Sword of Betrayal

by Robert Evert

  Turning a bend, they came to a forest-filled gorge cut between the rocky hills by the Dean River. The road they had been following descended the southern slope, winding this way and that, often diminishing to nothing more than a thin ledge hardly wide enough for their horses. They dismounted. Stretching, Markus cracked his spine.

  “Since we’re telling secrets, dear cousin, I have one I’d like to reveal.”

  “Do tell,” Edris said, hoping they’d regain the mirth they’d been sharing.

  They led their horses along the ridge high above the colorful valley.

  “Remember that saucy tart from the tavern you took me to in Bend?” Markus asked.

  “Which one? Practically every woman in the village was hanging on you all night.”

  “The one you knew. She had a tight green dress and the nicest hind end I’ve ever seen.”

  Edris’s heart lurched. “Beatrice?”

  “Exactly. Boy, what a looker she was. Nice tits. Firm and petite. Just how I like them.”

  Edris stopped, attempting to breathe. “You’re joking.”

  “Not at all. I know you had said the two of you were involved, but she indicated otherwise.”

  “She did?” Edris prayed that at any second, Markus would say he was only kidding.

  “She said you’ve never stated your intentions with her one way or another.”

  This was true. While Beatrice had made her feelings evident every chance she could, Edris had never reciprocated—at least, not overtly.

  “I had to offer her twenty gold.” Markus continued along the path. “But by the gods, she was worth it. She was nearly fresh.”

  Edris remained riveted where he stood, seething. He tried to offer a light chuckle but couldn’t exhale. “Bea would never—”

  “Never?” Markus’s laugh cut into Edris’s soul. “All women have their price, Eddie. Your Beatrice, at least, was a skilled negotiator. She’d make a fortune in a bigger town. Whores like her are hard to come by.”

  Snarling, he reached for his sword.

  “What’s the matter?” Markus asked. “Why aren’t you following? Afraid of heights?”

  “I wanted to give you room,” Edris said bitterly. “I’d hate to accidentally bump into you and knock you off.”

  Markus peered over the edge of the path. It was eight hundred feet straight down to a boulder-strewn river.

  “Good idea.” Then he said over his shoulder, “What were we discussing?”

  Eyes narrowing, Edris proceeded along the ledge, leading his horse at a pace that would overtake his cousin.

  “That’s right…your friend!” Markus called. “What a looker. I tell you; she was worth every—”

  Markus’s horse suddenly whinnied in terror.

  “Shit! Hold up, Eddie. There’s a snake.”

  Snorting, Markus’s horse reared, its great hooves punching the air.

  “It’s okay.” Markus stroked his mare’s neck. “It’s gone. Everything is—”

  The horse bolted forward, bashing Markus aside. Thrown, he tumbled along the path, coming to a stop along the edge of the cliff. Then the ground beneath him gave way. He slid over the brink, hands clawing frantically at the crumbling rock.

  Grabbing at anything he could reach, he shrieked, “Eddie!”

  “Markus!” Edris raced along the ledge.

  Markus slid another foot. His legs and waist dangled high above the valley. Displaced stones tumbled past him, falling into the surging water far below.

  “Hurry!”

  “Hold on!” Ripping off his cloak, Edris dove to where his cousin lay.

  Markus slipped a few more inches, his fingernails digging into the dirt.

  “Here!” Edris threw him the end of his cloak.

  White hands latched onto it.

  “What are you doing?” his father’s voice said in his head. “Do it now! Do it now! Let go!”

  “No!” he cried, straining under Markus’s weight.

  He pulled.

  The cloak stretched, its fabric threatening to tear.

  Trying to find purchase against the cliff face, Markus’s feet flailed. More rocks tumbled to the river.

  Edris heaved.

  Markus’s arms appeared above the ledge.

  “Kill him!” he father’s voice said. “That’s what kingsmen do! They kill your father’s enemies!”

  Edris pulled again.

  “You have one last chance! Let go!”

