standing there with a score of armed men at his side. ‘Am I too late for dinner?’ the tall magician asked of the room.
‘Mr Cervantes!’ Rudderford called out, standing and holding up his mug, spilling wine all over. ‘At last you’ve come! Come! Eat! Bring your men. There’s plenty for all!’ Rudderford then fell back into his seat and continued chewing on a slab of beef.
‘Ah, my good friend, you’re here!’ Ash said as he strode forward, spying Samuel. ‘It’s wonderful to see you again. That was a pleasant surprise you sent me. Then again, I do suppose that one good turn does deserve another, doesn’t it? I suppose we must be even, then.’ Ash came over and took a seat at the table, leaning over and casually filling his plate while a servant filled his cup.
Ash’s men also began helping themselves to everything on the table, filling their plates noisily and going back to sit against the wall while they ate. They had swords by their sides and some of them eyed Samuel carefully as they dug their teeth into their meals.
‘Come, now,’ Ash called out towards Samuel. ‘Don’t just stand there pouting like a fish out of water. Won’t you join us for dinner?’
Samuel gave the man a dark look. ‘I will not,’ he replied firmly.
Ash stood up and came over to Samuel with his plate held in one hand. He stood painfully close and looked down at Samuel as he picked at some of the morsels in his hand.
‘You’d think I’d be angry that you sent one of my own men back to kill me, wouldn’t you?’ Ash said softly. ‘I’m assuming that Bardick is dead, too? Actually, it doesn’t matter to me in the least. What’s important is that I get my work here done. I admit, perhaps I was a tad hasty in ordering your death, but my task here is nearly finished, and I didn’t want anything ruining it at the last moment.’ He pushed some flesh into his mouth and continued talking while he chewed down upon it. Samuel remained silent and continued glaring at the tall man all the while. ‘Very well, I regret that I tried to kill you. I’m sorry. Are you happy? My mission here requires complete secrecy and is of the utmost importance. I’m under instructions not to take any chances, for the good of the Empire and all that-I’m sure you understand.’ He stuck a few cherry tomatoes into his mouth and smiled as they popped inside his overstuffed cheeks, letting red juice and tiny seeds spill between his lips and down his chin, which he then mopped up with his sleeve. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ he managed to say. ‘You go back to your little village and continue doing whatever you are doing there. In a few days, I’ll be gone. How about that?’
Samuel glowered at the man. ‘Actually, Soddan sent me to find you,’ he stated factually.
Ash stopped chewing and raised his eyebrows. ‘Ah,’ he said and made a slight chuckle. ‘Then I guess I did overreact. If you’d just said so at the start then none of this would have happened.’
‘I’m afraid I can’t quite forget so easily what you’ve done,’ Samuel stated, squeezing his fists by his sides.
Ash seemed surprised by this and retaliated ferociously, holding his plate in one hand and shaking a finger of the other at Samuel’s nose. ‘Then listen to me, you little upstart!’ he said, now hissing with anger, spittle and pieces of half-chewed food flying free. ‘One word from me, and my men will cut you to pieces! I’m offering you a truce from the goodness of my black heart and if you don’t want to accept, I guarantee that
Ash’s men began setting their meals aside on hearing his raised voice. They put their hands to their weapons and stood, watching closely. Samuel eyed them warily. He began readying his magic, summoning it into himself with a long silent breath. He felt he could take care of Ash here and now, but the armed men were another thing. They were not lazy and dishevelled like Rudderford’s sorry lot. Their boots were polished, their armour was firmly strapped, and their swords looked clean and sharp. They were Empire-trained and could probably cut him down before he had dealt with even half of them. He eyed them all, desperate for some solution to come to mind. Finally, with a great exhalation, Samuel released his power once again.
‘Very well,’ Samuel finally decided, raising his hands before him. ‘I will go.’ There was little else he could do.
