***
“Well, what do we have here?” the bartender asked, smiling at Kyrin when she walked in. The bar was mostly empty and smelled of weak alcohol and strong vomit. There were several dart games and archery targets on the wall, along with a blood-stained fighting ring in one corner.
Kyrin smiled sweetly and sat down at the bar. This was something she and Creteloc had done before. It was almost a game. Now they were deep into Qualsax and ready to play their game on the unsuspecting followers of Erianah.
“I could use a drink,” she said, and slid a worn gold piece across the bar. She made sure and leaned over slightly and flashed her eyes up at the bartender.
He was smiling down at her with dark, chipped teeth, and she could smell his horrid breath from across the counter. “I haven’t seen you around.”
“I’m not from here. Just passing through,” Kyrin told him. She grabbed the glass and took a long drink of a foul tasting yellow liquid. It brought fire into her stomach, and she almost threw up but managed to keep it down. Alcohol was never her thing. If she wanted something to drink, water was what she went after.
“You’re pretty young to be out here alone.”
“I’m old enough,” she said, and smiled coyly at him.
“Sal, look what came into the bar,” the bartender said to a man behind Kyrin.
Kyrin turned and smiled. “Hello.”
The man was huge, with scars along his face that almost blocked his right eye. He had a crow tattooed across his neck and a long sword at his side.
“Are you from Qualsax?” Sal asked, sitting down beside her.
“No, I’m just passing through.”
It was less than 30 minutes later that Kyrin left with the warrior, Sal, and promised to take him out into the trees to show off her new horse. Sal had other plans, and now Kyrin knew what they were. She’d always assumed, wrongly, that they followed her out into the trees to kill her, but she knew Creteloc was waiting. Now she realized their true purpose for taking her out into the woods alone, and it infuriated her.
Far from the Qualsax city, Kyrin turned to Sal. “Ozehshiesh.”
He froze, just as his mouth formed the question about her word. Creteloc moved swiftly into the small clearing. “That was fast.”
“These ones aren’t very bright.”
“Let’s finish then. Daemionis doesn’t want to have to face Erianah over this one,” Creteloc said, and drew out her dagger.
Kyrin stood back and watched as Creteloc harvested poison supplies while the helpless Qualsax tried to scream. She always got half of the harvest but knew not to interrupt Creteloc and to let her work. Her spell let the assassin do her collection in quiet, without risk of the victim screaming and catching the attention of someone passing by.
“Anything else?” Creteloc asked as she stored vials into her bag.
Kyrin reached forward and pulled off the Qualsax amulet, the one that would disappear when he died. “That’s it.”
“Remember what I told you about the heart?” Creteloc asked.
“Yes, Daemionis has no use for it, but it’s the life-force of the body and should always be given in thanks to the wolves.”
“Good girl.” Creteloc cut the Qualsax’s heart out and his terrified eyes finally glazed over in death, just as she tossed the heart into the woods. Wolves descended and fought briefly before one of them took off with it.
“I hope that appeases Daemionis,” Kyrin said.
Creteloc watched her. “He’s going to be watching you closely now.”
“I know.”
“That was a stupid move, Kyrin. I couldn’t believe it when Daemionis told me you chose Alric over him.”
“It wasn’t like that. I swear. I’m on a mission here, and I’m not going to jeopardize it. Had I given that child over to Daemionis, I would have been ostracized from Valhara and then Daemionis would lose his foothold in Paragoy. He’ll see that soon. I’m sure of it.”
“You can keep telling yourself that,” Creteloc said, “or you can admit that love ruled out over loyalty in this case.”
“I don’t believe that though.”
“It’s true. However, I do see your point and will bring it up to Daemionis.”
“Thank you. He trusts you more than he trusts me.”
Creteloc shook her head. “He trusts no one.”
“That’s true.”
“I must go now.”
“Why? Can’t you stay for a bit?”
“Here? No, I don’t belong here.”
Kyrin sighed. “I know. Everyone here is just so prim and proper. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I get back either.”
“What do you mean?” Creteloc asked, and turned to her.
