The front doors banged open, causing Kaytlin to straighten and turn towards the door. Six men were entering, each armed and clothed in leather armor from boots to neck. One wore a set made from a blood-red leathery material that Kaytlin had never seen before. His right arm was in a sling but he stood confident despite his injury.
This was her welcoming party.
As the men walked towards her with careful steps, Kaytlin turned to ask Bora who they were.
All she found, though, was an empty bar and the door behind it swinging shut.
Chapter 28
Six blades.
Kayltin had fought more than that and come out victorious, and they had been men and women of considerable skill who had wielded them.
Five of the six men and women she judged as little threat individually. They all wore the same style of leather armor, the vulnerabilities easy to see from across the room. The pads and pieces held few scars or repairs, an indication that they were good at not getting hit or a sign that these were inexperienced soldiers who had rarely seen battle. It was how they held themselves that informed her it was the latter. A skilled warrior's movements flowed, whether they were deep into battle or out taking a casual stroll. The fighters approaching her walked with squared shoulders and rigid steps, the sign of someone that relied more on appearance than skill. They gripped their weapons with taut hands. A solid strike of blade on blade could lead to an easy disarm. If they had been her only opponents, she might have been able to defeat them without causing much injury.
The sixth man, however, seemed more of a threat even with one disabled arm. The rents and fixes on his red armor told a story of battles fought and won. The pieces of armor overlapped in a way that covered many of the vulnerabilities of normal leather armor while not limiting how the man moved. And he moved like a man who lived and breathed battle. Each step was a testament to balance and grace. His sword sat easily in his grip, although at an awkward angle. That told Kaytlin his injured arm probably was his most practiced one with a weapon, but it still looked comfortable in his other hand. She would wager Rook that the man was trained in his off hand as well.
Of course, battles rarely forged friendships, and trouncing opponents never made them open to offering information freely. With any luck, this encounter could proceed without any kind of fight.
Although the fact that they already had weapons in hand was not a good start.
The group, led by the man in red, stopped two table lengths away. Kaytlin kept her eyes on the leader as he in turn gave her a look over. This man would be the one to give the order to attack. Any hint of his intentions would give her an advantage if a fight were to start. Racking her brain with what might be an acceptable greeting between warriors in this realm, Kaytlin decided to keep it simple. She bowed her head slightly and extended her hands at her waist, palms up, to show they were free of weapons.
"Good morning," she said as she raised her head. "My name is Kaytlin Aubrune. How might I be of assistance to you?"
The leader's eyebrows rose slightly and a small smile touched his lips for a moment before disappearing back behind a blank face.
A small opening victory.
"Good morning to you as well," he said, giving a similar bow. Instead of opening his good hand palm up, he drove the point of his sword into the ground and leaned on it. Then he gave a slight nod to the group behind him. "Excuse our less than friendly welcome. We've had some trouble yesterday, and a visitor asking about the group that caused it raises suspicions. My name is Jalvar Cindersown. I lead the village guard here in Driavarage."
"Quite understandable. If we are speaking of the same people, I understand the danger they can cause. I saw the damage outside and can only assume they were the cause of it."
The man's face darkened to such a level that Kaytlin almost reached for a weapon. "The destruction of a few market stalls was the least of our losses. Twelve brave men, some I would imagine with twice as many years behind them as you, had their lives snuffed out in a matter of moments. I would say that calling the one responsible as 'dangerous' would be quite the understatement."
" . . . Twelve men . . . " Kaytlin knew Ean was dangerous but twelve?
"Yes," Jalvar said, filling in the silence Kaytlin had left. "Twelve men reduced to dust, the gifts of this land stripped from them and with it, their lives."
"He cleansed the Plague?" She was in such a shock that the words left her mouth before she could stop them. Instead of seeming offended, however, Jalvar nodded as if he had expected her to answer in that exact way.
"You understand his power then? His connection to the Abyss?" It was phrased as a question but the look he directed at her made it clear she had already given him an answer.
"Yes. As I'm sure you have been told, I am hunting this man, and that is the reason. Whatever connection he has to the Abyss is reason enough to destroy him. The woman with him is a Yulari. Are you familiar with such a creature?"
"I am."
Kaytlin nodded. "Good. I can only assume the other man with him is also a creature of the Abyss, but I do not know what creature he might be."
"No," Jalvar said, his frown deepening. "That one is one of us. It only took two men to beat him senseless. He is just an average man from our land."
"That's not possible."
"It is. I saw him with my own eyes. Nothing special about him."
"Then he must have been someone new and not the same man I saw him with in my land. His name was Dao."
"That was the name of the man we attempted to capture. How could he have . . . "
Kaytlin's hand rose to her chest, pressing against it until she felt her amulet underneath. Her eyes met Jalvar's and for a second time, a look of surprise flashed across his face.
"You have something. Something that protects you from what afflicts this land." Not a question.
"Yes."
"Then Dao must have something similar that allows him to leave our lands. This is troubling news."
"I agree. That's why if you have any information about--"
"I have a few more questions for you before we decide if we have the same goals in mind. Please humor me in this."
