Myst could not believe her own ears. Doom was racing towards Joram’s Bend as fast as the Tebis’non could carry it – and her father still wanted to play the role of council decider. “Father, you cannot let…”
Torvel whirled upon his daughter like a possessed wraith; his eyes alight with renewed rage. But it was Tair’s voice that calmed both father and daughter. “Myst, let it go,” she said, her usually fierce eyes now filled with surrender. “There are bigger moments coming. Let your father do his job.”
“Listen to your friend,” Torvel urged. “I will expect to see you shortly.” The councilor then gave his brother a warning glance and then roughly pushed past him in the doorway.
“Come with me,” Vettis said to Myst, his hand outstretched.
Myst ignored him, looking instead to Tair, who refused to look at anyone at all. She didn’t want to leave her friend. How could she? Myst had promised Tair that she would convince her father of her innocence, but no one was listening.
“I will take care of her until ye’ return,” whispered her uncle.
“I’ll come back for you, Tair,” Myst said to her.
Tair could only nod with her eyes still focused on the cold stone floor. Shaking her head in frustration, Myst allowed Vettis to lead her away.
Teeg watched the pair as they walked out of his office. He shook his own head regretfully and quietly shut the cell door. “I don’t like that boy,” he growled.
“Don’t worry,” Tair said conversationally as she laid herself down on her side. “In a few hours, it won’t even matter.”
Despite himself, Sheriff Teeg felt a sense of dark foreboding.
13
Myst stood against the railing that lined the portico of her family’s estate. She waited for her father in the exact same place she had waited three months prior. In the summer, she had waited anxiously, ready to tell her father the truth of things, that Tair was not the sort of person that would steal so much from so many. She had paced restlessly, her bare feet patting the cool marble of the elaborate veranda that faced the northern fields of Joram’s Bend. Now she stood in one spot, her stoic figure refusing to acknowledge the place she called home. She paid more attention to the small pebble in her boot rather than the blue crescent moon that swam against the night-black sky. The moon gave the marble of the veranda a milky cerulean glow that allowed her to see in the dark. One of the servants had asked Myst if she would like a fire built in the iron brazier that stood in the center of the opulent deck, but she refused. She wanted no comfort while Tair remained in custody; she wanted no false sense of contentment when an enraged group of Zyn Beasts could appear at any moment and destroy her home and those she still cared for.
When she had reached the gilded iron gates of the Almdor Estate, she immediately found her mother. Alain Almdor was a shorter, heavier version of her daughter. What she lacked in her convictions, she made up for in ceaseless worry. She was grateful to see her only daughter, thanking the Gods that she was safe; yet, at the same time, she chastised Myst for worrying her family and regarded her current state with an abhorrent attitude. “You are dressed no better than a field hand,” she said, tugging at her leather bracers and brushing dust from her good shoulder. “This is what comes from you playing only with boys when you were a child.”
Myst allowed her mother to fuss and fret for a short time. From the corner of her eye, she could see Vettis watching with a small smile. The slight curvature of his lips only seemed to make her angrier at her situation and made her want to punch her former betrothed in the face. She kissed her mother and promised to take advantage of the bath and her wardrobe, not only because she did need it, but it would also get her away from Vettis.
She stopped by the kitchen, hugging Omar the cook and grabbing a few slabs of beef and a crisp rootsnap (one of the crops that were grown near the river) to eat. Vettis had followed her, telling her of all the happenings between the five families while she was gone. They sat at a large wooden table, the fire from the giant hearth framing them in a red-orange glow. Vettis sat across from her, still talking. Myst did not hear him. She didn’t care to hear him. In fact, as she ripped another chunk of meat from the large piece Omar had given her, Myst could not understand how she thought she could marry such a preening windbag. He was going on about how one of the Malachi cousins had made advances on the daughter of Enig Dellis and that the daughter had openly welcomed his…attention. Myst shook her head, not caring about the Dellis family, or the Malachi family. She only wanted to finish her meal and leave Vettis behind.
