garren a sidelong look. He had waited more than a day to talk about Veni; Garren had to know that Teveres was reluctant to discuss Veni in Aia's presence. With Aia gone there was nothing keeping Teveres from exploring the wildly vindictive ideas in his head.

  Garren inclined his head in Teveres's direction, "You have something to say to me?"

  "Privately," Teveres replied.

  Walking in front of him for the first time, Garren headed towards the hallway of guest quarters. The wood of the decades-old inn creaked under their feet as they walked. A short, slender young man with bright red hair
ducked into the room beside them, greeting an older woman inside. Garren politely ignored them, opening the door to room 5 and ushering Teveres inside.

  A comfortable-looking bed was shoved against the far wall sporting surprisingly clean sheets. There was a table in one corner with two chairs, and a plush rug underneath. A single oil lamp illuminated the room from the bedside table. The well-maintained furnishings contrasted with the dilapidated structure of the building around them.

  As soon as the door was closed, Teveres spun to face Garren. Pulling his blade from its resting place on his hip, he again released the slightest amount of control on his ability. Holding a human life in his hands was a position of ultimate power; as much as he hated himself for it, he loved the way it felt, the familiar hum of a soul underneath his psychic touch. It was so tempting to extinguish the energy in one swoop and be done with it. He watched as ill ease crept over Garren's features. Garren's focus was on Teveres, even as he tossed his bag and cloak on the bed. He held his tongue waiting for Teveres to speak.

  "Where is she?" Teveres seethed.

  "I was not told where she would go. I only know that she will be safe as long as I return to my people alive."

  "She is an innocent. I think you know what kind of a position I'm in and how little I have to lose - you could have my help without holding her hostage."

  "And as long as you cooperate no harm will come to her or the child."

  Teveres felt as if he had been punched in the throat. He struggled to speak. "Child?"

  In the weeks before his departure, he sensed the faint energy of an extra presence, but thought little of it. The years of safety in his home rendered him complacent. His work on the ranch was going well; he had a plot of land chosen for his future house. Veni wanted to marry him, andtchrry him he suspected for months that she had stopped reliably taking the drying herbs. The possibility of a child would have been an unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome future.

  Of course, that was before Veni saw him with the blood on his hands, before Teveres surrendered to the inescapable truth that he was, and always would be, a monster. No child deserved to be a child of his.

  The balance of the conversation shifted. Garren held the winning hand, and he knew it. Tugging off his gloves, he revealed craterous burn scars similar to the one on his neck. "Interesting. We thought you knew. Our healers say she is at least two months. She says it belongs to you."

  Teveres's control slipped another notch, just enough to stun Garren for the moment it took to slam him against the wall. Teveres's eyes were inches from Garren's. "Her life is not for your amusement."

  "Take your hands off of me." Garren's steady words grated on Teveres's thin barrier of control.

  "You kidnapped a pregnant woman?" Teveres's voice was forceful but low enough that the neighbors beyond the wall would not hear, "And you thought this would win my trust?"

  By way of response, Garren swiftly head butted Teveres in the bridge of his nose, shoved him to the floor, and locked Teveres's arms behind his back. His face was mashed against the wood, his physical force useless against Garren's inhuman strength.

  Teveres drew his mind away from the pain and the fear of shoulder dislocation. His ability, stirred by his anger's smoke point, was bursting from his chest. He could feel it outlining his body, fighting free. If he just relaxed for a moment it would release Garren's energy and fill him with soul-deep pleasure. He craved the high of killing. Instead, he made every effort not to give in to his baser reflexes, taking slow, deep breaths.

  "We are very similar, you and I," Garren explained calmly, one knee pressed into Teveres's lower spine. "I know what it's like to lose a family. You might not believe it, but I grieve for you. I grieve for your child to be born to a world like this." He paused, "But the next time you think about testing me, boy, remember this: you still have someone other than yourself to live for. I don't."

  Teveres let his body go limp, playing the prey animal who feigns death in the hope of survival. Slowly, Garren replaced Teveres's arms back at their sides and rose. Teveres rolled his shoulders. He was numb, inside and out. With his rage tabled his power died within him.

  "If I do not return to my people at the half moon your Veni will die, wherever she is. It is not your advantage to harm me." Much to his surprise, Garren leant a hand down to help him up, scarred fingers a foreign texture against Teveres's unblemished skin. "When they come, they will bring proof she is well. When you have satisfied us, she will be free."

  Teveres grunted.

  "You should sleep," Garren said charitably, "Rest while you can. Do whate faan. Do ver you want while you are here. In the morning you wi

  ll find Les. He will have more to say than I."

