“I’m leaving in the morning,” Dex told her, once he was sure that the horses were strong enough to continue the journey. “Would you prefer to stay here?”
“Would you let me?” Sonja asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Dex said. “You’re not a threat to anyone I don’t think.”
“No,” she said.
“So stay if you want. You can keep the horse. I’ve even got some coin here. And your knife.”
He handed her a small purse with a few of the gold coins he’d taken from his father. He also gave her the small curved knife she had tried to kill him with before Bliss had snatched her from the fight. Her scalp wound was healing fast, but it was clear that she would never grow hair on that portion of her head again, and she had cut the rest of her hair short after arriving at the village.
“They don’t have a tailor here,” she said, with a shy smile. “And everyone is so friendly.”
“And the ale is excellent,” Dex said, taking a sip from the small cup he was drinking from.
“Yes,” Sonja agreed. “The ale is very good and I think I will stay.”
“Alright,” Dex said. “I’m sure I’ll be back this way before long. I’ll look for you.”
“Thank you, Dex,” Sonja said.
She was older than he was, and there was nothing romantic between them, but he saw that her eyes were watering as she put her hand on his.
“You have been kinder to me than I deserved,” she continued. “I misjudged you.”
“I’m happy that you have found a place where you can be happy,” Dex said.
That night he slept in the barn beside his father. He had spent most of his time close by, not trusting that despite all of Dex’s precautions that his father wouldn’t find a way to escape. Dex kept Maslow frozen with the elvish ending curse, releasing him to eat and immediately putting him back under the powerful spell. Bliss returned to the barn each evening, watching over Dex and lending him her warmth as they slept. When they set out the next day, Dex purchased a wagon and plenty of oats for the three horses.
The journey south seemed easier, perhaps because they were on an actual road or because they passed homesteads and villages several times each day, Dex couldn’t be sure. But he felt a sense of excitement about reaching the Marshyl compound. They weren’t close, but he felt his task drawing to completion with each day that passed.
As much as Dex would have enjoyed staying in an inn with a warm, comfortable bed to sleep on, they avoided the settlements. Dex didn’t mind stopping to rest the horses, get a hot meal, and hear a bit of news, but he never tarried long and they slept each night in camps not far from the road. The villagers all showed respect for Dex, recognizing his Marshyl armor, but he didn’t want to deal with explaining that Maslow was a prisoner that had to be kept bound day and night. He kept his father covered with a blanket in the wagon whenever he went into a village. Maslow had become desperate whenever he was released from the elvish ending curse. He shouted at Dex, accusing him of uncalled for cruelty and doing anything he could think of to get a response from his son. He even tried to run away twice, not that he had any real hope of actually escaping, but rather to show how much he didn’t like being put under the paralysis spell.
Surprisingly, Dex didn’t care what his father thought of how he was being treated. In Dex’s mind Maslow was a dangerous individual and they were too close to completing the quest Dex had been given to take unnecessary risks. The Elusive Executioner couldn’t be trusted, nor would he hesitate to kill to make good his escape. The only tactic he hadn’t tried was actually attacking Dex, which the young Marshyl expected to happen sooner or later.
The mountains were in sight when Dex saw a group of riders approaching from the west. Dex had been expecting Princess Lauralyn to show up ever since he’d made it to Northia. He brought the wagon to a halt and waited as the riders approached. The group stopped nearby, staying on their horses and looking regal while Lauralyn, in full armor with a helmet crowned in a plume of horse hair, approached Dex.
“You’re a long way from home,” she said.
“Finally on my way back,” Dex replied. “Good to see you, Princess.”
“It’s a shame to see such a fine horse tied to the back of a wagon like a farm nag,” she said, as she pulled off her helmet. “Although you look right at home driving a wagon.”
“Nice,” Dex said. “Insult me all you want.”
“That your prisoner in there?” Lalyn asked, peeking into the wagon.
“That’s Maslow, also known as Master Crane’s Hammer.”
“Sounds dangerous. I’d love to hear how you captured him.”
“Ride with me?” Dex asked, waving at the wide bench of the old wagon he’d bought in North Gate.
She frowned. “I guess the romance is dead.”
“It won’t kill you, and we’ve got another full hour till we need to make camp.”
“Fine, but wagons are for children and the elderly.”
“Think of it as a romantic carriage ride.”
“Don’t tease me, Marshyl, I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up and be disappointed all over again.”
“Are you ever going to forgive me?”
“Not if I can help it,” she said with a grin.
Chapter 28
They rode side by side on the wagon as the sun slowly set. The riders with Lalyn split into two groups, some riding their war horses far in front of the wagon, others forming up behind them. Dex told the princess of his adventures in the north. She asked questions occasionally, but for the most part she seemed content to just listen as he talked.
Dex felt the strain of his quest starting to ease as he talked with Lalyn. She made him feel comfortable, like he could confide anything to her. Not that she would go easy with her often merciless teasing, but he could tell that she actually cared.
An hour later, they stopped to make camp. Dex was relieved when the horse soldiers built a fire and saw to his horses. Dex left Maslow in the wagon until he had finished preparing their dinner. The horse soldiers ate in small groups around their own campfires, leaving Dex and Lauralyn to themselves.
