Chael's Luck (A Knights of Dorathan Novel)

by Chester, Mireille

  “Don’t get up. Try not to move. I put a few stiches in, but I’m not a healwife by any means and I’d rather not have to do it again because you tore the other ones out.” Ian’s light grey eyes met mine and he smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “My father’s dead, I’ve lost the book we were sent to find, and I managed to get stabbed.” I tried to glare at him, but couldn’t find it in me. None of this was his fault.

  “Here, have some water. You’ve been out for a whole day. I was starting to worry.”

  I took the cup gratefully.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I finished burying your father while you slept. I also buried Alexander.”

  I noted the sadness in his voice. “What was he to you?”

  “A friend. I’d always stop in if I was going by. He was a good man.” He fell silent and he frowned with the thoughts going through his head. He looked me square in the eye. “Chael.” He took a deep breath.

  “You’re wondering about what you saw when you pulled my tunic off.”

  His lips twitched in an attempt not to smile. “I’m not wondering about what I saw. I know what I saw. What I’m wondering is why.”

  My heart sped in my chest. I’d spent the past eighteen years of my life keeping the secret I was about to talk about. My mouth fell dry and I took another sip of water.

  “Chaela.”

  “What?”

  “Chaela. My name’s Chaela.” I took a deep breath and leaned my head back, suddenly relieved to have said it out loud.

  “But you’re a Knight?”

  I looked up into Ian’s grey eyes and smiled sadly. “I am. I come from a very long line of Shadow Knights. My family tree always starts off the same way no matter where you look at it. The first born of each family is a son. This son is always a Shadow Knight. It’s been this way for hundreds of years and the pattern has never been broken.” I smiled grimly. “Until me. You can imagine my father’s grief when my mother died and his horror at finding that she’d died giving birth to this.” I gestured to myself.

  He shook his head in disbelief. “He raised you as a boy.”

  “Yes and no. He wasn’t disillusioned by any means. He knew I was a girl. At home, when it was just me and him, I was Chaela. He still called me Chael most of the time, but that was more of a nickname than anything.” Thoughts of my father and the times we’d shared caused the tears to well in my eyes. “He wanted his first born to be a Shadow. That was never going to happen if others knew I was a woman.”

  “But what about you; your future? Surely you can’t go on being a man for the rest of your life. What about starting a family, or anything of that nature?”

  I shook my head. “I love being a Knight. If I were to reveal this secret to anyone, I’d be banished.”

  We gazed at each other in silence for a moment and I was surprised to see him blush.

  “I… All I did was clean you up then put a fresh tunic on you.”

  It took a minute for what he’d said to register before I started to laugh. He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Ow…” I tried to stop laughing by taking deep breaths which caused the stitches to pull on my side. “By gods, I just… Whenever I imagined someone finding out, that was never the first thing I thought they might say.” Another fit of laughter took me and tears rolled down my cheek.

  “What in the world did you expect me to say?” Ian’s eyes were grey saucers in his head.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe that I’d be exiled, or imprisoned for impersonating a Knight.” My throat tightened. “I was always afraid my father would be flogged for his lies, or worse.”

  Ian’s eyes flashed. “Just one of the reasons I refused become a Knight.”

  “You were to be a Knight?”

  “Five years ago, I rode into Gleama with every intention of becoming one. I was going by the market when I saw a young child being flogged by a Knight. When I questioned why, I was told the boy had taken an apple without paying. I never took the test. I just left.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  “The child was being beaten because he was starving. I couldn’t be a part of something that would punish a hungry child.”

  “If you were going to take the Knight’s test, you were born to one.” I gazed at him curiously.

  “My father is Sir Gavin Murphy.”

  “Sir Gavin’s son is dead.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “The last time I checked, I was very much alive. This is what my father told the others after I refused to take the test. To him, I am dead.” He took a deep breath. “I’d prefer the rest of the world kept thinking that I am.”

  I looked him over carefully. “Well, I’d prefer the rest of the world still thought I was a man.”

  He nodded. “Now, have a rest and I’ll make something to eat.”

  I caught his hand as he stood. “Ian.” I smiled. “Thank you. For everything; saving my life, twice, and helping with my father.”

  He gave my hand a squeeze and left me in front of the fire. I stared into the flames and thought about my next move. I knew the goblins were to the north. What I needed to do was find them and steal the book back. I frowned. Who was the masked man? Maybe that wasn’t the important question. Maybe what I needed to be asking was what he was doing with goblins and what did he want with the book?

  “Ian?”

  “Umm?”

  “My father and I, we were sent to retrieve a book. It was a black leather bound one with a strange symbol embossed on the cover. Do you remember seeing it?”

  He appeared at the back of the couch, a frown on his face as he thought. He pointed in my direction with the carrot he was holding. “I do remember that one. Let me see, now. Alex got it from an old wood elf that stopped in during his travels.”

  “A wood elf?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

  He nodded. “Yes, a wood elf. Just because you’ve never seen one doesn’t mean they don’t exist, Chaela.”

