Authors: Richard Jackson
A hint of red touches Rook’s cheeks. I can’t help smiling as she averts her eyes from me. “I was not prepared to see so much.”
“Yet you’ve told me so little,” I say.
“I am also limited by what I can understand. You are an enigma, Count.”
Somehow, I get the feeling there is much more to her vision than she is telling me. I decide to shift the topic back to Kalen. If he’s going to be trouble, I want to be prepared.
“So, do you know what Kalen is up to?”
Rook considers the water for a moment, still avoiding my gaze. I don’t press her. I wait patiently for her to reply. When she does, her voice is sad almost like she is in mourning already. “That is up to you. By our laws, an Arbiter will come to settle your dispute with Nightbringer. If you pursue the matter, Nightbringer will lose the land. It will be yours to claim, should you wish it.”
I discard that notion immediately. “This was all a mistake,” I say. “I’m not about to screw him or you over.”
“You’re a good man, Count. The problem is Kalen. He will still use the incident to show Nightbringer is not fit to govern here. He will challenge him to a duel, one he cannot win in his condition.
“What do you mean? It should be a fair fight.”
Rook shakes her head. “I am also a healer. Your kick hurt Nightbringer. I think you might have broken one or two of his ribs. He will be no match for Kalen. The Unseelie will kill him and take all that he holds dear.”
“
Including Rook,”
Kara says sadly.
“No, not going to happen,” This time I know my internal reply is being spoken out loud. I don’t care.
“I wish to ask you a boon. If you would save Nightbringer, pursue your claim. Kalen will not be able to touch him,” She then touches my cheek and murmurs “I would be in your debt.”
Maybe that is what she saw. I find myself tempted by the offer and feelings. I also find myself a little disgusted with myself. I’ve never taken advantage of a woman before. I’m not about to start now. I need a new plan.
“If it’s a duel, doesn’t Nightbringer get to have a second to fight for him because he is unable?”
I’m not sure who will answer me first. I don’t care. I’m desperate for answers. Rook answers first. “After his attack on you, no one would do such a thing. He was clearly in the wrong. If his guilt was in doubt, many would come to his aid.”
“I see. Well, we better get back.”
“
Don’t do anything stupid,”
Kara warns. I assure her it’s already too late when I murmur “Trust me.”
***
The party is over. More than few fix me with flat unfriendly gazes. I am an outsider and part of the problem. Even though it wasn’t my fault, I am being used as a pawn in this game. I get the impression some of Nightbringer’s friends might take it upon themselves to make sure I don’t leave these woods alive. That is when Kara points out a tall Fae who stands apart from the rest.
“Excuse me, are you the Arbiter?”
It’s a guess on my part. From his bearing, it would make sense but why is he here now. Rook thought it would take some time before he arrived.
“Yes, I am Aleric the Strong,” The Fae replies. There is no hint of a smile. His name and title are said as if he were speaking a universal truth, not some idle boat of posturing. “There is a story to go with my title but you did not seek me out for that.”
I nod. “I thought it would take more time to summon an Arbiter.”
Aleric gives me a hard look, his eyes narrow slightly. “Yes, it would have taken longer but I happened to be in the neighborhood.”
“I guess it was fortunate… for Kalen.”
More likely, it was part of Kalen’s plan. I doubt Aleric is part of this. If anyone ever looked incorruptible, it’s this man. He’ll stick to the letter and spirit of the law when it comes time to make a ruling. He’ll supervise Nightbringer’s murder in the guise of a duel. Aleric’s next words confirm my suspicions and add a slight chill to the air.
“I do not like being used. Kalen is safe from my wrath but you, my friend, are not. What is it that you want?” he asks.
“You think I’m part of this set up?” Aleric doesn’t reply. His look says it all. I take a moment to swallow my anger before continuing. “I’m just curious about something. If I don’t press my claim, can I choose to be Nightbringer’s second?”
The question catches Aleric by surprise. He gives me another look, this one more appraising. “You could but why would you want to? It would be unheard of.”
