War of the Fathers (18 page)

“I saw her kiss you.” Soret’s accusation came with a
wicked smile.

“That man kissed you.”

“I didn’t let him kiss me on the mouth!”

“She came fast. I didn’t know what was happening till
it was over.”

“Saying another woman was too fast is never an
excuse.” Soret punched him in the gut. On impulse, Jorad pulled her close and
kissed her. When he was done, Soret took a deep breath.

“Don’t think that means I forgive you.”

He went in again and this time she was out of breath
when they finished and he was sure that she was well on her way to forgiving
him.

A little while later, when Leron and Wes found them,
they left their gear with Wes before he could say no because Leron had already
found a dance partner.

Soret giggled as Jorad spun her around. It would have
been perfect if he hadn’t felt the need to continue to check the sky or if his
back didn’t hurt with every move. Still, it wasn’t as painful as it had been a
few days ago. It was getting darker, but the sky was clear, and there wasn’t a
ship to be seen.

Karn went by dancing with a woman, looking
uncomfortable. Jorad was glad to see that he wasn’t the only one who’d been
dragged out into the melee. Their eyes made contact and Karn noticed the
question on Jorad's face, he shook his head slightly. They hadn't been able to
get the tablet. Jorad wanted to ask for details, but when he turned around,
Karn had disappeared into the crowd.

Jorad almost tripped when he saw Xarda pulling Adar
out into the chaos. He laughed at the bewildered look on Adar’s face as Adar was
doing his best to keep up with Xarda. From what little Jorad saw, Adar was not
happy.

There was less than half an hour of daylight left when
Jorad and Soret decided to stop. Sweat covered both of them and he wished they
could find a nice inn. He could use a bath. Maybe one night in town wouldn’t be
so reckless. He walked Soret to a couple of empty barrels which they rolled
over to Wes, who was frowning. More gear had been added to the pile he was
watching.

“About time!” Wes said. “Just like you to leave me
guarding everybody’s things when there are pretty girls to dance with.”

Jorad didn't respond as Adar and the others
approached. He felt guilty for leaving Wes with their stuff. He'd been so
caught up in the moment that he hadn't given it a second thought. When would
Wes see another celebration like this? Jorad pushed the guilt aside making a
silent promise that he'd make it up to Wes someday if he could.

Adar didn't respond to Jorad's questions about how the
attempt to get into the town hall had gone. It wasn't until he asked Karn that
he learned the festival hadn't been only in the town square but that it was on
the street with the town hall as well. The large town hall doors had been
guarded by several dozen guards. The crowd and guards hadn't deterred Adar and
he'd insisted that they try the rear entrance. When they approached the town
hall from the rear, they found half a dozen men guarding that door as well. Apparently,
Adar wasn't the first person that had tried to get into the town hall during a
festival.

As they left Zecarani and went to find a place to camp
for the night, Jorad noticed that Tere and Tarner were acting weird. Normally,
the two kept to themselves anyway so he was about to ignore it when he saw that
the back of Tere's neck had a cut on it. While Jorad was watching, Tere pulled
the collar of his shirt up to cover it. The cut had been fresh and bright red. After
that, Jorad positioned himself to observe Tarner from behind and noticed that
he limping. For awhile Jorad wondered if he’d imagined it because it was barely
noticeable, but as the sun began to set, the more certain he became. Biting his
lip in thought, he decided he would mention his observations to Adar later so
that they could decide how much they wanted to pry into what had happened.

Nelion smiled as she plucked a black rose from the
tree, twisted off most of the stem, and placed the flower behind her left ear,
it stood in stark contrast to her blonde hair and white dress. She was, as
always, barefoot. Blades of grass poked up through her toes. That caused Adar
to look down at his own booted feet. Should he take his shoes off? It seemed
wrong that he wasn’t barefoot as well. Adar stooped and felt his sword shift on
his back.

“You’ve been gone a long time,” she said. “I’d begun
to wonder if you’d forgotten your way back.”