  Teveres might have nodded, but his mind and body were so disconnected that it was as if he was watching someone else, somewhere else. He didn't care much about who Les was, or what the man might know. He was walking as if in dream, or maybe in a nightmare. If only that were so.

  Chapter 6

  Aia stood with her arms tight across her abdomen, back pressed to the wall. The bathing room, nearly half the size of her entire home in Layvin's Embrace, had a large, black tub in the middle. There was a sink to one side and a bench on the other, an oil chandelier dropped from the ceiling to light the area. It was quite luxurious, particularly considering that she was standing in the black market corner of a traveler's inn.

  The travel grime that had built up on her skin was making her itch. She clasped her hands together, afraid that if she touched anything she would sully it beyond repair.

  "You can sit down," Alex laughed, operating the intimidatingly complex dials on the side of the tub. The hostess added drops of scented oils as the clear, steamy water gushed out into the tub. The oil smelled of jasmine.

  Obediently, Aia sat on the edge of the door-side bench.

  "Relax, hon. You're not going to break anything in here."

  "How did you come by something so..." Expensive. "Fancy?"

  "The money I make on my boys and girls is good. The money I make off of this room is better."

  "...oh."

  Alex leaned on the edge of the tub as the water ran with a smile on her face that put Aia instantly at ease. "So you're from Nivenea?"

  "From Seldat, but I've lived in Nivenea for years."

  "I could see that," Alex said cheerfully, "You don't act much like a city girl."

  You hardly know me, but that's fine. "So I've been told."

  "Well make yourself at home as much as you can while you're here. This isn't Nivenea, but I try to keep the place decent."

  "How do you know Garren?" Aia spoke without thinking, fatigue eroding her better judgment. She stammered, "I mean, you seem so..."

  "Oh I know." Alex's charm went on unfazed. She glided over to Aia, taking a seat beside her. "Don't let his act fool you. He's all soft underneath."

  A giggle escaped Aia's lips. "Soft?"

  "As a kitten, darling." Her grin sobered before she continued. "He saved my life once."

  "How did that happen?"

  Visibly mulling the question, Alex bit the inside of her cheek and tugged Aia's cloak from her back. "I was young and stupid, and I ended up on the wrong side of the Kaldari border. Garren was the only person in the village who spoke Leyvada, and he managed to convince the elders to let me go into his custody. I stayed with his family for a few weeks."

  "Family?" The thought of Garren as a family man was entirely incongruent with the man's attitude.

  "Everyone has a story, even Garren. Now come on, the water won't stay hot forever."

  Content to leave the subject alone in favor of steaming water and soap, Aia slipped into the tub while Alex went to find something edible in the kitchen. After nearly two days of Garren's meager rations, Aia could imagine nothing better than food that had not been salted and dried.

  Aia had made several attempts to read Garren's mind over the course of the journey - occasionally she caught parts of a sentence in Le
yvada, but unfortunately his main language seemed to be Kaldari. The best that she could discern based on his emotional patterns was that Garren was a protective, fair individual. Violent, perhaps, but not in a malignant way. His nuanced personality hardly fit the savage warrior Kaldari stereotype perpetuated in Nivenea.

  She soaked for a long time, unfurling the knots in her muscles. Even though her innate healing abilities had already mended the blisters on her feet and kept her from becoming completely immobile, the strain from the journey pushed the limits of her endurance.

  When she was finally fed, cleaned up, and warmed through to her bones, Aia retreated to her room and hopped up on the large bed. The soft, cotton sheets matched the nightshift which Alex had leant to her. It was nice, for a prison. The nicest most interesting prison she had ever heard of. Alex left a book at her bedside, a poorly copied romance story that Aia had never heard of. The entire idea of reading a romance book in a prison-whorehouse made Aia want to laugh on the inside.

  Maybe it was the fatigue making her loopy, but she was feeling strangely happy with the entire situation. She had sealed up her affairs - at least temporarily - in the notes she left on her kitchen table in Nivenea. Kyren would take over her patients and Delia would have as much advice as Aia was able to jot down in the time she was allowed. Aia knew that Garren was right - it was for the best that she was not in Nivenea after the kidnapping of the leaders.

  Just as she was about to dive into the book, a dark wave of sadness preceded Teveres's entrance into the room. She had scarcely enough time to straighten up before he wandered through the door.

  He was drunk. It took her an extra second to notice that there was a large bruise across his forehead and newly-formed scratches on one side of his face. Confused, Aia pushed herself up against the headboard, watching him warily. She expected him to room with Garren - after all, they were both men. She was speechless, fighting the urge to read his mind.

  Teveres was just as surprised to see her sitting there, almost as if he had forgotten she was on the same strange journey that he was. His green-gold eyes flickered up at her. He, too, was speechless. Without explanation, he walked to one wall and slid down to the floor. He closed his eyes.