I shrug. “But it would be legal.”
Aleric nods slowly. He doesn’t know what I am up to. Neither does Kara. Just like the Arbiter, I don’t like being used. I’m going to set things right and get a little payback. Finally Aleric speaks. “I might have been wrong in my assessment of you. I don’t know what you are planning but I wish you luck with it.”
“
You’re going to need it,”
Kara murmurs.
***
It doesn’t take me long to find Kalen. He seems pleased with himself. I make it my business to wreck his mood.
“I hear Nightbringer’s fate is in my hands,” I say.
This causes Kalen to give me a very unfriendly look. “You could put it that way. What is it that you want? A boon? I am sorry. You have nothing to offer me.”
I direct my question to Kara “
A boon
?
What is he talking about?
”
Kara is quick to give me an answer. It was as if she had been waiting for this question all night. “
The Fae don’t accept payment in coin. They deal in boons and favors. It’s their currency. For them, a whispered word or favor is more valuable than wealth. The more people who owe you, the more power you have in their little games. A boon from the right person can be very useful. If you say you owe a Fae, he or she will collect one day.
”
“I see. That’s alright. I wouldn’t feel right about handing over my land once I claim it.”
“Your land?” He asks incredulously. Only with effort does Kalen get his voice under control again. “You can’t do that,” He says.
“And why not? It seems like a nice place to build a house,” I say.
Kara laughs at that. She didn’t expect me to say that. She thought I would take a more direct approach. Sometimes she forgets, I like to use my brain before my brawn.
Kalen seems beside himself with anger. He didn’t really plan on me pressing my claim. Maybe he intended to be the one Nightbringer attacked. Whatever the case may be, his plan is now in danger.
“I suppose I could just give the land to whomever I chose, even back to Nightbringer,” Now, I smile. It’s the sort of expression a used car salesman tried to use on me once. It gets my point across.
The Unseelie’s hands open and close as if he wishes they were throttling me. “You would make a mockery of our laws,” He says.
I would but I doubt Aleric would allow such a thing. Then again, he might just get repay Kalen. It doesn’t matter.
“Someone did that already when they set Nightbringer up. Course, if you have a different idea. I am all ears.”
“Ah, I get it now. You want to make a deal. Well played, sir. Well played.” Kalen pauses, raising his voice so that all can hear our bargain. Any agreement would be useless without witnesses or a way to enforce our deal. “I can see offering you a boon in return for letting me deal with Nightbringer concerning his attack on you.”
I reply in an equally loud voice “I’ll let you present your case to the Arbiter, if that is what you mean.”
“It is,” He says.
“Then we shouldn’t have a problem.” I say using the same smile from earlier.
No sooner than we finish shaking hands does Kara say “
I hope you know what you are doing. You just doomed Nightbringer.
”
Before I can fill Kara in on the rest of my plan, someone spins me around. I see the look of shock and betrayal on Rook’s face before her slap rocks my world.
“You have chosen your path base one,” She screams before storming off to rejoin Nightbringer.
Kalen watches her go, leering at her retreating figure. “Don’t worry friend. I will keep her out of trouble once Nightbringer is dead. The half elven will be too busy to think of you.”
“
Only if I screw up,
” I murmur to Kara.
***
Kalen doesn’t waste any time calling out Nightbringer for his attack on me. I see the expression on the satyr’s face. He has no choice but to accept. Honor and pride demand it. I let him do what he has to do then I do what I have to do. I raise my voice so that I can be heard by the crowd present. “I’ll be Nightbringer’s second.”
I am rewarded with chaos and mayhem. It takes Aleric several minutes to restore order. Only Kara knew what I was planning. Aleric had a good idea but he wasn’t sure I would go through with it. No one else, not even the seer, had forseen this. Kalen is furious with righteous indignation. I resist the urge to laugh.
“Deciever! Traitorous wretch! You honorless gutless cur!” He screams.
“And why is that? Because I won’t let you butcher Nightbringer under the pretense of a duel? He’s hurt and in no shape to fight you. It is the only honorable thing to do,” I say.