  Markus’s head appeared. Then his shoulders. Edris grabbed Markus’s belt and hauled him up. Markus flung himself sprawling onto the stone.

  “You’re a worthless sack of shit. Don’t bother coming home. You’re not my son. You’re dead to me.”

  “You all right?” Edris asked, panting as hard as Markus.

  “Great gods,” Markus said, sweating. “I owe you one. Honestly, I thought…I thought I was going to feed the fish.”

  “Let’s get to firmer ground.”

  “Right!” Markus fought his way to his feet and then hugged Edris, his entire body trembling. “I owe you, Eddie. Thanks!”

  “I’ll add it to the five hundred gold.”

  “Do that!” Markus laughed, but it appeared he was on the verge of tears. “With interest!” He peered nervously over the ridge. “Boy! Had I hit the river; they never would’ve found my body!”

  Edris retrieved his horse. “Don’t think about it.”

  “Don’t think about it?” He wiped his eyes. “I nearly died!”

  “But you didn’t.”

  Markus slapped him on the back. “Thanks to you! Honestly, Ed. I’m in your debt.”

  “Let’s go find your mare.”

  “Indeed. Lead on.”

  They followed the path further down the slope, Markus keeping as close to the cliff face as possible.

  “Why did you shout ‘no’?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “When you were pulling me up, you shouted ‘no.’”

  Markus’s horse came into view, galloping along the valley below.

  “I meant…no, you weren’t going to die.”

  Markus laughed again. “Well, I’m certainly glad you didn’t shout ‘Yes!’ When we get to town, the first and second rounds are on me. Hell…I’ll buy you anything you want!”

  Twenty-Six

  Edris eased himself into one of the hot springs for which Strombath was famous. Compared to the cool evening air, the swirling water was nearly scorching; however, once his body adjusted to the temperature, it felt fantastic on his injured leg. He sat on the stone bench at the bottom of the pool and leaned back, attempting to immerse himself as much as possible.

  Sighing, he closed his eyes and thought about Markus.

  Should he have let him fall?

  No, of course not. Markus was his cousin, and there wasn’t anything more important than family. He was also the king’s son. Had he died, questions would’ve been asked, and he might have been blamed. Yet a nagging doubt crept into Edris’s mind. So many of his problems would’ve gone away had the bastard died.

  He thought about Beatrice. Anger boiled within him again. He’d promised he wouldn’t touch her.

  Edris imagined Markus plunging to his death, his arms and legs flaying as his body hit the river.

  He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, but the smell of the cedar trees filling the valley did little to lessen his mounting anxiety.

  “Ed!”

  Cracking open an eye, Edris found Markus standing on one of the surrounding hills.

  During the week they’d been at Strombath, Markus had rarely left their room for fear other adventurers might learn of his whereabouts. If they did, they’d descend upon the tiny village like hungry locusts.

  Closing his eyes, Edris ignored him. He sunk lower into the steaming water.

  “Ed!” Markus called again. He hurried down the long wooden stairways connecting the town on the hilltop with the hot springs. He had a book in his hand.

  “What?” E
dris called back, annoyed.

  “Are we alone?” Markus asked, peering about the neighboring pools.

  “I paid extra to have the water to myself.” Hoping his cousin would take the hint, he added, “I was tired of making conversation.”

  “I don’t blame you. There’s nothing worse than getting stuck next to a chatterbox while you’re trying to relax.” Markus knelt by the poolside and showed him a page from Raaf’s diary. He lowered his voice. “I think I know where it is.”

  “Really?” Edris said, trying not to let his ire slip away. “Where?”

  Markus tapped the page. “Raaf came to Strombath frequently.”

  “I know. Whenever he’d get into a fight with his father, his stomach would bother him. So, he’d come here. At first, it was to get away from the king, but then he began to believe the water gave him some relief. I’ve read the diary, remember?”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m fine,” Edris lied. “Where do you think the sword is?”

  Markus tapped the page again. “He wrote here about riding among the pines. He liked the smell.”

