Death Or Fortune

by James Chesney

  "So you don't know anything for sure other than what you have just seen?" she asked.

  "That sounds about right." Pare said as he tossed his hands in the air. "I know Darmot is his friend. He almost thinks of him as a father figure, knowing what you told me about his real father, I am not shocked. So if Darmot trust him, I think we should too. All I know is that I am real glad he isn't after me."

  "So who is after me? Did he say anything?" Tears of frustration started to appear on Jasmin's eyes. Pare saw the fear in his friends face and did not know, perhaps for the first time, what to say. He walked forward and reached out for her hand. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, his small hand engulfed in hers. For one small moment, nothing else mattered to her. Only that she had a friend by her side. So much of her life had changed over the last year. Since she had met Darmot and his friends, they were the only constant. While she loved her husband somewhere deep inside she wondered if perhaps she was paying the price for his ambition. Shaking her head she forced those thoughts away and finished packing with her friend by her side.

  After an hour had passed, like clockwork they were all on their way. All the servants had been told that they could stay behind or they could return to their families. A few stayed at the house as they no longer had a family to return to. Darmot having a soft spot in his heart for the widows of war, employed as many of them as he could. The only servant to make the trip out to the Kromwell estate was Charles. He had his own home on the property and it would make the foreman of the lumber camp happy. He would not have to ride for half the night to make his daily reports. Windfall and Pare drove the carriage that carried Jasmin and Charles out to the home. Pare had trouble watching the road, instead spending his time watching the mysterious half elf.

  "Ok little thief, ask the questions I see in your eyes." Windfall said with more than a bit of humor in his voice.

  "Is it true that you are part demon? Can you really vanish from sight any time you want? How did you learn to talk to birds?" Pare was interrupted by the half elf laughing.

  "Who told you that load of rubbish?" he asked.

  "Well when you get around as much as I used to, you hear things. If you are not part demon how are you so strong?"

  "No my little friend, I am not part demon. As for my size and strength well I don't know for sure what he did but my father had something to do with it. He also had a lot to do with who I am and why I do the things I do. Both my parents were wizards. She was an elf, he was human and they met in Kemmermere. The how and why of them coming together I don't want to talk about right now. What I will tell you is this, he loved her very much. My father owned a home in Eystlund it is where my family lives now. He married her in Kemmermere and was bringing her to live in Eystlund after they found out I was on the way. On their way there, they were attacked by a group of bandits. While they were both powerful magic users, they can only fight for so long. You know a wizard or two so I don't think I need to explain why. My father managed to fight most of them off using nothing but his staff. Yet in the end he was overwhelmed and it was only by chance that a farmer and his two sons found them. They were still alive but my mother was deeply wounded I am sad to say. She only lived long enough to give birth to me."

  "My father was destroyed if not in body but his soul. He cursed himself for being weak, for not being able to keep his mate alive. He drove himself to the point of madness finding the right spells. He never wanted me to be the victim that he was. When he perfected the magic he needed he went to work on me. My strength, my reflexes were all enhanced by him. When I was close to fifty years old he did the last spell on me. What it was, I do not know but it did something to my mind. I have to chase them down he told me. The thieves, rapist or any of those who kill the innocent. In a way I hate him for doing this to me. If I stay at home for too long I start to get sick. If I am not on the trail of someone like you or someone worse I get crushing pain in my head. All I have to do is put my mind to finding someone and it goes away but it isn't something I enjoy. How I managed to find a wife and father two children is beyond me."

  "Why would your father do that to you? Was he an evil wizard?" Pare asked.

  "No, I do not believe he was. Today I do not know. I've not seen him in years since he did that last spell on me. I don't even know if he is still alive. I went west to Kemmermere once to find my mother’s family. I wanted to tell them of her fate. They all shunned me, well all but one. My uncle traveled the world a bit and he seemed to be a bit more understanding. When he returned home he opened up a black smith shop. He is the one who made my armor. He measured me and told me to return in one year’s time. He gave me the armor, my cloak and my boots. He told me he put all the love he had for my mother into the making of it. It has not failed me yet." The two of them rode the rest of the way in silence. When they arrived at the Kromwell estate they unloaded both passengers and the goods they brought along.

  While it seemed Jasmin and Charles were busy enough for ten people, Pare found his self alone in his new room with nothing to do. The room was smaller than the one at the house in the lord’s district but overall the house was bigger. Not that Pare minded he didn't need much room. He only hoped Windfall was right. That they would be safe here and that they did not have to worry about the crazy axe throwing loggers. After a quick trip down to the kitchen only to remember that there was almost nothing to eat in the house yet he decided to try out his new bed. It was closer to the floor but nowhere near as soft. Not that any of that mattered to him as he laid his head down on the pillow that night. He closed his eyes and let sleep over take his tired mind. After a night of frantic flight on the back of Sparky, Pare felt better. More than anything, he felt at home.