  I stared at him, speechless, though I couldn’t make up my mind whether it was at the fact that the man believed in legendary creatures, or because for the first time in eighteen years, someone other than my father, uncle, or aunt had called me by my birth name.

  He hurried around so that he was kneeling beside me. “Are you alright? Is it your side?”

  “I’m fine. You surprised me, that’s all. I’m not used to hearing that name.” I smiled. “Now, about these wood elves.”

  “You can laugh all you want, but I’ve seen them. I made that exact same face as the one you’re making when Alex told me of them. They live in the woods to the east, along the coast.”

  “And why did this particular elf bring Alex this book?”

  “To keep it safe, of course. Alex is a master of enchantments and Blarenagin thought it safe here.”

  “But why not keep the book with the elves. They’ve managed to hide away for so long that most people think they don’t actually exist.”

  Ian shrugged. “I’m not sure. Alex wouldn’t tell me the whole story, only that he was keeping the book safe.”

  I frowned. “Then why ask the king to send us for it,” I wondered.

  “Well, obviously, someone found out about it and Alex got wind of it somehow.”

  “And what does the book do?”

  “I have not a clue. Alex and I had an agreement; I didn’t ask questions about him and he didn’t ask questions about me.”

  I ran my hands over my face, frustrated.

  “Chaela.”

  I uncovered my face and Ian grinned.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I just like the look on your face when I say your name.” He stood and returned to the kitchen, leaving me once again to my thoughts, though this time, they leaned toward the man now in the process of making supper. Was he trustworthy? He had saved my life. Twice. I thought of how he’d looked as he’d fought the two goblins. He was strong, that was obvious. He was what people thought of w
hen they thought of a Knight. But it wasn’t his physique or strength that I was drawn to; the gods knew I’d been around enough of those kinds of men that to see one didn’t cause me to swoon. I smiled at the thought of myself swooning. No, I didn’t swoon. I also didn’t stare or admire. Had I ever done such a thing it would have been Chael’s luck that someone would have noticed and questions would have been asked. I’d also told myself at an early age that to start thinking of my fellow Knights as men from a woman’s point of view would have been unfair to myself. As a Knight, a man, I would never be able to be a wife. What a shock it would have been to her on our wedding night! And yet, Ian had managed to stir something in me, though I was unsure as to what that might be.

  Ian swore and dropped something heavy.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. I’ll apologize ahead of time. I’m not the best cook.”

  My stomach growled. “I don’t think it will matter at this point in time. I’m hungry enough I could eat a raw steak.”

  “Well, it won’t be raw.” He came into the room. “Let’s try to get you sat up so you can eat properly.” He frowned as he tried to come up with the best strategy to get me up without tearing out the stiches he’d put in.

  “I’ll just sit up.” I pushed myself up and cringed at the pain.

  “Hang on. Here, I’ll hook my arms under yours and help move you.” He moved behind the couch, maneuvered himself so he could do as he’d described. “Ready?” His voice was soft by my ear.

  “Ready.”

  He promptly lifted me and pulled me back so I was leaning back against the pillow in a more or less sitting position. I tried to keep the pain off my face and smiled my thanks as he handed me a plate filled with fried potatoes, carrots and bits of steak all mixed together.

  “Thank you.”

  By the time I’d finished eating, it was all I could do to lay down so I could go back to sleep.

  *****

  Ian watched her sleep in the glow of the firelight. She was pretty. It was a miracle no one had ever noticed how feminine she was. He shook his head. A runt. That was what they’d told the world and that was what the world had believed. Of course, he’d believed it also when she’d first told him, hadn’t he? Well, of course he had. If someone tells you they’re a man, there’s not usually a reason for them to be lying.

  Good gods, but her whole situation frustrated him. He tried to think what her father must have been thinking when he’d first realized he was the proud father of a beautiful baby girl. A spark of anger flared just as it did every time he thought of little Chaela passing herself off as a boy because of her father’s idiotic pride. How in the world had the man expected her to keep living as such? She was a woman. Yes, it was impressive she’d managed to fight her way into the ranks of the Shadow Knights, but could she honestly say she’d be happy simply being a Knight for the rest of her life? She said she was, and would; that she was satisfied with this lifestyle.

  Brainwashed, that’s what she was. She talked like a man, acted like a man; he’d even go so far as to say he was sure she thought like a man. Years of being treated like one had forced her to bury the woman she really was deep inside of her.

  There was also the fact that every breath she breathed was for the Knighthood; one of the only things on the face of this land he despised. More than once in the past few days, they’d ended a friendly conversation with a heated argument because of this topic. He blew a breath out of his nose.

  Stop it, he thought to himself. It was none of his business how she was raised, or who she spent the rest of her life being. His main interest was in getting the man who had killed Alex. If it meant he had to put up with this woman for the next few months while they tracked the bastard down, then so be it.

  *****

  “Alright, now here’s the best way to go.” Ian held the map up in the air in front of us.

  “Why not take the mountain path?” I pointed where I was looking.

  He shook his head. “No. The ridge is completely taken over by the barbarians. If we head that way we’ll be killed on sight.”

