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

been sure herself until that very moment. It was the wordsthat created the destiny. It was the choice that made her who she was.

But the long-dead queen of the Letharn had known. Heshuddered, thinking back to his time in those dismal tombs. He would never goback, and he wished he could forget them. But not what the queen had said.

The queen had known. What was it she had foretoldabout Ferla? Something along the lines of the quiet one whose name would echoacross the land. There had been more, but he had forgotten. Yet that wasenough. It could mean many things, but it was clear now that the queen knewFerla would become the seventh knight.

Her words were vague and hard to remember. It was also saidthat the dead spoke in riddles. But what had she said about him? If she wasright about Ferla, she would be right about him too.

He knew there was more, but he did remember this. It wassomething about him not being who he thought he was.

That brought a smile to his face. The meaning was clearenough there. He had thought he was the man destined to be the seventh knight,even though he refused that fate. But he was something else.

What else had the queen said about him? Something about aburden he had to carry and it would be heavier than most men’s. He wished hehad paid more attention. But maybe it wouldn’t have helped. That really was ariddle.

Gazing out at the forest far, far below he got the feelingthat change was in the air. It was like the world was breathless, waiting.Everything was silent. It was an uneasy feeling, and his instincts quickened tolife with the threat of danger and his heart thudded.

Diving and rolling, he drew his sword and came to his feetready to fight. He wore no armor today, but he went nowhere without the swordand he would sell his life dearly.

It was only Asana though. His teacher had approachedsilently, as was his wont. He had drawn no weapon, but this was part of histraining. Always he pushed his two students to hone their instincts and bewary. You could not fight a man if he stabbed you in the back by stealth.

Asana merely grinned at him, and slowly Faran sheathed thesword, but his heart still thudded. It was just a part of their daily training,but this much was different: Asana had never smiled before. But now his facewas lit up and his eyes danced with amusement.

Ever since the battle with Lindercroft, he had been likethis. It was as though he was a different man. He smiled and grinned and jestedconstantly with Kubodin.

But perhaps this was his real self. The man they had knownbefore was one who had believed he was soon to die. That had come out after thebattle as well, and Faran was even more in awe of him. He had taught hisstudents despite thinking it would ultimately cause his death.

“Nicely done, Faran.” Asana said. His lips still twitched.“I tried hard to sneak up on you then, but perhaps just now isn’t a good timefor our usual games. We’re still on edge.”

He said no more, but Faran read in his gaze what he thought.Faran himself was more on edge than anyone else, and he was right

“Shall we sit together a little while?”

They did so and looked out at the vast expanse of Alithoras.

“What troubles you?” Asana asked eventually.

Faran trusted this man, and he knew it would be good to getthings off his chest.

“I never wanted to be the seventh knight. And I’m glad it’sFerla instead. Although it puts her at even greater risk, but she’s willing toshoulder that responsibility. But I feel lost, myself. Who am I? What is mypurpose? Do I even have one?”

Asana nodded. “Troubling thoughts, to be sure.” He leanedback, placing his arms behind him. “I once had a friend. He had a favoritesaying, which was that it’s good to be normal.”

Faran looked out at Halathar. “Do you think that’s my lot inlife then? To be normal?”

Asana laughed. “You could wish it was so. Being somethingelse is dangerous. But in truth, you are anything but normal. My advice thoughis to wait and see. Ferla has found her destiny. Yours will come too. But don’tseek it out. A destiny is a dangerous thing. Let it find you, and enjoy yourlife as best as circumstances permit until then.”

They sounded like wise words. But they also gave theimpression that Asana knew something he was not saying.

3. The Mark of Danger

The next day, the little group left the mountain. Itwas past time that they did so, for danger grew rapidly every day they did not.

Faran thought they had timed it right, though. They hadneeded a few days to recover from their injuries. It would have done them nogood to escape the mountain earlier only to be waylaid in the wild somewhere andunable to fight properly. That was a death sentence.

Kubodin had suffered the worst injuries. But the little manhad shrugged them off quickly. He was not as well as he pretended though, yetFaran would still not like to take him on, injured or not. He had provedhimself nearly Asana’s equal as a warrior, but he also possessed some strangekind of magic.

They were headed down the southern slope of the mountain,the same side Faran and Ferla had first come up what now seemed long ago. Buton the brink, they all stood and looked back.

Faran was not sure what the others were thinking. It wasprobably along the same lines as him though. This was a goodbye. Probably evena final goodbye. The mountain had been home, and it was sad to leave it. Therewas beauty and peace here. There were memories too. Those at least, would comewith them.

He reached out and took Ferla’s hand. She squeezed his ownfirmly. They had both been through this before, but they were still alive andbetter equipped now to deal with what the future might bring than they ever hadbefore. It did not lessen the sense of loss though.

Kareste was the first to