The King's Messenger

Chapter 15

It took an hour to row back to harbor. In the low starlight, the guards didn't even notice as they slipped into the harbor and debarked from the boats, leaving the oars in the boats and refraining from securing them to anything.

"Go home," Messenger said once they were all on land. "You've all had a rough night. Stay together, if you can, and stay with someone else if you must. Just don't go alone."

The group of fourteen looked around for a moment, then began splitting into smaller groups. The girl Messenger had spoken with hesitated before leaving.

"You saved us," she said solemnly. "King Richar never cared, his men never cared, but you saved our lives. Thank you."

More words of gratitude followed from several of the rescued.

"In Prince Eden's kingdom, this will become the norm." He halted. "Not getting captured then rescued; I mean having a king who serves the people instead of treading upon them."

"Then I think I can say we all look forward to his reign," the green-eyed woman said. The rest of the group trickled away, staying in pairs or threes, leaving just Messenger and the woman who'd borrowed Eden's earring.

The woman pulled the earring out of her ear, stars captured in the lilac gemstone. "I believe this is yours," she said, offering it to Messenger.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the earring. He pocketed it rather than try to re-pierce his ear mirrorless in the dark. The woman's eyes followed his action, but she didn't say anything about it.

"I don't know how you've gone on so long with that wound," she said, "but surely you can afford the time to get it bandaged now."

Didn't I say that it was fake? "It's not real," Messenger explained. "I used-"

"I heard your breathing," she interrupted. "There was blood in your lungs. You can't fake that gurgle, the sound of rattling breath."

And that had been before he gave her the earring. In hindsight, she was a better pick than he had thought.

"I assure you, I'm completely fine. If I'd really been stabbed through the chest, I doubt I'd be here speaking to you as opposed to being unconscious on the ground from blood loss."

Green-eyes raised an eyebrow. "Then prove it. Lift your shirt. Show me there's no wound."

Messenger shrugged, pulling his shirt up. There was a great deal of dried blood, but no wound. Green-eyes furrowed her brow, lips parted in confusion, as she stepped forward to lay a hand on where the wound would have been, simply to find unbroken skin.

"That wasn't part of the arrangement," Messenger said lightly. "I trust you're convinced now?" He lowered his shirt.

"I know what I heard," she insisted. "There was nowhere for you to get blood from, nor time for you to apply it convincingly."

"Yet here I am," Messenger said, spreading his hands.

"Yes," she said, folding her arms. Changing the topic abruptly, she said, "I was fascinated by your stories of the old Messengers. Where did you hear that?"

"What? Just- from family and old-timers who remember the old Valina or stories of it."

"Really? It sounded like you were talking about your own experiences, from what I heard. Which would be odd, since those experiences would have been decades, or even centuries ago."

"I- I said 'we' because I'm a Messenger as well," Messenger defended, caught off guard. "What are you getting at?"

Green-eyes cocked her head. "I think you've been blessed by the saints. I think they protect you."

"What? That's ridiculous. Stories of immortal men, chosen by the saints... they're children's stories," Messenger sputtered.

"Children's stories? Yet you place so much stock in stories about Messengers? I heard those when I was a child too, you know, not just stories about saints. And besides," she added as Messenger opened his mouth to speak, stopping him in his tracks. "The saints blessed many in the stories, not just with immortality. Why were you so sure that's what I meant?"

"Well, you strongly implied that..." Messenger trailed off.

Green-eyes smiled. "Your secret's safe with me."

A creeping sensation started up Messenger's spine against his will. He didn't think she had ill will toward him- she'd better not, after what he did tonight, but while there were many benefits of immortality, every negative came from someone else finding out about it. And that could lead to imprisonment, to cages.

"No one can know," he said intently. "No one."

"I mean what I said," she responded. "Nobody will."

Well, he'd just have to take her word for it. It wasn't like he was going to kill her to silence her.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"It's... I'm called Messenger."

"That's not your name," she countered.

Messenger shrugged. "You can call me Ry if you must, but that's not my real name."

"Ry? Better than Messenger. I'm Kaeda," she replied, extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Kaeda. I only wish it could have been under different circumstances," Messenger said, clasping her offered hand.

Kaeda smiled. "At least it was a memorable meeting. Now, I hate to ask, but would you possibly be able to walk me home? I'd rather not get taken again."

Messenger exhaled sharply through his nose in half of a laugh. "Certainly," he said. He offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Kaeda lived far, not in the poorer districts of Amar, but not in the richest, either, in an apothecary that seemed a little too big for one.

Standing in the doorway, Messenger fished the earring out of his pocket. He rolled it around in his hand for a moment, examining it, then held it up. "I can get by with just one," he said. "Why don't you borrow this one for a while?"

Kaeda accepted the earring, inspecting it in her palm. "I won't say no, but... why?"

"I'm... not sure," Messenger admitted. "Maybe it will turn up useful someday."

"Then I suppose I'll accept," Kaeda said. She closed her hand around it.

"I'll be leaving now, then," Messenger said. He turned to leave.

"Would you... like to stay the night?" Kaeda offered. "You must be exhausted. There are spare rooms."

"I..." The inn Messenger was staying at was maybe a half hour walk away. Besides, he was tired. Too tired to do anything untoward. "Thank you. I'm exhausted," Messenger said.

"Good," Kaeda said. "Because I need you to unlock the door. They took my key when I was taken."

Messenger laughed. "I see. Allow me." Kaeda stepped aside, and he picked the lock deftly, letting them in with a click.