Knights: Defenders of Ollanhar (Ollanhar Series Book 1) (14 page)

A
sullen-looking lad with brown hair and pimples peered around the big man,
arrogance in his gaze. He sneered at Aldreya.

“We’re
on an important mission,” said Aldreya. She hesitated, then added,
“However, I am willing to test the boy, and if he passes the test, you can
take him to Dremlock where he will be trained as a Squire.”

Blix
bowed several times. “Oh thank you, great Knight! That would make my
greatest wish come true. My son is such a fine and excellent boy. Really he is.
You have no idea!”

“I’m
sure he is,” Aldreya said. “But he still needs to be tested.”
She fixed her gaze on Taith. “Come to me, young man.”

Taith
didn’t move.

“Do
it, son,” Blix urged. Then he whispered something in Taith’s ear.

“I
hate Divine Knights,” said Taith. “They’re stupid.”

Blix
groaned, glancing helplessly at Aldreya. “Sorry, he needs to learn some
manners.” With that, he practically shoved the lad off the horse.

Still
bearing a sneer, Taith strode over to Aldreya. He gazed up at her. “You’re
beautiful. I’ll bet my father wishes you were his wife. Yet as poor and fat as
he is, no woman will look twice at him.”

Aldreya
seized his head, and Taith seemed paralyzed. She focused for a moment, her eyes
closed. Then she removed her hand.

“He
can go with you, right?” Blix pleaded.

“No,”
said Aldreya. “I sense a very weak Knightly essence within him, and his
character is lacking. He is not worthy of being a Squire.”

“Snobby
Birlote!” Taith hissed at her.

Blix
clutched his head in horror. “But you have to take him! I can’t stand
being around him anymore. He is destroying my life. He won’t listen to me. He
is horribly lazy, disrespectful, breaks things, makes threats, tries to harm
animals, and steals anything that isn’t nailed down.”

Aldreya
shrugged. “Perhaps you need to increase your discipline. It’s your duty as
a parent to find ways to punish him for such behavior and not the job of Divine
Knights. I have no urge to look after a spoiled, arrogant child. My duties
demand my full attention.”

Lannon
felt sorry for Blix, but he too had no urge to look after Taith. “If he
had Knightly essence, he could possibly be made a Squire. But lacking that,
there is no way Dremlock will take him.”

“Ollanhar
will not accept him either,” said Aldreya. “Agreed, Lannon?”

He
nodded. “We cannot accept him. Sorry.”

Blix
hung his head. “Then I will never have peace. I thought the Divine Knights
would help me. Seems I was terribly mistaken.”

“This
is not our fault,” said Aldreya. “It is yours. You were the one who
raised this child, and you seem to have failed in asserting control.”

“I
drank too much,” Blix admitted. “After my wife left me for another
man, I…I let things go even more. It has turned my son into a monster.”

“We
must move on now,” said Aldreya. “Farewell.”

“Actually,”
said Lannon, “I’m hungry, and this is a good place to camp. Why don’t we
stop for lunch?”

And
so they did—but the farmer and his boy rode off swiftly in the direction the
Knights were traveling without looking back.

The
Knights hoped that was the last they would see of them.

***

After
lunch, however, the Knights rode on for a few hours and then encountered the
boy again. He was muddy and standing alone in the foggy road. Taith still had
the defiant look on his face, though there was a shadow of pain and fear as
well. There was no sign of his father.

“Leave
me alone!” the boy snarled at them.

Aldreya
sighed. “Where is your father, Taith?”

Taith
shrugged. “Don’t know and don’t care. He abandoned me and rode on. Shoved
me right off his horse, and I hurt my arm.” He rubbed his forearm. “I
think that’s the last I’ll ever see of him. He told me he didn’t want to raise
me anymore, that I was worthless. He’s right—I am worthless.” His hands
knotted into fists. “I don’t care, though. I don’t need him or anyone
else.”

“You’ll
need food and shelter,” said Lannon. “We will look after you until we
find your father. I’m sure he couldn’t have gotten far.”