She had taken the last bite of rootsnap before she realized he had stopped talking. Myst refocused her eyes and saw that Vettis was staring at her expectantly. “I’m sorry, what?”
Vettis gave her that half-grin again. “I asked why you felt it necessary to leave me,” he said. “I take it you haven’t been listening to a word I’ve said.”
“Apologies, Vettis,” she sighed. “I’m tired from rowing all day and I still have much to do to convince my father of the danger approaching and for him to release Tair.”
“Release her?” Vettis cried, half rising from the table. “She belongs behind bars for her thieving treachery.”
“Now who is the one not listening?” Myst said as her voice grew cold once more. “I don’t care what you think, Vettis. And, to be honest, you have no say in the matter, so I will no longer speak to you of it.”
Vettis’s half-smile suddenly coiled into a snarling frown. “You are to be my wife,” he spat, grabbing Myst’s forearm with a vice-like grip. “And I will have a say in everything you do!”
Myst’s surprise at Vettis’s violent reaction did not last long. In seconds, she had broken free of his grip, grasped the back of his head, and slammed it into the thick wood of the table. Myst’s wooden plate and cutlery went spinning away. Pulling on his thick hair, she lifted his head so that his eyes met hers. “I will not be your wife, Vettis. And I will defend Tair until we have no choice but to leave Joram’s Bend.” Then she leaned close, his dazed eyes trying to focus. “And if you ever touch me like that again, I will make you suffer for it.”
He did not follow her from the kitchen, nor did he try to speak to her as she reached her bedroom. She put all thoughts of him away as she undressed, tossing the soiled clothing away and wrapping the soft woolen robe around her nude body. She made her way to the bathing room, a large square of marbled tile filled with clear, steaming water. Her mother must have sent word to the servants, as a scrubbing sponge and stick of soap were waiting for her, as well.
She bathed quickly, not wanting to enjoy it while Tair languished in her cell. When she returned to her room, she chose conservative, functional clothing: a long-sleeved gray shirt that she tucked into black pants and the same dark leather boots she had arrived in. She looked forlornly at her sword belt. The tooled leather of the empty scabbard made her feel more naked than she was in the bath.
Now she stood on the veranda, carefully watching the ribbon of water that exited the woods from the northeast and listening for her father to arrive. She was relieved to see that Vettis was gone and that her mother had retired for the night. When her father finally did come to her, he looked as ragged as she and he had lost some of the anger from earlier. His movements and voice were still cold, however. Myst guessed it was his way of letting her know that he was still upset with her.
“The council has listened to the healer and the men from Tabaan,” he said stiffly when she asked him. “We are offering them sanctuary until tomorrow, where they will move on to Fhaalvak. We will give them enough food and supplies for them to reach the city where they can take their case to the knights.”
Torvel then began setting up a small fire in the brazier, stacking neatly chopped wood against a small pyramid of black coal. Myst watched him in stunned silence, waiting for him to talk about the defense of Joram’s Bend. He said nothing as he set the wood aflame, said nothing as he sat upon the cushioned bench next to the growing fire, an
d remained silent as he retrieved a long-stemmed pipe from one of the many pockets of his coat.
“Father?” she said tentatively, taking one step towards him as the flame from his tinder box lit his aged face. “What of the defenses for Joram’s Bend? Should we not seal the upper gates?”
Torvel sighed. “Tabaan was a back water trail stop for river travelers. They had nothing for defense. We, however, have the mesa to protect us from attack. The Bend has never fallen to an enemy force.”
“These creatures use magic, father,” Myst pleaded. “They can shoot fire from a great distance and can stop metal with their long claws. I know this, for I have fought one!” She once again pointed to the wound on her shoulder which was now just three angry red lines – courtesy of Laridiya’s healing skills.
“They will move on once they realize we do not have what they seek.”
“They do not care, father,” she told him. “They hold all of Kaalmoore responsible and will throw fire upon us until there is nothing left.”
