Death Or Fortune (13 page)

     We rolled
into town just as the sun was coming up. While I had a few things to do before
I could rest, I was looking forward to a real bed. Two weeks on the road had
taken its toll on me. All of us were a bit on edge, except for Hans. With the
festival coming up finding an inn wasn't easy but anything was better than
sleeping in that wagon another night.  Pare was one small bundle of raw
nerves, he thought for sure as soon as he stepped out of the wagon the town
someone would slap him in irons and haul him away. I tried to calm him down,
told him he had nothing to worry about.
"You just don't understand
Darmot, I can't get locked up again. You don't understand what it is like
having to hide from every guard, not to mention that crazy bounty hunter who lives
here."
     I just looked down at his face for a moment, I could
feel the fear coming off him in waves.  I could not believe it, this was
the same Pare who not all that long before was jumping onto the back of a young
red dragon.  Stabbing it, over and over again yet he was near white as a
ghost. When I asked him what bounty hunter, in a very small hushed voice he
said
"Windfall"
.  I just about died from laughing right
there on the spot.  Once I could breathe again I sat him down and asked
him just what he knew of Windfall.
"Half-elf, crazy strong and just
spooky. One minute, you are alone and then there he is, just appears out of
nowhere. He moves like a ghost and once he gets on your trail it is over."
It was all I could do to keep from laughing again. Truth be told, it was only
the look in Jasmin's eyes that kept me from doing so. So I took a deep breath
and told Pare not to worry but to stay in the inn until I returned.
     Once I was able to wash the road dust off, I put on
the finest clothes I had.  Dark leather breaches, black boots with a blue
silken shirt.  I then belted on my sword and my dragon skin cloak. I
retrieved the papers from King Roderick from my pack and went to find Hans.
 I wanted him to go with me, I figured since he knew King Darius it would
be a good idea.  I found him with Hetaron of all people, who was asking
Hans about where to find things in town.  I placed a single hand on my
friends shoulder and just nodded.  He held up a single finger asking me to
wait, I told him I would wait for him outside.  I stood out in the street
in front of the inn and had an odd feeling over take me.  I was home yet I
felt out of place.  I had changed since I was last on those streets,
changed for the better.  I looked around at the buildings, while it all
seemed the same. Everything had changed in my eyes. It was as if I was seeing
things for the first time.  It was all different, I was different, I was
better.  That was when I first saw her.

     
Shoulder length hair, black as the night with blue eyes that were hard and
cold.  If her clothing was any more form fitting, she might as well have
been standing there in nothing but her skin.  I could feel her eyes on me,
watching me, trying to size me up from the other side of the street.  I
felt a small chill creep into my bones as I rested my hand on the pommel of my
sword. My mind raced back to the Red Dragon Inn and the street beggar.  I
knew she was the same woman. She gave me a slight smile and nodded her head as
if she was reading my thoughts.  She then turned and walked away.  I
had half a mind to follow her when Hans came out of the inn. He had changed
into his formal robes leaving behind his armor and weapons.  With his
symbol of Solarth resting on his chest though, he had his most powerful weapon.
    
"Do you really think they are going to let you
see the king with that thing on your hip?"
he asked me with a slight
grin.  I told him that I was an Arcadian lord traveling with a priest,
they would just think it was for show.  Hans just shook his head at me and
pointed down the road.  As I expected, no one took a second look at my
weapon.  Then again they were all far too busy fawning over Hans the hero.
 Before long we were escorted into chambers with the king.  He was
different than Roderick.  I got a sense of something when looking into his
eyes.  I could not put my finger on it.  I just handed the papers off
to an aid to give him the papers, the request for Pare's pardon was on top of
the bunch.  I just stood back and watched him go over the papers while he
was speaking with Hans. With a word or two from Hans, the request for pardon
was granted.  He said,
"Provided the little bastard stays out of
trouble."

     With that
bit of business out of the way I turned my mind towards rest and going to see
my parents.  Hans walked out with me but after that he told me he was
headed to the temple.  He was going to try to catch up with his mentor.
 That and he had no desire to share a room with Hetaron and Pare.  I
took my time walking back to the inn.  I could not shake the feeling I had
earlier that day while standing in front of the inn.  Perhaps it was just
my paranoia getting the best of me.  The feeling of being out of place, a
stranger in a strange land.  The feeling that I was being watched.  I
looked around for that same woman, if she was watching me she was well hidden.
 Still, I could not shake the feeling that she was there somewhere.
 Waiting for the right time to strike.  Soon it was more than I could
take.  I quickened my step and made my way back to the inn.  I knew I
had to get a hold of myself or I was bound to make a mistake.  I did not
feel safe until I closed the door to my room back at the inn.  I looked at
my wife sitting there on our bed, brushing out her hair.  I did not get
any rest until an hour later.

     Later that
day, well towards evening I kept my word and took my wife to meet my parents.
 I remember seeing my old home again for the first time, wanting to run
away.  If I did not have Jasmin at my side, I would have turned around and
left again.  Instead I took her hand into mine and walked towards the
front door.  I knocked on the door twice, I could hear someone on the
other side walking towards the door.  A large man that I did not know
answered the door, he looked at me with one good eye, the other was covered
with a patch.  He reminded me of the old mercenaries my father used to
hire to protect his goods.  I told him my name and asked to see my
parents.  He asked me to follow him.  My father, thank the gods, was
not at home at the time.