“You
won’t find him,” said Taith, “and even if you do, he won’t allow me
to stay with him. He’s done with me forever. I don’t have a father
anymore.” For an instant, he looked like he might cry. Then he shrugged it
off and glared.

Aldreya
nodded. “Regardless, you will be cared for. If we can’t return you to your
father, we will find you a suitable home. If nothing else, you can serve as an
Orange Squire at Ollanhar Tower.”

“I
won’t serve anyone,” Taith snarled, “and I don’t want any stupid
family. If you take me with you, you’ll regret it soon enough.”

“We
won’t regret it,” said Lannon. “And neither will you.”

“Climb
on my horse,” said Aldreya. “You can ride with me.”

“Better
do as they suggest, lad,” said Jace, leaning toward him. Taith shrank back
from the sight of the huge, cloaked sorcerer. “I’ve seen this sort of
thing before. A boy like you could starve to death out here or be eaten by
Goblins.”

“I’m
not afraid,” Taith insisted.

Aldreya
motioned to him. “Come and join us, Taith.”

He
didn’t move. He simply gazed at the muddy road with a sullen expression. Some
of the Knights began to grow impatient.

“How
are you going to eat?” Lothrin asked him. “Can you hunt for food?
Where will you sleep? I know all about wilderness survival, my young friend. I
am a Ranger. I can tell you that if you don’t ride with us, you do indeed stand
a good chance of dying out here.”

“My
cousin speaks true,” said Prince Vannas. “Heed his wisdom.”

“I’ll
make do alone,” Taith said, but his eyes showed uncertainty.

“Very
well,” said Jace. “Stay if you must, alone and unarmed, and we will
ride on. I wish you luck—for when the darkness comes, as it surely will, you
will need all the luck you can get. Sometimes the darkness is hungry in these
lands. It creeps up on those who walk alone. You should know the truth of
this.”

Taith
gazed at Jace and shuddered. Then he hurried over to Lannon. “I’ll ride
with you. Not her.”

Lannon
nodded, then lifted him onto the horse.

Jace
winked at Lannon, and they set off.

***

Lannon
found the boy to be miserable company. Taith complained about everything and
constantly shifted about in the saddle. He kept poking Lannon in the ribs to
get his attention and then had fits of anger when Lannon’s response was not
adequate—at one point punching Lannon in the spine hard enough to cause a
flash of pain. Lannon tried to be kind and patient, bearing in mind that Taith
had just been ruthlessly abandoned by his father, but it was difficult. Taith
seemed to find ways to deliberately irritate Lannon.

“Can
I hold that sword?” Taith asked, reaching for it. Lannon pushed his hand
away. “Is it made of bones? Are those human bones?”

“Dragon
bones,” Lannon mumbled, then instantly regretted it.

“From
a real Dragon?” Taith sounded skeptical. “I thought Divine Knights
weren’t liars, so why are you a liar?”

“I’m
not a liar,” Lannon replied. “They are Dragon bones.”

“Sure,”
said Taith. “Probably the bones of someone you killed.”

“Human
bones wouldn’t make a strong sword,” said Lannon, though he knew it was
pointless to argue.

“They
would if cursed with evil,” said Taith.

“Divine
Knights aren’t evil,” said Lannon.

Taith
again punched Lannon in the spine—hard enough to make Lannon wince. Lannon’s
face grew hot with anger. “Enough of that nonsense,” he said,
turning. “If you do that again, you won’t be riding with me.”

Taith
balled up his fist, but Lannon froze him with Eye. When Lannon released him,
Taith looked horrified. “What…what did you do to me?”

“Sorcery,”
said Lannon. “And I have more of it, so beware.”

“I
knew you were evil,” Taith muttered.

“I’m
not evil,” said Lannon. “Just angry right now.”

“Well
stop being angry,” said Taith. “I thought you were a wise Knight, not
someone who gets angry at children.” He shoved at Lannon’s back. “You
must be a sorry sort of Knight.”

Lannon
clenched his teeth and didn’t respond.

“Taith,
that’s enough,” said Aldreya, in a harsh tone. “If you continue to
misbehave, you will eat only vegetables for dinner.”

