them?” It didn’t
make sense to me that anyone alive would want my aunt and uncle
dead.
The General shook his head. “We’re not sure,
Chael, but I intend to find out.” He ran his hands over his face.
“I’m here to let you know you’re being relieved of your assignment
tomorrow. I’ll find another pair to go get the book so you can stay
home.”
My father shook his head. “We’ll leave first
thing in the morning, as scheduled.”
“James, really…”
“We won’t be anything but a nuisance here and
there’s nothing we can do to help. Robert, please. Let us go.”
I tried to keep the surprise from showing at
hearing the General and my father talk to each other so
informally.
“Chael? Do you agree with your father’s
decision?”
“I…” I nodded. “Yes, sir. Maybe by the time
we get back there will be answers for us.”
He took a deep breath and looked from me to
my father. “Come along then. You’ll want to say goodbye before you
leave in the morning. I have a carriage waiting outside.”
“Sir, if it’s alright with you, I’ll just
ride Klora over. If I leave him in the yard by himself he’s likely
to try and escape again.”
My father gave me a pat on the back. “I’ll
meet you there.”
I nodded and made my way to the back.
“Klora, it’s me. Don’t have a fit.”
I heard his footsteps coming toward me in the
dark, a dark shape appearing from the darkness. His soft nose
touched my outstretched hand.
“We’re going for a ride.” I put on his bridle
and swung on bareback. Instead of directing him to the open gate, I
lay forward and buried my face in his mane. My chest and throat
tightened as I thought of my aunt and uncle and what had been done
to them. The tears broke past my eyelids and the sobs shook through
me. I tried to keep as quiet as possible. Klora stood still, only
reaching back once to nuzzle my boot. Once I’d gotten myself under
control I wiped my arm over my face and took a few deep
breaths.
“Let’s go.” I nudged him with my leg. We
walked slowly through the empty streets toward the castle. The
stable hand was getting finished putting away the carriage
horses.
“Sir Chael.” He glared at my horse.
“Klora.”
I slid off and handed him the reins. “I won’t
be long, Nate.”
His glare softened and he nodded. “Take your
time, sir.”
I flashed him my best smile and went into the
castle. My father was kneeling at his brother’s side, his head
resting in his arms on the edge of the bed. I walked quietly to his
side and adopted the same position. Silent tears soaked into the
sleeves of my tunic. I heard my father take a deep breath and
looked up at the feel of his hand on my back. We turned and knelt
by my aunt’s bed.
“Did you have a look?” I whispered.
“Both stabbed just under the rib cage.” His
green eyes met mine and I was shocked to see them rimmed with red.
In my eighteen years, I’d never seen the man cry.
He inhaled sharply. “Let’s go. We have to be
up in a few hours if we’re going to leave on time.”
I nodded and stood.
When we reached the stables, a very
frustrated stable hand was trying to get Klora to stand still.
“You’re a good for nothing…” He stopped his
insults at my soft whistle. Klora stopped short and perked his ears
in my direction.
“Easy boy.” I took the reins and thanked the
lad.
“Did you want me to get one of the royal
horses saddled for you, Sir James?”
My father shook his head. “I think the walk
will do me good.”
I breathed in the cool night air as we walked
back toward my uncle’s.
“Dad?” I looked over to him and noticed how
the moonlight made him look old and tired. “General Krane. You grew
up together?”
He nodded. “He’s a good man. Why?”
“It’s just, I’ve been training in Gleama for
thirteen years, some of the time under him, and yet this is the
first time I’ve ever noticed the two of you talk so casually to
each other.”
“We trained together.
make sense to me that anyone alive would want my aunt and uncle
dead.
The General shook his head. “We’re not sure,
Chael, but I intend to find out.” He ran his hands over his face.
“I’m here to let you know you’re being relieved of your assignment
tomorrow. I’ll find another pair to go get the book so you can stay
home.”
My father shook his head. “We’ll leave first
thing in the morning, as scheduled.”
“James, really…”
“We won’t be anything but a nuisance here and
there’s nothing we can do to help. Robert, please. Let us go.”
I tried to keep the surprise from showing at
hearing the General and my father talk to each other so
informally.
“Chael? Do you agree with your father’s
decision?”
“I…” I nodded. “Yes, sir. Maybe by the time
we get back there will be answers for us.”
He took a deep breath and looked from me to
my father. “Come along then. You’ll want to say goodbye before you
leave in the morning. I have a carriage waiting outside.”
“Sir, if it’s alright with you, I’ll just
ride Klora over. If I leave him in the yard by himself he’s likely
to try and escape again.”
My father gave me a pat on the back. “I’ll
meet you there.”
I nodded and made my way to the back.
“Klora, it’s me. Don’t have a fit.”
I heard his footsteps coming toward me in the
dark, a dark shape appearing from the darkness. His soft nose
touched my outstretched hand.
“We’re going for a ride.” I put on his bridle
and swung on bareback. Instead of directing him to the open gate, I
lay forward and buried my face in his mane. My chest and throat
tightened as I thought of my aunt and uncle and what had been done
to them. The tears broke past my eyelids and the sobs shook through
me. I tried to keep as quiet as possible. Klora stood still, only
reaching back once to nuzzle my boot. Once I’d gotten myself under
control I wiped my arm over my face and took a few deep
breaths.
“Let’s go.” I nudged him with my leg. We
walked slowly through the empty streets toward the castle. The
stable hand was getting finished putting away the carriage
horses.
“Sir Chael.” He glared at my horse.
“Klora.”
I slid off and handed him the reins. “I won’t
be long, Nate.”
His glare softened and he nodded. “Take your
time, sir.”
I flashed him my best smile and went into the
castle. My father was kneeling at his brother’s side, his head
resting in his arms on the edge of the bed. I walked quietly to his
side and adopted the same position. Silent tears soaked into the
sleeves of my tunic. I heard my father take a deep breath and
looked up at the feel of his hand on my back. We turned and knelt
by my aunt’s bed.
“Did you have a look?” I whispered.
“Both stabbed just under the rib cage.” His
green eyes met mine and I was shocked to see them rimmed with red.
In my eighteen years, I’d never seen the man cry.
He inhaled sharply. “Let’s go. We have to be
up in a few hours if we’re going to leave on time.”
I nodded and stood.
When we reached the stables, a very
frustrated stable hand was trying to get Klora to stand still.
“You’re a good for nothing…” He stopped his
insults at my soft whistle. Klora stopped short and perked his ears
in my direction.
“Easy boy.” I took the reins and thanked the
lad.
“Did you want me to get one of the royal
horses saddled for you, Sir James?”
My father shook his head. “I think the walk
will do me good.”
I breathed in the cool night air as we walked
back toward my uncle’s.
“Dad?” I looked over to him and noticed how
the moonlight made him look old and tired. “General Krane. You grew
up together?”
He nodded. “He’s a good man. Why?”
“It’s just, I’ve been training in Gleama for
thirteen years, some of the time under him, and yet this is the
first time I’ve ever noticed the two of you talk so casually to
each other.”
“We trained together.
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