The TwiceBorn

On The Dark Edge Of The Land

"From his brimstone bed, at break of day, A-walking the Devil is gone, To look at his little snug farm of the world, And see how his stock went on."--Coleridge

  Behrin let go of Gre’s tunic and patted him affectionately with both hands on his shoulders.  A peculiar smile stretched his pale lips but his eyes remained cold and alert.

“Good.  That’s good, Gre.  Real good.”

Gre peered steadily back.  Sure, he could get his horse and his few belongings and ride out.  A clearer side to his soul told him that would be the right thing to do at this point, that the moment had come to part ways.  The more complacent side of his soul though, was stunned by the quickness of events.  One moment he’d been getting up to take a piss then head off to his pallet with another ale to push him towards sleep and now…this.  He flicked a glance at Aubery who took the opportunity to return his big shit-eating grin. 

Behrin turned and looked at Aubery. 

“Well, Aubery?  Can you get her back?”

Aubery stilled.  He dropped his head and stared at the ground with a fierce concentration and Gre caught a glimpse of someone so entangled in their own madness they had no idea of what they were capable of.

“Yes.”  Aubery looked up into Behrin’s face, his eyes flaming.  “I can get her back.  But when I get her…can I have her?”

Gre lifted an eyebrow and looked at Behrin.  He was curious to see how Behrin dealt with this.  Because that was one thing about crazy that maybe ol' Behrin hadn't taken into account…there was no behavior considered off-limits, no demand limited in the asking by sanity or civility.  Aubery wouldn’t understand being told no.

“Yes.”  Behrin replied, his tone casual.  “You get her from The Twiceborn, you can have her.  But you will return her to me, you understand?  And if you maim her or kill her, there will be nowhere for you to hide.  Do we have an understanding?”

Gre watched, thunderstruck, as Behrin held out his palm to Aubery in a gentleman’s agreement.  Aubery grabbed his hand and shook it feverishly, an enormous grin splitting his face.  Behrin clapped him on the back.

“Go get some sleep.  The morning is going to start early for you and Gre.”

Behrin watched the boy rejoin the group of men then turned towards Gre.

“I know you don’t understand.”  He said,mildly.

“That’s an understatement.” Gre snorted.  “ I know you care about Islinn.  You care enough to want her back, anyway.  And yet you’d send that little animal to fetch her.”

Behrin laughed.

“Have I ever told you about my mother?”

Gre shook his head, confused by the sudden shift in conversation.

“Bad luck.  My mother had the worse luck of anyone I’ve ever seen.  Her worst day was when she grunted me out into the world.  And things got worse after that, if you can believe it.”

He stopped suddenly and looked up at the moon.  A tepid breeze kicked up and Gre could hear tree branches grating, wood on wood.

“ The moon. Beautiful isn't it? But my mother...well... that’s all just water under the bridge now.  Salt in an old wound, maybe would be better.”  Behrin half-whispered.  “Long over with.”

He dropped his head and looked at Gre.

“Aubery is very good with a blade.  Crazy?  Yes, he’s quite out of his mind.  All the more reason for you to go with him.”