“And what of your word?” Kalen asks. His tone is low and dangerous.
I don’t try to keep the anger out of my voice. “I said I would let you press charges on my behalf. I didn’t promise anything else. If you wanted something more, you should have said so.”
That stops Kalen in his tracks. It looks like this round goes to me. “Well played:” He says. The smile he gives me is chilling. “Then again maybe not. If you want to throw your life away in a duel against me then so be it.”
“Wait, the duel doesn’t have to be to the death,” Nightbringer says. It gives me time to close my mouth. I didn’t think this part through. If Kalen was willing to kill one of his own kind for this land and Rook, he would have no problems killing an outsider like me.
“Don’t kid yourself, Nightbringer,” Kalen says. “We both know I was going to kill you, even this uppity mortal knew that. A pity, he wanted to be clever. He’ll die in your place as a lesson to anyone else who seeks to get the better of me.”
“Isn’t there something like a choice of weapons?” I say.
“Choose any weapon you like, fool,” He sneers. “I will be able to use all my powers and abilities to destroy you. Your crude physical talents will do you no good, mortal.”
Now Aleric speaks. “The battle will be tomorrow afternoon in the light of day. It will give both of you time to prepare.”
Kalen frowns, not liking this one bit. He is ready and eager to kill me now. With a shrug, he relents. “It will give the mortal time to make peace with his misbegotten maker or to flee. Of course, doing so will mean I win by forfeit.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that,” I say. “I plan on sticking around.”
***
Rook and Nightbringer just stare at me as I unroll my sleeping bag. Nightbringer is the first to voice his thoughts. ”Why?” he asks.
“Why am I fighting him or why didn’t I just keep it between us?”
“I’ll let you decide which question to answer friend” he says.
“You have to deal with this guy here and now. Some problems can’t be left to fester. They’ll only get worse,” I say.
“I see,” Nightbringer says with a smile. “You think like a warrior.”
“
Meaning not enough,”
Kara mutters across the link.
“Shhhh. I need to get some rest.”
Rook leans over to plant a kiss on my cheek on the spot where she slapped me. “Count, I am so sorry. I didn’t know what you were about. I still don’t. You are risking a great deal. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Everyone keeps asking me that. Don’t worry. I’m not going to let Kalen murder me.”
Kara grumbles across our link “
He might not give you a choice.
”
***
Breakfast is filled with talk. As I eat what could be my last meal, Nightbringer goes over the rules. It seems pretty clear cut. Still, I have a question.
“If by some chance, I gain the upper hand, can I force him to surrender without killing him?” I ask.
“Maybe but Kalen might force the issue to save face. Of course, his kin would not be able to seek vengeance against you, not openly. They will probably send an assassin or five to kill you.”
“I see. So I need to get him to surrender or kill him and insure his family won’t assassinate me.”
Nightbringer can’t help but chuckle as he says “Yeah, good luck with that.”
“Any other good news?” I ask.
“No, though I am curious why you are taking a wood staff into battle and not some weapon of cold iron.”
“I don’t want to kill him and I’m better with a staff than I am with knives or swords.”
“It’s your funeral,” He says.
“Thanks for your support,” I reply evenly.
As we head to the dueling grounds, a small impish looking creature approaches us. “Care to make a wager on the battle?” it asks.
Nightbringer shakes his head, giving me a warning look. “What would we bet?” I ask.
“Years of service,” it says.
I try not to sound too amused. “How would I pay up if Kalen kills me?”
“Hehehe, where there is a will there is a way,” It replies with an expression that really creeps me out.
“Um, right. I’ll pass,” I say.
Nightbringer slaps me on the back. “Smart move, Count. I think it’s your first this weekend.”
***
As Aleric explains the rules, Kalen doesn’t even bother to select a weapon to bring with him into battle. I listen even though I’ve heard this all from Nightbringer. Halfway thru the explanation, I say “Um, can we skip to the rules that have nothing to do with magic. I’m not a sorcerer or anything like that.”