Free the Darkness (King's Dark Tidings Book 1) (27 page)

“I will discuss it with my companions, but most likely. Mine
is the only horse, and the walk to Drennil would be much too long,” Rezkin
replied.

The lieutenant nodded, and satisfied that everyone was clear
on the plan, the three went about making preparations. Rezkin rejoined Tam and
Frisha and explained the situation, leaving out the part about the brigands on
the other vessel. Strategically, he felt it would be best if they understood
the situation in its entirety, but up to this point, they had always reacted
poorly when faced with fear and confrontation. During his studies on human
behavior, he had learned such was a possibility but had not really understood
the reaction until he had seen it in truth. He still did not completely
understand except that it could make sense that people who were surrounded by
others with
Skills
they lacked might feel intimidated.

“So, we have to walk to Kaibain?” asked Tam.

“No, we
could
walk to Drennil and obtain horses or
river passage there, but it would be at least a few weeks by foot.” He eyed
Frisha and Tam, remembering their complaints after sword practice. “Maybe
more,” he added. Continuing, he said, “Lorelis is only about a week on foot.
There, we can take the Lorelis River to Drennil and then continue via river, or
we can purchase horses and travel the Lorelis Trade Route straight to Kaibain.”

Tam and Frisha were nodding as he spoke. “That sounds good.
 I’m glad you’re with us, Rez. I would be completely at a loss,” Tam said.
Scratching his head, he sheepishly remarked, “I’m not even sure where we are
relative to any of those places. I just know we’re somewhere on the river
between Justain and Drennil.” Frisha nodded in agreement.

Eyes widening, Frisha’s next words came in a rush, “But,
Rez, what about the bandits? The ones on the shore! Won’t we be attacked?”

Rezkin nodded, “Probably, but I will protect you.” Frisha
and Tam’s faces were twisted with doubt and worry. “Lieutenant Jimson and some
of his men will be joining us,” he added to put their minds at ease.

His
friends’
relief was evident, but the concern
remained. Rezkin could not fathom how any of these outworlders lived long
enough to be considered grown. How could people lacking in so many
Skills
and filled with such fear possibly function?

The captured brigand regained consciousness after about an
hour, and both Rezkin and the lieutenant questioned him thoroughly. The man had
little to share except that he had supposedly been approached by bandits who
offered him a chance to make some gold. He did say that one of the bandits
mentioned some kind of rebels, but he had little else to share. It was agreed
that the captured brigand would accompany the ship back to Justain where he
would be prosecuted and subsequently hanged upon being found guilty of at least
a half dozen crimes.

After gathering their things and packing food and water, the
three
friends
met back on deck. Rezkin had already discussed with the
captain about how to get the horse ashore. It was not going to be easy. Nothing
ever was with the aggressive, stubborn battle charger. Rezkin wrapped the horse
in blankets to prevent chaffing and then secured a number of ropes and straps
around the horse’s middle, across his chest and around his hindquarters. He
then looped the ropes over a massive hook attached to the pulley system used to
load large cargo. A number of the ship’s crew hoisted the horse into the air.

With a fright, the battle charger kicked and thrashed
wildly, but the apparatus held until the horse was lowered into the water. At
the same time, Rezkin and his companions were being lowered in the dinghy. Once
the horse and dinghy were both in the water, Frisha and Tam steered the small
boat while Rezkin disconnected the horse and guided him toward shore. The battle
charger did not seem to enjoy swinging by ropes or swimming.

The group gathered on a large point bar in the curve of the
western side of the river. Rezkin brushed the horse down and dried his back as
best as he could before saddling him and loading him up with packs. Several of
the soldiers looked askance at the battle charger turned pack mule, but they
had a long way to walk, and it was doubtful the horse would allow any but
Rezkin to ride him. As soon as everyone was safely ashore, the riverboat raised
its sails and began slowly making its way back up river. Without a full crew,
the voyage would be long and tiring.