Everything clicked into place. While Kaytlin had thought they were having a conversation, Jalvar had actually been interrogating her. Being used to doing the interrogating, Kaytlin had completely missed how Jalvar had led the conversation in whichever direction he wished. She found a new appreciation for those she had to question . . . and she understood how being manipulated in such a way could be both frustrating and belittling.
"Ask away," she finally replied, trying to keep her tone friendly.
"By your own words, you have faced this man. His name?"
"Ean Sangrave." The barest of nods was the only confirmation that they were speaking of the same man.
"And you lost."
"Yes."
"And yet you lived while twelve of my men were murdered with as little effort as I might swat a fly."
It was a statement that subtly demanded an explanation. Honesty here should not cause a problem.
"I do not know. I battled the Yulari and won, in a matter of speaking, then I faced--"
"In a matter of speaking?"
"Yes." It was becoming more difficult to hide her frustration. "I had the Yulari trapped and was about to deliver the killing stroke when the man stepped in. There was an . . . explosion. I found myself outside and dazed, but was still conscious. The Yulari was not. I count that as a victory."
"Fine. Go on."
"Ean came to her aid and we fought. He wasn't much of a fighter, but was able to hold me off with his magic. While I was focused on him, the Yulari caught me. She started to drain my life and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, they were gone and a villager was taking care of me."
"You want me to believe that you openly defied this . . . Ean . . . and he let you live?"
"That's the whole truth of it."
"You must understand my skepticism
." Jalvar's voice didn't change, but Kaytlin noticed a tensing of his body. "When we confronted him, he killed my men without a second thought."
"And yet you lived?"
Kaytlin hadn't meant to say it with such a sarcastic tone and immediately regretted uttering the words at all. Jalvar's eyes narrowed. A silence grew in the room as he stared at her wordlessly. The men behind him started to shift around, their eyes going back and forth between him and Kaytlin. Part of her wanted to speak, take back what she had said. This did not seem like a man that would move on from something he saw as an insult. As the tension grew, Kaytlin began to run through different plans for defense.
When the man's voice finally broke the silence, it was unnerving enough for Kaytlin's hand to move towards her sword.
"Yes, and I do not know why. After he bested me and then killed my men, he turned his attention on the villagers. He might have left me alive to witness my failure or because he saw me as no more of a threat than a toddler. Even after I had slashed his throat."
"Wait . . . " Kaytlin chose her words carefully. "You slashed his throat and he lived?"
"Yes. One moment he was face down in the dirt, his life spilling out in front of him. The next, he was up threatening my men. I attacked and drove a blade into his stomach. This Ean didn't even flinch. He broke my wrist BEFORE removing the blade and tossing it aside. When my men came to my aid, he destroyed them."
"I'm sorry for your men."
"It is not your fault." His tone made the statement almost come out as a question. "I do not take any blame for their deaths. All I had heard of him before yesterday was rumor mixed with fairy tale. I did not know he had that much power. These men behind me"–he gave them a wave–"volunteered to take the place of the men we lost. They are not formally trained, but they all know how to handle a blade and are not afraid to kill."
Not afraid to kill me, Kaytlin thought.
Had the man been biding his time, trying to get information out of her before attacking? But why attack her at all? She was missing something, something she hoped would mean the situation wasn't going to end in a fight. Regardless, she would make sure they knew she was not some warrior that could be scared by a larger number of foes.
"Knowing how to handle a blade and how to kill with one are two separate things. I know how to do both. These blades"—she reached back with one hand to touch the hilt behind her left shoulder. When the other men tensed, she gave them her darkest smile before lowering her hand again. "These blades have cut through both men and monsters. With them, I've disarmed and cut down more men at the same time than . . . "–she gave a casual wave– "than those gathered in front of me."
A single raised eyebrow was the only reaction she got out of Jalvar.
"A strong claim. I could say each man behind me has the ability to kill three opponents each, but the only way to prove that would be to show you their skill."
"That is true. The difference, though, is that I know I have the skill to back up my claim just as your men know that they do NOT feel the same way. If you want to be shown that this is true . . . "
Jalvar's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed as the rest of his face went blank. Behind him the other men shifted about. One or two gripped their weapons tightly in their hands. Perspiration began to appear on more than a few.
That was a good sign.
She had worried that they didn't sweat, and if they didn't sweat, then their bodies might be vastly different from her own. If that had been the case, she would be going into a fight not knowing exactly how the Plague had affected their bodies. Wouldn't know if they had the same weaknesses as a normal person. But they perspired, more than likely from being nervous about the possibility of a battle.
Although she still hoped a fight was not going to happen.
"No." Jalvar's voice broke the tension like a stone thrown through a window. "I don't believe that will be necessary. If you are hunting this Ean Sangrave, then we are on the same side. To be honest, if you are as skilled as you claim to be, it's a relief to have you here. With my injury and the loss of my . . . more skilled . . . men, I could not afford to send anyone else after him. I understand the danger this man is to our land, but I could not make our home vulnerable to the normal dangers associated with our lands."
