The Changing (21 page)

"But what have I done to protect you or take care of you that would have you think of me so?" Garret asked both honored and confused. "I have done nothing to merit such an appraisal."

"But you have, Garret. You gave me a shoulder to cry upon at the very moment I needed it most. You held me at the very moment I wanted to follow in my mother's footsteps and let go of everything. You were a friend to me in a place I have no true friends, and when I was on my knees in grief, you were there to help me back to my feet," Linaya replied, wetness clouding her eyes.

"I am glad that you look upon me as you do, Linaya. I hope that one day I can prove to myself to be all that you say I am. However, I have to remind you that it was I that brought you the news that led you to the moment you say was the lowest of your life," Garret replied.

"Yes, you were the one to deliver the news, but had it been any other soldier, messenger, or even another council member, in my weakened state they would have sought a chance to take advantage of me. Look at me, Garret. Do you not think me beautiful?" Linaya questioned.

"Yes," Garret confirmed.

"Flawless?"

"Yes."

"Do you find me desirable?" Linaya continued.

"Yes."

"Yet you did not move to take advantage as any other man would have," Linaya stated. "Why is that?"

Garret paused a moment, mulling the question over. It was true that just being in her presence made his body crave her. As he looked at her, each and every time, he found perfection. He did wish to have her and bed her, his body screamed with desire for her, yet just as she said, he had taken no move as to claim her as his own.

"I guess it is because of what my mother and father taught me when I was still very young," Garret replied, pointing into his past at the only thing he imagined would make him any different from the rest of the men Linaya had encountered over the years.

"And what is that?" Linaya asked truly curious.

"You should never take that which you have not earned," Garret replied honestly.

"I wish so many other parents had instilled such value in the men they reared," Linaya stated. "Would you like to know why you desire me?" she asked, and then continued without awaiting a response. "I am blessed by the goddess Tislynn, the goddess of beauty and attraction. I prayed for her blessing when I was very young so that I could be as beautiful as my mother, though I assure you the blessing has been more of a curse from the moment it was bestowed. It is unlike your blessing. I cannot simply turn it off; it is mine until the day I die, or until Tislynn thinks me unfit to have it. It seems to not have much of an effect on you Garret, and for that I think that someday I shall love you," Linaya said, a smile coming to her lips.

Garret simply stood dumbstruck. He had heard that there were those blessed with such beauty that they were cruel to behold, for after seeing one of them you would never find another to be beautiful. But Linaya was more than her beauty, Garret concluded. She was a woman burdened by the gift of a god to the point she had become reclusive in her chamber, which also explained why she snuck out in the middle of the night to get something to eat when she was unlikely to run into anyone else in the kitchens. Garret did not imagine Linaya serious with her last statement, however, at least not in the way she had said it. She had already called Garret a friend, and as such it was with the title of friend that he felt he may one day be bestowed with her love. Regardless of their relationship, whether acquaintance, friend, or any other for that matter, Garret had sworn himself to look after her, and now more than ever he was determined to be the person she could count on when she needed someone.

"Might I ask of you two favors, Linaya?" Garret asked.

"That depends," Linaya responded a grin upon her lips again. Garret found pleasure in making the young woman smile.

"Might I join you in the kitchen? I honestly cannot recall the last time I ate," Garret replied.

"Absolutely, I should love to have some company as it is a very rare occurrence these days," Linaya answered. "And your second favor?"

"Would you accompany me in the parade and funeral later this morning? I am to ride directly behind the cart that bears your parents and I think they should like you to be there," Garret asked hesitantly.

"Indeed I think they would. I would be honored to join you, Lord Garret," Linaya said accentuating his title.

"Just Garret please, I shall never grow used to the lord part," Garret chuckled.

