The Clan of Outcasts (Seasons 1 and 2)

Part 5: "Blemish"

In The Castle

"Idiot!"

"Freak!"

"Traitor!"

The  words burned hotter and deeper than the three fresh wounds on her face.  Captain Edri Rodan caught herself questioning her actions—had she taken  the right course after all? She shook her head. A good soldier didn't  second-guess herself.

A palace guard, Justin, scooted off his bunk to intercept her on the way to hers.

"Is it true?" He asked. "What they're saying? Did you actually interrupt a circus?"

Edri pursed her lips. "I did what was necessary," she said.

"You're  saying that was necessary?" Justin snorted. "That man deserved to die;  now because of you the Council has been forced to assign him janitorial  duties to keep him out of sight!"

Edri huffed. "If they  intended him to die, they should have left off the armor!" She sneered  at the cowardice of the Ruling Council. Everyone knew that the Twin  Regents held the real power—but the Council had been around since the  start of King Balwyn's reign, and they would do what it took to maintain  power over the people. 

Justin still regarded her carefully. "They say he walked away without a scratch, yet everyone saw him get hurt multiple times."

Edri  swallowed; she definitely would have preferred facing down the lion  again, if it meant avoiding questions like these. "So? Maybe it's his  Gift; you know they only sacrifice Gifted people in the circus."

"It's not a sacrifice!" Justin retorted.

"What  else would you call it?" Edri demanded. "They broke no law, goodness  knows they did not volunteer, they are given no weapons—"

"He's  lucky the Council allows the provision of armor nowadays," Justin  offered this weak defense as Edri let her unfinished remark hang between  them. She remained silent and went about adjusting her boots.

"Flowers."

Edri brought up her head. "Excuse me?"

"The  Gifted man could make flowers; everybody saw him doing it when the lion  attacked. Everything was just flowers and blood. Then you stepped in,  and his wounds were gone." He never said it directly, but she saw the  knowledge in his eyes.

"People with gifts just need to learn to hide them," she quipped, and tried to walk away.

Justin's voice chased her. "Aye," he said. "They do."

Edri  shivered as she went out of the barracks, checking the cuff of her left  glove as she moved toward the assignments post. She hoped to be on Wall  duty; she needed the solitude.

She searched for her name, but  none of the areas bore it. Edri frowned as she approached the courier.  If any soldier missed their assignment, it was the courier's duty to  know all the positions and rotations, and a soldier had only to ask him.

"Edri Rodan, Sixth Battalion, reporting for duty," she announced.

The courier let a small smile twitch across his face. "No you're not," he said, producing a folded paper. "This is for you."

Edri  accepted the note and stepped aside to read it. The seal bore an  unfamiliar crest—but then again, the Twin Regents had only recently  claimed authority. If any seal were unfamiliar to a soldier of the  realm, it would be theirs.

"To Captain Edri  Rodan of the Sixth Battalion," it began. "Your brilliant display of  bravery during today's circus has brought your name into our regard. We  are agreed that it was certainly by your hand that this man was saved  today. Our castle could definitely use such a one as you, with the skill  you carry in your hands. We await no other response than for you to  present yourself to us. You are hereby assigned special duties of  patrolling the castle grounds for as long as you choose to remain a  soldier. The choice is yours. By all means, continue in your marvelous  service to the realm."