'The high priest and the circle sanctioned it. That was that. No one protested. They were too shocked, I think.'
Dastrun was a cousin of Ganth's. Dastrun and his ilk were more supportive of the emperor and the Supreme Circle than Ganth and his family had ever been. Many years ago, Hestrith had hinted that he would have preferred giving up his position to one of Ganth's line, but after Kaz and his father had disappeared, it was inevitable that Dastrun would succeed the patriarch. Dastrun was a clan champion whose ranking was exceeded only by that achieved by Kaz. His claim to the leadership of the clan was legitimate, but there should have been more debate and the ritual of combat. That was how it was done.
Kaz had a twinge of guilt that he was partly responsible. His staying away had helped put Clan Orilg in his distant cousin's grip. The deadly politics that had developed in the empire since the influence of the Dark Queen's minions was one of the reasons why he had stayed away. Instead of achieving their status through honor and strength, too many like Dastrun had reached it through guile and deceit.
'You're staring off into the sea, Lad. You've changed. You were always more willing to jump into the fray. What happened?'
It should have been Kaz asking questions. He wanted to know what Ganth had been doing all these years and how he had survived at all. Yet, instead he related his own story, beginning with his battle with his ogre captain, his meeting with Huma, and the change in his life caused by the legendary knight. Delbin had heard most of it many times before, but he still listened, enraptured. Ganth was silent, save for the occasional grunt.
When Kaz was done, his father finally unleashed a startling roar of laughter so loud it might have been heard all the way to Morthosak. 'You've led a quiet life, haven't you? By the Just One's Horns, Kaz! You make me proud of you! I wish I could have seen all of that, or at least met this knight! He sounds like a warrior true, not like these puppets who now command our people.'
'Huma was the greatest warrior, man or minotaur, that I have ever known.'
Ganth ceased laughing. His eyes narrowed, and, in a more serious tone, he added, 'I see. Then I truly wish I had met him. There are few such warriors these days, if I'm any judge.'
'Father, about you-'
'Forget me for now, Kaz. I spent several years on an island with half a dozen others, the remainder of a good crew. Some of them perished there, but I and a couple of others survived… not that it seemed to matter much with your mother gone. I kept thinking about the bunch of you, though, and that kept me going. That's all you need to know., Kaz. You and the rest of our young kept me going… and now I'm glad I survived, because I can see that I was never meant to fight the final-battle at sea. There's too great a battle going on right here in Nethosak.'
'What do you mean?'
'Didn't you wonder, Lad, how I happen to be around just when you arrived?'
'I assumed it was by chance… but from the way you're talking, I gather it was not.'
Ganth smiled grimly, revealing a good set of strong teeth. 'I learned long ago that there's little chance in the world. Sometimes I think some god, probably old Sargas himself, is still out to plague me.'
Kaz nodded, interested to find out that he and his sire thought similarly.
'No, I wasn't there by chance. I've been watching for you for more than two weeks, ever since he was taken.'
Ganth shook his head. His horns were even longer than Kaz's, but years at sea had weathered the tips, making them rounder. 'I thought I'd never see you again, and then I found out that Dastrun's bunch has known where you were for the past couple years.'
While not completely surprised to hear that the clan had been keeping track of him, Kaz felt a growing unease. If Dastrun had been monitoring his movements, it was possibly because the new patriarch was keeping a wary eye on a potential rival. He supposed that as long as he had remained at the settlement Dastrun had not cared, but if the patriarch discovered that he was now in Nethosak, things might be more precarious.
'Should I be worried about that?'
'Probably not. Dastrun's not going to undermine his already shaky position by acting against a clan member of your reputation, Lad. Not directly, anyway. You've made the clan proud of you even if it doesn't always admit it. In fact, you've become something of a legend to more than just Orilg.'
'I could live without that.'
'Aye, I know that feeling well.' Ganth drank some wine, then tore off a piece of meat. Neither Kaz nor Delbin could keep pace with him. 'I knew you'd come. One thing that hasn't changed is that you're loyal to your friends… deathly loyal sometimes. When they took him, I knew you'd be by before long. Of course, I'd have done the same thing.'
'Hecar?' Kaz forgot the food and drink. He rose and leaned forward, hopeful and anxious at the same time. 'You're talking about Hecar, aren't you, Father?'
'The same Hecar whom we both knew. Aye, Kaz. Your friend and mine. A clan member, too, though Dastrun won't help him, especially as there's no real blood relation. He's got to know about what's happened, but against the high priest and the emperor he won't do a blessed thing.'
'Where is he? Where is Hecar?'
'Sit yourself down, Lad. You're squirming around like a dragon shark about to dine after a bloody sea battle. Not as patient as I thought, though I can't blame you, really. Just give me a chance. You won't be going anywhere tonight, anyway. Not there, at least.'
Kaz forced himself to calm down. 'Where is he, Father?'
'They've got him in the circus, Lad, tried and convicted as a criminal.'
'The circus?' Kaz knew what that meant. As a criminal, Hecar would be given an opportunity to redeem his lost honor by facing impossible odds. He would fight to the death… his death. The odds against him would always be too great, but that was how it worked. If he died bravely, he redeemed not only himself, but the clan he had shamed. 'I've got to get him out of there before it's too late.'
'Before you do that, let me say something. He's fought three combats already, Kaz. Think about it. Three.'
'Three-? That's impossible!' Hecar was good, but not that good. Not under such conditions as the circus would have imposed.
'Three fights that a good warrior like Hecar could win, as difficult as the odds were.' Ganth scratched his chin as he eyed his son. 'If I was a suspicious sort, Lad, I'd think they were giving him a fair chance of surviving. Put him in danger, but danger he can handle. That's not how it works. They're supposed to give him impossible odds so he can die heroically. Makes me think they really want him to live for some reason.'
'What purpose would that serve?'
'Just a thought,' Ganth replied, shrugging.
'We have to get him out of there, Father.' Kaz paused, 'I have to get him out of there.'
'Hecar's my friend, too, Kaz, not to mention a former crew member of mine. I don't take kindly to my lads being mistreated, not by the enemy or the emperor, which is almost the same thing these days. We'll get him out.' Ganth yawned. 'But a good battle plan was never forged by slumbering fools. We should get some rest. Hecar's not scheduled to fight again just yet. I've got some friends who know about these things, in case you're wondering. We can figure out what to do tomorrow.'
Kaz agreed, despite the urge within him to go charging into the circus and kill everyone who stood in the way of rescuing Helati's sibling. 'Tomorrow, then.'
'You'll stay here. I can find room for you and the… Delbin here. It'll be safer than anywhere else, and it will save us time.'
'My things are at an inn.'
'Yes. Can't you leave 'em, Lad?'
'Most, but not my horse. It won't take long. I'll be back soon.' Kaz made to rise.
'I'll send someone.'
'The horse won't like that.' Only those whom Kaz introduced properly to the horse could get near the fierce steed without risk. Delbin was one of the few he could recall who had not had difficulty becoming acquainted with the massive Solamnic war-horse. 'I'll have to do it.'
'I'm going, too!' announced the kender, who had, up to this point, maintained yet another remarkable
