by Heath Pfaff
I turned about, scanning the clearing in which we'd set up camp. Some few of the black cloaks watched me, confused. I'd entered camp past their sentries, which they'd seen, but I did not have guards with me. They knew I should have had guards with me, but they were unable to question me directly, such was the nature of the magic binding them. I would deal with that situation later.
I looked for the other Knights of Ethan. I couldn't see any of them, which was to be expected. The rest of them should have been out on watch, since they did not need to sleep. Everything was eerily quiet. It seemed almost as if the events that had taken place in the woods had just been my imagination. If it wasn't for the shifting black fabric I was wearing, I might have believed myself suffering from a particularly vivid dream. I had expected to come back to find the camp in chaos, Malice dead, and Snow with her. I had not wanted to find such a sight, but I found myself at a loss as I looked upon the almost serene vision before me.
I sat down at Malice's side, carefully so as not to wake her, and tried to decide what I would do next. I had killed the three traitors, but were there others amidst the group? I knew the black cloaks couldn't be subverted, but there were still the four other Knights. That thought struck a chord inside me. Only eight Knights of Ethan still remained, if I counted Malice, Snow, Ethaniel and me. I had just killed almost a third of our remaining number. What of the other four? Silver, Cleave, Tower and Fenrick Wexol. Silver and Cleave were old blood, though not as old as Malice, who, other than Ethaniel, was now the oldest of the remaining Knights. Tower was relatively fresh to his Fell Beast limbs, and Fen had neither been given a name, nor taken the Fell Beast additions. There had been much talk of taking him out to the ice lands to make him a more complete Knight, but with our reduced numbers, and the fact that very few still retained the knowledge of the process, it had never happened.
In a way, I felt bad for Fen. He did not fit in with the common soldiers because of his black eyes, and he did not fit in with the other Knights, because he was, to them, still a trainee. Of course, that didn't mean he'd necessarily been excluded from any plotting. Who could I afford to trust? Malice, I had complete confidence in. I trusted her with my life. I wanted to trust Snow, but by the same token, she had ever been faithful to the Knights. She'd said she sided with me over Ethaniel, but would she side with me over her brethren in the Knights? Ethaniel, he was an unknown quantity. He had stood by me through all the roughest times, and had been in a prime position to destroy me on several occasions and never acted upon it. He had proven himself reliable again and again, but he was also acting strangely. Could I still trust the old Knight? I would need to be wary. Until that evening, I would never have second guessed any of the Knights of Ethan. I had believed each of them was loyal to the grave.
I held a quiet watch through the dark, waiting for the dawn. It seemed the light would never come. When the first light of morning finally touched the horizon, Snow returned first from her scouting. She drifted silently through camp, wearing a comfortable smile. I stood up as she approached. I'd had much time to think through the night, and I had decided what I was going to do.
"Snow," I greeted the white-furred Knight as she drew near. "I want you to gather Silver, Cleave, Tower, and Fen. I need to speak with them all before we leave this morning." There must have been something in my face that betrayed the importance of the situation, because Snow's easy smile fell away. Her expression was all business as she bowed tightly, and spun around to gather the others. She didn't say so much as a word. My suspicion crept up on me. Did she know what was going on? Did that mean she was a part of what had transpired? No, I was being paranoid. She would not have approached me with such an easy smile if she had known.
I crouched down to wake Malice.
"Malice," I said, shaking her arm. She jumped awake, staring at me confusedly.
"Huh?" She said, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"It's time to wake up, Malice." I told her.
Her face took on a sour expression. "I don't like it when you call me that. My name's Laouna." She complained groggily. I hadn't realized I had made that slip until she reprimanded me. She knew we'd called her Malice, but she didn't identify with it. I was looking for companionship, I knew, and in my time of need, it had been Malice I had wanted to be there for me. Laouna was loyal, but Malice would know what I should do. Though they were one and the same, Laouna did not have the same insight that Malice had. I missed my old friend and lover keenly at that moment.