  Edris played with a bubble floating in the water, not showing his interest.

  “I’ve checked,” Markus whispered. “There’s only one pine grove within a day’s ride of here.” His eyebrows bounced merrily. “Let’s go get a sword!”

  Edris continued playing with the bubbles.

  “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear what I said? That sword is as good as ours!”

  Unable to contain his temper any longer, Edris stood, his wet, naked body looming over his cousin. “You promised!”

  “Promised what?”

  “To leave Beatrice alone.”

  Markus retreated a step, then quickly put on a smile. “Ed! I was only kidding about that! Honest. Do you actually believe I’d sleep with somebody you have a mind for? Is that how you see me? After all we’ve been through?”

  Markus’s tone was irritated, but Edris wondered whether it was contrived. He wouldn’t put it past his cousin to sleep with anybody he wanted, despite what he’d promised.

  “Let me ask you this,” Markus continued. “You think Beatrice is the type of woman who would’ve slept with me? And if she is, don’t you deserve better?”

  He was right. Beatrice wouldn’t have slept with Markus. She wasn’t a whore. And if she needed the money, she would’ve come to him.

  Edris relaxed slightly.

  “See!” Markus said, relieved. “I was just joking. And I apologize for the crack I made about her being able to make money in Upper Angle. I shouldn’t have said that. I got carried away.” He offered his hand. “Everything good?”

  Doubt still lingering, Edris took his hand. “We’re good.” Then he added coldly, “However, if I find out you slept with her—I’m going to kill you.”

  Twenty-Seven

  Edris hiked up another hill north of Strombath, grumbling to himself despite the agreeable aroma of the towering pines. His leg, while functional, still throbbed, and the hours of hiking had given him plenty of time to consider his problems.

  He’d serve as a kingsman, he’d decided. Yes, Kriton would make his life beyond miserable, but he could take it. He needed to learn self-restraint anyway. Perhaps dealing with the captain’s abuse for five years would make his father proud.

  Then there was Markus and Beatrice.

  Did he sleep with her?

  On one hand, Markus was right. Bea wouldn’t have slept with him—certainly not for money. She wasn’t like that. On the other hand, Markus was definitely nervous. Ever since they’d hiked out of town, he’d been chittering away, unable to look in Edris’s direction. He was afraid of something; Edris could see it in his worried, calculating eyes.

  They reached the hill’s summit.

  “Now what?” Edris asked, rubbing his leg.

  “Now,” Markus replied gleefully, “we think.”

  “I’m not exactly the thinking type.”

  “You will be before I’m done with you, I can promise you that. You’re turning into quite the adventurer. Perhaps after your stint as a kingsman, you can journey with me more regularly.”

  Edris didn’t say anything. Spending more time with his cousin was the last thing he wanted to do.

  Next to him, Markus inhaled deeply. “Ah!” he said with satisfaction. “Do you smell that?”

  Through a break in the trees, Edris surveyed the endless line of rolling hills. It was beautiful this way. He could see why Raaf would want to ride around here. It was remarkably peaceful. He nodded. “I love pines.”

  “Not that. There are plenty of pine trees around Upper Angle. I’m talking about the smell of pending success. Victory is at hand!”

  Peering about, Edris shrugged. “So where is it?”

  “The question, my dear cousin, is—where isn’t it?”

  “Where isn’t it?”

  “Let’s assume the attack occurred somewhere around here. If you killed your brother and didn’t want anybody to find the body, what would you do?”

  Edris shrugged again. “I’d stampede his horse to make sure it wasn’t found nearby.”

  “Good. What would you do with the body?”

  “I’d carry it off the path, trying not to spill a trail of blood, and then bury it somewhere isolated.”

  “Good. Except there’s one problem.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Ever try to dig in a forest?”

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had the opportunity.”

  “Look at these trees.” Markus patted one of the sap-speckled trunks. “They’re hundreds of years old. Their roots are probably as big as your arms, and they’re everywhere. You wouldn’t be able to bury a cat here, let alone a man.”