Turning his back on her, Jalvar addressed his men. "Go on home to your families to enjoy time with the living. For tonight, we will mourn the dead."
"Are you sure?" one of the men asked.
"Of course. This woman might be exaggerating her skills, but I believe her intentions are true. I'll be fine." Some of the men looked on the verge of arguing until Jalvar raised his uninjured hand. "This is not a request. I'm ordering you to disperse. You may be new to the positions but I won't hesitate to show you what happens when I'm disobeyed."
That got the men moving. They hurried towards the door, knocking over a few chairs and pausing only long enough to right them before moving again. Once they had all left, Jalvar turned back towards Kaytlin but yelled past her.
"Bora!"
The innkeeper came bustling out of the back, her eyes taking in the room first before settling on Jalvar. "So, you are not going to destroy my establishment with more fighting?"
He gave a laugh. "No, not today. Instead I'm going to sit and have a drink with our visitor from the south. Two stout mugs of the house ale, please."
"No, thank you," Kaytlin began. "I don't often--"
"Then you can sip at your drink, but it would be rude to reject my invitation completely."
"I don't want to be rude, but I also don't want Ean to get too far . . . "
"He was unconscious when I saw him last, and if you want to know the exact direction his minions took him, you will indulge me in one drink. Consider it an exchange of information."
"An exchange? And what information do you want?"
Jalvar grabbed a stool and took a seat at the bar. When he spoke again, his voice was low and touched with sadness.
"Tell me about Ven Khilada. Tell me about the lands still under the watch of your gods."
Grabbing another stool, Kaytlin took a seat next to the man and told him as much she could while Bora served them a drink.
Or two.
Chapter 29
"Azalea, I'm sorry."
She didn't even turn to look at him from the other side of the cart.
It had been three days since the events in Driavarage. Ean had spent the first two unconscious. From what Zin had told him when he woke, Azalea had loaded both him and Dao into their cart and left as soon as she had woke. They had traveled north at a hard pace, only stopping to rest their horse. Dao had woken back up that first night and had agreed they should put as much space between themselves and Driavarage as possible. On the second day of traveling, Ean finally woke. The memories of what he had done came crashing back to him immediately. A gnawing headache formed behind his eyes. The hand of guilt took hold of him, squeezing his heart in its crushing grip. With a groan, Ean climbed out of the cart to catch his bearings. Azalea walked on the other side while Dao lead the horse and Zin walked beside him.
"Azalea, look at me."
She did and Ean couldn't help but shrink back from her gaze. Rage rolled along their bond like a thunderclap, but it was the sharp stab of disappointment that hurt Ean the most. A few bruises marred her face, and one the size of a hand wrapped around her throat.
"I can't even begin to--"
"I've noticed you haven't created your shield since you've woken up." Azalea's tone was flat and she had returned to looking straight ahead. Even this close, the mist and fog of the land wrapped about her and made it hard to get a read on her expression. "Is that what you are sorry about? Making us walk about while the weight of the Plague presses in on us and twists our insides?"
"No. Well, yes. That's part of it."
It hadn't been, but now he felt bad about that too. In Ean's defense, he wasn't holding enough energy to shield himself from the effects of the Plague. It
felt like he had the cart on his shoulders and every breath was a battle not to get sick. But there was no way he was going to draw in a trickle of Abyssmal energy after what had happened.
"I'm sorry for what happened in Driavarage," he continued. "I would never want you to get hurt."
"I would certainly hope you wouldn't WANT me to get hurt." She glanced over at him for a moment with a raised eyebrow. "Are you trying to say getting ambushed by the entire village was your fault?"
"No . . . I wasn't the cause of that."
"Good. I didn't want to think my anger over getting blindsided by a whole village was misplaced." She raised her voice but her attention was focused entirely ahead of her. "The person who had been behind THAT mistake should be the one apologizing to me. They should count their blessings that I didn't leave them behind."
Dao seemed to shrink in on himself but kept walking. Azalea watched him until she seemed satisfied with something and gave a snort.
"We were all lucky you scared off everyone," she continued. "Otherwise, we all would have been easy kill for a few moments there. The imp was the only conscious one, and we know how useless he is in a fight. It was a good thing I woke up soon after. I was beat up but could still sling you over my shoulder and get us out of there."
She turned to look at him again, flashing her usual smirk. Her bruised cheek took some of the edge off of it. "So don't feel like you have to apologize for needing me to save you again. I'm getting quite used to that."
It took Ean a few moments to realize that all of the anger he felt through the bond wasn't actually directed at him. When she had turned to look at him this time, a touch of amusement was intermixed with her anger. Somehow he could differentiate between the two and whom they were directed towards, almost like how Azalea described her ability to feel and feed off emotions. None of it made any sense.
"Azalea, aren't you upset about what I did to you?"
"What you did?" She looked at him with a blank expression for a few moments then her eyes went wide. "Oh, Ean . . . "
She looked at him with an expression he rarely saw on her face. He would have been unsure about it if not for a rush of compassion that flowed into him like a cool breeze through their bond.
Enemies and Allies (Bound to the Abyss Book 3) Page 24