by Kris Hiatt
“I’ve been beaten many times, just not lately. And, so you’ll know next time, Zivon fought with this,” Treace said, pointing at his temple. “Not with this,” he added, flexing his right arm, which elicited a laugh from the boy.
“He used his head as a weapon?” Liern asked.
“Exactly, although not in the way you think,” Treace explained to the boy.
“I don’t understand.”
“You will someday. What about your father? Isn’t he your hero?”
“He is, but he’s…” Liern said, trailing off.
“I’m your dad, I know,” Liernin said, rubbing the boy’s head.
“Well, yeah,” Liern said as if that settled it.
“He looks up to me, I have no doubt, but the boy has to have someone else to look up to. Someone else who has deeds to back up their bravado yet someone who is more than the weapons they carry.”
“Well, than I shall try not to disappoint you,” Treace said.
“Go back inside, Liern,” the baron said. “I’ll be back in a short while. Start reading on the next chapter without me.”
“Yes, father,” Liern said and offered a meek smile and a quick wave to Treace before heading off. Treace replied with both in kind.
“Walk with me, Treace, we’ll talk while I stretch my legs.”
“Yes, sir,” Treace said, not having a clue what the baron could want from him. Tabor said he wasn’t in trouble, but yet he didn’t ask why the baron wanted to see him. He thought it was very possible the baron took offense to his defeating of Drokier.
“He’s a fine young man,” Treace said.
“Yes he is,” Liernin replied, smiling.
“I still don’t understand what I’ve done to be his hero,” Treace said.
“For starters, you’re young, so is he. You are very well spoken for someone your age. You’re the person most people talk about; it’s only natural for a boy to want to emulate you. Every boy needs a hero. Didn’t you have one growing up?”
Treace thought of his father and of how much he missed him. He found himself nodding his head without thinking about it.
“See?” Liernin said.
“I guess so,” Treace offered weakly.
“I have some questions I would like to ask you,” Liernin said.
“Please do,” Treace said.
“My first question is why would a person with your talents join the guard?”
“I don’t see much need of my talents anywhere else, sir.”
“What about the bandits robbing merchants along the southern road?” Liernin asked.
“I suppose, sir, but guarding a wagon means I’m protecting a few lives. Being a guard here means I am protecting thousands.”
“Makes some sense, however, wouldn’t the glory be in protecting the lives of wealthy merchants and their goods? Use those swords of yours to defend the good merchants who can’t defend themselves?”
“It might be, sir, but I don’t use the swords for glory.”
“Then why did you fight Drokier, if not for glory?”
“I had to prove my worth. I had to demonstrate my abilities were not a fluke,” Treace said, not completely lying to the baron. That part was true, but the conversation between Drokier and Tabor was not something he was willing to divulge just yet.
“I would say you accomplished that, though I fear you might have completed your last patrol already,” Liernin said.
“I thought my actions might have caused some anger, so for that, I apologize. I sought only to improve my reputation, not to destroy his,” Treace said, lying. He was doing more and more of it lately and while it didn’t exactly feel right, it wasn’t as foreign to him as it once was.
“You must be talking about Drokier. I can see why you would think that, but that’s not what I am talking about. I’m talking about something, someone, much more important than him,” Liernin said.
Treace couldn’t put a finger on what the baron was talking about, so he walked in silence, waiting for the baron to clarify. He wondered briefly if it had anything to do with where the true elite guard was, or even if what Drokier had said was true.
“Not even curious enough to ask for more details?”
“I’m curious, sir, but since you brought up the topic, I thought it best to allow you to get to the details when you saw fit.”
“I need more wisdom like that in my council,” Liernin said aloud to himself.
Again, Treace didn’t see a need to respond, so he said nothing.
“How old do you think Liern is?”
“I would say your son is ten, although I know from experience that size doesn’t always indicate age, so I would say anywhere from nine to twelve.”
“He turns twelve in a few days, he is a bit small for his age,” Liernin said, nodding in what Treace assumed was his approval of his guess.
“Had I known, I would have wished him a good birthday,” Treace said, knowing what it was like to be small for your age.
“Do you know what he wants for his birthday?”
“No sir.”
“Sword lessons. At age twelve, he wants to learn how to use a sword.”
“That’s when I first learned to use a sword,” Treace said, drawing a curious look from Liernin. He thought he knew why he was here now.
“It’s true, sir,” Treace told him.
“Well how old are you now?”
“Sixteen.”
“Good God, it’s easy to forget that people can be so talented at such a young age. In four years you have gotten this good with a sword?”
“Yes, sir,” Treace lied. He knew it was really only two years of training, and it was two swords, not one, but he didn’t even think about correcting the baron on that.
“You must have had an outstanding teacher.”
“I did, sir, and while I don’t have any other teacher to judge him by, I would say he’s probably the best.”
“I’d like to meet him someday,” the baron said as he leaned against the railing of the fourth floor balcony.
