Path of Tears (Saga of The Wolf Book 2)

by Kris A Hiatt

  “Could your man be making this up?”

  “Edas?” Drevic asked incredulously. “Not a chance. If he says it’s so, it is.”

  “No need to get defensive. I’m only trying to gauge the situation.”

  “Of course he didn’t let on that he thought anything was out of sorts,” Drevic said, ignoring Liernin’s comment.

  “Regardless, it does make sense. And given my most recent letter from Shamir, I’m fairly certain your man is correct.”

  Drevic wondered why Liernin would bother asking if Edas was making it up if he thought it was true. “So why would you question the ethics of one of my men?”

  “Pardon my frankness, but one of your men has already turned on you. I don’t know if there are others that would.”

  “One of yours turned on you, too, Liernin. Yet I don’t question you about the loyalty of your men,” Drevic returned, speaking of Drokier, knowing full well Liernin was referring to Brental.

  “Settle down, my friend,” Liernin said, patting the air. “My words were not meant to offend you. The decisions we make in the coming weeks could very well determine our survival. I need to be certain of every one of them. To be certain, I need all of the facts.”

  Drevic didn’t realize he was so forceful with his words, but Liernin did hit a nerve. He didn’t like it when people questioned the loyalty of men who’ve devoted all of their adult lives, and a good majority of their childhoods, to the Onneron Brotherhood. Brental was an exception, not the rule. He did concede, however, that Drokier was most likely an exception rather than the rule as well. “I understand. I should be the one apologizing to you. I’ve been very busy running two orders. I’m not sure how much more I can take.”

  “Well, then you won’t like the news I have to share. Perhaps we should discuss it tomorrow?”

  Drevic sighed heavily. What else could he add to his plate? He was already attempting to rebuild two separate orders at the same time. Not to mention that both of them resided in the same building and oftentimes had competing outlooks on various topics. And there was the little fact that there was an impending war in which both orders would be needed. What else could he have to worry about? “No. Just tell me. I’ll be up all night trying to think of what it is you’ll say anyway.”

  “A messenger arrived from Kadenton today,” Liernin began, eyeing Drevic. “He said he had a message from King Shamir.”

  “So he’s named himself King,” Drevic said. “Pretentious.”

  “Very much so. He’s demanding that I acknowledge his title, surrender my lands to him, and serve under him as a baron of his newly acquired property.”

  “And are you considering it?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous!”

  “Just getting all the facts,” Drevic replied. In truth, he knew the man would never consider such a thing, he just wanted to return the favor of using his own words against him.

  “We both know better,” Liernin said. “But that’s not the part you aren’t going to like. The part you aren’t going to like is that he’s demanding that you cease all teachings of the College and that you’ve been excommunicated from the order. The College is under the full control of Archmagister Brental and you don’t exist. Should you not agree, I’m supposed to arrest you and turn you over to Brental for punishment.”

  “They are out of their minds,” Drevic fumed. He couldn’t believe that even Brental would stoop so low. He weaseled his way into getting Kilindric, and most of the brothers, by deception. Now he wants Drevic to cease all teachings and reject his part in the order. And for Shamir to go along with such a request was asinine.

  Liernin gave him a disconcerting look.

  “You can’t be considering this,” he said incredulously.

  “I am. But not because Shamir has ordered it.”

  “What other reason could there be?”

  “You said yourself that it’s been very difficult to run two separate orders. Something like this could lessen that burden,” Liernin said with honest concern.

  “At the cost of absolving myself from the order I’ve spent my entire life in? Not to mention asking all of those under me to do the same? You have to see the absurdity of that,” Drevic told him. There was no way he was going to agree to it. He’d worked way too hard to throw everything away. He was certain all of the brothers would agree him.

  “Do you remember meeting with one of your men recently? He’s a bigger man that kept calling out to you in the streets.”

  “I do, but what does that have to do with any of this?” Drevic asked.

  “Do you recall anyone giving you curious or odd looks?”

