The Keepers of Eternity

XLVI

More than anything, Blaise wanted to pull aside the curtains and see how the others were faring. They'd grown suspiciously quiet, and only indistinguishable murmurs remained. His heart beat quickened.

Was it really best to keep Sid completely hidden? If he was as talented with the crossbow as he implied, he might be able to get ranged shots on the horse...or at least slow them to a halt. Though, even if they did succeed, what would they do then? Blaise couldn't operate discs. He had no other tricks up his sleeve to offer against their opponent. The pair had defeated Blaise fairly in combat...there was never much hope for this lot either.

"If things do turn out for the worst, we'll have to escape from this carriage." Blaise told Sid. "In Swordfellow school, did they ever teach you how to properly exit from a moving platform to reduce the risk of injury?"

"I'm not leaving without my friends." Sid pressed.

"It'll give us a better chance at saving Abreigelle if we regroup and actually prepare for a fight. We can gather more allies, and maybe let me heal for a couple weeks."

Sid spoke nothing in return, though his look of irritation said enough.

"You don't know how powerful they are. Thadan is an exceptionally skilled disc operator, and Purlip throws her knives as if she's been trained in martial arts since birth. It took me a considerable effort to avoid becoming a human pincushion."

"Lenore can handle them. And Monty. And Evadrian. They're smarter than you think."

Blaise considered it for a moment. He admitted, it was impressive that they'd managed to track him all the way from Shah Neurn. Despite luring them away with the bats, his trail seemed obvious to them.

That was probably Abreigelle's doing. She leaves a path of destruction wherever she goes.

Yet, she was one of the most talented students Blaise had ever trained.

"Hm. Perhaps, but you shouldn't underestimate them. I made that mistake and paid a high price for it." Blaise gestured again with his bandaged hands.

Sid held his dog close, then reached out to open a small compartment near the floorboards. He slid the whimpering pup into the cabinet and then shut it, careful to leave a small gap for air and light. "At least Kune will be safe now." He said.

"Why did you bring him here in the first place?" Blaise asked.

"Can you stop questioning me for once? I know you're supposed to be my 'guardian', but that doesn't mean you get to comment on my every action."

Blaise glanced away. He supposed, he'd never been a formal guardian before. What did that even mean? Was he supposed to parent the kid, or teach him or advise him? "Ok, I apologize."

"Thanks." Sid said.

A lurch shook the carriage again. Shouts from above. Blaise could suddenly sense someone dangling from their rear, and their mere strength was causing the wheels to give. The entire room rocked.

This was getting interesting, in a bad sort of way. If only Blasie could heal faster...but that would require losing consciousness which wasn't something he could afford to do right now.

The relay window slid open. Blaise turned his head as Evadrian said with urgency, "Sid needs to stay hidden. The Rvyni woman can somehow tell which one of us is the Heir. Just, keep him out of sight." The window shut.

Sid gritted his teeth. "Damn him. If he wants me that bad then maybe I ought to just go. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if one of my friends got hurt trying to protect me."

"That's understandable, but don't be rash." Blaise wondered if he was overstepping his bounds again. No. My job is to keep him here. And right now, words are my only means of doing that.

"I'd rather be a slave than live with the guilt all my life." He began to crawl out from under the booth.

"Hey...don't. You'll regret it. With Thadan's disc, he could cripple you. Keep you miserable and in pain until you do his bidding. If Abreigelle finds out that is what you submitted yourself to, she'll never stop hunting you until she frees you or kills Thadan. She shouldn't have to live that life because of your selfishness."

Sid hesitated. "Believe me, I don't want to be made into a slave. I grew up on the stories of his kind, and how they treated the humans, the former inhabitants of Summernorth." The way he stopped in a half-stand, was almost reverent. "My adoptive aunt and uncle were released slaves. They told me how frail they'd been working in the mines all day without a trickle of sunlight on their skin. My uncle showed me his back, crisscrossed with scars from repeated whippings, and my aunt lamented her infertility at the hands of malnutrition. This is common in every single family. All those people suffering because what the esks did to us five hundred years ago. I should have been there with them. I should have fought and died for our freedom."

I told you before that I wasn't meant to be here. That doesn't mean I felt purposeless. There's still something I have to do."

"Stop!"

He left anyway.

Blaise cursed every god he knew of. He sat there in disbelief for a moment, ignoring the voices coming through the open door. I'm really, really bad at this.