Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Part 1
Tyran began to quietly disregard the laws for one in his rank, shrugging off the authority of guards and taking more freedom in his movements throughout the training center. Then one sleepless night Colton awoke in the darkness of their barracks, and his gaze fell upon a figure moving through the darkness, no more than a shadow. He stepped into the starlight streaming through a small window, and though his face was hooded Colton guessed it to be Tyran. As silent as a panther, he climbed a bunk beneath a window and, reaching above the man who snored in its top bunk, paused to open it, drawing forth a knife in application. The window was barely wider than the span of his shoulders, but he slipped through as easily as a snake might have and pulled himself out of sight onto the roof.
Colton rose from his bed, one objective in mind. Following the course the man had set, he with only slight difficulty repeated the procedure. Upon the roof, he had only time to enjoy a breath of the fresh night air before the point of a dagger was pressed against the back of his neck.
“Who are you?” the man asked in a harsh whisper.
“It’s me,” Colton answered, recognizing the voice of his friend and turning to see him. Tyran dropped his arm.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I feel that question would be more appropriately asked by me,” Colton said.
Tyran sighed. “You should go back to bed.”
“I’m not sure why you expect me to.”
“Fine, then,” Tyran said. “Since you won’t go without an explanation, I’ll trust you never to speak a word of this again. I’ve been leaving to see a girl.”
“A girl?” Colton repeated, incredulous.
“Hush,” Tyran said, wincing at his enthusiasm.
“Where did you meet her?”
“I first saw her several years ago, but it had been almost a year when we met again at the Games a few months ago.”
“Who is she? What is her name?”
“She is called Aiza, daughter of Adoceyn, ruler beneath the king two cities away from our own.”
Colton seemed surprised. “She is very rich, then.”
“Extravagantly so. But she is not like the other women of wealth in her rank. She knows the harshness of our life, and does not think herself above us, though she truly is greater.”
“Do you see her often, then?”
“Every two nights, as time allows.”
“You are willing to travel through two cities every other night, undercover, to see this girl?”
“She is the only thing in this world worth fighting for. Men are filthy and selfish, willing to sacrifice every other man to make themselves great. But women are different, Aiza most of all. She is free and noble, the perfection of beauty. But I must sound foolish to you,” he laughed.
“Not at all,” Colton said quietly, staring across the dark open plain. “Fianna ought to have such a life, and when I am free to do so I shall give it to her.”
“Does she care for you?”
“Perhaps not. But I would give my life a thousand times over to see her happy. I am not sure if I love her, or if it only stirs something in me to see her so beautiful and tender, and yet made a slave to such a cruel master.”
“Colton, my friend,” Tyran laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You love her.”
Colton smiled, but it quickly faded. “It is not wise for us both to be out here. We have only a few hours till first light, and then we ought to be in bed.”
“You are right. Tonight I must ride to Aiza, but perhaps—”
A sound from across the roof silenced him. Clattering up a ladder on the far side of the rooftop climbed two guards, laughing loudly with each other.
“The wretches,” Tyran muttered, glancing to the bell tower. “We can hide there,” he whispered.
Slipping through the door, they were quickly out of sight. Tyran led the way to its summit, looking down at the soldiers, who had not moved from their place by the ladder.
“They’ll receive prison or a whipping for this,” Tyran said under his breath. “We could receive worse, if we’re caught.”
“Like what?”
“Slavery or hanging, with Bordstern in command.”
“Is there any other way down from the roof?”
“Not one that won’t lead us straight to more guards,” Tyran muttered. “We’ll have to bide our time.”
For nearly two hours they waited there, and though both grew increasingly impatient the guards remained stubbornly in their position.
“I’m nearly ready to slit their throats,” Tyran said. “We’ll have to go down through the tower, and hope the rest of the guards are snoring at their stations.”
Colton led the way, and by chance the guard at the bottom was sound asleep.
“That’s one down,” he whispered, with little expectation for further luck.