Sword? Why did he have a sword? He looked up at
Nelion, afraid that she might be offended by his coarseness. He hadn’t been
prepared to find her again. If he’d known, he would have dressed differently
and left the sword behind. Their eyes met and he knew it was okay. She reached
out to him, causing him to stand, leaving a boot unlaced. Oh, how he longed for
her touch, he reached towards her hand but she took it away before they
connected.

“Leave the boots and sword on for now.”

Adar ignored the voice in the back of his mind telling
him something was wrong. Roses don’t grow on trees. Who’s ever heard of a black
flower? But that seemed like such a little thing. What did he care what color
the flower was? He’d found her again. It had been so long.

“I don’t need them anymore. I’m never leaving again.”
Adar bent down to his boots again. He meant it. Never again. The rest of the
world could be taken by the Hunwei and he wouldn’t care.
Aren’t you
forgetting something?
asked a voice in the back of his mind. He ignored it.
“Never again.”

Adar stopped when Nelion touched his shoulder. It was
the first time she’d touched him here and it filled him with soaring
exhilaration. He reached for her hand but it was gone before he could touch it.
He shouldn’t touch her, he knew that, but it had felt so good.

“You’ll leave again soon, but you always come back.
That’s why I love you.” Something about the way Nelion said it made him think
that it was because he left that she loved him. But that couldn’t be, could it?

“This time is different.” Adar bent over again but
when he noticed Nelion frown disapprovingly, he straightened. He’d wait until
her back was turned, then he'd take them off. Once it was done, she couldn’t
make him put the boots back on.

“I am staying,” he said with an air of finality.

Nelion just smiled and looked away in that way that
she always did when he was wrong, but didn’t want to contradict him. Melyah! It
had been years since he’d seen that smile and look. Their disagreement didn’t
bother him as it usually did. It was nice to see her grin. He’d always loved
that about her, that and so many other things. Even dealing with her hot temper
would be more welcome than losing her again.

Nelion turned towards the forest and Adar panicked.

“No.” He took a step towards her; he always lost her
when she went into the forest. She took another step, turned and smiled.

“You’re needed elsewhere,” she said. “I must go.”

“Wait! I meant what I said.”

“We can’t stay here.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Nelion didn’t answer, and a fleeting look of
loneliness crossed her face. “It’s nearly over; don’t make this harder than it
needs to be. Remember Jorad.”

Like a lightning bolt, the fact he’d been ignoring
returned to him. Jorad. He remembered now. That’s why she loved him, for always
leaving and returning to Jorad, but it was different this time.

“Nelion--” Adar stopped. It was the first time he’d
said her name here. That had been the wrong thing to say because she frowned as
if she didn’t remember the name and was puzzled as to why he’d use it. He went
on before she could speak. “He’s ready. There’s nothing more I can teach him.
The boy’s as good with the sword as I am and he can track like a wolf. He
doesn’t need me any longer.”

“It’s always about swords and war with you, isn’t it?
Did it ever occur to you that there are other reasons to return? Even others
besides Jorad?”

“But it’s been so long.”

“Do you think it’s been easy for me?” Nelion took
another step backwards. She was close to the forest now. Adar took another step
toward her and Nelion began to tremble. This was the closest he’d ever come to
convincing her to let him stay. She wanted him to stay; he could see it in her
eyes and the way that her hands were trembling. He took another step, confident
that if he reached her, she’d change her mind this time. Maybe if he touched
her? After all, she’d touched him first, breaking the unspoken rule. Surely,
that was a sign she wanted him to say.

Nelion stared as he took another step and took a deep breath,
wanting him to come closer and fearing that he would.

“This is always hard,” Nelion said.

“It’s been so long. What about what we want? It’s not
fair to us.”

“And it’s not fair to Jorad. He needs you.”

“He’s ready.” Adar took another step. Nelion’s whole
body was quivering and tears were running down her face. The tears didn’t mar
her beauty and the quivering seemed regal. “Melyah! Don’t go.”

