The King's Executioner

by Donna Fletcher

  “Which is it you truly fear, keeping me close or keeping me at a distance? Or is it both?”

  Either way he would suffer. Keeping her close would bring the King’s wrath down upon him and keeping her at a distance meant he would never have her. That she understood meant she was aware of his lies, but then she had been aware of his lies at the pond as well. It was almost as if she could reach inside him and know what he felt.

  He did not respond. He did not need to. She understood all too clearly. He wrapped the other end of the rope around his waist, knotting it. He left enough length between them so that they would not be so close that she could touch him, but close enough that she could not go far from him. Satisfied, he turned and walked along the top of the ridge.

  Anin followed, seeing Bog run ahead of Paine.

  “I should punish you for this by remaining silent,” she said after a few steps.

  “You call that punishment?” he said with a rough laugh.

  Her words brought the laugh she had hoped for from him. She wanted no anger between them their last few days together. She wanted good memories of him.

  “You do not enjoy my endless chatting and questions?” she asked sweetly.

  “Not in the least. I relish the quiet.” He felt his lie twist at his insides. “You should be watching for the Drust, not talking.”

  “You think they will not give up? They will continue to follow our trail?” she asked, foolishly having given them no thought. They were no longer in the safety of the Wyse or in the protection of the Corsar Tribe. They were completely on their own.

  “The Drust grow in warriors since their first attack. It shows they are intent on seeing their mission finished as planned.”

  “With my death.” She shivered, recalling her struggle with the Drust warrior and the hatred she had felt spewing from him and how much he wanted her dead.

  “That will not happen, and do not disturb me with more questions.”

  Anin remained quiet for only a short time. “Why do you not want bairns of your own?”

  He shook his head.

  “Do you not want to live on through your children and their children, ever remembered?”

  “No! What bairn would want to be the son or daughter of the King’s executioner? I would not stain an innocent child with my blood.”

  “You do not have to remain the King’s executioner forever.”

  “I serve the King. It is the chore he has chosen for me.”

  “Is it truly or is it the punishment you have chosen for yourself?” Anin asked.

  “You speak foolishly.”

  “I speak what I see and feel. It matters not since you will have three daughters and a son.” Again Anin felt a twinge of envy for the woman who would birth his children.

  “Esplin is wrong. I will have no children. Enough talk. It distracts and we must remain watchful.” Paine waited a moment, knowing she would speak again and said, “Not another word, Anin.” He waited again. “I mean it.”

  Anin shut her mouth with a pout, though it turned quickly to a smile. He knew her well, knew she would continue talking without looking back at her. They truly were meant for each other. Why had fate not seen that? Why was she made to join with a man she cared nothing for?

  She pushed the troubling thoughts away to remain watchful as Paine had said. They traveled over a barren stretch of land where you could see anyone approaching from a distance away. While the land appeared unwelcoming in its stark emptiness, there was also a beauty to it. With the cold not many full moon cycles away the land was preparing for sleep, the leaves falling from the trees to blanket the land and nourish it during its slumber and the harvest taking the last of what the land had to give.

  While this journey had not been easy or wanted, she was grateful for it. She had gotten to see more of the land and its people, and she had gotten to meet Paine and feel what it was like to lose her heart.

  Sunrise to sunset saw no incidents.

  Paine had her sleep close to the fire and he slept the length of the rope between them. He did not move close and keep her warm like he had done before. He kept his distance and it hurt Anin that he did. It was not his warmth that she missed most, it was him. She slept and felt more peaceful when he slept wrapped around her.

  They woke to a gray sky and Anin argued with Paine when he refused to remove the rope so that she could see to her morning needs.

  “I will turn my head,” he said.

  After endless arguing and her need growing ever stronger, he finally gave in and removed the rope from around her waist, though he warned he would remain close by.

  The rope went back on her as soon as she was done. She did not protest. It would do no good. He would have his way.

  The gray skies lingered throughout the day. A storm was brewing and Anin hoped it did not bring thunder with it. They entered small patches of woods that once again opened on to barren land and it went that way for a while until they were about to emerge on open land once again.

  Bog stopped suddenly, the hair on his back rising. Paine approached the edge of the woods cautiously, having warned Anin with a finger to his lips to remain quiet. He peered from behind a tree, beyond saplings and foliage to a stretch of open land where a group of Drust warriors were gathered. Some squatted, their eyes searching, while others stood glancing around slowly.

  They appeared to be waiting, but for who? Not for him and Anin. The Drust would wait in hiding, follow, and strike when the time was right, not remain in the open where they could be seen. Also, he had changed the path Anin and he had taken, making it more difficult for the Drust to find them.

  He turned to Anin and motioned to her once again to remain silent. He did not have to instruct Bog, the wolf would follow his lead. If they lingered, their chance of discovery would grow, but he needed to see if this truly was a meeting, then who did the Drust expect?