  I grunted, not sure I agreed with him.

  “Chaela, trust me on this one.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine. So we’ll take the long way, detour around the mountain, and go by way of the sand plains until we reach the home of the wood elves.”

  He nodded. “Let’s have a look at your side and then we can get a good night’s rest before we leave in the morning.”

  I turned on the couch and pulled my tunic up in the back to show him the cut which, after five days, was starting to heal nicely. His one hand rested on my waist as he used the other to dip a cloth in some warm water so he could wipe it clean. I closed my eyes and tried not to jump when he put pressure on the wound.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine.”

  He stood and smiled. “Goodnight.”

  “Sweet dreams, Ian.” I watched him head up the stairs to where he’d been sleeping to give me privacy.

  I waited until I could hear his breathing slow before I sat up and reached for the long piece of cloth I used to wrap my chest to flatten it. Thankfully, my mother had not been a big breasted woman and I had taken after her in that department. I pulled my tunic off over my head carefully, and started to wrap the fabric around myself. Pain flared up my side as I reached back to grab the loose end of the wrap. I groaned, trying to stay quiet. Three tries later, I still hadn’t managed to grab the end I needed. I jumped in surprise, my heart in my throat, at the feel of a hand on my shoulder. The sudden movement caused the wound to pull and the pain flared. I spun to face the intruder, making sure to keep an arm across the fabric on my chest to keep it up.

  Ian stood before me wearing only his pants. He frowned. “Going somewhere?”

  “I…” I took a deep breath. “Actually, yes. I thought I’d leave tonight.”

  The hurt in his grey eyes was obvious. “Why?”

  “It’s just, you see, I’ve been thinking and it’s for the best.” I watched as he ran a hand through his shaggy dark blond hair.

  “Oh?”

  I nodded. “It’s my luck, Ian. Can’t you see? My mother died, I was born a girl. I’ve been bad luck from the moment I was conceived. A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle were murdered, my father’s dead, and the book I was sent to recover is stolen. If you stay with me, only bad can happen to you.”

  “What does your aunt and uncle being murdered have anything to do with your luck?”

  “It just does.”

  He took a deep breath. “Chaela, your only bad luck was being born to a father who didn’t want a daughter.”

  I felt my anger start to stir low in my belly. “You have no right to talk about him that way. He treated me well. He loved me. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life.” I kept my voice down at a reasonable level, though I couldn’t keep the shaking out of it. “I am a Shadow Knight. Does that mean anything to you? There are less than fifty of us, Ian. Being a shadow is a great honor that not many receive.” I started to say more but stopped as he held up his hands in a gesture of peace.

  “You’re right, Chaela. I had no right to say that.”

  We stared at each other for a moment.

  “Look, whether or not we get along, or like each other, or agree on anything is of no matter. You want to find the book and I want to find the man who killed Alex and since the two of them are more than likely in the same location, it simply makes sense to travel together.” He sounded tired and I knew that I was one of the reasons behind it.

  “Who said I didn’t like you?”

  He raised an eyebrow at me and I grinned.

  “Look, Ian, I’m sorry. I really was thinking about you when I decided to leave. I was sure that being on my own would be best for everyone. It would be easier, yeah?”

  “On my stress levels, yeah.” He smiled and I relaxed. “Chaela, you can’t possibly think you can go off on your own.”

  “Of course
I can! I can take care of myself.” I waited for him to make a comment. When he didn’t, I realized he was purposefully staring at me standing before him, half-naked, unable to dress myself. “Chael’s luck and blast it all, just help me get dressed.”

  He grinned and brought me my tunic. “Do you want help with the band?” He started to laugh and I followed suit.

  “No, that’s fine. I’ll leave it off until tomorrow.” I waited until he stood behind me and let the material drop to the ground.

  “Arm up.”

  I raised the arm on my injured side carefully and let him slip the sleeve over it. When he’d tugged it down into place, I turned to face him.

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “Chaela, you are something else entirely to get used to.” He smiled and patted my cheek. “But I like you too.”

  I watched him disappear up the stairs once again, not sure if I should be glad or insulted by his comment. I decided on glad and settled down for the night.

  I awoke to the booming of thunder. At first glance, I was sure it was still night, but a fully dressed Ian carrying in a cup of coffee contradicted what I was seeing. I sat up stiffly and rubbed my hands over my face.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Ian handed it to me without waiting for an answer.

  “What time is it?”

  “Much later than it seems. This storm rolled in and made it night once again.”

  I got up and went to the window to investigate. Lightning flashed across the sky.

  “I have to go check on Klora. He hates storms.” I started to set my coffee down but stopped as Ian put a hand on my shoulder.

  “He’s fine. He’s in the stall between Klard’s and True’s, Whisk is in there with him, and when I checked on him a few minutes ago, he had two of Alex’s kittens asleep on his back.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Now why would I lie about that?”

  “Well, a more believable story would be that you went out to feed them this morning and that he broke out of his stall, escaped, and now you’re covering so that I don’t go out and discover you’ve managed to lose my horse.”