“Careful uttering that name here.” Nelion took another
step backwards into the forest. Adar leaped after her and was stopped at the
tree line, as if he hit a wall. For a moment, Nelion stood looking at him from
the trees, still quivering and crying. Then she was gone.  

Adar would have stayed there at the forest waiting but
at the same instant Nelion disappeared he found that he was in Rarbon palace
facing a man whose face he’d tried so hard to forget. A man he always ignored.
The rest of the room disappeared as Adar focused on Nelion lying on the ground
before him. This time would be different. He would save her. There would be no
need to find her again if he saved her here.

“Help me Ghar Rahid.” The man lifted his arm to Adar
as he lay in a pool of his own blood. Adar ignored him, knelt beside Nelion,
pulled the dagger from her chest as she screamed, and set it to the side.
No,
he thought,
don’t remove the dagger!
But it was too late. He flung the
dagger to the side.

He covered the wound with his hands and tried to stop
the flow of blood. He didn’t know the man and didn’t care if he lived. Save
Nelion. He could save her. Why else would he have been brought back here?
I
must do things differently this time,
he thought. Despite his desire, the
scene played out before him like it had so many times before.

Nelion whispered but Adar couldn’t understand. He bent
closer and she whispered again. It sounded like she had said “Sorry” but he
didn’t have time to think about it. He needed to stop the blood.  

“Don’t speak my love.” Adar ripped his coat off and
used it to try to cover her wounds. The man beside him reached out again but
Adar ignored the gesture. Nelion continued to bleed despite his efforts. The
blood was seeping into her hair now, giving it a red tinge.

Nelion coughed and blood spluttered out of her mouth.

“No!” he cried. “Hang on!”

Nelion opened her mouth again but this time only a
gurgling sound came out.

“He comes,” the man gasped.

Adar spared a glance and turned back to Nelion. He
didn’t look up as footsteps approached.

“Adar, what have you done?”

Adar recognized the voice. “Tere! Help me. Nelion’s
been stabbed. Send for the doctor.” This time must end differently.

“She’s gone.” Tere’s voice sounded far away. “She’s no
longer breathing.” Adar looked at Nelion’s mouth and realized that Tere was
correct. Hurriedly and gently, he tried blowing air into her mouth.  

“Quick, the healer!” Adar said between breaths. Surely
the gods would smile on him this time. He’d lost her so many times. This time
would be different. Why else was he brought back here?

Adar awoke with a start as he puffed another breath
into Nelion’s mouth and it took him several moments to reorient to reality. He
sat up and noticed Jorad standing off to the side of the camp scanning the
forest. How many times would he relive Nelion’s death?

Well he was awake now; he might as well let the boy
sleep. As he passed Tere, he thought about how fast Tere had found him. The
words of the dying man, to little to condemn Tere, but just enough to make Adar
wonder. He pushed the thought away. There were more important things to do then
chasing the ghosts of the past. He’d been down that road before and there was
nothing for him.

A bird chirping in the tree above Jorad brought him
out of his slumber. It was uncomfortable sleeping on his stomach, especially on
the ground. His back was still painful even though the salve from the healer
was helping. The leaves rustled overhead and a ray of sunlight hit his eyes. It
was cold and he preferred to enjoy a few more minutes of warmth underneath his
blanket. His eyelids were heavy with fatigue still and he wished for a couple
more hours of sleep.

The unpleasant dreams were fading. He'd awoken while
he was running from an oversize Hunwei. Soret had died and his father had been
missing. But as dreams do, it passed from his consciousness and he turned his
thoughts to other matters.

He was glad they had attended the celebration the
night before. It had helped to take his mind off the Hunwei and even though
he'd had an uncomfortable night of rest, he felt more rejuvenated than he'd
felt in weeks. After they got the tablet, the pressure would get worse. So far,
Jorad had been able to keep his anxiety about returning to Rarbon at bay
because he knew obtaining the tablet would be a significant challenge in and of
itself. With the tablet now in reach, he could feel his worry growing.