He carefully began moving back towards the door, which a pair of Rudderford’s servants began opening for him. Rudderford and his guests were all still drinking and talking merrily, as if they had not even noticed a thing. As Samuel edged his way outside into the hall, Ash gave him a wry smile.
Full of bitter disappointment, Samuel sped back towards Lenham atop Jess. He damned himself once more for not killing Ash and he damned himself for running like a fool. He kept running over in his mind what would have happened if he had just killed Ash when he first had the chance, and what could have happened if he were not such a coward.
Samuel was bothered little by people needing cures or advice over the next few days and so he spent as much time with Leila as he could, enjoying every moment with her. They had taken to sitting in an isolated glade much further up in the hills, even though the days were frosty and chilly, where they were less likely to be bothered by friends or strangers alike. Here the river was only a narrow stream, which coursed quick and shallow along its pebbly bed.
Ash would, no doubt, be finished with his work in Gilgarry by now and have headed back to Cintar. Samuel had abandoned any fantasies of riding back there to try and kill the man. Every time he had tried to avenge his past, it had only brought him more trouble. Now, he had a future to think of. He had a chance to forget about all the woes of his past and begin anew, forging a new life here with Leila.
As they sat arm in arm, the thought came to him that he would like to marry her as soon as possible. He would devise a plan to present to her father in order to gain his blessing. Manfred was the type who would only accept such an offer if it ensured his daughter and himself a prosperous and wealthy future. Samuel’s skills should not make that too difficult.
‘Do you love me, Samuel?’ Leila asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Samuel looked deep into her eyes and took in every detail of her beautiful, perfect face. They sat like that, looking into each other, until Samuel had to pull her close and hug her fiercely.
‘Yes, of course. I do love you, Leila,’ he whispered to her, his eyes now closed tight. He could feel her soft body pressed against his and smell her hair in his face. ‘I love you so much. I could never be happier than I am at this moment with you. I can’t believe I have you, that I have found you at last.’
Her arms pulled tighter and he ran his fingers over her head and through her long, dark hair. He kissed her ear, gently, and she pulled away, again looking into his face with tears in her eyes. Samuel was about to open his mouth to speak when she pressed a finger against his lips to keep him quiet. Then, she leaned forwards and replaced her finger with her lips and they fell back, kissing in a tight embrace upon the soft grass.
‘Would you marry me if you could?’ he asked her.
‘Yes, of course-if I could,’ she replied, looking up at him. Her full lips revealed a heavenly smile. Her raven hair caught beams of the sun.
‘But your father will only let you marry someone rich…someone influential…someone with powerful friends- with a house and a considerable estate. Isn’t that so?’
‘So he always says.’
‘What if I became that man? I could get some money very easily and we could buy some land. We could start a farm or any kind of business he pleases. What do you think of that?’
Leila’s smile dropped away as she contemplated his suggestion. ‘I’m sure it would impress my father if you were all those things, but he also wants his daughter to marry into an influential family and you cannot create one of those with your magic.
Samuel made a sly smile. ‘Actually, it would take a little planning, but…’ then he laughed. ‘Seriously, I’m sure your father would overlook that if I could provide everything else he wanted. He’s been waiting long enough and he hasn’t found anyone suitable for you yet. You’re almost eighteen now. Soon, there’ll be only old men to marry. I’m sure we can convince him to our way. He must want you to be happy, after all.’
‘He’s been thinking of a few old merchants’ sons in Gilgarry and York. I’m sure they’re ghastly. I want to marry you.’
‘Next week-’ Samuel began, when something at the corner of his vision caught his eye. It had seemed like a murky shadow, lurking at the edge of Leila’s aura, but it fled immediately as he tried to focus upon it, dissolving like cleansed oil. Rubbing his eyes and blinking, he dismissed it as a figment of his imagination and returned to his previous thoughts. ‘Next week, I shall go to Merriwell,’ he continued. ‘I hear that there’s a silver mine there. If I can