  Now that Drevic thought about it, there were several people that had seen their exchange. If people were looking at them with any sort of curiosity, he thought it would have been from Beebee more than anything. “There were people around, but I wasn’t paying much attention to them.”

  “Well they were paying attention to you,” Liernin said. “More importantly, the people are wondering how the Archbishop still believes he is the Archmagister of an order that he is no longer part of.”

  “I am still a part of the order,” Drevic protested. “I’m the damned leader!”

  “Not in their eyes you’re not. One man can’t lead two orders. Especially if one of those orders is the Church. I told you the people could be fickle. Word is starting to spread. I doubt it’s gone far, but it is out there.”

  “How do you know about this?”

  “The mother of one of my guards was on the street that day. She was concerned and brought it to her son, who in turn brought it to me.”

  “If I have to remove myself from one position, I’d choose to leave the Church, not the College.”

  “Are you mad? You’d destroy any trust the people had in you. Hell, I’d wager they’d downright scorn you.”

  “Scorn me? For promoting Yelsn to Archbishop and returning to my order?”

  “You don’t simply walk away from the Church.”

  “You knew my position was a temporary one,” Drevic told him, speaking of being the Archbishop. “If you thought differently, why wouldn’t you tell me from the start?”

  “Because we needed you. We still need you. Besides, if you don’t leave the College, how long do you think it would be before word of your excommunication gets out?”

  “Even if I do quit, how will the people, and the Church, take it when they hear their Archbishop was excommunicated from his prior order?” Drevic didn’t see any way this was going to end well. Whether he was the leader of the Church or the College, if that news got out, he likely wouldn’t be the leader of either for very long.

  “Not well, I assure you.”

  “So it’s only a matter of time before things turn sour,” Drevic said more to himself than Liernin. He had to figure something out. He didn’t want to leave the College, but neither did he want to leave the Church. Being cast out of both was not something he was prepared to deal with.

  “Take some time to think it over,” Liernin told him.

  “You want an answer to give Shamir?” Drevic asked.

  “He’ll get nothing and like it. That should be a good enough answer for him. I’m speaking of the inevitable. Unless Shamir doesn’t send in spies to spread the news, we need a plan. We both know he’ll try to smear us as best as he can.”