Could he measure up to the challenge ahead? It would
be necessary to get the Rarbon council to see reason so they could expedite the
process. Jorad didn't want to waste his time on the trials when all he wanted
to do was gain access to the Rarbon Portal. He needed to know if anything in
there would help in their fight. Rarbon could keep the stupid title and the
responsibilities that came with it.

He rolled onto his side and stood. His back protested
with several stabs of pain as he straightened. Everybody but Soret was still awake;
she was curled up in a blanket, snoring softly. Adar paced at the edge of the
camp, a tense look on his face.

After stretching, Jorad applied the salve to his
wound. It felt cold on his skin and relieved the pain a bit. He ignored it and
tried not to think about how much more comfortable a bed would have been.

Tere was standing off to one side of their camp, his
arms folded, and staring at Jorad. Adar had confronted Tere about the cut that
he was hiding and it had come out that he and Tarner been involved in a scuffle
with some thieves. Tere had probably hoped to leave it at that, but Adar had
continued to question him. After almost an hour without learning anything new,
Adar had given up. It had almost come to blows between the two until Xarda and
Karn had gotten in between them.

When it had come time to make a plan to get the
tablet, Tere had insisted on coming, either going with them or following after.
Adar had refused and told him that he'd caused enough trouble. The plan was for
Adar, Karn and Jorad to go to the town hall this morning while the others
rested.

Soret was still sleeping by the time they left. Leron
and Xarda were sparring while Wes watched, and Tarner wasn’t around. Jorad
strapped on his sword, picked up his blaster, and nodded to Adar, who led them
out of camp.

As they left, Tere joined them.

“You're not coming,” Adar growled.

“If you get into trouble, you'll want my sword.”

“We'll get into trouble if you're with us.”

“Kill me or get going.”

Adar reached for his sword but didn't draw it. Tere
folded his arms. Neither spoke for several long moments.

“I'm leaving you behind if the thieves find you.”

The guards at the gate didn't say anything as they
entered and Jorad sighed in relief. Tere had made eye contact with the guards
as they passed by and they'd ignored him. Signs of the previous evening’s
festivities were all around them as they headed toward the town hall. Lost
clothing and bits of uneaten food littered the streets. Several unconscious
people lay to the side of the road but mostly the streets were vacant and
quiet. The further they got into the city, the more people they saw moving, but
it was nothing like the throng from the previous evening.

The town hall was a four story building located in the
city center, a few blocks away from the town square. It had a spire that went
up for several more stories from the top of the roof. It took up an entire
block and faced the governor’s palace. A street that was double the width of
normal lay in between. There was a large clearing in front of the town hall
where there was a pillar that was several stories high. Jorad had seen it
before on other visits to Zecarani, but hadn’t thought much of it. Now, after
seeing Vigorock, he realized that it had been made by the same people. It was
shiny, metallic, and several stories tall.

Jorad nudged Adar.

“I know,” Adar said without looking.

Adar led them past the great wooden doors of the town
hall, and knocked on a smaller normal sized door. The door looked plain and out
of place. The rest of the town hall was covered with intricate decoration. The doorframe
was made from stone. Vines, flowers, and bees had been carved into the frame in
great detail. The larger wooden doors were carved in a similar fashion. In the
middle of each door was the likeness of a bear. Jorad couldn't imagine the
amount of time it had taken to complete just one of the doors. It seemed as
though the artist hadn't missed a single strand of the bear's fur.

All the attention to detail made the plain door stand
out all the more and he couldn't remember if this door had been here last time.
He supposed that the original door had been replaced since their last visit and
that was why he'd taken notice of it.

Adar was reaching for the doorknob when it turned and
he moved his hand away before the door was open.

“Surprised to see folks about already,” said an old
man, poking his head out. His eyes were red and his lips were cracked, there
was a red mark along the side of his face as if they'd just woken him from a
nap. The door opened further, there were several guards sitting at a table
gambling with dice. “What do you want?”

“We want to see the archives,” Adar said.

“Our most popular attraction,” the old guard said
dryly. “Been here before?” He paused. “Actually, I remember you. You know the
drill. You’re going to have to set aside your weapons.”