Garret and Linaya strode side by side quietly down the empty corridors of the castle, taking their time to reach the kitchens and speaking of their childhoods and various other memories. They spent the pre-dawn hours in the kitchen talking happily like old friends of subjects both amusing and serious. They joked about what an odd pair they made, and Garret made it his point to bring a smile to Linaya’s lips as often as he was able. After a few hours of smiles and laughter, Garret walked Linaya back to her chamber so she could prepare herself for the parade and funeral, and Garret too left the castle to visit the knights' garrison to get ready as well.

For the first time in entirely too long Garret found himself in a hot steaming tub of water and allowed himself to relax. He let his mind drift briefly, though not too long as to fall asleep. As his mind drifted he could not help but think of his parents, back when he was a child in his home in the sleepy village of Vineleaf. He wondered how his father fared without him and Seth to help with the chores, though he imagined James was well and made due with the help of the neighbors. Garret’s mind continued to drift to thoughts of Seth, his own twin, who had been missing now for near a week, though Garret could not be completely sure as all his days seemed to bleed one into the other as of late. Even though Seth was missing, Garret believed him to be alive. Although he could not imagine how his brother might have managed such a feat, he still believed it to be true, though wondered what kept his twin from returning. Perhaps Seth feared that the people hated him for the death of the king, or perhaps Sara had been lost and Seth was out there alone somewhere suffering in grief. Garret had no way of knowing. But be that as it may, decided to rouse himself. Garret washed his hair and face quickly, and drying off with an overly large towel, grabbed a bar of soap and a razor on his way to his personal quarters.

Standing in front of the mirror that had been provided for him for exactly this purpose, Garret first set about trimming his hair, not a lot, but enough to keep it up off his shoulders. Due to a cowlick on the top of his head it was more of necessity that he keep it long than a matter of style. After he was satisfied he had not missed any stray clumps of hair, and that it was fairly even, Garret set about shaving away nearly two weeks of facial hair. The process was completed in short order, and Garret was satisfied that he had only drawn blood in a dozen or so different locations. Inspecting himself in a brief attempt at vanity, Garret was both amused and horrified to find that in the span of weeks it appeared he had aged several years. This he finally attributed to the dark circle around his eyes due to lack of sleep, and assured himself that once rested he would again be the strapping muscular man he had been a few short weeks ago.

Still looking in the mirror Garret began to relive the hours previous, going over the words Linaya had spoken to him in the corridor leading to the stairs. Though he could not figure out why, he could not help but shake the thought that perhaps she was correct in thinking that Sirus had somehow molded him to be exactly who he was today. Sirus had taken him in a mere boy with illusions of becoming a fierce warrior, and had guided him down the very paths required to perfect his good traits. Through study and training he had shaped Garret like a lump of clay into a man respected by those upon the high council. If Sirus and Sasha trusted and believed in him enough to leave him to look after their daughter, then why was it that he could not himself see the man that they saw in the mirror? It was a line of thought that would not last as Garret’s musings were cut short by an interruption from the hallway.

"Yer not gettin' any prettier no matter how long you look in that mirror," Zorbin said with a wide grin spreading beneath his bulbous nose.

Zorbin Ironfist was the single knight Garret had come to know as a brother thus far into his career with the order of the Knights of Valdadore. Zorbin was a dwarf born of the Rancor Mountains, and it was he who had been chosen with Garret in the last Choosing ceremony to join the order of knights. They had trained and studied together from day one. Together they had met every challenge and were blessed by the god Gorandor within a day of one another. Zorbin was short by human standards, though he was tall for a dwarf. He had a giant braid of hair down his back and kept his beard fashioned likewise.

Zorbin was a welcome sight.

"How are you Zorbin? I trust everyone made it back to the city unharmed?" Garret asked.

Zorbin had stayed behind with the common troops, the battle mages and the healers to lend a hand should they need protection on their return trip from the southern reaches of Valdadore.

"Aye, we made it all right," Zorbin replied in his deep guttural voice. "How fares the council?" the dwarf asked.

"It is well. All positions have been filled and I am happy to report that neither you nor I have been elevated to a position above our status," Garret said in his most regal tone causing Zorbin to chuckle deeply.

