The Sworn Knight, Robert Ryan [good beach reads .txt] 📗

They guard well their own, and they’reindependent. They might be small in number, but they’re fierce and strongdespite that.”

“You represent them well,” Asana said.

“Maybe, but despite being fierce, we have a strong sense ofloyalty and honor. But we can be ambitious. In some, that trait runs strong. Iwasn’t the firstborn son, so I wasn’t set to inherit rule when my father died.And he was close to death about the time you rescued me.”

Kubodin took a sip of water. Ferla had seen him guzzle beer,but he treated the water as a dangerous thing, taking only enough to wet hismouth.

“My older brother was in line to rule, and in truth I had nodesire to do so. My life was good, and I had few responsibilities. I practicedwith my axe, I ate and drank and … spent time with a number of youngladies.”

He looked at Ferla, and she felt herself begin to blush, butshe did not look away.

Kubodin laughed, but then he grew very still. “Life was goodto me, but by chance I discovered something I was not meant to. My brother waspoisoning our father. He could not wait to take the rulership. He wanted itthen, and he wanted it badly. I denounced him publicly, but I’m not sure thatmy father even understood. He was deathly ill, with perhaps only a few days tolive.”

Asana stirred, but he said nothing. Ferla was sure there wasa glint of tears in his eyes though, but he blinked and they were gone.

“My brother denounced me in turn,” Kubodin continued. “Heaccused me of the very crime he had himself committed. And because of hisstation, he commanded soldiers and I did not. He had me taken captive and thrownin the village prison. It’s little more than a pit in the ground with iron barsset in stone to secure the ceiling. Three days I spent in there, with neitherfood nor water and facing certain death. For I knew the council of elders wouldside with him. He had cultivated them well, and my father had annoyed them.There was great corruption among them, and they often took bribes to settledisputes. My father had killed several that he was able to prove had done so.But my brother was different. With him, they knew things would return to theway they had been.”

Kubodin turned and spat. It was a disgusting habit that hehad, but Ferla ignored it. The man was far more than his bad habits suggested.

“Three days I spent in that prison, and I came to rue myinattention to politics. I had time to think too, and I wondered about thedeath of my younger brother. It had happened during a hunting trip, and somehowhe was killed by arrow. It was thought to be an accident, and no one knew whohad sent the shaft flying in the pre-dawn dark. But now I can make a guess.”

The sun was rising higher outside the shelter of theirtrees, and it was past time that they rested, but no one was ready for thatnow. They listened to Kubodin with all their attention.

“I had word on the last night that I would be executed inthe morning. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep. And that was just as well.”

Kubodin looked at Ferla, and to her surprise he winked ather.

“Even though there were a pair of guards set to watch myprison, with a horn to call for aid should anyone attempt to rescue me, a girlI knew, at great risk to herself, had recovered my axe and slipping past them whisperedto me and lowered the weapon. I’ll be forever in her debt.”

Ferla grinned. Kubodin was not like Faran at all, but shecould understand why a girl would help him. He was impossible not to like, andno one would ever doubt that he was loyal and would stand by a friend’s sideuntil death. For all his imperfections, he was perfect.

“I slept well after that, fearing nothing. For I had my axe,and though weak and tired I could still wield it. When they came for me atdawn, I was ready, and I slew the five men sent for me when they opened theprison. Then I ran, finding a pony and fleeing for my life.”

He shuddered then. “That poor pony died a terrible death.For my brother came after me with his men, and it seemed they filled the hills.And they had beasts with them, foul and terrible and summoned from some otherplace. My brother had a shaman in his retinue, and he it was I believe whosupplied the poison to kill my father. And he was rumored to perform terriblerites of sorcery, which I learned was true. One of the beasts killed the pony,but I killed the beast. But now I was not just tired and weak, but badlywounded. I left a trail behind me that I could not hide, and it was of blood.”

Kubodin sipped again at the water. “Two days I fled, as bestI could, but a group of my brother’s men caught me. A pity that my brother wasnot among them. For if he was, you would have killed him, Asana. Then again,that pleasure may yet be mine, one day, so it is just as well.”

The little man ran his hand along the blade of his axe, andFerla knew that in the future there would be a reckoning between him and hisbrother.

“Anyway, you know the rest of it. You saved me, Asana, evenas I was close to death. They were trying to make my torture last until mybrother arrived, but I’m not sure I would have survived that long. And youhealed me too after we escaped, and those were dark days and the memory dimbecause of the fever that gripped me.”

Kubodin stood and bowed. “Thank you again, Asana. I’m sorryI hid this from you, but does it make any difference to anything? Anyway, Iwanted to forget my past. My father was probably already dead by then. But thetruth is, the past can no more be forgotten than the future predicted. Fromthat day onward, there has been nothing but death at home for me, and