“Well, Alric and Sithias know that we came out to kill someone. They aren’t going to take kindly to that.”
“Are you afraid you will be imprisoned?”
“That or punished,” Kyrin said, mounting her horse. “Of course, I’m beginning to realize that Alric’s unique. He’s not like the men in the dimensions, and he may see my side.”
“You give him way too much credit.”
“I trust him, Creteloc. I wish you could see how he truly is.”
“I do see how he truly is. He’s like every other man I’ve ever encountered.”
Kyrin smiled softly. “He’s not though. He’s kind, and he cares about everyone here, including me.”
“You’re delusional.”
“I better go find out, one way or the other, what’s going to happen.”
“If you’re afraid of what they will do, then do not return.”
“Come with you?”
“No, Daemionis wishes you to stay here. Maybe you need a place to go, away from Valhara.”
Kyrin looked back toward Qualsax. “They don’t seem like the kind of people I want to live with either.”
“I mean a home of your own.”
“If Daemionis can build a temple here, that can be my home.”
“And for now?” Creteloc asked.
“For now, I’m going to go back and get my things and the nicker.”
“You still have that vile little creature?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll see how things go, and if it’s bad, I’ll shift out and come back to Boriana ruins. I’m sure there’s a cave or something I can live in around there.”
“You are probably on your own for a while. You know that, right?”
Kyrin looked at her. “Is he really that mad?”
“Yes. Sacrificing a child is a great honor. He’s not happy that you denied him that.”
“Perfect”
“Watch it around Sithias. If I were you, I wouldn’t speak to him again, and avoid him if you can.”
“I will.”
“Also, stay here. Don’t shift, even if your life could depend on it.”
“Why?”
“Daemionis wishes you to stay here. Don’t push that just to save your own neck.”
Creteloc looked once more at her and then disappeared.
The ride back to Valhara seemed dauntingly long. She kept running through scenarios in her head, to make sure she didn’t get caught off guard. She wasn’t sure if she would be arrested the second she stepped foot into Valhara, or if they would just ignore her and treat her like she didn’t exist.
She’d left too many things in her room though, not the least of which was the nicker. Just after passing into Valhara, she encountered two of the knights out on night patrol. They both watched her but didn’t act like they wanted to grab her and haul her off to jail.
The castle seemed quiet as she dismounted. The portcullis should have already been shut but had been left open, and six knights, Finn included, were standing around it.
“It’s about time you returned,” Finn said, smiling. “We can’t shut this thing until you get inside.”
She was shocked. Finn wasn’t acting like he even knew what she?
??d been doing that night. Kyrin still wondered if he was going to grab her when she walked past him, so she skirted around the knights and then started up the stairs without incident.
Alric looked up when Kyrin came into the room. She could tell that he had been talking to Sithias, but she didn’t see the god anywhere.
“Are you okay?” he asked her. Though she could tell he was fighting to remain calm, it was obvious he wasn’t happy about her actions.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you staying here?”
She swallowed hard. “I haven’t decided.”
“I wish you would.”
“You do?” she asked, frowning. She was sure that Alric and Sithias were going to expel her from their kingdom once she returned.
Alric smiled. “Of course I do.”
“But…”
“I know what you did tonight. I also know that you think you didn’t have a choice.”
“I always have a choice.”
He just nodded. “I have your dinner here, in case you’re hungry.”
Kyrin sat down to eat but instead just looked over at Alric.
“I’m not mad, okay?” he said when he saw her watching him.
“How can you not be mad?”
“I’m just not.”
“You know that I…”
“Yes,” he said, cutting her off. He didn’t want to hear details of her exploits with Creteloc that night.
She just nodded and then whispered, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For proving Creteloc wrong.”
Alric sat down next to her. “What did she say about me?”
“She doesn’t trust you.”
“Neither do you.”
“I do too. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you.”
“I’ll admit that you trust me more than anyone else. I just wish you would trust me completely.”
“What makes you think I don’t?”
“The way you walked in here. You acted as if I was going to turn on you.”
Kyrin smiled slightly and then started to eat.