     The first
time I had seen my mother in over two years and she looked just the same. She
held me tight for what seemed to be the longest time.  It was only when
she saw Jasmin that she let me go.  My mother, Lucinda fell in love with
her right away.  The two of them, took to each other like a duck in the
water.  When I asked where he was, the mood in the room changed.  I
thought for a small moment she was going to tell me that he was dead.  I
could have only been so lucky.

    
"He
will be home soon I imagine.  I do have something to tell you, it is
important that you do know.  About a year ago a young man showed up at our
door.  Half-elf, little wild eyed but he had a look about him that I knew
right away.  It would seem that your father has another son. I do not know
the entire story of how or when but he is a little more than a year younger
than you.  He came here to kill your father. It was the most horrible
thing I had ever seen. He came in the middle of the night, fought his way in past
two of Keller’s guards and found us in the dining room. He had a sword in each
hand, Keller tried to make his escape while I just sat there at the table in
shock. He knocked your father to the floor and drove one of his blades into
Keller's legs. I could not move I was so frightened."

    
"When
he looked at me, I saw it right away. He had that same look that you would get
in your eyes when you were upset with your father. He told me that his name was
Raell, that he was my husband’s son. He intended to kill your father for
something he had done. Something he had done to his mother. When the other
guards came in I thought the entire world was coming to an end. One of them
knocked him in the head with a club. I don’t know what came over me but I
stopped them from killing him.  I told your father that if he died, I
would leave him.  He was angry with me but I didn’t care.  He had his
men cart him away, he tells me that he is still alive. Your father still has a
limp from the wound he took.  It was such a horrible ordeal.  None of
that matters anyway, you are home now but I thought you should know."

     I was in a
state of disbelief at first.  Just to know that I had a brother out there
somewhere.  It was just another thing I hated my father for.  Then it
dawned on me, he had another son who he could not control.  It must have
irritated him to no end.  He lost me and he lost my brother.  No
matter how much he attained, he would never have the one thing he wanted most,
a son that would take his place in his imagined empire.  When he died, it
would die with him.  All he had now was his money.  While he still
has my mother, he does not own her.  I have often thought about going back
to Eystlund and bringing her home with me. Yet she wouldn't come, she fears
what he would become if he was left alone.  Yet being alone is all he
deserves.
     A few years later, my mother told me he showed up in
town again.  He thanked her for sparing his life.  He gave her a
broach that belonged to his own mother.  He told her that he woke up in a
cell somewhere, with no memory of anything other than his name.  A cleric
was able to help him, able to heal his mind.  He left town after thanking
my mother and never returned.  I would like to meet him one day. I would
like to shake his hand for trying to do the one thing I have always wanted to
do.  To kill my father for all the evil he has done.

     When my
father returned home I stood there waiting for him to enter the room.  I
would not go to him.  So I waited there with my mother and Jasmin with my
guard up.  He entered the room with one of his men.  He saw me and
his face hardened.
"So, given up on your adventure and come home a
failure. I expected as much."
He had not seen Jasmin and if he did he
was ignoring her.  I just looked him in the eye and shook my head.  I
could see the limp that mother told me about.  It was slight but still
there.  I told him that I had brought my wife back here to meet my mother
and to visit for a while, since the festival was coming.
     He took one look at Jasmin then looked back at me. I
could see him thinking, in my mind I was daring him to say something about her.
 I took one hand and placed it on the pommel of my sword as I had done
earlier that day.
"Let's go back to my office so we can speak."
I could only nod my head, wondering what it was that he had to say.  As we
walked into his office I noticed something new.  Magical runes were
marking the door frame.  I wished Hetaron was with me to tell me what they
were.  As the door closed behind us, his man stood by the door on the
inside.
"So tell me Darmot, what is it that you are really doing here?
 Did you knock that girl up and come here for a hand out?"
It was
all I could do to keep from laughing.  At the time I had more money than I
knew what to do with, today it is about double what I had then.  Yet I did
not want him to know that.  So I told him the truth that we just came down
so Jasmin could meet my parents.
    
"So perhaps you have come here to tell me of
all your success? I know about some of the things you have done. Did you really
think I didn't know my son had been named an Arcadian lord? I don't know how
you did that, just confirms my belief that Roderick is a fool."
I just
told him again why we were there. Yet I could feel him probing me, trying to
get a reaction out of me.  He wanted something that much I know but he
never did come out and say it. So I did the only thing I knew would anger him
and ignored it. When he asked me how long I was going to be in town, I told him
at least two or three weeks. That I planned on entering the tournament.
 Never let it be said that no matter how much I avoided him, that he did
not know me.
    