Torvel took a long pull from his pipe, his mouth forming into a severe frown. “How is it you know of such things? It is not for you to know what these beasts want, let alone trade blows. You are a farmer’s daughter. You are promised to Vettis Hillden and your marriage will unite our houses and your children will one day unite all of the families.
“This sword play and adventure seeking will cease. Sheriff Teeg has filled your head with nonsense, and it has caused you to betray your family.”
Anger boiled over Myst’s sense of reason. She loved her father, she truly did, but she would not allow him to plot her life like one of his fields. “I have been loyal to this family for all of my life,” her voice was devoid of any emotion. “And I did not leave here…”
“You ran away,” her father interjected.
“I left because you would not listen!” she shouted. “None of you were listening except Uncle Teeg…your brother! He taught me how to use a sword - something I enjoy, something I excel at. I have no heart in tilling soil, planting, or digging up crops for coin. I have no love for Vettis Hillden. I want to travel the realms of Vasalius! I want to see Kaalé, Emeryvale, and Belladeem!
“When Tair was wounded and we were set upon by the wolfen Zyn Beasts, I was so frightened, father,” Myst said passionately. “I fought through the fire, through the dark and saw the death and destruction of Valdine and Tabaan. But that afternoon, after Laridiya healed me, that sunset was the most glorious one I have ever watched.”
Myst’s eyes were beyond her father as she evoked the memory of the vivid reds and purples of the coming twilight, realizing what she had accomplished and what she wanted to become. She hoped beyond hope, that her Pap could see this, that he could see the life in her eyes when she spoke of adventure.
“This is all due to Tair’Lianne, of course,” was all he mumbled, taking another puff from his pipe.
She felt tears well up in her eyes.
He could not see. He did not care.
“I am leaving, father,” she said to him. “Once this business is finished with the Zyn Beasts, I am leaving Joram’s Bend with Tair.”
The calmness of her voice seemed to cut through the stubborn fog of Torvel’s ruminations. His eyes met hers and through the acrid pipe smoke, he could see that she truly meant to leave. “If you leave this house, you will be my daughter no more.”
She expected nothing less from her father. “Very well,” she sniffed, wiping an escaping tear from her cheek. “I shall go and find solace with Sheriff Teeg. We shall comfort each other in the knowledge that we are no longer Almdors.”
Myst left her father’s home with only the clothes on her body – and the bittersweet gift of freedom.
***
Tair lay on the stone cot with her booted feet resting on the bars of her cell in a casual way that made Sheriff Teeg almost smile. The young woman truly had no clue as to how serious her situation was. Teeg knew that the council had already condemned her for the theft; that she would be taken to the Kaalé Knights outpost in Fhaalvak and they would send her to where most people go when they steal from any of the King’s towns – the steelstone mines of Korfaax.
Teeg had attempted to speak on her behalf when the thievery first occurred. He had reminded the council that the gold had been recovered and that no one had been harmed. Teeg had asked the council for leniency so that he could spare Myst the pain of losing one so dear to her. Hidden somewhere deep within his emotionally calloused heart was another reason as to why he wanted to spare Tair’Lianne. He knew that she would be the only person to rescue Myst from the banal life that awaited her here. If Tair were to be taken away, Myst would revert back to what her father wanted her to be - A subservient wife to a greedy, egotistical sack of rodent dung.
The Sheriff knew on that summer night three months ago that either Myst would break Tair out, or that Tair would do it herself and drag Myst with her out of the Bend. He was counting on it. Teeg felt confident that Myst was ready to explore Kaalmoore and the surrounding realms of Vasalius. He taught her every technique he had learned while working as a mercenary in his younger years – one of the reasons why his brother still shunned him from the family. The Sheriff also taught her how to survive in the wilderness, how to hunt for food and how to forage when there was nothing to hunt. He taught her not only how to use a blade, but how to take care of it; he also stressed the same technique on armor, but she rarely wore any – much to his discomfort. Teeg also showed her ways to defend herself without her weapon, a skill she seemed to be using more and more at Baem’s Tavern.