Indeed, as they turned the corner towards their barracks, a guard stood in the corridor, hand on his sword as he leaned against the wall. Beside him, mounted upon the wall, a torch burned low.
“Wait here,” Tyran whispered to Colton, and then stepped into the corridor.
“I’m to relieve you,” Tyran said.
“Already?”
“General’s orders. Somebody reported a ruckus on the roof—you’re to go and see if it was just Arvin’s bad hearing again.”
“Arvin?”
“Yes, Arvin. The new guy. Seems to be deaf, also. Either that or hallucinatory.”
The man hesitated, bewildered.
“Well, get on,” Tyran prodded. “It won’t take you all night.”
The guard jumped from his position and passed Colton, too perplexed to notice his presence.
“Good acting,” Colton said, stepping out of the shadows.
“Thanks.”
Tyran led the way down the corridor, but they made little progress before the tramping of several soldiers sounded not far from them, growing louder as they grew near. Tyran sighed. There wasn’t nearly enough time to turn and retrace their steps all the way back through the passageway. The torches of the soldiers cast shadows on the walls as they grew closer.
“I don’t think we can pass for soldiers again,” Tyran said, a hint of urgency in his voice.
“We can still hide,” Colton said. He traced their way partly back through the corridor, stopping before the door where Arramon supposedly dwelt.
“Are you mad?” Tyran said.
“I’m exactly the opposite,” Colton said. “Would you rather let the guards find us?”
Tyran sighed in frustration. “Whatever,” he said, as the soldiers began to come upon them.
Colton swung open the door and closed it swiftly behind them, turning to examine the dwelling place of the great spirit. Across the room stood a small ornate table, offerings set upon it. Above it on either side hung two great torches, long since burnt out. Besides that, the room was empty.
“Looks like your spirit’s not home,” Colton murmured.
Tyran put an ear to the door. “They’re gone. It must be nearly daylight now.”
He opened the door and stepped into the passage, Colton behind him. After that they had only to get past the two guards outside their barracks. Tyran drew his knife from his belt and hurled it down the corridor. It fell to the stone floor with a painful clang, and the guards leapt from their positions. The moment their backs were turned Colton and Tyran slipped through the door to their barracks, going to their beds without a word.
Morning came not more than half an hour later, and Bordstern proved to be even more irritable than was his custom.
“Last night,” he announced to them, “a dagger was discovered in the corridor not far from your barracks. As a result, you will each be searched, along with your sleeping quarters. Any man found in possession of a weapon will receive long-due punishment.”
Many of the men glanced uneasily among each other, and though none had any weapons on their person when they were through searching, more than three dozen knives and daggers were found hidden in their beds and personal items.
“All that remains,” Bordstern said, the usual redness of annoyance in his face, “is for one of you to relate to the guards whose beds those who stole these weapons belong to.”
Every man was silent.
“Why do you stand against the law rather than with it? Would you rather all be punished as the result of a few men’s transgression? I will be glad to punish every one of you, if you are so foolish as to hold your tongue.”
“You are turning those who ought to be your own men against you,” Tyran said.
“Who are you to stand against me?” Bordstern shouted, his voice trembling in fury. “Shall I make an example out of you before all these men?”
“Do to me what you will,” Tyran said, “but it shall only gain their hatred.”
“Seize him!” Bordstern ordered, and the guards surrounded Tyran. “By all the spirits upon Vellatha, I shall make you fear me, if it costs me my life!”
“You make a pitiable fool of yourself,” Colton intervened. “These men have been taught to resist pain, not bow down beneath it. Consider carefully before you lay a hand on Tyran or any other man unjustly. You are not the highest authority in this city, and I would not fear to bring my complaint directly to Lord Valdis.”
“What makes you think he would listen to one so lowly?” Bordstern sneered.
“I have spoken with him before, and he is not impressed by the grandeur men of rank display before him.”
“You have nothing to bring against me. I have only ever given orders according to the laws of Vellatha.”