"I'm sorry Laouna, but this is important. All the Knights of Ethan are meeting this morning, except for Ethaniel, because he's not here." I told her, as she went to work at rolling her bedroll.
". . . and you want me there?" She asked, stopping in her packing process to look at me. "What happened to your normal cloak?"
"I thought you'd want to be there. I've retired the blue cloak." I told her.
"If it's important, then I do want to be there." She said, beaming because she'd been invited to a private meeting personally. I was primarily inviting her because she was a Knight of Ethan, whether she remembered that part of her life or not, and it wouldn't be right to leave her out of the matter I was about to breach.
Malice's expression turned sour. "I like the blue cloak better."
"I don't." I replied.
She huffed. "Suit yourself, but a king shouldn't dress in common clothes."
"Of course." I nodded. That had been exactly my point. I was done playing the part of king. The Black Patch Brigade I couldn't be rid of, but I would have the other Knights of Ethan know that I was done with the charade.
Laouna looked confused, but after a moment she shrugged. "At least we match now." She said, strapping her repacked belongings on her back, and throwing the cloak on above them.
"Indeed." I replied, distractedly. We began walking towards the edge of camp. Two black cloaks fell in behind us. Liet and another that I had seen on the morning guard shift many times. Their eyes burned with that bestial rage that lay in the eyes of all black cloaks, but other than that they seemed unconcerned that two of their numbers were missing.
"Liet," I addressed my old friend. For a moment I thought he was not going to respond to me. I had not talked to him as much recently, though I had still made the attempt to greet him every morning. It had been a long time since I'd ordered him to respond to the name "Liet." To my surprise his eyes snapped to mine, letting me know that he was listening.
"My two guards from last night were killed protecting me." I said, for the time for secrecy was past. They would need to be replaced. I didn't feel inclined to mention how quickly they'd died. They would have fought for me if given the chance, and I believed that was enough.
"As was their duty, my King." Liet said, his eyes never flickering. I could have as easily said, "I used the last of the soap last night." and not gotten any less of a response.
I felt Malice stiffen at my side. Suddenly she was tugging at the side of my cloak to get my attention. I looked to her.
"What happened last night, Lowin?" She asked, her eyes were full of concern.
"We'll discuss that once all the Knights have gathered, but don't worry. I am fine." I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible, but Malice did not look particularly convinced. If anything, she looked angry that she was being made to wait for further information. I probably should have spoken to her separately, but I did not want to go through the details of the night's events any more than I had to.
"Liet, make sure the night watch is adjusted. Also, if any of your men wish to offer words of respect to those fallen, we can have a service for those who've passed." I knew the words would fall on deaf ears, but I would not allow the death of those guardsmen to go by with no notice. They had died in service, whether it was a magically imposed service or not. Their deaths weighed heavily upon me, perhaps even more so since I'd felt so much relief when it had been them, and not Liet who was dead. I should have known Liet wasn't amongst them, since he was typically f
irst shift, but not knowing for certain had been terrible. The relief at seeing that none of the dead men were Liet had been a bittersweet emotional cacophony that I would have preferred to not experience.
"That will not be necessary, my King." Liet said, his voice unwavering. I was unsurprised, but disappointed just the same.
We reached the edge of the camp in short order. The black cloaks were mostly awake, their gear being stowed and their equipment readied for another long day on the march. As they prepared, they fell in together, grouping up, and interacting almost entirely without vocal communication. They were naught but a horde of angry eyes, and barely restrained aggression, falling in at my back. It was like having a ravenous beast on a chain just behind you. I knew how long the chain was, and that so long as I stayed the proper distance away I was safe, but there was always that fear that the chain might break, or shift. What then? What would happen when the black cloaks broke free from their magical bindings? Ethaniel had assured me that could never happen, but life, I'd noticed, rarely dealt in certainties. There was always an exception. Always.
