Chael's Luck (A Knights of Dorathan Novel) (7 page)

My father took a deep breath and blew it
loudly out of his nose.

“And she kissed me tonight.” I burst out
laughing as my father’s jaw dropped.

“She what?” His voice was an octave higher
than usual.

I turned to hide the fact that I was still
laughing. “I said she kissed me.”

“And what did you do?”

“What was I supposed to do? She’s the
princess; I kissed her back.” I was laughing so hard the tears were
running from my eyes.

“Chael! This isn’t funny!”

“By gods, Dad, this is bloody well
hilarious!”

He shook his head in annoyed disbelief and
headed off to bed, leaving me to ponder the issue of women.

*****

The pounding on the front door started me
from a deep sleep. I rolled out of bed and pulled my dagger from
under my pillow.

“Sir James!”

I heard my father open the door and let
someone in.

“What happened?”

“It’s your brother and his wife, sir.”

I scrambled to pull my pants on and threw an
extra tunic on over the one I was wearing before hurrying to the
living room. The guard stood at attention and saluted me.

“What happened to aunty and uncle,” I asked,
waving away his salute. I buckled my belt and threw on my vest.

“We’re not entirely sure, sir.” He looked
from me to my father. “By the sounds of what General Krane
reported, he came across the two of them being robbed. It seems
they were on their way home. General Krane heard a woman scream and
ran to where they were. Before he could get to them, the attacker
managed to take both of their money pouches and…” He paused. “Well,
sir, sirs, he… he stabbed both of them, sir.”

“Where are they?” My father was pulling on
his boots.

“They’re… they’re at the castle, sir. Even
with the General finding them when he did, it wasn’t soon enough
that the healwife was able to do anything to help.”

My father swallowed hard and cleared his
throat. “Both of them?”

The guard nodded, obviously not pleased about
the fact he’d been chosen to deliver this news. There was another
knock at the door and General Krane let himself into the house.

The three of us stood at attention and
saluted him. He waved away the formalities.

“Did you get a look at him?” inquired my
father.

The General shook his head. “Whoever he was,
he knew what he was doing. I don’t think this was a random mugging,
James.”

I could tell my father was having a hard time
deciding whether he should be sad, shocked, or furious.

“Why would anyone target them?” It didn’t
make sense to me that anyone alive would want my aunt and uncle
dead.

The General shook his head. “We’re not sure,
Chael, but I intend to find out.” He ran his hands over his face.
“I’m here to let you know you’re being relieved of your assignment
tomorrow. I’ll find another pair to go get the book so you can stay
home.”

My father shook his head. “We’ll leave first
thing in the morning, as scheduled.”

“James, really…”

“We won’t be anything but a nuisance here and
there’s nothing we can do to help. Robert, please. Let us go.”

I tried to keep the surprise from showing at
hearing the General and my father talk to each other so
informally.

“Chael? Do you agree with your father’s
decision?”

“I…” I nodded. “Yes, sir. Maybe by the time
we get back there will be answers for us.”

He took a deep breath and looked from me to
my father. “Come along then. You’ll want to say goodbye before you
leave in the morning. I have a carriage waiting outside.”

“Sir, if it’s alright with you, I’ll just
ride Klora over. If I leave him in the yard by himself he’s likely
to try and escape again.”

My father gave me a pat on the back. “I’ll
meet you there.”

I nodded and made my way to the back.

“Klora, it’s me. Don’t have a fit.”

I heard his footsteps coming toward me in the
dark, a dark shape appearing from the darkness. His soft nose
touched my outstretched hand.

“We’re going for a ride.” I put on his bridle
and swung on bareback. Instead of directing him to the open gate, I
lay forward and buried my face in his mane. My chest and throat
tightened as I thought of my aunt and uncle and what had been done
to them. The tears broke past my eyelids and the sobs shook through
me. I tried to keep as quiet as possible. Klora stood still, only
reaching back once to nuzzle my boot. Once I’d gotten myself under
control I wiped my arm over my face and took a few deep
breaths.

“Let’s go.” I nudged him with my leg. We
walked slowly through the empty streets toward the castle. The
stable hand was getting finished putting away the carriage
horses.