“Who’s this?” Maslow grumbled when Dex released him from the paralysis spell. He kept the older man’s legs bound at the ankles and just above the knees.
“Show some respect for Lady Lauralyn, Princess of Northia,” Dex told his father.
“I didn’t know we were having royalty over for dinner,” Maslow said, taking his small bowl of food and starting to eat.
“Are you really his father?” Lalyn asked.
“I was, now I’m just a prisoner.”
“What was he like as a child?”
“More respectful,” Maslow said. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say obedient, but I certainly never guessed he’d sell his soul to become a Marshyl.”
“Maslow,” Dex warned his father.
“You don’t like the Marshyl Guild?” Lalyn asked.
“Marshyl Cult is more like it. They certainly brainwashed him.”
“Maslow is a member of the Sage Regulators,” Dex said. “They know him as Master Crane’s Hammer. But I’m the one in a cult.”
“The Sage Regulators believe in magic for all people,” Maslow said. “Not just for a lucky few.”
“I’m lucky now, am I?” Dex replied.
“Lucky enough to be taken into that secretive order of wizards who believe they alone are worthy to wield magic. Lucky enough to have spies in every kingdom, and wealth greater than a king.”
“That isn’t true,” Dex said. “Let’s not get into it again.”
Once Maslow had finished eating, Dex froze him despite the older man’s protests. Maslow did in fact have bruises and sores from riding for days in the wagon, unable to move even to change positions, but Dex refused to even listen to his father’s arguments for more freedom.
“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” Lalyn asked.
“He’s a killer. Don’t let his wit and charm fo
ol you.”
“But he’s bound hand and foot. Surely you don’t need to keep him under a magic spell too.”
“That’s what I thought, until he wormed his way free and bashed me on the skull in the Greeg Lands.”
“Are you afraid of him? He’s your father after all. He wouldn’t kill you.”
“I don’t know that,” Dex said. “What I do know is that he would kill anyone else without remorse. I don’t want anyone’s blood on my hands because I felt sorry for Maslow.”
“So you’ll take him back to the Marshyl Guild and then what?” Lalyn asked.
“I’ll be promoted to a Marshyl Knight and given a real assignment.”
“Like Ambassador?”
“No, I’ll be a Ranger and hopefully someday an Outrider.”
“What’s the difference?”
“A ranger patrols a specific area, keeping an eye on things and helping when needed. Outriders go wherever their missions take them.”
“Northia is without a ranger or an ambassador,” Lalyn said. “What are the odds that you could be assigned here?”
“I don’t know,” Dex said, looking down so that the princess couldn’t see his face.
He was thrilled that she wanted him close. In truth, he wanted the same thing. Being assigned to Northia would be a dream come true in many ways, but he also knew it would be dangerous. Marshyls, especially young ones, were discouraged from having romantic entanglements. His loyalty was to the Guild alone, and he needed to be able to ride away on a mission across the realm at a moment’s notice. He needed to be able to carry out any order he was given, with no thought to what it might mean to someone else. But he couldn’t deny that being assigned to Northia and getting to spend more time with Lalyn would be a dream come true.
“Do you have any say in the matter?”
“I doubt it,” Dex admitted. “At least not until I’ve proven myself.”
“And saving me, stopping the Lords of Ascension, or capturing your own father for the Guild doesn’t prove that you’re not just another Marshyl Knight.”
“I just mean I don’t think I get to pick my first assignment.”
“If you could,” she said, leaning closer to him, “would you come back?”
“I shouldn’t,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I already care about you too much.”
“How can that be wrong?” Lalyn asked.
“It’s not wrong, but my loyalty is to the Marshyl Guild. That’s my first priority. If I was assigned to serve here, I don’t think I could keep from falling in love with you.”
“And would that be so bad, Dex? Am I not worthy of your love?”
“Of course you are,” he said, feeling terrible that he had made her feel anything but special. “You deserve to be happy, to be cherished above all things.”
“And you don’t love me that way?”
“All I mean is, you deserve someone who doesn’t have something to divide his loyalty.”
“Why does it always come back to this for you and me,” she said. “Why must we always fight?”
“I don’t want to fight,” Dex said. “I wish things were different.”
“You’re taking your own father to the Marshyl Guild. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that nothing is as important as your loyalty to the Marshyls.”
“He’s a murderer. I’m bringing him to justice.”
“What do you think of his argument that the Marshyls horde magic for their own purposes?” Lauralyn asked. “It’s an interesting argument.”
“Interesting how?”
“Well...” she said, really thinking about her response. “They aren’t the first to point out that the Marshyl Guild has too much power. You have to admit that you are part of a very secretive bunch. Who is to say that every person with magical abilities has to be a Marshyl or an outlaw?”
“No one is saying that, at least not in the Marshyl Guild.”
“But you fight wizards,” she said. “What do you call them again? Ring masters?”
“Wand casters and ring mages,” Dex said. “And sorcerers. But we only fight those that are outlaws.”
“So you say.”