  50. Family

  I awoke to the sound of swearing from the deck above. I left my small room that I shared with the other three and went top side. The sky was blue, clear and not a bit of wind. The sails hung from the mast, limp and lifeless. I asked one of the deck hands how long it had been like this and he said since the middle of the night. One of them said something about being cursed, forever to drift on the still waters. I ignored the paranoid soul and continued to look around. All things given, it was a beautiful day. I saw Zender at the side of the ship looking out and figured he would be better company than the sailors. I just stood there for the longest time waiting for him to say something. He was still a mystery to me then, I wasn't sure what to say. In the end I didn't have to say much at all.

  'Do you have any siblings Darmot?' he asked me. I told him I had a half-brother who I had never met. 'I have one younger brother. His name is Rathnel, I have known him his entire life and I am still not sure I know him. He is a lot like my father. I guess we both are in a way. My father taught him how to pick a lock at the age of eight. Something I never had an interest in. He would tell us to catch a thief you must think like one. Understand his way of thinking and know what he is capable of. Soon as we were both old enough to hold a weapon he trained us to fight. I saw a bit of that training in you during the tournament. I did well with it and can hold my own. Yet it isn't my passion, I wanted to please my father yet at the same time had a different calling in my heart. So I looked elsewhere. It wasn't until I was on my knees in front of an altar that I knew who I was. It was then that I saw the world before me and knew what I had to do. The order of Solarth was broken years ago by evil and itself. Somewhere along the line they forgot in order to do good work, you have to get your hands dirty. Other people, my superiors sometimes think I go too far. If they knew my father, they might understand what drives me. I will not stand by while evil goes unchecked.'

  'My brother however has not a single care in the world. He took what father taught him and ran with it. Never has he committed a crime but I can see it in him. How we have the same parents I will never know. He begged my father to take him out on the trail with him for years. Depending on who or what he was after he would take him. We were all together just before I left Eystlund, Rath was head
ed south. Said he wanted to explore the land a bit, he also had a girlfriend that he took along. Windfall said he was headed north, said it had something to do with a female assassin who managed to avoid his reach. We are spread out to the four winds and my mother sits at home. Strong woman she is, married to an obsessive half elf who is never at home for more than a week at a time and she raised two sons who only have eyes for the horizon. I think when this is done I will take some time and spend it with her. Family is important Darmot, if you ever get a chance to find this brother of yours you should.'

  I then told him about my mother and father. I am sad to say he knew as much about my father as I did. 'Keller keeps his hands clean but he knows where the bodies are hidden.' he said to me. I then told him about my brother Raell. This was next to nothing other than what my mother had told me when I took Jasmin to meet her. I've often wondered where he ended up and if I could find him. The last letter I received from my mother told me that Keller was in his den screaming about a bastard half elf. Something about a shipment of his being returned to the rightful owners. I wish him well in his quest to ruin my father. If I ever get a chance to meet him I would love to shake his hand. Show my son that he has more family than his mother and I. Pare is good with the boy but he isn't a real uncle. If nothing else I would like to meet him for doing the thing I dared not to do. Take on my father head to head and win.

  As the day passed we were still sitting helpless at the lack of wind. Yet somehow Zender did not seem worried, saying that it was only a matter of time. I still wonder to this day if he knew what was going to happen. If this was something they had talked about while I was sleeping. The crew of the ship gave us a wide birth but when Lomark came out on the deck you could feel the hate in their eyes. Most men just don't trust magic or those who use it. It did not help that his robes were black as the night sky. I am guessing more than a few men blamed him for the weather. 'Did you get it figured out?' Zender asked his robed friend. The man in black only nodded his head and went to the back of the ship near the ships wheel. 'Come with me, this should be quite the show.' The cleric told me as he started to follow the wizard. We found the mage near the ships wheel talking in low hushed tones with Captain Nathan. I tried to hear what they were saying to each other but it just too low. It was then that I noticed that Zender hand his hand firmly attached to his weapon.

  'We may be required to defend our friend here from the ship’s crew. You ok with that?' He asked me just as the captain turned and started shouting for the men to clear the deck. Lomark deep in his own world began to chant the language of magic, spreading his arms out to the side. By the time Captain Nathan returned to the wheel I could see that the sails had started to fill. 'You lads had better agree to make a heavy sacrifice to the goddess when we make land or my men may try to kill you before you step foot off the ship.' I told the captain that I would make sure of it, not knowing or even caring what it called for. I just didn't want to have to fight off the crew of the ship. As Lomarks voice reached its peak, the sails were fully set and we were underway. I looked on in wonder of the wizard. Hetaron had never shown any interest or ability to control the weather. Lomark later said that little things like that were not outside of his scope, just not something he concentrated on. I could not get over him calling controlling the weather a little thing. Once he was locked back up in our little room the captain was screaming for his men to get back to work.

  Zender and I stood around top side for a while, speaking with the Captain. He wasn't happy about having the wizard on his ship but wasn't complaining about the wind. He told us we would be at our drop off spot by the next morning. Something Zender had said while talking about Windfall was nagging at me. I wasn't sure at the time what it was but there was something there, just under my skin. So I stood there by his side, asking questions about him and his family. Then it came to me. I stood there, gripping the ships railing was the only thing that had kept me from crashing to the floor. Windfall was after Cynthia for some reason. Zender did not know the name of the female assassin but I knew in my heart that was it her. I had taken that woman into my home, invited her in even. She had seemed so harmless and Pare had even taken a great liking to her. Yet, what did I really know about her besides that she seemed to be attracted to me. Did that allow me to overlook the darkness behind her eyes?

