The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 43

Emeric felt nearly a hundred eyes fall on him as he entered the small village.  His skin prickled as memories of the Domes and all the spectators came to mind.  He remembered how their eyes had bored into him.  Now, entering the village with the help of the two men, he felt the same, judging, yet scrutinizing sensation coming from all the people watching him.

The only difference between the village and the Domes were that everyone watching him now were Etreshian like he was.  He could barely believe his eyes when he saw all the Rogues working together to complete daily tasks.  When he had grown up with his parents, he hadn't been aware of any Etreshian settlements.  He had always believed that he, along with his parents were among the last Etreshians left on Chayr.  Now, he saw, he had been evidently wrong.

As he was being lead to a building, he searched all the children's faces for Kedo, but the young Rogue was nowhere in sight.  He felt a slight panic rising up in him, but forced his emotions to stay calm. 

The door was shut behind him as the small party of warriors lead him into a small, yet spacious building.  The two men supporting Emeric eased him down onto a bench where he sat down gratefully.  His ankle throbbed with an unrelenting pain that made Emeric clench on his teeth almost permanently. 

"Thank you." He muttered as he tried, but failed to ignore the agony of his leg.  They'd done all the introductions on their way, now Radclyf gazed down at Emeric's leg.  "That doesn't look too great.  We'll have the physician take a look at it."  Emeric nodded his thanks. 

While they waited for the healer, Emeric frowned slightly, "How did you know to look for me?" He asked after a while.  Radclyf grinned slightly, "Your little friend told us about you.  We had scouts out searching yesterday, but when they returned with nothing we were quite ready to give up the search, with Elites in the area and all." 

Radclyf paused for a second then chuckled softly, "When Kedo heard we wanted to call off the search he brought out another side of his character that I wouldn't have thought existed.  For an eleven year old he can become quite a terrifying sight."

Emeric couldn't help but grin.  That sounded just like the young Rogue he knew.  "Anyway, we promised to go out searching once more.  I have to admit we were rather shocked when we found you.  We all thought that you were lost to the Elites."

Emeric bowed his head slightly, "Well, I'm in debt to you.  I don't think I would have gotten far without your help." Radclyf shrugged the words aside.  "Don't fuss about it.  It's what we do."

Before anyone could speak another word, the door flew open and a sour faced Etreshian strode in.  He glared down at Emeric with as much distaste as the spectators in the Dome.  He appeared to be in his forties, but his face looked older because of years of hardship.  His black hair was oily and combed back only adding to the unkept look that he reflected.

"Who is he?" He asked dejectedly.  Emeric felt uncomfortable under the judging eyes.  Luckily, however, Radclyf stepped in to spare him more discomfort.  "He's a new arrival.  Rescued him just now." Radclyf spoke in a calm voice, but he seemed weary of the sour faced man.

"Oh is that so?" Sour face asked rudely.  "If I'm not mistaken, Rad, there's a system to follow when new arrivals are brought in.  And he," The man pointed a malicious finger at Emeric, "He did not go through the system."  Radclyf sighed irritably. 

"He's injured Sarthen.  You can ask your questions after he's been treated."  Radclyf defended Emeric, but up against a hard headed, sour faced man like Sarthen, any attempt of negotiating was hopeless.

Sarthen gave Emeric a once over and then insolently concluded, "So what, he scratched his foot, doesn't look too serious.  He's not some wounded puppy."  Emeric was starting to feel offense at the man's words.  He, being Sarthen, cared about no one but himself.