“Do you know of a wizard who isn’t an outlaw or Marshyl?”
“Well, no,” Lalyn said. “But that doesn’t mean that if magic were freely available that everyone would turn into savages. There are plenty of law-abiding citizens in Northia who, despite their lack of magical power, choose to live normal, productive lives.”
“And we live to serve them,” Dex replied. “I don’t know if magic should be more readily available to people or not. But the point of my father’s argument is that we’re hoarding magic. That’s not true. We don’t control who has magic or how much magic is in the world. But we don’t leave magic wands and rings just lying around either. When people misuse magic, we intervene for the good of all those innocent people you were talking about.”
“But who keeps the Marshyl Guild in check?” Lalyn asked. “Who ensures that the protectors don’t become the problem?”
“I don’t know,” Dex said. “But I like to think it’s our close association with every kingdom in the realm, along with the vigorous selection process, that keeps us focused on our mandate. We hold ourselves accountable.”
“And you believe in every rule?” Lalyn asked. “Even the ones that keep you apart from me.”
“No,” Dex admitted. “But I see the wisdom of it. I could love you so easily.”
“Nothing about me is easy, Dex.”
“I just mean, I could give myself to you without reservation and if I did that I wouldn’t be faithful to the Guild.”
“You can’t do both?”
“No one can serve two masters,” Dex said.
“I’m not a master, just a woman.”
“You’re a princess, too. Loving you would require more than just caring for another person.”
“Why is everything so complicated?”
“Don’t ask me, I’m just a Marshyl,” Dex said.
“And I’m just a princess,” Lalyn replied, resting her head against his shoulder.
Dex wanted to say more, but he knew there was nothing left to say. He couldn’t turn his back on the commitment he had made to the Marshyl Guild. His feelings for the princess, no matter how strong, couldn’t overcome the dream that had been in his heart since he was a child. And every time they were together they fought about it. Dex knew one day he would find that Lauralyn had been given in marriage to someone else. She had a responsibility to Northia, not only to rule, but to maintain the stability of the kingdom by having an heir. She would have to marry, and one day take her mother’s place as queen. He wasn’t sure if he could stand to see her knowing she was married to someone other than him. It was a constant tug on his heart, even though he was already committed to the Guild.
“We should get some rest,” Dex said, as Bliss came gliding down to land on the bench seat of the wagon.
“I have to go back to Crelyn tomorrow,” Lalyn said.
“And I have to continue south.”
“There’s never enough time with you,” she said, snuggling in closer so that he put his arm around her.
“I agree.”
He fell asleep with the princess in his arms, surrounded by her band of warriors, the end of his quest so close he could almost taste it. But in the back of his mind something felt wrong. He didn’t know if it was the pain of knowing he couldn’t give Lalyn what she wanted, what she deserved, or if it was the lingering doubts his father had provoked about the Marshyl Guild. As he lay staring up at the stars, trying to sleep but failing, he felt as if something bad was about to happen, and he felt powerless to stop it.
Chapter 29
Lalyn and the horse soldiers she rode with left while Dex was still securing his horses to the wagon. The draft horse pulled the wagon, while Titan and the horse taken from the Regulators were tied to the back. Dex didn’t bother to release his father before pushing up into the mountains. He
had plenty of supplies, including new blankets and a deer skin slicker freshly waxed. By midafternoon they were moving through freshly fallen snow. That night after using magic to kindle a fire from some cedar branches Dex sat on the rear of the wagon to eat his dinner. His father was sulking further back in the wagon, his feet tied together but otherwise unbound by the paralysis spell Dex normally kept him under.
Maslow was clearly unhappy, and Dex guessed it was because he would soon be facing justice for the Marshyls he had murdered. The only sentence that would result in justice for the lost Knights would be death, and Dex hoped that the Lord Marshyl could consent to wait until Dex was gone to pronounce and carry out the execution. Normally, returning to the Bitterroot Mountains was a joyous thing. After living in the heat and humidity of the southern coast, Dex loved the cool mountains with their towering evergreens and deep snow. It was more of a home to him than Dex had ever known, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
It made sense to his rational mind that the reality of his quest was to ensure that his father was killed, and while he understood that Maslow was guilty of terrible crimes a tiny part of his heart still loved his father. He wanted Maslow to live, even though he knew that proposition was incredibly dangerous.
He was just finishing the last of his stew, when Maslow kicked him hard in the back. The blow sent Dex flying from the end of the wagon and over the small fire he had built. He landed face first in the snow, a terrible ache in his back that shot up his neck and into his head. It took him a moment to catch his breath, and as he rolled over he saw Maslow flinging off the last of the rope that held his feet. He jumped to the ground and started toward Dex, who was still on his back in the snow with just enough awareness to draw his sword.
In the light from the fire Dex could see the malice in his father’s eyes. That look shifted from hatred to wariness, and Dex breathed a sigh of relief as his father turned and ran from the camp. He wasn’t moving all that fast, his legs stiff from being under the elvish ending curse. Dex had thought for a second that his father was going to kill him. He couldn’t see Maslow, but he could hear him wheezing as he fought his way through the snow.
Regulators Revealed Page 17