“Good,”
said Taith. “I hate meat anyways.”

“Then
you will only eat meat,” said Aldreya.

“Good,”
said Taith. “I hate vegetables.”

Aldreya’s
lips tightened. “You will learn to listen.”

Taith
made a rude gesture at her.

“Do
that again,” said Aldreya, “and you will eat
nothing
this
evening. You will go to bed without supper. Is that understood?”

“Hey,
I thought you were supposed to be nice,” said Taith. “Why are you
being mean to me when my father just abandoned me? Do you want to starve me?
Lannon wouldn’t starve me—right, Lannon?”

Lannon
nodded. “But you will receive proper discipline.”

Taith
shoved Lannon again.

“I’m
not being mean,” said Aldreya. “I’m teaching you proper behavior. If
you misbehave, there are consequences.”

“Like
beatings?” said Taith. “That’s what my father used to do, with a
plank of wood. But later I learned to pay him back for it—so he quit doing it.
I told him I would cut his throat in his sleep.”

“You
won’t receive any beatings,” said Aldreya. “Not when you ride with
us. But you will learn manners and respect. Trust me on that. I’m sorry about
the things that have happened to you, but they are beyond my control and yours.
We must focus on the here and now.”

“Focus
all you want,” said Taith. “I could care less. Focus is a stupid
waste of time. Right, Lannon?” He took to drumming his fingers on Lannon’s
back and humming loudly. “No focus! No Focus!”

Lannon
suspected that getting Taith to behave was going to be a long and difficult
process for whoever ultimately undertook the task. Lannon had no intention of
being the one to do it and he pitied whoever opted to fill the role. In fact,
the idea of facing Tenneth Bard again in a duel to the death seemed preferable
to dealing with this young man. Lannon couldn’t wait to get back to worrying
about the dangers of strange lands and war with Bellis.

***

When
they stopped for dinner near a Knightly Shrine, Taith wandered freely about the
camp, irritating people. Finally, when everyone sat down to eat, they realized
he was missing—along with several items.

“He
must have fled,” said Lannon. “I’ll go find him.”

“I’ll
go as well,” said Aldreya, her face showing frustration.

They
hurried off into the dense fog, following Taith’s trail. Lannon was easily able
to track him down. They caught him standing near a little stream, the bag of
stolen items slung over one shoulder.

Aldreya
snatched the goods from Taith’s hands. “That is theft, Taith. And being a
thief is offensive to the Divine Essence. It is also clearly immoral. I am very
disappointed in you.”

“I
don’t care!” Taith shouted at her. “You should have let me leave with
those goods. I could have sold them and bought food. You’ve ruined everything.
If you force me to come back to camp, I’ll do something to your horse when
you’re sleeping.” An evil glint shone in his gaze.

Aldreya’s
eyes widened. “You certainly will not!”

“Never
make such a threat again,” said Lannon, feeling disgust. “The
Greywinds are noble and innocent. Why would you ever harm one?”

“I
will do it,” Taith insisted, his voice cold.

“For
one thing,” said Aldreya, “it wouldn’t be wise. These are war horses,
Taith. They’re fully trained to defend themselves. They can kill quite easily.
I would hate to see something bad happen to you.”

Lannon
had had enough. He seized Taith’s shoulder. “Come with me to the Knightly
Shrine. I want to show you what Dremlock is all about.” When Taith didn’t
respond, Lannon raised his voice. “Do as I command, Taith.”

“Fine,”
Taith muttered. “I don’t want you using that weird and horrible sorcery on
me again.” With that, he followed Lannon through the fog. At one point
Taith stopped, and Lannon turned to gaze at him.

“Keep
following, Taith,” Lannon ordered. He raised his hand. “I can make
you follow against your will. You know I can.”

Taith
shuddered. “No need for that.”

Soon
the Knightly Shrine stood before them—an ancient stone dome with two statues
of Dwarven Dark Knights on either side of the door. It was a beautiful little
shrine, the white stone blocks overgrown with vines and a fountain ringed with
fairy statues standing next to the path. Lannon paused at the fountain drink
the cold, delicious water. Then they proceeded on.