Snow appeared amidst the trees, four other shapes following her, like ghosts drifting through the woods. I could tell Tower from the others, for he was tall. He'd been nearly seven feet tall before joining with the Fell Beast, and had gained another foot from that process. He was massive and imposing, though every time I'd talked with him he had been nothing if not shy, and reserved. His height had made him an outsider, and his joining with the Knight's had finally given him a place to fit in, but some things never changed. He would carry the stigma of his awkward youth with him for the rest of his days.
Silver, too, was easy to identify. She carried a spear, and not a sword like most of the other Knights. She was adept with the weapon, and could soundly dispatch most of her brethren if necessary. The weapon assured that she would always stick out in a crowd, and that was before one even got a close look at her. Beneath her hood, she wore her hair shaved to the scalp, but for a narrow strip down the center of her head, which was nearly shoulder length. She wore that swept to one side. It was said to be a style common amongst her people, but it was not one with which I was familiar.
Having recognized those two, it was easy enough to tell the other two figures apart. The shorter figure was Fen. Without the added height boost from the legs of the Fell Beast, he seemed tiny amidst the other Knights. He was unremarkable, but for his shockingly dark hair. It was like a starless night had settled on his head, shimmering in its depthlessness.
That left Cleave. Cleave was a Knight of exceptional raw power. He'd earned his name by splitting a large rock in half with no more than his sword and the force of his will. The blade had been ruined, but it had been enough to earn him his title, and a healthy dose of respect from his fellows.
Malice had told me, before she'd lost her memory, that I reminded her of Cleave. His technique with a weapon was poor, and he compensated with brute strength. That had been long ago, while I was still training at Fell Rock. My technique had improved over the years, though I had never reached the finesse of either Snow or Malice. They were fighters of a skill unparalleled by any other. I'd had little personal interaction with Cleave over the years, but had always felt a distant kinship with the man.
Which of the four, I wondered, could I allow myself to trust? I hoped that I would soon find out. There was little I could do but confront them with what had happened, and try to determine whether or not they'd played any part in it. I wasn't sure what I was about to get myself into, but I knew there existed a chance that the situation could get dangerous. If all four of the others had been in on the previous night's incident, I could be placing myself and my friends in a perilous situation. I just hoped Snow and Malice would be ready if anything went badly.
I looked at Snow, and wondered again if I could trust the white-furred Knight of Ethan. I hoped so. I didn't believe I could defeat her in a one-on-one fight, and the thought of having to fight her made my stomach lurch for other reasons as well. She was one of few I could count as a friend. The other Knights drew up around me. A heavy tension hung in the air. Everyone was aware that something of importance was about to happen. All eyes lay upon on the shifting black fabric I wore. That, they knew, was a signal that something was amiss.
"Rampage, Pride and Watcher are dead. I killed them last night." I began. The normally calm faced Knights reacted as a group, their ranges of expressions running the gambit between shock, anger, and finally settling on confusion. As I spoke, I noted that Cleave looked away from me, his eyes refusing to settle on mine. Snow also looked uncomfortable. There were questions, I could see them in the eyes watching me, but they were held back by a surprising show of restraint. I went on.
"Rampage came to me last night and told me that he had found something that I needed to see. He led me, and two of my guards, far out into the woods, where Pride and Watcher lay in wait. They fell upon my guards and me in the dark. Both of the black cloaks were killed, but I survived the initial attack, at which time I confronted Rampage and the others.
"They told me they were going to kill me because I had brought dishonor upon the Knights, and because I was a poison to those around me." I felt Malice's hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. The other Knights, all of them, Snow included, were no longer meeting my eyes. What did that mean? A deep fury burned inside of me.
"I'm done with this." I spat the words in anger. "I'm done killing other Knights. Do you hear me?!" I yelled at them. No eyes came up to meet mine. "If this is not your ideal life, go find your own! If you don't want to be here, then by all that is wrong with the world, get as far away from me as you can. I'm tired of having to kill you.
