authority.
“In that day, we will serve Karak, no different than we do now. We will not bow to you. You are not Karak, even if you speak for him. We have heard Karak’s words in our own way, and we will do our duty. A man slaughtered fellow members of the faithful, and we will bring vengeance upon him. Do not try to stop us.”
Velixar shook his head. All his anger was gone, replaced with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.
“You two are faithful,” he said. “That I can tell. It is a shame you have no wisdom. I have given you my warning. Darius is mine, and mine alone. Interfere, and I will bring the wrath of the Lion down upon you, and we shall see which of us Karak truly favors.”
With that, he was gone, vanishing in a blur of shadows that trailed to the sky like dust. Claire’s horse neighed, seeming more at ease after the prophet’s vanishing.
“Bravely spoken,” Claire said, guiding her horse over and offering Valessa a hand. She accepted it, feeling as if she were waking from a nightmare.
“I pray we did no wrong,” she said.
“Do not worry. He’s a phantom of another age. The world has moved on, though I fear he still lingers in past wars and sacrifices.”
“If you say so,” Valessa said, sitting behind Claire atop her horse. “Still, he is powerful. I have no doubt about that. And I doubt your poisons will do anything more than make him mad.”
“Well,” Claire said, gently nudging her horse onward. “In that case, we can always cut off his damn head. I don’t care how immortal he thinks he is. No one lives through that.”
Thinking of his gaze, and those eyes which burned like fire, Valessa didn’t feel quite so certain.
4
After Jerico finished his morning meal, Kaide stepped inside without knocking. He leaned against the wall beside the door, his arms crossed, eyes hard. Jerico pretended not to notice.
“You didn’t try to escape,” Kaide said.
“Was I supposed to?”
“You can’t be happy with my keeping you here. To be honest, I’m not happy about it, either. But you saved the life of my friends last night. If given the choice of keeping them alive, or letting you loose, well… surely you understand my choice?”
Jerico sighed.
“Do you think me an idiot?” he asked. “I can see what is before me. I understand, and I don’t blame you. Doesn’t mean I like it, or that I think you’re in the right. There are other ways.”
“Then why did you not try to flee? Did you know I posted a guard in secret?”
Jerico shook his head.
“No, Kaide. When I leave this place, I will leave in daylight, standing tall, and my shield upon my back. Not like a thief. Not like a coward. Besides… I have nowhere else to go.”
Kaide looked away, and he seemed lost in thought. Jerico returned to his bed and sat upon it. He missed his armor, particularly his shield. Still, vulnerable as he was, he would not act it before the bandit leader. Ashhur was still with him, no matter the state of the rest of the world. With him, he would show no fear.
“You are a paladin,” Kaide said suddenly. “Your word is law to you, correct?”
“I don’t lie, and I don’t break promises,” Jerico said. “Just not my style.”
“Then fight for me,” he said. “Give your word you won’t leave, and you can be free to roam the forest. You alone could frighten many a knight, and to have you there in the conflict… those I left behind, they might still be alive.”
“No,” Jerico said, shaking his head. “I won’t lift my mace for you. But I will promise to stay until I have your leave, if you’ll let me come and go as I please. You have my word.”
Kaide didn’t look happy, and his frown looked strong enough to cut stone.
“Some of my men worship your god,” he said. “They want you to counsel them, give one of your… whatever, sermons. Will you?”
“You heard my demands.”
“Fine. Give me your word.”
Jerico stood and offered his hand.
“I will stay, offer my wisdom, and help keep your men alive. All I ask is that you listen, and lie to me not, as I will not lie to you.”
“Your kind can sense lies,” Kaide said. “Is that not what the stories say?”
“They do.”
Kaide took his outstretched hand and shook it by the wrist.
“Then you know I speak truth. Help me, protect those I care for, and you will be no prisoner.”
“Excellent,” Jerico said, a smile spreading across his face. “I was about to go insane cramped in here. When do I get my shield and armor back?”
Kaide opened the door and stepped out.
“I don’t remember saying anything about that,” he said, and winked. Jerico opened his mouth, closed it, and realized he should pay more attention to the deals he made.
“Never was much for politics,” he muttered to himself.
Kaide led him to the main campfire, where the rest of the men were eating. Some gave him a strange look, but most appeared happy to see him. Given how many of their wounds he tended, Jerico figured he at least deserved a bit of common courtesy.
“Jerico has agreed to help us, of his own volition,” Kaide said to the men. “He is no prisoner, and I expect you all to treat him like one of our own.”
“He gonna fight?” one of the burlier ones asked.
“ Can he fight?” asked another familiar voice. Jerico turned and saw Adam glowering nearby.
“A mace and a shield,” Jerico said, grinning at him. “That’s all I’d need to get that nose of yours broken in a more appealing direction.”
The rest laughed, and Jerico was surprised to see Adam did, too.
“Took nearly six of us to take this bull down,” he said, smacking Jerico across the back. “And that was with a damn net to help. Better you with us than locked in a cabin like an unfaithful woman.”
“Jerico will only be using his healing arts,” Kaide said, sounding none too pleased about it. He glanced at Jerico, and there was a spark of hope in his eyes. “Though maybe he will help in your training. There’s only so much I can teach you sods, and my training is nothing compared to what the Citadel offers.”
“Offered,” Jerico said.
Kaide gave him a funny look, then shrugged.
“Either way, he’ll be giving his sermons soon, though it will be up to him when-”
He stopped, and Jerico followed his gaze. A horse approached from the forest path, though its rider was not the soldier or bandit he expected. Instead it was a young boy, still a year or two from having the first hairs sprout from his chin. He rode to the fire and hopped down before the horse was even settled.
“Kaide!” he cried, rushing up to the man.
“What is it?” Kaide asked, a deathly seriousness coming over him. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Beth,” the boy said. “She, she…”
Kaide put his hands on the boy’s shoulders, holding him still as tears overwhelmed his ability to talk. Jerico stepped beside him, and whispering a prayer, put his hand on top of the boy’s head. Calming emotions poured into him, so when Kaide spoke, he had rapt attention.
“Listen to me, Ricky,” he said. “Take a deep breath, right now, and then let it out. Good. Don’t look at anyone else, just at me. Tell me what’s wrong. No tears. Just talk.”
Ricky sniffed, but he stared ahead, and did as Kaide asked.
“Beth got bit by a spider,” he said. “First Ma thought it was nothing, but it made her veins red like a strawberry, and it went all the way up her arm. Ma says we should’ve cut it off, but we didn’t, and she’s getting