“Is that so? Or where is it written that you may confine men to the dungeons for days on end without a scrap of food? Or beat men who give insult to your name? We are insulted and tormented day and night, but we at least can shrug it off.”
“Enough,” Bordstern shouted. “I will not tolerate your pestering words. Five hundred laps, all of you, at once. You as well, Tyran.”
With that, Colton too took his victory over Bordstern, and in the months that followed the trainer avoided dealing directly with either him or Tyran. The rest of the men gradually settled beneath Bordstern’s authority, for they quickly learned he would show them no pity and even found pleasure in dealing out penalties for their unruly behavior.
Bordstern was highly unpleasant, even obnoxious at times, but life was not so unbearable. When night came, Colton and Tyran would in turn flee from the barracks and be away across the city. Aiza had given Tyran a horse, which he kept at the edge of the city in a forgotten stable and rode in turns with Colton.
For nearly two weeks after this arrangement had been made Colton did not bring himself to venture past the great dwelling of Adelrik and search for Fianna. He did not hesitate for want of courage, only out of concern for Fianna. If he was caught, he could be justly hung or made a slave, and she as well would receive a harsh punishment.
But he recognized at last that his lingering did neither of them any good, and he made up his mind to seek her out. Adelrik’s estate was situated at the summit of a widespread hill, looking out upon several miles of vast land. Behind his house were spread the buildings that housed his slaves, small shacks not worth comparing with the grandeur of his own house.
Colton tethered his horse at the foot of the hill, sheltered beneath trees, and slipped through the shadows up the hill. Guards stood at intervals around the house, but with silent tact Colton slipped past all of them, till he crossed the hill and stood looking out over the poor lodgings of the slaves.
Doubt wavered in his mind, but he refused to turn back now. Stealing down the hill, he evaded the sparse soldiers and crept across the ill-kept terrain to the first of the houses. Immediately discouragement struck his heart. Among nearly ten or twenty houses, not one had a window or any way of seeing inside without the door being opened to him. But then Colton glanced past the houses, and behind them where a thin stream struggled to run a slight figure knelt, filling a cask in its shallow waters.
“Fianna?” Colton asked, hesitating to move towards the girl.
She sprung to her feet, fear in her eyes till she recognized him.
“Colton! Why have you come here?”
“Only to see if you are safe. Has Adelrik harmed you?” Colton stepped to the stream, and starlight fell upon the two.
Fianna’s gaze fell and she turned away. “I do not think he means to hurt me,” she said softly. “It is only that he becomes so angry.”
Colton reached gently for her arm, and she looked up at him. “I am sorry,” he said. “Were you beaten hard?”
“There is no cause for you to be blamed,” she said. “Every slave is beaten. But what of yourself? Were you punished?”
“It was not hard to bear,” he said, a gentle wind sweeping across his face.
“I am glad you came,” she said, smiling. “But if you stay long the soldiers shall find you, and I would weep to think what would be done to you.”
“Do not cry for me,” Colton said. “One day I shall take you from this place and give you freedom. You shall have all the luxury you deserve and whatever you desire shall be yours. Never again will you scrub floors or serve cruel masters.”
“Oh,” she turned and grasped his arm, her eyes sparkling with light. “I should like that very much. But is it not an impossible hope?”
“Not as long as I draw breath. I have nothing to my name now, but I shall seek greatness for your sake.”
“You will not forget me, then? You will return?” Fianna’s voice filled with hope.
Colton smiled down at her. “You are too beautiful to forget. I will return as soon as I can, but now it draws near to day and I must go my way. Look for me two nights from now.”
“Goodbye, then,” she said.
Colton rode swiftly through the city to return to the training center, his mind lighter and happier than it had been since he ever set foot on Vellatha. His visits continued often, and Fianna never ceased to wait for him, as sweet and innocent as ever, the only star that could give light to Colton’s world.
What a fun chapter!! Super job!
Love the way the book is developing!