"’Tis a shame Lord Garret, I had so hoped to spend my days arguing about the cost of manure upon the eastern fields with all the muckity-mucks of high society," Zorbin said mimicking Garret’s tone.

"’Tis a shame indeed," Garret agreed. "Well, you have arrived just in time it seems. Why don’t you get cleaned up and ready for the parade and funerals. You've but a few hours. I'll brush down Zanth if you have brought him with you," Garret offered and just as he finished the sentence the giant wolf stuck his head in the room with his tongue lolling out to one side.

"Well met Zanth. I trust your pal here isn’t gaining more weight than you can bear?" Garret asked the giant dire wolf in jest.

Though the beasts could not talk, they were very intelligent creatures and after so many years amongst men, they had a moderate understanding of the language, and as such Zanth shook his head from side to side.

"See? Zanth knows the truth of things. Ye may be gettin' fat an’ old Garret, but I am as solid as the first day Gorandor blessed me. Pah, you must be gettin' soft sittin' around on yer arse with that council and all," Zorbin laughed as he turned to stride down the hall to his own chamber. Zanth simply sat himself in the doorway, waiting for Garret to dress.

As Garret said he would, after dressing himself he removed the dire wolf's armor and stacking it neatly, he brushed the great wolf down from head to paws, un-matting the beast’s hair and removing any loose fur from his undercoat.

"I hate to do it to you, Zanth, but we have to honor the king, so I'm afraid we have to put the armor back on. You should be able to relax tonight," Garret said.

Working the pile of armor in reverse this time, Garret strapped each piece back on the large wolf, checking and double checking every strap and buckle for a secure fit. Once finished he found a rag and quickly oiled Zanth’s armor in an attempt to remove any scuffs and return the shine. Noticing through a window that the darkness of the night was beginning to fade, Garret left Zanth to his own devices and strode down the hall to the armory to retrieve his own armor. Zorbin was already in full armor, and with time growing short, Garret asked if he would go collect Garret a pair of mounts from the stable. Zorbin of course obliged after thanking Garret for Zanth’s care. Watching the dwarf trundle down the hall, Garret entered the armory and began suiting up himself.

Garret heaved the great door to the knight’s garrison open with a single hand and strode out into the crisp early morning air. Zanth came padding out the door behind him, licking his chops having apparently found something to eat all by himself in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath in anticipation of the day to come, Garret could not wait for it to end so things could return back to some semblance of normalcy. The knights' number had been cut drastically by the battle with the black horde to the south and for that reason each of their duties would have nearly doubled, but even so, it was still a routine, and Garret liked the comfort that came with knowing what to expect next. Routines were a good thing.

As Garret exhaled his deep breath in a sigh, Zorbin came through the nearest gate leading a pair of white imperial war horses. These were a breed above anything else called a horse upon Thurr. The magnificent beasts were already groomed and saddled, their manes plaited neatly and their tails braided for the parade. Taking the reins from the dwarf, Garret bid him a short farewell, assuring the dwarf he would see him at the parade line-up. Mounting one of the great white steeds, Garret led the other at a comfortable gallop up the tiered courtyards of the castle, past the various other buildings and towers, to the castle proper.

Linaya awaited his arrival, standing alone in the shadow of the castle wall in an attempt to hide her face. As Garret approached the woman blessed with inhuman beauty, he slowed his horse, dismounting even as he brought the giant beast to a halt. Then leading the pair of beasts Garret walked the remaining distance with the horses trailing behind him.

"Why do you hide in shadow, Linaya?" Garret asked. "I know you feel your blessing a curse, but today ignore those who drool over you and pretend the spittle dripping from their gaping mouths are tears for the loss of so many good people," he added, bringing yet another smile to Linaya’s lips. "There, see? Embrace your beauty and use your smile for good such as making me feel better about myself," Garret added in jest.

"I am so happy to amuse you, Garret. How quickly we have become friends of the like to pick on each other’s flaws and fears," Linaya replied, adding to the joke.