It was nearing midday when the group was finally ready to
leave, and they wanted to get to a more secure location as soon as possible. They
had already consumed a quick bite while going about their business on the
riverboat, so they would not be hungry for a while. Rezkin wanted to scout
ahead and perhaps pick off any threats in stealth, but the lieutenant suggested
the bandits might leave them alone if they simply passed through since they no
longer had any cargo to steal. The lieutenant felt that if he could get to
Lorelis quickly, he or someone else could return to the area with a full
platoon and flush out the bandits. The soldiers took up positions surrounding
the three civilians, and the group moved steadily but cautiously into the
trees.

After about an hour of tense travel, Rezkin patted his horse
and implored him to behave before handing the reins to Tam. Tam looked at him
quizzically and Rezkin whispered that he would be back shortly. He fell to the
back of the group, and none of the soldiers attempted to dissuade him. They had
probably all heard about the dead brigands on the downed vessel by now and knew
he could fend for himself. Rezkin had sensed someone following them ever since
the river, but their pursuer was closing the distance. Rezkin decided to send
the bandits a warning.

He slipped into the trees and doubled back, a silent wraith
among towering giants that creaked and swayed in the breeze. His opponent
apparently lacked stealth
Skills
as well as caution, since Rezkin was
easily able to track his whereabouts. While he was not making nearly as much
noise as the people in Rezkin’s party, the young warrior could easily identify
the occasional shuffling of leaves or crack of a branch under foot.

Rezkin swung himself up into a tree and waited for the
bandit to pass underneath. As soon as his query was in position, he dropped
down on top of the man. A swift twist broke the bandit’s neck. Using a couple
of sticks and some vines, Rezkin propped the dead man up into a kneeling
position with his right arm extended so that his hand was raised in the common
gesture meaning “halt”. Rezkin hoped the other bandits would understand the message
and take it to heart. In truth, he wanted to just kill all of the bandits
himself, but he conceded that the lieutenant was right. He did not want to
chance an all out attack by a large force and risk his
friends’
safety
if it was not necessary.

Frisha smiled at his return and asked, “What was that
about?”

“I just needed to take care of something,” Rezkin replied
vaguely.

The young woman’s face flushed and she whispered, “I might
need to relieve myself soon, as well.”

Rezkin had not considered this problem. Frisha was the only
woman in the group and the only one with whom he had ever traveled. For
propriety’s sake, she needed privacy, but he could not leave her alone. “If you
can wait another ten or fifteen minutes, I will assist you. It is not safe at the
moment.”

“It will be safe in ten minutes?” asked the young woman.

“It will be saf
er
,” Rezkin replied.

Frisha nodded her assent. After fifteen minutes Rezkin
called for a brief halt. He pulled Tam and Frisha aside and led them to a small
clump of bushes out of view of the soldiers. He instructed Tam to keep watch in
one direction while he stood sentry facing the other, each with their backs
turned to Frisha. Frisha’s cheeks heated realizing she would have to do this
out in the open and where Rezkin and Tam could hear everything, no less. Since
there was naught to do about it, she pulled down her pants and relieved herself
behind the bushes. When she was finished, the three rejoined the soldiers and
the trek continued. The soldiers had also taken the opportunity to relieve
themselves and rehydrate or make adjustments to their packs or boots.

About an hour before dusk, the lieutenant called a halt.
They had left the wood behind a few hours previous and found themselves
crossing through grassy hills dotted with smaller copses of trees. It was
within one of these copses that the group would make camp. The location
consisted of only a few trees on the crest of a low hill. The higher ground
would make it easier to keep watch, and one of the larger trees had long, leafy
boughs that reached nearly to the ground. This would help to hide the light of
a fire from the casual observer, break up the smoke and block the wind. The
other advantage to the location was a small stream that curved around the base
of the hill.