  While I had never claimed to be a man of great virtue or honor, I did try to live a life that someone could look up to, be proud of, perhaps even inspire. I had never felt as low in my life as I did at that moment. The world started to go black, my vision was fading. The grip I had on the ships rail was the only thing keeping me up right. Was I really any better than my father? I had left behind my family in another attempt to find glory. To top it all off, I had paid a woman who I knew next to nothing about to kill someone I had called my friend. While I knew he had betrayed me, threatened to kill me, something wasn't right. I had forgotten who I was and who I am. The poison Hetaron had infected my heart with had spread and I was looking down a long, cold and dark road. I had taken the first step down the road towards the destruction of my own soul. I could feel my heart pounding in the palm of my hands as I held onto that railing. Zender’s hand was on my arm, his voice in my ear, yet I could not hear him.

  I could feel it coming as my stomach started to clench. My eyes and mouth started to water at the taste of acid building inside of me. As I let lose over the side of the ships rail I could only think of one thing. This is what betrayal taste like. A second spasm shook my body as I once again got sick over the side of the ship. As my vision started to return to normal I could hear two things. The captain was laughing at the land lover for not being able to hold down lunch. Zender was praying to his god to cure me of my sickness. I looked at him and told him not to bother. This was something I had brought on myself. His god could do nothing for me and that this was something I would have to cure myself. With Hetaron's betrayal I had turned and done the same to myself. Betrayed who I was and the things I believe in. Betrayed who I wanted to be, betrayed my family. I thanked Zender for his kind hand and returned to our little room hoping to find some rest.

  Zackary was off drinking with the crew and Lomark was deep into one of his spell books. Zender had followed me back to the room, asking me if he could do anything for me. I told him I just needed to rest. I laid down on my back and stared at the wooden planks above me wishing sleep would come and make me forget all the horrible things I had done. It was then that I could feel his eyes on me. I looked over at the wizard his eyes were cold and hard. I felt as if he was trying to study me as he would one of his books. I turned back to the planks above me and closed my eyes. 'Well now Lord Kromwell' he said with every ounce of contempt he could muster. 'What seems to be your problem?' I told him that it was just a little sea sickness but he seemed to know better. As I have learned over the years, Lomark knows when he is being lied to. He did not call me on it, instead he waited for me to tell him the real reason I was ill. I told him I had done some horrible things as of late, things I had come to regret.

  His eyes continued to bore into my flesh. He was drawing out the details without so much as saying a single word. I told him about my dealings with Cynthia and how things fell apart with Hetaron. I told him how I felt guilty for leaving my family behind when there was a danger there that I had invited in. I told him about my first meeting with the bandit leader and how I struck him down in cold blood. 'You had no control over that. He wanted you to kill him. It is how those creatures gain power.' I asked him if he was sure because I honestly had no intentions of letting him live once the fighting started. 'That was him driving you. You have made mistakes that should torment one such as you but that is not one of them.' Honest to a fault when pointing out the mistakes of others, Lomark was good at this. I asked him if he had any family hoping to change the subject. 'Yes, I had a family but this is not about me. This is about you and your guilt. The thing I find most humorous is this, you have no idea about the thing you should feel
most guilty about.' I asked him what he meant by that and he only shook his head.

  'The staff Hetaron carries is cursed. I could see it the moment I laid eyes on it. If I had the chance to study it I might be able to tell you what it is doing to him but that will never happen now. It was in a tomb he told me, a tomb it should have never been taken from I do believe. What is it like to know that you stood by and did nothing while your friend killed himself?' I could not believe a single word that was coming from his mouth. Could it be possible that he was right and the reason Hetaron had turned on me was this staff, I wasn't sure what to believe. I thought about it for a while in silence in the end I decided I was not to blame for what Hetaron took. He knew what he was doing when he turned on me and he knew what he was doing with that staff. He should have been able to tell what it was that he had. I remember when he found it, how excited he was. Would he gladly accept something that in the end would only doom him? By the end of the night the only answer I could come up with was this. If it granted him more power, he would welcome it with his arms wide open.

  51. The Hunter and The Guardian

  Pare awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking. Not wanting to miss out on a meal he quickly dressed and headed for the kitchen. He found Jasmin, Windfall and a strange looking dwarf sitting around a table while Charles was making breakfast. The dwarf was lean for one of his kind, bald head with a close cut beard. He was draped in chain armor with a crescent moon shaped battle axe strapped to his back. Windfall introduced him as Ebbit. The halfling put on his best smile and presented his hand to the dwarf. With a voice as deep as an old dry well he said "Is this the little thief you have been talking about?" Pare looked at his hand wondering if there was something horrible on it as the dwarf ignored him.

  "Aye my friend, he will be going back to the city with me today. You and Mason will patrol outside the house and once it gets dark you will be in here with Lady Jasmin and Charles." Pare pulled his hand back seeing as how it wasn't going to be shaken and went to take a seat next to Jasmin.