“Sir Chael.” He glared at my horse.
“Klora.”

I slid off and handed him the reins. “I won’t
be long, Nate.”

His glare softened and he nodded. “Take your
time, sir.”

I flashed him my best smile and went into the
castle. My father was kneeling at his brother’s side, his head
resting in his arms on the edge of the bed. I walked quietly to his
side and adopted the same position. Silent tears soaked into the
sleeves of my tunic. I heard my father take a deep breath and
looked up at the feel of his hand on my back. We turned and knelt
by my aunt’s bed.

“Did you have a look?” I whispered.

“Both stabbed just under the rib cage.” His
green eyes met mine and I was shocked to see them rimmed with red.
In my eighteen years, I’d never seen the man cry.

He inhaled sharply. “Let’s go. We have to be
up in a few hours if we’re going to leave on time.”

I nodded and stood.

When we reached the stables, a very
frustrated stable hand was trying to get Klora to stand still.

“You’re a good for nothing…” He stopped his
insults at my soft whistle. Klora stopped short and perked his ears
in my direction.

“Easy boy.” I took the reins and thanked the
lad.

“Did you want me to get one of the royal
horses saddled for you, Sir James?”

My father shook his head. “I think the walk
will do me good.”

I breathed in the cool night air as we walked
back toward my uncle’s.

“Dad?” I looked over to him and noticed how
the moonlight made him look old and tired. “General Krane. You grew
up together?”

He nodded. “He’s a good man. Why?”

“It’s just, I’ve been training in Gleama for
thirteen years, some of the time under him, and yet this is the
first time I’ve ever noticed the two of you talk so casually to
each other.”

“We trained together. We actually grew up on
neighboring farms. I lived in the one you grew up in and his
parents owned the land next to ours. We were good friends,
actually.”

“But not anymore?”

He gave a tired shrugged. “Lots changed the
day you were born, Chael, you know that. I’ve never kept any
secrets from you.” He sent me a small smile that barely reached his
eyes. “I thought you were a curse; that I’d done something to anger
the gods. I saw no one save for your aunt and uncle for two entire
years. For the first year, your aunt wouldn’t let us out of her
sight. She was certain I’d try to do away with you if I were left
alone with you.”

My throat tightened and I swallowed hard, not
because of the story my father was telling; I’d heard it before,
but because it brought to mind the fact that my aunt was no longer
going to be around. She’d been so protective of me.

“Of course, she was wrong. When I went back
to the room to say goodbye to your mother, you were sleeping on
your aunt. Maybe I thought to kill you; it’s been so long, now, I
can’t really remember. It was your eyes. You opened them and looked
straight to the core of me. They say babies are usually born with
blue eyes and then they change colors. Not yours. Yours were as
bright and as green as they are today.

“I kept to myself for two years. I didn’t
talk to anyone. It simply took that long to come to terms with
everything that had happened and to make a plan for the future. You
should have seen Robert’s face when I walked into the great hall to
ask the council’s forgiveness; that they not take my abandonment of
my posts out on you. If it weren’t for him, I’d no longer be a
Knight and you’d never have begun your training to become one.”

He nodded as if to reaffirm what he’d
previously said. “If you ever get in a bind and I’m not around,
he’s the man I want you to go to.”

I frowned. “Does he know?”

“Good gods, no!” He shook his head. He pushed
open the door and made his way to his bedroom. I took in the image
before me and my heart dropped. He looked beaten. His hair was wet
from the mist outside and lay flat on his head, his shoulders
slumped, and his steps seemed slow and painful. He stopped by his
room and turned to me. “I’m sorry, Chael.”

I blinked. “What for?”

“Everything.” He closed the bedroom door and
I considered having a mug of ale before turning in. I thought of
the next morning; having to face the princess, the traveling we’d
be doing, and decided against it. Whisk whined and laid his big
head by mine on the pillow, his tail thumping the floor.

“It’s alright, boy.” I scratched behind his
ear, rolled to my side, and forced myself to go to sleep.