It was only a short walk from the baron’s quarters to the balcony, and Treace realized that he had never actually been there. He had been in the courtyard below the balcony many times, but never actually in the balcony. The view was beautiful. Seeing the trees and the fountain from this angle changed the whole perspective of the place. Before it was pleasant, but from up here it was spectacular. He guessed the design was based solely on the view from this location.
“Perhaps someday you will,” Treace said. “But for now, I assume you would like me to provide lessons to Liern?”
“That’s part of it,” Liern said, taking his eyes off the courtyard and facing Treace. “But, I also want to hire you as my personal guard.”
“Personal guard, sir?” Treace asked. He was already a member of the Elite Guard, but he had never heard of the personal guard to the baron, he didn’t even know such a thing existed.
“I have agreed to meet with Baron Shamir from Kadenton at the College in Kilindric a couple of months from now. Shamir hasn’t accepted yet, but he will. He can’t afford to show his people that he’s not willing to listen. I don’t believe he will try to attack me, I don’t think he would do anything like that, but I would like you there to deter anyone who thinks of doing so.”
Treace was glad to hear that Liernin had accepted the invitation to the meeting, and was just as glad that he thought Shamir would agree as well. He was worried about being recognized as a brother once he arrived, so he would have to think of something for that. But for now, he didn’t want to tell Liernin that he knew about the meeting, so he decided to play dumb instead.
“Meet at the College, sir?”
“Yes, are you familiar with the brothers at all?”
“Yes, I am familiar,” Treace said, careful not to reveal too much, but also saying enough that should his identity be revealed, he couldn’t be caught in an outright lie. Avoiding the truth, surely, but an outright lie? No.
&n
bsp; “They have offered us a neutral location to meet to discuss the subject of trade and how we can resume the agreement, or something similar, for the betterment of both cities,” Liernin said, walking from the balcony and moving toward the stairs going down.
“Do you trust the brothers?” Treace asked, following.
“I can’t speak for all, but I trust Brother Drevic, the advisor to the Archmagister there, who is the head of their order. Besides, that’s why you’ll be there. No one would dare attack me or they’ll suffer the wrath of The Wolf,” Liernin finished with a dramatic flair.
“I’m not sure the people of Kadenton even know I exist, sir.”
“They will soon enough. Your reputation will precede you to the meeting.”
“Two fights against fighters that no one in Kadenton knows probably won’t exactly make them cower,” Treace said.
“If that’s the case, then why am I hiring you?”
“I am the best, sir,” Treace said confidently, drawing a smile from Liernin.
“Luckily for us, Drokier is originally from Kadenton. He came here as a trade escort years ago and decided to stay. I’ll have him spread word to his friends in Kadenton. That will help.”
“Will he paint me in a positive light? Or at least one that suits our needs?”
“For what I’m paying him, he will.”
Things were getting out of control in Treace’s opinion; he was going to be in charge of keeping the baron safe at a meeting at the College in which he attended, yet no one in Haven knew of it. Part of the plan also revolved around a man he just beat, quite soundly so, in combat to spread word of his fame. He wasn’t so sure about that part. He also wasn’t sure it was a good idea for him to go to the College at all. He pictured one of the brothers talking to him as if he were a long lost friend, which while not far from the truth, would surely not help the situation. He needed to try to get word to Nimbril, Drevic, or anyone at the College to warn them. He couldn’t have one of the brothers ruin everything unintentionally with a simple conversation.
“What about the College, sir?”
“I didn’t think of them, but I suppose it won’t hurt for them to know of your exploits as well.”
“I wasn’t implying for them to know, sir. I was thinking that perhaps I should take a trip there to make sure this meeting location is secure.”
“No need, I have also contracted out Drokier for that. Now that he is retired, I can use him in other ways. He may not be as good as you with a sword, but he is an excellent tactician. Don’t worry about the College. It’ll be prepared by the time we get there. He’ll stop by there on his way to Kadenton and make sure it is suitable,” Liernin said as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
He wasn’t really thinking there would be a problem at the College since he had spent two years there and knew the brothers would do nothing to harm anyone at the meeting, but he was hoping to be there ahead of time to prepare the brothers for his arrival as an outsider. He’d have to come up with something different.
“Perhaps if I could assist Drokier then, I do feel bad about his retirement. Maybe I could patch things up with him on the trip.”
“Heh, I don’t see that happening anytime soon,” Liernin said. “He was quite angry that you challenged him in front of the men. In truth, however, I think he was only angry because you dispatched him so easily. I plan to keep you two apart for a while.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust Drokier, sir, but I would like to know first-hand what I’m dealing with to better protect you and your son should something go wrong.”
“If that happens, then I’m the one who’s done something wrong. A wise man does the best he can to ensure the people he leads don’t come to harm. Your reputation will help with that, and my tongue will do the rest. No more questions on it. Drokier will scout it alone. You’ll be there with me and Liern, and hopefully we can end this trade dilemma.”