"So, what do we do with the little bitch when
you die?"
The look on his face was smug and my anger was white hot.
 I took one single step towards my father’s desk where he was sitting.
 I heard his man draw the blade, I just turned my head towards him.
 I was not going to shed blood in my mother’s home unless I was pushed
towards it.  I told him, I do not know you sir but I swear to all the gods
that if you do not put that away, I will make you eat it.  He stopped dead
in his tracks and locked eyes with me. He was a two bit thug, I was his better
and he knew it. He put his weapon away and moved back towards the door.  I
then turned back towards my father and said these words to him.
     "If you ever call my wife an unkind name again,
you will regret it. So unless you want a limp in both your legs, do not speak
of her again."
     I regretted my words as soon as I said them.  He
was testing me, testing to see how far I would go. He was testing to see if he
could still push my buttons.  I am not sure if he got the reaction he was
expecting.  I kept waiting for him to say something else, yet the words
never came. That was when I turned and left.  I returned to the room where
my mother and Jasmin were sitting.  I told my mother where we were staying
should she need or want to find us.  I then extended my hand to my wife to
lead her out.
"Don't you want to stay for dinner dear?"
My
mother asked me. I just smiled and told her that it wasn't a good idea.  I
pulled Jasmin to her feet and kissed my mother good bye.  As we were
leaving I saw my father coming out of his office.
"See you on the arena
floor son."
I just ignored him and kept moving.  As the outside
door closed on us, I could feel my anger starting to expire.
     We walked in silence for a good half hour before
Jasmin said anything.  When she did speak, all she could say to me was
"I'm
sorry."
I told her she had nothing to be sorry about.  It was not
her fault that my father was just a rotten soul but I was glad to see my
mother.  She gave me a faint smile and told me she was sorry again, sorry
that I had to grow up with such a horrible man and that she was glad I did not
turn out like him.  I often question myself and wonder if I am that
different from him.  While I do my best to do good work, there is blood on
my hands that will never wash off.  I make no illusions of my purity, my
soul is spotted from some of the deeds I have done.  I try to tell myself
that the ends justify the means, yet I know that isn't true.
     When we returned to the inn I found Hetaron waiting
for me. "
Come to my room Kromwell, I have something to show you."
I just nodded at him and walked Jasmin back to our room.  As she was
walking in I grabbed her arm and turned her towards me.  I told her I was
glad she asked to come. I hoped that by her meeting my mother and seeing my
father she might understand me a bit more.  Understand why I do the things
I do.  She just smiled at me and told me to go see what Hetaron wanted but
to hurry back.  She said this with a grin as she started to let down her
hair. As I closed the door I let out a single sigh.  Even all these years later,
the woman can still excite me in ways no other woman did.  I moved down
the hall towards Hetarons room, he told me to open the door even before I
knocked.

      He
had his carpet laid out on the floor and was handing me a potion.
"I
learned quite a few things today Kromwell. That potion in your hands is the
last of its kind anywhere in the entire kingdom of Eystlund. Sure, more can be
made but it is costly and takes some time. I want to show you what it can
do."
I watched as he stood on his carpet and made it hover into the
air.
"Now, open the vile and let a single drop fall onto the
carpet."
I did not question him I just did as he told me. Soon after
the potion touched the carpet he sank back to the floor.
"Try as I
might, this will not go back up. It is nothing more than a rug now and will be
that way for at least another fifteen to twenty minutes. The potion strips an
item of its magical properties for a short time. Do you know why that is the
last bit of that potion?"
I just held up my hands, I honestly had no
clue.
"This tournament you want to fight it, that potion sells out
every year around this time. Fighters trying to get an advantage use it so
their items will pass any magical inspection.  By the time they have to
fight, the magical properties have returned and will give them their advantage
back. Unless you plan on letting your pretty wife watch you get gutted, you
might want to use that or forget any notion of fairness."
     I looked at him and asked him if he was sure.
"Ask
the halfling if you do not believe me. He was there."
As we were
talking, Hetaron and his carpet started to rise into the air again. While I had
my doubts about what he said, Pare wouldn't lie to me.  He would tell me
the truth and he did just that later on at night.  There was a lot of money
bet on the fighters each year.  There was also a ten thousand gold purse
to the winner of the fight.  More money than some men would see in a life
time. The more I doubted just what Hetaron was telling me, the more it made
sense. People were going to use every advantage they had.  They have been
doing it for years.  There was more than gold on the line, people could
and did die.  Hetaron told me to take the potion, it was clear I was going
to need it.
     The following morning I went to sign up to take part
in the tournament.  Looking around, I saw men with the same bottles,
rubbing it into their gear. As they were inspected, if they passed they were
then tested by the games master.  To see if they had any business taking
part.  I was standing in line, waiting my turn when I heard a soft voice
behind me.
"Lord Kromwell, good luck. I hope you bow out before you get
to me. I would hate to kill such a fine looking man."
I turned to see
just who it was speaking to me and saw her face again. Her dark hair hung down
framing her face, it made her cold blue eyes stand out.  I asked her who
she was. She gave a slight bow at the waist and smiled,
"My name is
Cynthia.  I am serious, get in my way and I will kill you."
She
then gave me a small laugh and rubbed her hand up and down my arm.  While
the sound of her voice made my blood run cold, she was warm to the touch.
  She was, very warm.  It was then that I noticed just how
beautiful that she was.