"How many of you knew what Rampage and the others intended to do?" I tried to calm my voice, but the growling rage was still crawling up the back of my throat.
"Cleave? What of you? Did you know what was going to happen last night? Were you part of their conspiracy?" I demanded of the powerful Knight. He had looked away first. He stood in silence. It seemed the entire world was silent.
"Damn it, answer me Cleave! Did you know what was going to happen last night?!" My hand twitched, the claws shifting between sharp and dull, a reaction to my fluctuating control of my emotions. What would I do if he said yes? What would I do?
He looked up, and there was pain in his eyes, a deep and terrible pain that stemmed from somewhere inside of him. I had my answer before I had his words.
"Yes." He said, his voice the growl of a Knight who had 'the voice.' His shoulders seemed to slump. "I knew what they intended, though I told them I would take no part in treason."
"You knew, and you did not tell me? You let me walk right into death?" I hadn't expected a confession. It took me completely by surprise. I had anticipated an enraged confrontation in which he denied everything. He had said "yes," and I had not struck him down. Though every impulse in my body demanded that I do so. Perhaps it was that sadness in his eyes that held me at bay.
"I knew, and I did not tell you." Cleave said. "I listened to Pride talk. He remembered the days under the old king so clearly. Things were better then. There were so many of us, and even if the people were afraid of us, most of them at least respected what we were. The kingdom respected the Knights of Ethan. We lost that, and Pride . . . we, we blamed you. I refused to strike out against you, but I was willing to let the others do what they wanted to. I took the coward's path. I spoke out for neither side, and therefore betrayed both."
I watched his eyes. They were full of pain and fear. In that moment, he knew that I was going to kill him. I wasn't going to do so, but he believed it with every ounce of his being. He did not draw his weapon, or even move his hand to its hilt. He stood their facing me, believing that I was about to deliver his death, and he did not so much as move.
"Get your gear and go back to Kreo, Cleave. You don't belong here." I told him, looking away from him. It wasn't that he had stared me down, but that I didn't wish to look into the eyes
of betrayal and weakness any longer. Cleave was dead to me.
". . . but I am a king's man. If I leave that would be treason." He stammered over the words as he spoke.
"I am not your king. Get your gear and go back to Kreo. I'm sure Lord Lheec will find a place for you there. Tell him you betrayed me, and he'll probably throw you a banquet." The words were bitter, but true.
"I just . . ." He began, but I cut him off.
"Go." I said firmly. He did not speak again. I next turned my attention to Silver. Her eyes were still downcast. Silver, Tower, Fen and even Snow, hung their heads. Did they all know the truth? Did even Snow know the truth? Would I have to send her away as well?
"Silver, did you know about the attempt on my life?" I asked the woman with the strange hair. She brought her face up, and her eyes met mine. Her eyes were coated in a layer of moisture, though her face was firm.
"I had heard them speak out against you, but I thought it was meaningless words. I told them they were foolish, and that it wasn't your fault things were the way they were. I knew they hated you, but I refused to let myself believe they would ever act upon it." She said, her voice firm, only lightly underlined by a wavering.
"So you knew they bore me malice, but said nothing?" I asked. My anger was still burning, but my confrontation with Cleave had taken the sting out of it. In the end, he had been just a broken soldier, just a man trying to find the easiest path, even if it was a damned path.
"I knew, and I never said anything, but Noble, I've always stood behind you. I've always believed in you. I fought near you in the great battle against the Hungering, the one where you felled the black drakes. I know you're a good person, and I do not want to serve Lheec. I would never intentionally betray you. I just didn't want to believe the worst of the brothers I'd served with for so long." There was a pleading in her voice, but it was not to be confused with begging. She was a strong warrior. It would be a great loss if she wasn't fighting at my side any longer.