“Yes, sir,” Treace said, knowing not to push further. Liernin became quite firm at the last part and pushing further would only infuriate the man and perhaps get Treace removed from his newest duty. The idea of teaching someone and not having to walk the streets seemed to be a pleasant idea. That and going back to the College again, even as a non-member and only for a short visit, would be nice.
“So should I take your eagerness to ensure my safety as an indication that you’ll accept my offer?”
“I don’t even know what your offer is, sir.”
“Then I must be an excellent salesman,” Liernin said with a chuckle.
“What is your offer?”
“Be my son’s weapon tutor, be my personal guard, and be there at the meeting and at any other meetings I have in the future.”
“For how long is this agreement?”
“Until I no longer require your services,” Liernin said simply. They had reached the fountain in the central courtyard and the baron was peering into the water of the fountain as he spoke.
Treace had already decided to do it, but he wanted to see what the offer would entail anyway to ensure he could get out of his agreement when he needed to go back to the College. He figured that should things go badly, his services would no longer be needed and he could go back to the College. If he was found out and Liernin knew he was a brother, then his services would no longer be needed either, or so he assumed. He knew the latter wouldn’t look too good for the order and knew that even the good natured Liernin would be very upset if he knew he was being lied to. The biggest reason he was going to agree to do it, however, was because he hoped he could learn more about the large number of men the baron seemed to be preparing for war.
“Will I stay at my same wage?”
“I’ll pay you a jin a month,” Liernin said, smiling.
Treace was making less than half that. Normal guards only made a single onner a week. It would take them two and a half months to make the jin that Liernin was offering him for a single month.
“I accept,” Treace said, taking the opportunity to get more information and money. Money wasn’t as easy to come by back at the College. He could use all he could get his hands on to pay for books and supplies. A few nicer robes would be a great change from his simple ones that were stored back there in his closet.
“Excellent, and speaking of the brothers at the College, here comes Drevic now,” Liernin said, motioning to the path leading into the courtyard.
Treace looked to see Brother Drevic entering the courtyard. Treace fought hard to suppress the smile that wanted to form at the sight of his friend. Even though it had only been a little over a month since he left the College, he missed being around the brothers. With Moff being gone for longer than he had first indicated, Treace couldn’t help but feel alone.
“Brother Drevic, this is Treace, my new personal guard. You may have heard of him as The Wolf,” Liernin said, introducing them once Drevic had reached them.
“We’ve met,” Drevic said, making Treace’s heart jump in his throat. He hadn’t had to use the story about him once being a member of the order; no one bothered to ask where he came from, they only wanted to know how he could fight so well with that unusual style. He couldn’t tell Liernin that they knew each other; he had just finished begging to go scout out the College. If the baron knew he was once, or worse, a current member, he would be cast out of his employ at the very least. But Drevic was going by the façade that Treace was here as a former member of the order and didn’t know that he hadn’t told anyone that story.
“You have?” Liernin asked.
“We’ve talked briefly on the road, while I was on my patrol,” Treace said, beating Drevic to the reply and hoping his friend would catch on.
Drevic shrugged and said, “Who doesn’t want to know more about The Wolf?”
“Very true,” Liernin said. “Would you leave us please, Treace. We’ll continue our conversation later.”
“Oh, no need,” Drevic said. “I only wanted to stop by to say goodbye. I’ll be leaving this aft
ernoon to go back to the College. I didn’t want to leave without telling you personally.”
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Liernin said.
“I would, however, like to know more about The Wolf. Perhaps you would permit me a personal escort from him to the edge of the city?” Drevic asked.
“Absolutely,” Liernin said. “Treace, come back to me after my friend is escorted. We’ll finish the details of your new assignment once you return.”
“Yes, sir,” Treace said.
“I probably will not see you again until our meeting, my friend, so until then,” Drevic said to Liernin, bowing slightly.
Liernin nodded and walked away.
“I haven’t told anyone I was once a brother,” Treace said, explaining once the baron was out of earshot.
“So I guessed by your response. Luckily, it was a decent excuse. Why didn’t you use the story we agreed on?”
“No one bothered to ask, so I didn’t bring it up. The less lying I have to do, the better.”
“Well, it nearly cost us everything. I nearly said that the College missed you and was going to ask if we could get you back.”
“That would have been disastrous,” Treace said, knowing he was indeed lucky.
“Come on, I was granted a personal escort from The Wolf,” Drevic said slyly as he started to walk away.
Treace followed.
#
“He stabbed you?” Treace said, not believing the story Drevic had finished telling him. Treace had told him about his exploits so far, and Drevic took his turn. They had long ago reached the city’s edge, but Drevic wasn’t finished so they walked slowly in circuits around a few blocks on the edge of town.
“Hard, too. I knew I was going to die. I knew it, Treace. I didn’t think there was any possible way for him to save me.”
“Crazy,” Treace said, not thinking of his word choice.
“Perhaps, but he is mostly himself lately. After spending two weeks with the lost love of his life, he seems much more at ease.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s up ahead on the road, just over that hill in the wagon,” Drevic said, pointing to the spot in the road where you lost sight of any travelers for a short time.