  He wouldn’t put it past either Shamir or Brental to try to win the people’s favor by making their opposition look bad. Technically, the part about Drevic being cast out of his order was true. But it was also true that Brental used force to get his way. Even if others looked past that due to the College not being under the rule of either baron at the time, the order still would have been split. Those loyal to Drevic would still have come with him, it wasn’t like Drevic would have stayed under Brental’s leadership anyway. That gave him an idea. While he didn’t like the idea, it might work. He wasn’t going to tell Liernin just yet, though. He wanted time to think it over. If he acted on the idea, t
here would be no turning back. For himself, or others.

  ~~~

  “As I said, I won’t make this decision without you. If any of you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it,” Drevic told them. He had cancelled classes for the day so both Edas and Kelvrin were in the room, as was Yelsn. He’d already told them what Liernin had told him and he had given them the basic idea of his plan.

  He wasn’t surprised when no one spoke up. He’d been running scenarios through his head the past two days since speaking with the baron. He’d come up with nothing better.

  “Then are there any questions regarding this plan?” Drevic asked.

  “So you want to fight a smear campaign with one of your own?” Kelvrin asked.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it a smear campaign,” Drevic corrected.

  “I don’t know what you’d call it then,” Yelsn argued. “You’d excommunicate Vrindle for cowardice when you told me that you’d make the same decision he did?”

  “I said I’d make the same original decision,” Drevic clarified. “I would not leave a city without a functioning Church to support it. I would not have asked all of my members to move with me. I’m sure some would have, just as some from the College have followed me, but I would never force people to.” He needed Yelsn to be behind this. He had the most to lose and the part of the plan that called for a public excommunication of Vrindle for dereliction of duties demonstrated by his cowardice in the eyes of the Church would be trying on him more than anyone.

  “I think it’s a sound plan,” Edas offered. “It unifies both orders under the same leader and would shield us from any retaliation Brental could offer.”

  “At the expense of giving Brental full control of the College,” Kelvrin pointed out.

  “Doesn’t he already?” Yelsn asked.

  “In physical location only,” Kelvrin argued. “In our hearts we know that Drevic is the true leader of our order. It’s what Nimbril wanted.”

  “Yet that order no longer exists,” Yelsn countered. “From the standpoint of keeping Drevic’s integrity in place, and for the continued existence of what it is you stand for, I believe it is the only option.”

  “So you agree then?” Drevic asked.

  “I said it was the best option for the College, or what remains on your side. As far as the Church is concerned, Vrindel may have made a bad decision, but he’s not a bad man. I know him. He does not deserve to be excommunicated.”

  “And Drevic does?” Kelvrin asked.

  Drevic was going to say something, but he thought it best to let them hash it out and be open with their thoughts. He didn’t want to hinder that.

  “I didn’t say that,” Yelsn responded. “I’m simply saying that Vrindel doesn’t deserve it either.”

  “It would be for the people of Haven only,” Edas pointed out. “Kadenton surely won’t ratify any order given from anyone allied with Liernin. At worst it would show that we are united here in Haven. That’s all.”

  “And at best?” Yelsn asked.

  “The people of Kadenton see it as a sign that Kaden backs us and your brethren return home.”

  “I’m not certain that’s the best case scenario,” Yelsn contended.

  “It is from my point of view,” Edas replied.

  “Unlikely to happen,” Drevic said, seeing that no further good could come of the discussion. “I believe they will see it for what it is.”

  “Which is what?” Kelvrin asked.

  “That the Church is split between factions and split within itself. Those that serve Liernin and those that serve Shamir. It’s up to each person to decide who they wish to follow.”

  “But by excommunicating him from the Church, you’re all but telling the acolytes in Kadenton that they must return,” Yelsn told him.

  “Not if I include verbiage saying otherwise,” Drevic offered. “If I were to say that while the Church in Haven no longer recognizes Vrindel as its leader, or even a member, we do understand that the people of Kadenton may still recognize that he is still the leader of their Church and are free to remain if they choose. Would that ease your mind, Yelsn?”

  “You’d do that?” Yelsn asked.

  “For the good of the people of both cities I would. They don’t want a war between us, I assure you. They are caught in a war between two men and they don’t have a way out. Besides, as you pointed out, one man shouldn’t get to decide which cities are allowed to have faith.”

  “Then I also agree it’s the best option,” Yelsn replied, seemingly pleased with the idea.

  “I think Brental’s going to be pissed,” Kelvrin stated.

  “When isn’t he?” Edas asked.

  “Still, he’ll be more pissed once he hears that he has no sway over Drevic or us because we’ve already absolved ourselves from the order,” Kelvrin replied.

  “He’ll be getting exactly what he wants,” Edas pointed out.

  “Just not in the way he wanted,” Drevic said. “Which will make him mad. I doubt the part I’ll add about us not following a murderer will bother him, or Shamir for that matter. They were both there when Nimbril was thrown to his death. It’ll simply anger him because it happened on our terms and not his.”