  It was not long before he got his answer. A horse and rider approached from the distance, opposite of Paine. The Drust turned as soon as one of them alerted the others to the rider’s approach. Paine was surprised and disappointed to see that the rider wore the cloak of the King’s warriors, though not his personal guard. Paine was unable to see his face, his hood drawn down too far. He remained on his horse as he spoke to the Drust warriors as if he was in command of them. He pointed toward where he had come from and then back at the Drust.

  Paine wished he could hear what he said, but they were too far away. After a short time, he turned and rode off, and it was not long after that that the Drust followed in the same direction. They would be there waiting for him and Anin, but how did they know he and Anin would come that way? Or was there one of many Drust troops waiting for them?

  It was not until they were a distance away that Paine spoke, though he did not tell her of the man wearing the cloak of the King’s warriors. That did not concern her. It was meant for the King alone.

  “This shows that it is not a rogue group of Drust warriors,” Anin said. “Something is afoot.”

  “And the King needs to know about it.”

  “With the Drust ahead of us waiting, where do we go from here? Or does it matter? Do the Drust lie in wait for us wherever we go?”

  “We go a back the way we came and take a different path that may delay our arrival at Pictland another day unless we keep a good pace.”

  Anin would not have minded the delay if it were not for the Drust. “I will match your pace,” she assured him.

  “Be sure that you do, since you are tethered to me. If you go down so will I.”

  “Release me.”

  “Never!” he snapped.

  Anin felt a jolt to her chest from the impact of his one word. He was not speaking of the rope attached to her. He was speaking of how he felt about releasing her from his heart. He would never let her go, separated or not she would always be part of him. She reached out to lay a tender hand on him and he backed away.

  “You will be Queen,” he said reminding them
both and hurried past her, setting a quick pace.

  Anin rushed along with him, tired of being reminded of her fate and angry she could do nothing about it. It was her duty and she had been willing to fulfill her duty, but not anymore. Not since she met Paine.

  Her thoughts faded quickly, having to pay attention to where she walked, avoiding pits and rocks, worried she would fall and drag him down with her.

  They did not stop until after dusk. Paine refused to light a fire, concerned that if there were any Drust in the area they would see or smell it. They shared a quick meal from the food Esplin had given them.

  As much as Paine had warned himself against getting too close to Anin, tonight could not be helped. It was cold and with no fire to warm them the only heat they would get was from each other. He bedded them down behind a large boulder with trees close behind it. No one could reach them without him hearing their approach. He also had Bog to keep watch.

  Anin settled against him when he wrapped himself around her like a warm, comforting blanket. She rested her hand on his arm, having ached to touch him all day, whether to reassure herself what he felt for her or simply to enjoy the comfort his closeness brought her, brought them both.

  She fell into a quick, deep slumber, Paine having to shake her awake when the sun rose. He had not wanted to disturb her or the pleasure he got from having her in his arms. But he could not delay their departure. If they kept the same pace, they would reach the border of Pictland by dusk. As soon as sentinels spotted them, word would be sent to the King and he would send his personal guard to collect them both. It would be over, his mission complete, and Anin gone from him.

  “We will keep a good pace and reach the border of Pictland as dark falls,” Paine said before hurrying her along.

  It was not what Anin wanted to hear, but there was nothing she could do and so she kept pace with Paine all the time wishing fate had chosen differently for her.

  The gray clouds that had been following them since yesterday began to grow darker and Anin thought she heard thunder in the distance. A storm was brewing and not a small one.

  They stopped once for a brief rest.

  “There is a dwelling we can seek shelter in once across the Pictland border and the next day the King’s personal guard will meet up with us and escort us the remainder of the way.”

  Anin nodded, unable to speak, knowing her time with Paine would soon end. She did not allow herself to think when they were once again keeping a strong pace. She emptied her mind, though it would have been better for her to empty her heart, but that was not possible. It would never be possible.

  Watch where you step!

  The voice in her head warned too late. She suddenly found herself falling down a dark hole.

  Chapter Twenty

  Paine was yanked back off his feet. He immediately flipped himself over and grabbed at the rope, digging his heels into the dirt to stop from being dragged. Once he had balance and firm hold, he got to his feet, keeping a taut hold on the rope. His heart pounded against his chest, then slammed against it when he saw Anin was gone. The end of the rope she was attached to disappearing down a hole.

  He shouted for her. “Anin!”

  His worry grew when he got no answer. He wanted to hurry and pull her up and out of the hole, but without knowing if she was hurt or that anything stood in the way of harming her if he did, he remained where he was and called out to her again.

  “Anin!”

  “Paine!” Her shout was strong.

  “Are you hurt?” he called out as he turned slowly letting the rope coil around his waist from where he held.

  “I do not think so.”

  He shut his eyes a moment, hoping that was true and, keeping the rope taut, started walking toward her. “Is there anything around you that could cause you harm if I pulled you up?”

  Her answer was a terrifying scream.

  Paine pulled the rope hand over hand while yelling out her name as he rapidly approached the hole. Once he got to the edge, he quickly peered over it.

  Anin thrust her arms out frantically to him.