The men went about making camp by gathering wood and digging
a small fire pit. Rezkin decided to see if he could catch some fresh meat in
hopes of preserving their rations. He gathered his bow and arrows and
disappeared for a short while before returning with a brace of hairs and two
pheasants. The group was impressed with his fortune, but it had not been
difficult. These unpopulated hills were teaming with life.

Frisha helped pluck the pheasants, which was more work than
she had expected. She had never had to do it before, and she now had a greater
respect for her cooks. She kept some of the larger plumage thinking she could
find some use for the pretty feathers. The young woman kept her mind on her
task, trying not to think about the fact that she was alone in the wild with
nine men. Her father would be livid at the entire turn of events. Tam was sworn
to protect her, though, and she trusted Rezkin despite knowing him for such a
short time.

When the animals were prepared and roasting on spits and the
bedrolls had been laid out, everyone sat around the fire talking casually.
Soldiers were set to watch in shifts, but of course, Rezkin would lend his
Skills
in his own way.

Lieutenant Jimson eventually turned to the warrior and
asked, “Sir, ah…Rezkin, do you duel?”

Rezkin pondered the question. He had achieved mastery of the
Skill
but did not particularly care for dueling as it was defined by the
rules of engagement. A duel between an ax wielder and swordsman might prove interesting,
but that was not the kind of dueling to which the lieutenant was referring.

Dueling, as defined by the kingdom’s laws, was between two
swordsmen and was rife with rules and protocol that were not practical in real
combat. It was immensely popular among the aristocracy, nobles and commoners
alike, but it was not a particularly effective fighting style if both parties
were not using similar weapons and techniques. Still, the nobles considered
dueling to be a perfectly acceptable substitute for all out war between the
Houses. Many lives and resources could be preserved if a disagreement was
resolved between only a couple of duelers.

Finally, he nodded and replied, “I do.”

Tam clapped, “That explains the swords. I figured it had to
be something like that since you’re not a soldier.” Tam was satisfied now that
one mystery was solved. The young man had already realized that Rezkin was not
the frightening, violent character that he sometimes seemed, but he had
difficulty explaining the presence of the swords his new friend always carried.
If Rezkin was a duelist, of course he would carry his sword, and he could
easily see the refined young man being attracted to the graceful art form.
Dueling was not considered to be a vicious sport, but rather one engaged in by
gentlemen and nobles. In combination with the Code by which Rezkin seemed to
live, the explanation fit easily within Tam’s assessment of his newest friend.

The lieutenant considered Tam with an odd look and then
smiled at Rezkin as he spoke. “Good, I was hoping that you would consider
practicing with me. I intend to join the King’s Tournament this year. It is
being held in Skutton, as you probably know. I have never been there before. I
am no master, but I think I might make it into the third tier,” he stated with
obvious pride.

“That’s so exciting!” said Frisha with enthusiasm.

“What is the third tier?” Tam asked.

Jimson explained, “The tournament is set up into five tiers
so that duelists can compete against other duelists of similar ability. It would
hardly be fair to pit a Swordmaster against a man who had only been dueling for
a few years. This way, more people get the opportunity to compete, and there
are prizes.”

Rezkin shook his head. This entire tournament sounded like a
blatant breach of
Rules 14 – Do not revel in success
and
188
– Do not engage in combat unless you must.

“Competition is hardly necessary for advancement of
Skill
,”
Rezkin challenged.

“Oh, I disagree,” said Lieutenant Jimson. “I do not often
meet other duelists who are of similar skill, so having the opportunity to test
my abilities against them helps me measure my progress. In addition, I have
participated in the tournament twice already, and each time I picked up new
techniques from watching other duelists. It is quite captivating to watch a
Swordmaster in action, as well.”

Rezkin nodded in understanding. When he had been training,
he had several Swordmasters available to instruct him on a daily basis. From
what he knew now, it was pretty much unheard of for so many Swordmasters to be
gathered in one place for any length of time, a fact he would have to ponder
later. Acknowledging that he had valuable resources most people would never
have, he admitted to himself that the tournament did not sound as terrible as
he first thought.