  “And we’ll make the reasoning known to the people?” Edas asked.

  “Of course,” Drevic told him. “They are the biggest reason for the plan. Without their support, all of this fails.”

  “Then we need to ensure they are behind us,” Yelsn said.

  “I’ve got some ideas for that too,” Drevic replied. “But first, we need to discuss the structure of our new Church.”

  “What do you mean?” Edas asked.

  “While it’s obvious I’ll be the Archbishop, we need to decide where the rest of you fall.”

  “I’m very comfortable being a simple acolyte,” Yelsn said.

  “But that’s where I disagree,” Drevic replied. “I’d like to keep some things the same, but others I’d like to change. Ranks for example. I’d like to keep magister as a rank within our new Church. Those magisters report to me, much as they did in the College. The Church used to call its junior members brothers, just as we do. I’d like to revert to that.”

  “Acolyte was Vrindel’s idea anyway,” Yesln said. “I’ve always preferred Brother Yelsn to Acolyte Yelsn.”

  “Any qualms from either of you?” Drevic asked Edas and Kelvrin.

  “No, Archbishop,” Edas replied, offering a smile.

  “None,” Kelvrin said, patting Drevic on the shoulder.

  “I would also propose that we keep a higher rank of the Church intact, such as bishop. It would hold the same privileges as magister, the only difference being that one needn’t master the Paths to gain the rank,” Drevic announced, looking directly at Yelsn.

  “So you’ll continue to teach then?” Yelsn asked.

  “Many, including you, have stated that they believe our magical prowess is a gift from Kaden, I see no reason to stop,” Drevic confirmed.

  “What about you, Drevic? Do you believe they are gifts from Kaden?” Edas asked.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Drevic admitted. “But with everything going on, I’m starting to.”

  “You’ll never say that again,” Yelsn said angrily.

  “And you’ll watch what you say,” Kelvrin said just as angrily, standing up.

  “If someone else heard that,” Yelsn explained calmly, leaving the possibilities of what would happen open.

  “You don’t disrespect the Archmagister,” Kelvrin warned.

  “Sit down Kelvrin,” Drevic told the man. “And have you not paid attention to anything we’ve said? I’m the Archbishop now. Bishop Yelsn is correct,” Drevic said, looking at Yelsn softly. “I should never say that again. If the leader of the Church is ever heard doubting Kaden, well then it wouldn’t be much of a Church for long. The same goes for my title. No one must ever call me Archmagister again.”

  “Bishop?” Yelsn asked.

  Kelvrin sat back down and appear
ed to be digesting what Drevic had said.

  “Now there’s the leader I can’t wait to follow,” Edas commented, looking at Drevic.

  “Congratulations,” Kelvrin said to Yelsn.

  “But wait,” Yelsn prompted. “I’m no bishop.”

  “You are now,” Edas replied.

  “I said I’d help you,” Drevic told him. “But I also said you’d need to try to help yourself. Consider this your first step.”

  Yelsn didn’t reply. Instead he stared at the table with a puzzled look on his face. Drevic assumed the man was trying to figure out how his new title would impact his role, if any.

  “How do you want to tell them?” Kelvrin asked.

  Drevic knew the man was speaking of the members of what used to be the College and the members of the Church that no longer was. “Assemble them for dinner. I’ll speak to them there.”

  “How many do you suspect will choose to leave?” Yelsn asked.

  If the man wanted to know why Drevic made him a bishop, all he needed to do was listen to the difficult, yet intelligent, questions that he posed. The question he just asked was a prime example. It was one that Drevic himself had wondered about. He guessed that not everyone would appreciate the conversion to the Church. He figured he’d lose some members in the change. He just didn’t know how many. “A few at least.”

  “A majority will choose to stay,” Edas said confidently.

  “We’ll worry about the issue if it becomes one,” Drevic told them. “But now, I need to tell Liernin of our plan. I’ll be back before dinner.”

  “Yes, Archbishop,” Yesln replied, rising from his seat.

  The other two men did likewise.

  They all offered a bow before leaving Drevic alone with his thoughts.

  Chapter 23

  Treace was set to fight Drokier sometime tomorrow, weather permitting. It was to be held in an outdoor arena but it had been raining for most of the day and the guards that brought Moff and Kiril their food had said it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. He was literally starving hungry and was weak from the lack of food and water. Perhaps he was delirious because he wasn’t thinking about his thirst, hunger, or even his impending fight with Drokier. He was thinking about something Drokier had said, or more accurately, why he had said it. If there really were six thousand men he was training, why would he tell them that? He knew one of them was going to get out of this alive. He had to presume which ever person it was would tell Liernin of the amount of people in the army. Only two possibilities made any sense to him, assuming the man didn’t just slip up and say it on accident. “Do you think they’ll let any of us out of here alive?” He knew he was barely audible. He was dehydrated and his throat was so dry it reminded him of how it felt when he took a breath while in Mr. Lavare’s workshop. All the dust flying through the air in the shop often stuck to his throat and made him cough.