  He reached down, grabbed her arm just under her shoulder and yanked her up and out of the hole. She threw herself at him, burying her face against his chest as her arms went around his waist, hugging him as if she would never let go.

  His arms circled her and feeling her tremble, he held her tighter. Her scream had pierced him as painfully as a spear piercing his heart. He had feared the worst and he was never so relieved to hold her in his arms. “You are safe now. There is nothing to fear. I have you and I am not letting you go.” He was not sure if his words were meant to calm her or him.

  His words cut away at her fear to settle deep inside her and ease her trembling. Paine was there with her. He had saved her. He would keep her safe. He would always keep her safe. She was so upset that she was not sure if it was her feelings she felt or Paine’s.

  When her trembling had subsided, he eased her face away from his chest and lifted her chin to look at her. “What frightened you?”

  She shuddered. “Dead Drust warriors surrounded me, sitting there with their spears in their hands.”

  Paine did not want to think of what could have happened if she had fallen on one of the spears. It also troubled him that a Drust death trap had been uncovered so close to Pictland. All battle with the Drust had been fought on their land during the conflict, so what was one doing here?

  Paine explained what she had seen. “After a battle, the Drust bury some of their dead on enemy land. The Drust feel that as long as a Drust warrior has a weapon in his hand that he will continue to fight even in death.”

  She gripped his arm. “A battle with the Drust has recently been fought here?”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head.

  “I screamed because at first glance I thought the Drust down there,” —she pointed to the hole— “were alive, for they have yet to rot.”

  Paine did not allow his surprise to show. “I need to go down and have a look.”

  “Why would you want to do that?” she asked, gripping his arm tighter as if somehow she could stop him.

  “To see if any of them are the ones who attacked us.”

  “That would mean—”

  “That the Drust still battle the King.” He loosened the loop around her waist and did not want to think what would have happened if he had not placed it there.

  Her hand quickly grabbed his. “I want to stay tethered to you.”

  If only she could, he pushed the impossible thought from his mind. “And you will, after I use the rope to go down in the hole and have a look.” He kept an arm around her waist as he stepped away. “Are you all right to stand on your own?”

  She suddenly felt ashamed. She was the daughter of a Lammok warrior. She should fear little. “I am fine.”

  He stepped closer. “There is no shame in fear.”

  He understood, which made her feel all the more inadequate. “My mum would be appalled by my actions.”

  “You are not your mum, Anin. You are who you are and should not be ashamed of it. Now we have wasted enough time. We need to see this done and be on our way. The clouds grow heavy overhead. Soon the rain will come and we need to reach shelter before then.”

  She cast a quick glance to the sky and saw that the clouds had darkened considerably. Rain was not far off, though she hoped thunder did not come with it.

  “What can I do?” she asked.

  “Stay by the rope in case I should need help and keep a watchful eye. If you see anything that causes you alarm let me know.” He hurried to tie one end of the rope around a nearby tree and the other remained around his waist, then he lowered himself carefully down into the hole.

  Paine did not take long. It took little time to see what he needed to see.

  Anin waited anxiously and was relieved when he emerged from the hole.

  “They are the ones who attacked us.”

  “They send a message to the King that the
y still war with him?”

  “The King must be made aware of this immediately,” Paine said untying the rope around his waist to fasten it around her waist once again, wondering as he did who of the King’s warriors had betrayed him and sided with the Drust. “We must be on our way,” Paine said, securing the loop firm around Anin’s waist. “We need to reach shelter before the storm breaks.”

  Anin nodded, the wind having picked up and the clouds having grown even darker.

  They took off and as the sky continued to darken, Anin begged the sky spirits to keep the thunder away and it did, though not the rain. It started with only a few sprinkles, grew heavier, and then it seemed as if the sky opened and dropped buckets full of rain on them.

  It was dusk before they came upon the dwelling Paine had mentioned. She was drenched and shivering when they entered and Paine saw to setting a fire in the pit. She immediately held her wet, chilled hands out to the flames to warm them.

  With the glow of the flames, Anin was surprised to see that the dwelling had a raised sleeping pallet with blankets piled at one end. A small table and bench sat on the opposite side of the fire pit, and Anin wondered whose home they had intruded upon.

  “Get out of those wet garments and set them to dry by the fire pit while I go make certain no one lurks about,” Paine ordered and he and Bog were out the door before she could respond.

  Anin was too cold to even think to argue, the storm having brought a sharper chill with it. She shivered as she peeled her wet garments off and draped them on the stone surrounding the fire pit to dry. She quickly wrapped a blanket around her and shivered again from the warmth that settled over her chilled skin. She remained close to the heat of the fire pit and worried what the night would bring. Sending out blessings to whoever would listen, she begged for the thunder giant to stay away.

  ~~~

  Paine looked about, not so much for Drust since they had crossed over the Pictland border and he doubted the Drust would follow, at least not yet. He wanted to make certain the sentinels saw him and knew he had returned. They would report his presence to the King and an escort would be sent for them. But it was impossible to see anything in the slashing rain.