A thought occurred… a tiny niggle inching into his mind. Though he tried, he couldn’t ignore it, irritating like a small splinter under his skin. He knew his father might not approve of the scroll. If his father forbade him from acting on the scroll’s instructions, he would never gain another gift. The only sure way to increase his gifting would be to absorb another person’s gift before returning to his father in Water Clan. His father would never have to know how the gift had been obtained.
A cold sweat broke out on his brow, despite the warm night air, as he rummaged through his sack for his sheathed blade. He mumbled the words of allegiance required by the scroll. Knowing full well the spoken allegiance was but empty words, while the success of the process depended on a true commitment, he determined to make the attempt anyway. It was his only chance.
With a trembling hand, he laid the blade against the peddler’s neck. Faelen’s sudden loud snort quaked the very air around them, and Vindrake withdrew the knife, freezing in panic. Soon the drunken snore settled back into a normal rhythm. Vindrake gathered his nerve, set the knife’s edge against the sleeping man’s throat, and took a deep breath. He’d thought Faelen’s death would be instantaneous. Instead, he was horrified as Faelen woke, thrashing and gurgling, his condemning eyes holding Vindrake motionless in the moonlight as Faelen’s life force ebbed away.
Vindrake heaved the contents of his gut in violent retching. When the stomach spasms ceased, he retrieved his blade, only to fling it as far into the forest as possible, a considerable distance with his newly acquired strength. Unable to bear the sight of Faelen’s contorted face, Vindrake covered him with a blanket.
He picked up his rucksack and gazed down the empty road where the moonlight cast long grasping shadows. Tears ran down his face in a steady stream, splashing from his chin onto his shirt. He took one step and then another. Then he was running. Running away. Away from Faelen’s accusing eyes. He ran until his body gave way to exhaustion. But he never escaped.
*****
Kaevin resisted the urge to give the sleeping enemy warrior a kick in the ribs. He could almost understand why Brian was interested in his welfare due to some chance resemblance to his son. But why did Alora defend him so passionately? Did she find him handsome? He wished fervently his father hadn’t opened the warrior’s shirt to examine the progress of his healing. She’d seemed a bit too interested in his well-muscled chest.
Brian gestured to where he lay on the ground, having removed his own coat to provide a makeshift pillow for his head. “Don’t you understand, Graely? I’m offering
to take the boy off your hands, so he won’t cause you any trouble.”
“He won’t trouble me for long. The council has voted to release the prisoners in groups of three and send them back to Water Clan. This man has a bloodbond with Vindrake, and nothing can change that. So he’ll return to his home as soon as he’s recovered enough.”
“Maybe this bloodbond thing can be removed. I feel like we have to try.”
“If I let him go with you and he kills someone, it’ll be on my head.”
“I don’t think he’ll kill anyone,” said Alora. “Like I said, my discernment doesn’t detect evil. I can sense the bondmark, but that’s all. Some of the other Water Clan men made me want to throw up, but not this one.”
“It’s only because he’s sleeping,” Kaevin argued.
“No, I don’t think that’s it. I think he has a good soul in spite of his bloodbond.”
At her words, the slumbering man stirred. Graely’s hand moved to the hilt of his blade. “Are you certain these tiny ropes will keep him secure? They appear quite fragile.”
Brian nodded. “They’re called zip ties, and they’re really strong. We’ve got two on his wrists and two around his ankles.” He reached in his pocket, retrieving a sample to demonstrate.
“Fascinating…” Graely’s face reddened as he strained in an effort to break the tie.
Awakening, the young warrior on the ground struggled against the plastic bindings for a moment but, finding his bonds secure, ceased his thrashing. As the boy lifted his gaze to study his captors, Kaevin’s breath caught in his throat. “Father, his eyes are brown.”
“Brown eyes—astounding!” His father’s voice was full of wonder.
“Steven’s eyes are brown as well,” said Brian. “What’s the big deal?”
“In this realm, brown eyes come from Sun Clan. For quite some time, they’ve lived far away, across the dessert. It is disconcerting to think Vindrake may have spread his influence so far, for the man is definitely marked with his bond.” Graely turned his attention back to the boy on the ground. “By what name are you called?”
“I am Daegreth.”
“Daegreth, do you hale from Sun Clan? How did you come to Vindrake?”
“My family was traveling when we… when we… met Vindrake’s men.”
“He could be lying,” said Kaevin. “You can’t trust anything he says. He has the bondmark.”
“Kaevin, be nice.” Alora regarded him with a scowl before smiling down at Daegreth. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
His eyes opened wide, and he smiled at her. “The pain is not too bad, thank you. But...” His eyes darted to Kaevin. “He’s correct. I can’t be… you can’t… I freely and gladly serve my master, Vindrake.”
Brian knelt beside him. “Daegreth, do I look familiar to you? Do I look at all like someone you know? Perhaps like someone in your family?”
Confusion seemed to twist his brows. “No, I don’t recognize you.” At Brian’s obvious disappointment, he added. “Perhaps I simply don’t remember. We left our home when I had seven years, and my father was killed soon after.”