Chapter Three

I tightened the cinches and breast plate on
my saddle, made sure all my weapons were strapped down properly,
mounted Klora, and watched as my father swung onto Klard. A small
group of friends had gathered at the gates to wish us good fortune
on our journey. I looked toward the sound of hoof beats trotting
toward us. The crowd parted to let the nearly white mare and her
rider through.

I nodded and smiled. “Princess.”

“Sir Chael, Sir James.” She smiled at my
father and pulled her horse up alongside Klora. “I was thinking a
goodbye kiss might be in order since we were interrupted last
night.” She leaned into me to keep others out of the
conversation.

I touched Klora with my spur and tried to act
surprised as he danced away from her. “I’m not sure Klora will
stand for it and I’d hate to cause you to fall.”

Whisk barked at a cat which cause Klora to
rear and jump toward the gates. I waved and gave a salute to Hal,
Harry, and Mac.

“To the end, Chael!” Hal gave final wave.

“To the end, Hal!”

The guards at the gates took their cue and
swung open the doors. I gave Klora a kick and urged him into a
run.

My father grinned. “Well played.” We reined
the horses in and slowed them to an easy canter. Whisk barked his
approval as well, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, his long
stride keeping up with the horses’.

“Good gods, Dad, what am I going to do?” I
shook my head. “Short of never returning to Gleama, there doesn’t
seem to be anything to keep her away.”

He grunted. “She’s a sixteen year old girl.
By the time we get back with the book, she’ll be draped over the
next lad in line.”

“Well, here’s hoping you’re right.”

By noon we had reached the river. We stopped
and watered the horses. Leaning back against a fallen tree, I
sighed. Now this, this was what I lived for.

“So what’s so important about this book?”

My father shrugged. “I’m not sure. All I am
sure of is that if they sent Shadows after it, it much be
important.” He pulled out a block of cheese, broke it in half, and
tossed me a piece. “Now, about the princess.”

I raised an eyebrow in his direction. “I
thought there was nothing to talk about; that by the time we got
back to the palace with the book, she’d have forgotten all about
me.”

He grunted. “Do you know, of all the things I
had tried to anticipate, this was one that never crossed my
mind.”

“Well, you know, dad, some women like brains
over brawn.” I grinned and took a drink from my canteen.

He shook his head and ran his hands over his
face. “Chael, I’m sorry.”

“Dad, you keep saying that. What for?”

“I, well, for this. For not thinking this far
into your future. I spent a lot of time thinking last night
and…”

“Dad, don’t.” I waved away his concerns.
“Come on. Let’s get moving.”

He frowned, but didn’t argue.

We spent the better part of our journey
simply enjoying being out of the city. When it came crowds and the
such, I’d taken after my father.

I turned my face up to the sun as we trotted
through a clearing. Klora and Klard’s hoofbeats beat against the
hard dirt road.

“You know, these woods always make me
uneasy.”

My father grinned and glanced at me. “Why is
that?”

“I always feel as though I’m being watched.
We’ve been traveling almost two weeks now and for the past eight or
nine days, I could swear we were being followed.” I looked back
along the road and shrugged. Nothing.

“I think that’s your paranoia.”

I grunted. “I’ve a right to be paranoid. By
gods, if anyone ever found out…”

“I try not to think about it.”

“Sometimes I used to think aunty might say
something to someone.”

Both of us turned quiet, lost in our memories
of my aunt and uncle.

“I supposed since there’s just me and you who
know, we don’t have much to worry about anymore.” My father tried
to smile.

“I wonder if they’ve made any headway in
finding out who did it. It doesn’t make sense to me why anyone
would want to harm the pair.”

He took a deep breath. “Me neither.”

Klora reared as an arrow flew in front of
him, narrowly missing his chest, and planted itself in a tree to
our left.

“Woods!” My father gave Klard a kick and
turned him away from where the arrow had come from. I followed suit
and the two stallions crashed through the bushes. Klard gathered
himself and jumped over a fallen tree. Klora matched his sire’s
agility and launched himself over it as well. I gave him a quick
pat on the neck and steered him through the trees, showing which
way to go and letting him pick the way as he saw fit.