Touch of Honor

Touch of Honor: Debt of the Dead - Chapter 4

     The passage led on for some time. Its distance must have been hundreds of feet. It was utterly baren, unlike the hall of pictures, or even the cell block before it, just empty, white stone lining the walls and floor.

     Casset walked behind both Skamos and Spruce by some distance, making sure to keep apart. Who knows what else they may hide from him. Perhaps they didn't plan on having him survive to begin with. Perhaps they planned to eliminate him now that he knew of the artifact's power.

     "Casset?"

     The boy looked from his entrancing gait to Spruce.

     "You're walking too slow. Hurry up."

     He didn't give the monk a reply at first. "Are you going to leave me behind too?"

     Spruce stopped, turned again, and gave the boy the most hostile grimace he's ever seen. "Wasn't it Skamos and you who decided it was best to move on?"

     "Whatever." The boy said, overtaking the monk's pace.

     Stupid kids. What do they ever know? Begging for signatures, parchments, a sweaty headband, to spare their family, death or mercy. They only ever see a dashing hero or a begrudging villain. But what do they really know at that age? What did I really know at that age?

     "Spruce?" Skamos stopped, allowing Casset to take the lead by some margin. "Are you well?"

     "I'm great." He said mockingly.

     "Excellent." Skamos quickly turned forward, resuming his march.

     "Gods you are daft."

     "I am feeling that you and Casset are distanced."

     "You don't say. Well, that'll happen. Doesn't seem like your last talk improved his mood for me."

     "I will discuss it with him for a second time. Perhaps I will choose different words."

     Spruce sighed. "Maybe talk it over with Bonehead first. Work up a draft."

     "I don't believe that will be very effective."

     "He's a kid. Appeal to his childhood sense of character perhaps."

     "Perhaps it would be more effective if you spoke with him. You are the primary target for his displeasure."

     "You see, I don't really care what he thinks of me. Or what Jeri thinks of me. Or what you think of me for that matter."

     "Odd. I imagine that to be a phrase someone who does care what other people think about them would utter."

     "Get off my back Skamos. Go mate with a tree or whatever your father did."

     "You are named after a species of tree. Quite an ironic statement from you. Perhaps a ballad of my heritage would be a more intriguing story."

     Spruce lowered his eyes. "It's not like that."

     Skamos heightened his attention.

     "No one wants to read a ballad about how the hero failed."

     Skamos now knew how to broach conversation with Casset. "Yes, Spruce. I think I understand."

     "Casset, may we speak?"

     "Yes Skamos. What do you need?"

     "I've noticed your chatter has ceased considerably."

      "Yes. I'm sorry I'm not myself at the moment. I'm still a little angry with you and Spruce. Mostly. He shouldn't hold important things like that from the rest of the group. You shouldn't either. How can we trust each other with that sort of behavior? The way he goes about things is just wrong and he was rude on top of it."