A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind) by Guy Stanton III Page B

least two dozen or more of them, which was how many arrows would be stick ing out of me and Larc if we tried to make a break for it most likely.
    Two groups of horsemen pulled out of concealment in the moors to either side of us and started forward toward us rid ing along the river. I debated for a brief moment about grabbing Larc and throwing him and myself into the river, but even if we survived the raging current of the river we wouldn’t make it far without horses. I hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over me. If I had been alone I would have made a try at getting away, but I had the boy to consider now. I had to do what was best for him. Our best option it would seem was to bide our time and be patient and wait for an opportunity to escape, if the opportunity came. I’d had to wait nine years the first time to get an opportunity to escape. I don’t think I could do that again.
     
    They evidently wanted us alive, as they had not fired up on us. That was at least something positive. I sat where I was and watched as the Zoarinian soldiers closed in on us. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done to just sit there and do nothing. I felt Larc’s arms get tighter around me as they closed in on us, “It’s okay Larc we’ll get out of this. You wait and see.”
    After we had been disarmed they mounted us on separate horses and tied us to the saddles. A cloaked figure rode up and flipped back his hood chuckling as he did so. I recog nized the Valley Lander warrior, who had recruited me for this assignment. At my look of surprise on recognizing him he said, “I know. I know. You’re surprised aren’t you. Roric, it’s really very simple to understand my perceived betrayal. The Valley Landers and their pathetic allies the Tranquil Islanders don’t stand a chance of winning against the power that the Zoarinians can bring to bear against them. It may seem that I am betraying my people in the here and now I grant you, but once this nasty conflict is over I’ll be able to help my people rebuild our nation better than it was before. We’ll advance on as a people, as we will no longer be hindered by the out of date practices our culture is fairly choked to a standstill by. I’ve been promised an administr ator position over Artanis itself!” He finished confidently, looking as if he genuinely expected me to agree with his po sition of treason as a point of fact statement of nationalism, when all his actions amounted to was cowardice wrapped in a cloak of power hungry envy.
    “Is a position of power and influence so important and honor so cheap a sentiment that to squander it all as you are, a thing worth doing? You’re by this one act of treason wiping out the efforts of all your ancestors before you to be free. The noble ideals that they’ve fought and died for, for count less generations before you, all gone now because of you! Just so you can have a bigger piece of a pie that doesn’t even exist in any context of reality!” I said, as I looked him over contemptuously wishing for a weapon so that I might slit his traitorous throat.
    One guard leaned over in the saddle and backhanded me across the face. It hurt, but I smiled back at him in return. He made as if to do it again, but the traitor motioned him to stop. “Roric, if you live much longer, which I doubt, you will find out that honor has very little to do with helping one get through life comfortably and besides what would you an escaped arena rat know of honor in the first place?”
    The soldiers around us laughed, as if it was a good joke, but I gave no response, which seemed to anger Lent a little because he pulled his mount around abruptly and rode to the head of the column.
     
    They took us to Cassis. It was odd and yet highly ironic how the beginning of all the calamity that had befallen me in my life should be where I ended up in at the end once more.
    I hated this city. I had come here as a boy marveling, but as a man I cursed it