  Edris examined the ground. Under a carpet of brown pine needles, thick tree roots crisscrossed the hard ground. He’d been tripping over them all morning.

  “Plus,” Markus went on as if teaching a schoolboy, “look at these hills.” He stomped a boot. “They’re made mainly of stone. You could dig a foot or two, but after that…you’d need an army of men with picks to carve out a big enough grave. So what does that leave us?”

  Edris thought for a moment. “A cave?”

  “Exactly!”

  “How do we find the cave?”

  “We’re going to split up and systematically search these hills. What I want you to do is take the left side of the path. Walk down the slope in a straight line. When you get to the bottom, go ten paces that way.” He pointed eastward. “Then come back up. Keep doing that around the hill. I’ll do the same to the right of the path.”

  “What am I looking for?”

  “Any opening large enough to stuff a body.”

  “All right.”

  “Also, look for any rock formations that don’t seem natural.”

  “Rock formations?”

  “Oh, you know. Any pile of rocks that might hide a cave opening or be heaped over a body. Understand?”

  “Fine.”

  “Great. Meet you later.” He headed to the right side of the hill, then stopped. “And Ed? Thanks for helping me with this.”

  “You can thank me when we find that damned sword.”

  “Right! One thousand gold!” Markus winked at him. “Holler if you find anything.”

  For the better part of two hours, Edris marched up and down the hillside, often slipping on the dry pine needles covering the otherwise rocky ground. He was tired and hungry and his back hurt from constantly ducking under low branches. He would’ve given his entire inheritance for a pint of beer.

  From the other side of the hill, Markus shouted.

  “Did you find something?” Edris called as he made his way through the woods.

  He found Markus kneeling in the dirt, peering into a narrow crevice nestled behind a dead pine tree. He grinned at Edris. “Ready to find your first quest item?”

  “Me?”

  Markus stood and wiped the dirt from h
is hands. “Of course, you. Look, if I go in there and get stuck, you won’t be able to come in to get me. Right? You won’t fit if I don’t. But if you go in and get stuck, I can help.”

  Something about this logic bothered Edris, but he was anxious to see what was in the cave.

  Markus lit a torch. “Keep this well in front of you. Push it along the ground. Don’t get burnt.”

  Unslinging his pack, Edris took the torch.

  “And Ed?”

  “Yeah?”

  Markus pointed to his sword. “Best leave behind anything that’ll get snagged.”

  “Oh, right.” Edris undid his weapon belt and handed it to Markus. Then, for good measure, he took off his cloak. “Be back in a second.”

  “Hopefully with the Sword of Betrayal.”

  Edris entered the hole, banging his head in the process. At first, the tunnel was wide enough for him to clamber forward on his elbows. But as the ceiling lowered, he was forced to slither on his stomach in the cool mud. In front of him, his torch blazed, spitting and sputtering as he slid it along. Occasionally, the oily black smoke wafted into his face, making him cough and his eyes water. After thirty yards, the passage dwindled to the point he couldn’t continue.

  “See anything?” Markus shouted from outside.

  “No,” Edris yelled back. “It’s too small.”

  “What?”

  “It’s too small!” he said, the echoes distorting his voice. “Hold on!”

  “What? Did you find it? Is it the sword?”

  Edris shimmied backward. He could feel fresh air. Then he could see the sunlight.

  Markus called excitedly into the tunnel. “Find it?”

  “No. The tunnel’s too small. There’s no way they could’ve pushed a body any further than I went.” He wiggled out of the tunnel, covered in mud. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s somewhere nearby. And Fatty Eddie?”

  Prone on his dirty knees, Edris looked up at Markus. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “What?”

  A rock the size of a grapefruit smashed into Edris’s temple. Pain exploded throughout his head as he collapsed to the ground.

  “Don’t you ever threaten me.” Markus hit him with the rock again. “Especially over some slutty, two-bit, whore!”