fire through the storm outside. He brought out two packs of nutrient bars and gave one to her. Soros had expected her to protest, but Kat accepted the tasteless lump with unquestioning ease that told him she didn't think it weird at all.
They sat near the fire and Soros found himself unable to tear his eyes from her. The flames dancing between them cast her in a beautiful, warm light as she sat on the floor and ate. She'd brought water from the spring and didn't complain about that either. Clearly, living with little wasn't unknown to her.
Soros watched her, enjoying the way her whole body seemed to relax in the heat. Once she had finished her food, there was an actual smile on her face for a moment, but it washed away when she raised her eyes to him.
"Am I your prisoner now?" she asked.
The happiness he'd felt for a moment disappeared into the darkness outside. With one sentence, she'd reminded him that it was fake and she wasn't free to leave.
"Yes," he said simply, seeing no point in lying.
She kept her gaze on him. Soros could see a thousand words beating against her teeth, wanting to spill out, but she kept them to herself.
"And if I try to leave, you will kill me?" she asked, perhaps trying to sound braver than she felt.
Soros set his cup on the cold stone floor, his voice as hard as the walls around them when he answered, "If you force my hand."
To be perfectly honest, Soros didn't know if he could do that. Her big blue eyes reflected the flames between them as she nodded, accepting the answer.
"Tell me then," she asked. "Why are you hiding? The ambassador tried to explain, but I don't think I fully understand."
"They want me to be an assassin," he said. "I will not be told who to kill by men who have no judgment and no honor."
"And I assume they are not men you can refuse," Kat finished.
Soros smiled without any humor or warmth.
"That is correct," he said.
"Okay," Kat continued. " That I understand. You don't want to be an assassin for the clan lords, and if you refuse them, they'll kill you out of fear that you might be a threat. But why not go to the chieftain?"
"What makes you think Nadar is any different?" he asked.
Kat seemed taken aback by that question.
"I don't know," she finally admitted. "His reputation, I guess. He made you join the Union. He fought for the holy world. He wants to do things right."
Soros shook his head, the same morbid smile on his lips.
"Nadar is a leader," he stated. "I know. I taught him. Everything you said is true. I agree that he is the best chieftain for Corgans. But I don't think you understand what that means. To force his will on a whole realm that's fighting him – you can't do that with words alone. We are Corgans. We don't go where we don't want to."
"So you think he will ask the same," Kat said. "That he wants you to kill the lords that oppose him."
"Yes."
"I think you are wrong."
Soros sighed. She was so beautiful, but every word out of her mouth told him they were living in two separate worlds.
"The chieftain is a clan lord too, and he rules us all. No man can hope to stay in that position without the support of the others. Nadar knows that. He might not like it, but he will deal with those that try to hold him back. Do not think for a second that a good man won't make a hard decision if it's what the realm needs. There aren't many who can break through the ranks of a clan lord's personal guard. In fact, I can only think of one."
He stood up. Outside, the rain had fallen silent. It was time to close the cave for the night.
"Won't he accept your refusal?" Kat asked.
Soros smiled to himself. He remembered Nadar Brenger, one of his best students at a time when he had been roughly the same age as the warrior he trained.
"The others hope to coax me into their service. They would kill me as a last resort, after they're absolutely certain I won't change my mind. The chieftain would only ask me once and then he'd cut my throat. He wouldn't allow me the
They sat near the fire and Soros found himself unable to tear his eyes from her. The flames dancing between them cast her in a beautiful, warm light as she sat on the floor and ate. She'd brought water from the spring and didn't complain about that either. Clearly, living with little wasn't unknown to her.
Soros watched her, enjoying the way her whole body seemed to relax in the heat. Once she had finished her food, there was an actual smile on her face for a moment, but it washed away when she raised her eyes to him.
"Am I your prisoner now?" she asked.
The happiness he'd felt for a moment disappeared into the darkness outside. With one sentence, she'd reminded him that it was fake and she wasn't free to leave.
"Yes," he said simply, seeing no point in lying.
She kept her gaze on him. Soros could see a thousand words beating against her teeth, wanting to spill out, but she kept them to herself.
"And if I try to leave, you will kill me?" she asked, perhaps trying to sound braver than she felt.
Soros set his cup on the cold stone floor, his voice as hard as the walls around them when he answered, "If you force my hand."
To be perfectly honest, Soros didn't know if he could do that. Her big blue eyes reflected the flames between them as she nodded, accepting the answer.
"Tell me then," she asked. "Why are you hiding? The ambassador tried to explain, but I don't think I fully understand."
"They want me to be an assassin," he said. "I will not be told who to kill by men who have no judgment and no honor."
"And I assume they are not men you can refuse," Kat finished.
Soros smiled without any humor or warmth.
"That is correct," he said.
"Okay," Kat continued. " That I understand. You don't want to be an assassin for the clan lords, and if you refuse them, they'll kill you out of fear that you might be a threat. But why not go to the chieftain?"
"What makes you think Nadar is any different?" he asked.
Kat seemed taken aback by that question.
"I don't know," she finally admitted. "His reputation, I guess. He made you join the Union. He fought for the holy world. He wants to do things right."
Soros shook his head, the same morbid smile on his lips.
"Nadar is a leader," he stated. "I know. I taught him. Everything you said is true. I agree that he is the best chieftain for Corgans. But I don't think you understand what that means. To force his will on a whole realm that's fighting him – you can't do that with words alone. We are Corgans. We don't go where we don't want to."
"So you think he will ask the same," Kat said. "That he wants you to kill the lords that oppose him."
"Yes."
"I think you are wrong."
Soros sighed. She was so beautiful, but every word out of her mouth told him they were living in two separate worlds.
"The chieftain is a clan lord too, and he rules us all. No man can hope to stay in that position without the support of the others. Nadar knows that. He might not like it, but he will deal with those that try to hold him back. Do not think for a second that a good man won't make a hard decision if it's what the realm needs. There aren't many who can break through the ranks of a clan lord's personal guard. In fact, I can only think of one."
He stood up. Outside, the rain had fallen silent. It was time to close the cave for the night.
"Won't he accept your refusal?" Kat asked.
Soros smiled to himself. He remembered Nadar Brenger, one of his best students at a time when he had been roughly the same age as the warrior he trained.
"The others hope to coax me into their service. They would kill me as a last resort, after they're absolutely certain I won't change my mind. The chieftain would only ask me once and then he'd cut my throat. He wouldn't allow me the
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