he would grow up to be a natural leader.
Right in front of Finnlay sat Sayre, his freckled face and bright red curls reminding her perhaps a little too much of Micah – though his parentage was in no doubt at all. More often than not, his gaze would drift to Arlie’s daughter, Damaris, who sat on her own a little, idly drawing something in a book she’d brought with her. Beside Sayre sat Andrew and his best friend, Guy. Andrew listened to Finnlay’s story with a knowing smile on his face, which would have worried her if she hadn’t seen it a thousand times before. This was his pleased look, where he’d done something that others had liked, and was enjoying it so much more as a result. It was hard to believe that he was already fourteen. Guy contented himself with listening, laughing along with the others, saving his questions for later, when he could be as blunt as he cared without getting into trouble. Andrew had once told her that was one of the things he liked most about his friend – that he could rely on getting the truth, no matter how grim it was.
And in another ten days, she would have to give him up again, have to let him ride down from the mountain with Micah, head back to his home at Maitland Manor for the winter. She would have to do it knowing that his powers had still not manifested, that he would go without the protection he needed, even if he didn’t know it. Some days, that worry alone was enough to make her ill.
The noise rose as questions flowed from the children. One voice caught her attention. It was Liam.
‘But, why did the army flee? Why did Kenrick turn and run from Duke Robert? They still had the advantage of numbers. With Duke Robert so badly injured, they would’ve had a good chance at victory. Kenrick would have known that – and yet he still ran. Why?’
Yes, indeed Finnlay was well-practised telling this story now – and he refrained from looking at Jenn. ‘I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that, as a boy of fourteen, he didn’t have the experience to fight a battle of that size. His father had been killed the day before and Nash, the man behind the entire thing to begin with, was also badly injured in the fight with Robert. I don’t think Kenrick believed he could …’
‘I heard,’ Neil said knowingly, ‘that Duke Robert did something to Kenrick some time before the battle. That he put a thought in the boy’s head so that Kenrick would always be afraid of him. Is that true?’
Now Finnlay did glance at Jenn and she nodded. This was a truth they could give away without cost.
‘Yes,’ Finnlay turned back to the children. ‘Though I have no idea how long something like that would hold.’
Jenn quickly looked at Andrew, wondering if he would react to this new knowledge; he was the only one here who knew the King. But Andrew’s response was negligible, the barest blink.
‘But,’ Sayre leaned forward, ‘if your brother is the most powerful sorcerer ever born, couldn’t he make a fear like that last forever?’
Finnlay’s gaze darkened then, and as though she sensed something was wrong, Helen shifted and snuggled closer to her father. In the silence, Finnlay paused, then said softly, ‘Yes. Robert could make that fear last forever.’
*
Finnlay willingly took the first watch, leaving Jenn and Arlie to rest after the day’s exertions. He said nothing to them, but the truth was telling the story of the Battle, answering the children’s innocent questions, had left him feeling unsettled and unable to think about sleep.
He’d had plenty of nightmares in the days following the Battle, nights during which he’d recalled his own closeencounters with Nash, times when he’d almost died, when the feeling of helplessness had been so overwhelming, he’d almost welcomed death.
He’d been lucky – and so had Robert. It had taken Robert three weeks to get fit enough to travel after the Battle, and then, only on a litter. Finnlay had stayed with him the
Right in front of Finnlay sat Sayre, his freckled face and bright red curls reminding her perhaps a little too much of Micah – though his parentage was in no doubt at all. More often than not, his gaze would drift to Arlie’s daughter, Damaris, who sat on her own a little, idly drawing something in a book she’d brought with her. Beside Sayre sat Andrew and his best friend, Guy. Andrew listened to Finnlay’s story with a knowing smile on his face, which would have worried her if she hadn’t seen it a thousand times before. This was his pleased look, where he’d done something that others had liked, and was enjoying it so much more as a result. It was hard to believe that he was already fourteen. Guy contented himself with listening, laughing along with the others, saving his questions for later, when he could be as blunt as he cared without getting into trouble. Andrew had once told her that was one of the things he liked most about his friend – that he could rely on getting the truth, no matter how grim it was.
And in another ten days, she would have to give him up again, have to let him ride down from the mountain with Micah, head back to his home at Maitland Manor for the winter. She would have to do it knowing that his powers had still not manifested, that he would go without the protection he needed, even if he didn’t know it. Some days, that worry alone was enough to make her ill.
The noise rose as questions flowed from the children. One voice caught her attention. It was Liam.
‘But, why did the army flee? Why did Kenrick turn and run from Duke Robert? They still had the advantage of numbers. With Duke Robert so badly injured, they would’ve had a good chance at victory. Kenrick would have known that – and yet he still ran. Why?’
Yes, indeed Finnlay was well-practised telling this story now – and he refrained from looking at Jenn. ‘I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that, as a boy of fourteen, he didn’t have the experience to fight a battle of that size. His father had been killed the day before and Nash, the man behind the entire thing to begin with, was also badly injured in the fight with Robert. I don’t think Kenrick believed he could …’
‘I heard,’ Neil said knowingly, ‘that Duke Robert did something to Kenrick some time before the battle. That he put a thought in the boy’s head so that Kenrick would always be afraid of him. Is that true?’
Now Finnlay did glance at Jenn and she nodded. This was a truth they could give away without cost.
‘Yes,’ Finnlay turned back to the children. ‘Though I have no idea how long something like that would hold.’
Jenn quickly looked at Andrew, wondering if he would react to this new knowledge; he was the only one here who knew the King. But Andrew’s response was negligible, the barest blink.
‘But,’ Sayre leaned forward, ‘if your brother is the most powerful sorcerer ever born, couldn’t he make a fear like that last forever?’
Finnlay’s gaze darkened then, and as though she sensed something was wrong, Helen shifted and snuggled closer to her father. In the silence, Finnlay paused, then said softly, ‘Yes. Robert could make that fear last forever.’
*
Finnlay willingly took the first watch, leaving Jenn and Arlie to rest after the day’s exertions. He said nothing to them, but the truth was telling the story of the Battle, answering the children’s innocent questions, had left him feeling unsettled and unable to think about sleep.
He’d had plenty of nightmares in the days following the Battle, nights during which he’d recalled his own closeencounters with Nash, times when he’d almost died, when the feeling of helplessness had been so overwhelming, he’d almost welcomed death.
He’d been lucky – and so had Robert. It had taken Robert three weeks to get fit enough to travel after the Battle, and then, only on a litter. Finnlay had stayed with him the
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