The King's Knights

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Destined Meeting

Fayn sped down the path while Lura kept pace without expression.

She'd left about the time they'd started the burnings. At that point, she'd stuck around too long already. Lura was with her, of course, she wasn't leaving without her prize. The woman was relatively silent, having had the situation explained to her. At least, they presented as much as Fayn wanted to.

Kiyora listened keenly, keeping herself out of it as much as possible. She made a mental note to keep her eyes peeled for anything odd about Fayn. Other than that, she decided to keep herself out of things. Unfortunately, doing this allowed her to see more of the land than Fayn.

Aklus had been busy. He'd slaughtered several shepherds and destroyed another caravan, killing everyone. You could see the bodies hewed and mutilated by the roadside. If the words of the locals were any indication, Hrunter had done nothing. As Fayn found out when speaking with a group of merchants who had been robbed.

"They say they're patrolling," said the man. "But we found the corpses lying by the road. Stripped completely bare. And later, when we got into town, we found that Hrunter was selling the goods those merchants had. I remember I saw some odds and ends I sold to them."

"Who robbed you?" asked Lura.

"We had the luck to run into Siguard," said the man. "If getting robbed can be called luck and offered us a chance to surrender. When we resisted, he beat us down and took our goods anyway.

"But he left us with supplies enough for the journey. We're likely ruined anyway, but at least we're not starving."

"Speak to Prince Aras," said Fayn. "If anyone can help you, it is him. I'll see what I can do about this when I get into town."

"Much obliged to you, milady," said the man.

And they moved on, Fayn considering how to handle things. It was obvious that something had to be done about Hrunter. If nothing was done, it would make Relma look weak at best. Complacent if things were worse. Or, worst of all, complicit.

They'd also have to do something to restore at least some of what had been lost to these merchants. Otherwise, it would look bad and make it seem like Relma didn't care. And it had to be done quickly before all these caravan seizures shut things down. Garrick was not here, but Hrunter was. Fayn would take care of Hrunter then and leave Garrick and Aklus for another day.

Kiyora realized this made Fayn the hero. Someone was going to pay for this.

She could sense that Fayn was just as angry about the fact as she was. It was the first time they'd been on the same page.

"Are you sure you can trust these friends of yours?" asked Lura.

"No," said Fayn. "But I don't have to. I just have to trust them long enough to finish what I need and cut them loose."

"That is a utilitarian approach to things," said Lura. "You sound like one of the Sathri."

"I'm not planning on becoming friends with them," said Fayn. "I'd much rather have someone who won't stab me in the back."

"Such things are a luxury," said Lura.

But they spoke very little after that point.

Lura seemed to admire the landscape around them, though she might be looking for enemies. Her gaze seemed to take in everything at once and yet nothing. Her eyes were glassy, as though they didn't fully contain the soul within.

Fayn brought up the subject of alchemy to cut the boredom, and Lura obliged. She spoke of mixtures and potions that could be used. As well as rituals that allowed one to track demons and general principles. Many were different from the meticulous methods Cervan had used. He'd always measured every bit of what he did to the smallest drop.