Myst might have been born to his brother, but she was more his daughter than Torvel’s. Teeg knew what was in his niece’s heart and staying here would surely murder her spirit. For three months, the Sheriff had found peace, knowing that, although they were adventuring in a dangerous world, Myst and Tair had escaped and were seeing Vasalius with their own eyes. Torvel had made his life difficult, threatening to have him removed as Sheriff for letting Tair escape, hiring local thugs to search for them. Teeg found it quite amusing when they would return battered and bloody, refusing to have anything more to do with Tair’Lianne and Mystrianna.
And now the girls had returned.
The good that Teeg had seen in his niece’s heart had betrayed her, made her come back and warn the town of an upcoming attack by Zyn Beasts. He did not doubt her word. In fact, he was currently writing an order for the council to begin their defensive procedures – whether his brother wanted it or not. Teeg only wished that Myst had left Tair behind somewhere to wait for her, because once Tair was sent to Fhaalvak, Myst would have no way of rescuing her. Then her father and that worthless Hillden boy would have her.
“Get yer’ feet off my bars,” he growled at Tair.
Tair sat up quickly, her feet tucked underneath her as she studied the Sheriff. “Why? You afraid I’ll scuff up your cell?”
Teeg went back to his writing, mumbling that the two should never have returned.
“I had no choice,” she said to him. “She wanted to warn her family about what we saw. She was worried about all of you. Then we ran into those kids in Tabaan and it was all over.”
Teeg stared at the young woman for a few moments. “Ye’ had a choice,” he said. “Ye’ could’ve stayed away an’ let her handle it herself. You are the one they want.”
It was Tair’s turn to stare into Teeg’s eyes. “You’re wrong,” she said with a simple clarity that annoyed the Sheriff. “Her father wants her here. Vettis wants her here. They won’t let her go without a fight and I wasn’t going to let her deal with it alone.”
Teeg nodded with a sad respect. “That may be true, lass. But there’s not much ye’ can do in that cell. And I can’t let ye’ out…no matter how much love I have for my niece.”
The wooden door to Teeg’s meager office suddenly opened, a gust of night wind causing the flames of the few candles within to stagger and flail like drunken farmhands after the final harvest. Vettis step
ped in, quickly shutting the door behind him. He was wearing a green woolen poncho to keep out the chill night and his stubborn hair was practically a wild thing. “Sheriff, Jabor and Cris need you at the front gate,” he said panting. “There are reports of something in the fields.”
Teeg stood without word, grabbing his sword belt and pointing at the parchment he had on his desk. “Take that to the council,” he ordered. “Tell them we have little time to debate.” With an apologetic look to Tair, Teeg yanked open his door and flew off into the night. Vettis shut the door firmly, sliding the lock bar into place.
“What are you doing?” Tair said, sliding off her cot into a standing position.
“Removing a thorn from my side,” he said ominously. “Myst has it in her head that you both are leaving Joram’s Bend again. She has it in her head that she is not going to marry me. I need to get her back into the right frame of mind, Tair’Lianne. And to do that, I need you gone.”
“Fine with me,” she said. “Unlock the door and I’ll be gone right now.”
“No, no,” he said with a sickening smile. “I need you to be gone completely. I need you out of Myst’s life permanently. The council will banish you, will send you to Fhaalvak – but the Knights might take pity on you, being a sobbing little girl and all. And I have already wasted too much time and effort to get rid of you.”
“Already wasted?” Tair said just as everything from the past three months clicked into place. “YOU! You framed me for the gold theft! You stole the gold crowns and hid them under my bunk!”
“To be honest, Jes did that. He was such a good helper,” Vettis said with the same smile, opening the storage room door with a quick jerk. He leaned into the room for a moment and then came back out with one of Tair’s daggers. “Such a pity he drowned in the river over the summer. Mother Tae says he had imbibed quite a bit of woodberry wine.”
Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1) Page 14