“Agreed.”

The old man swung open the door the rest of the way,
allowing them to enter. One of the guards looked up from their game, but his eyes
didn't linger on them. If Jorad and the others had wanted to attack, it would
have been easy, even without the blasters.

In short order, they had laid aside their swords and
removed their visible daggers. Jorad suspected that Tere and Karn, like Adar
and he, had a dagger or two hidden away as well.

In the process, they learned that the old man was
named Kiral Opehim. Kiral was silent as he watched them with hawk eyes while
they disarmed. When they were done, he regarded them with suspicion.

“That’s all your weapons?” Kiral looked at their
blasters uncertain about whether he should ask them to leave those as well.

“To the last one.” Adar looked at his Radim sword,
where it was propped against the wall. He'd been using it again since they were
no longer in hiding and he appeared reluctant to part with it.

“Karn,” Adar asked, “Would you mind staying with the
weapons?”

Karn nodded.

Kiral still looked wary, but didn’t say anything
further as he led them out of the lobby into the gathering hall. It was a cavernous
room that reached to the fourth story height of the town hall. There were
several levels of balconies, a podium and stage stood on the far side and benches
were organized in semi circle rows in front.

The ceiling formed a dome and had been painted with
depictions of people that had been done before the Severing. The one that stood
out the most was a large battle that included Hunwei that were dressed in armor
similar to those Jorad had seen in person. He recognized several Hunwei ships
like those he'd seen in Neberan. There were others ships that looked different
and he guessed those had belonged to the humans.

As they crossed the floor and went through one of the
many doors lining the opposite wall, he remembered that the last time he'd been
here, he'd thought it a work of fiction. Now it had become all too real.

Several minutes later, on the second floor, Kiral ushered
them into a large room, shutting the door behind him. Bookshelves had been
built into the walls and were filled with books. The left side of the room had
additional shelves on the floor. One of which held scrolls. Another held
artifacts. Jorad would have loved to spend several hours going through the
artifacts without the watchful eye of Kiral. He wanted to know if there was
anything they could use.

On the wall opposite the door, there was a row of
windows that let in the morning light. The far right side of the room held five
safes. In between the safes and the bookshelves were several tables and chairs.

“What can I help you find?” Kiral asked.

“Deren’s tablet,” Adar said.

“You should have mentioned that earlier and I could
have saved us all time.” Kiral walked to the far side of the room and patted
the third safe. The safes were almost as tall as him. Jorad figured that it
would take more than a handful of men to move just one. “It’s in here, and
before you ask, I don’t have the key. The governor keeps it in his palace. He
has never in my lifetime agreed to let somebody see it. But I can tell you this;
the only thing on it is a single character for the ancient number nine.”

“What a waste of time,” Tere mumbled.

Adar didn’t look at all disheartened. Both Jorad and
Adar had known all this beforehand. Adar shifted his blaster on his shoulder
while studying the safe.

“No,” Jorad whispered. “You might destroy the tablet.”

“Hmm,” Adar said, staring at the two hinges on the
front of the safe. “What now?”

“You’re thinking of blasting your way into that safe.”

“It may be our only option.”

The door opened and Karn rushed in. His face was
bloody and he had their swords slung onto his back. Taking a deep breath, he
pointed a finger at Tere. “What have you done?” He took another breath and
looked at Adar. “Trouble. Armed men.”

“How many?” Adar asked, casting a glare at Tere who
didn't appear worried about Karn's sudden appearance or his accusation.

“Not sure, I didn't get a good look. Probably more than
ten.”

Adar pushed Tere toward the door. “Trouble with
thieves, huh? You just cost me the tablet.”

Jorad cursed Tere as they ran out the door, leaving a
bewildered looking Kiral behind them in the archives. Had Tere done something
on purpose to keep Adar from getting to the tablet? A whole list of
possibilities started going through Jorad's mind while they ran, Adar should
have drawn his sword and had it out with the man before they’d entered the city.