A Warrior's Redemption

  *****

  Krista stood looking out the long glass window of her room. Silently she said goodbye to everything she had liked and found of comfort here in Santarus. Her entire world now consisted of the stuffed saddlebags at her feet.

  Her world was once again in an upheaval of change. She hadn’t really been surprised that Sebastian gave her to the tall warrior from the north. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She had kept her bargain with Sebastian to the letter. She knew in her heart that what he had done was what he had thought was best for her, but she couldn’t help the anger that rose up in her. Her old master had callously traded her like an expensive porcelain vase. Roric would treat her well and be a kind master to her, that she didn’t doubt, but their relationship would be much different than the one she'd had with Sebastian.

  It would be a far more intimate one and when he grew tired of her she would be shipped on to the next man and the next, until she was too old to be of interest to anyone and then she would be used to clean floors or some other low task until she finally found peace in death.

  “Krista, it’s time to go.”

  She turned, nodded at Rugar and stooped down to pick up the bags, but he beat her to it.

  “Thank you, Rugar. Thank you for everything you’ve always done to care for me.”

  His hard to read steely eyes were unusually clouded as he stared at her for a moment and then he offered his arm like a man of high society would to a lady and she took it as a high born lady would.

  Later in the twilight of the evening, Krista and Rugar stood waiting in a darkened alleyway near the inn where they were to meet up with Roric and Zarsha. Krista heard the clatter of a carriage draw near and then she saw it stop at the inn. She moved to step forward, but Rugar suddenly barred her way with one of his powerful arms. She looked at him questioningly, noting the tenseness of his body in response to some unseen danger in the darkness. He met her eyes and sharply shook his head. Krista looked back at the carriage before the inn.

  Roric and Zarsha had gotten out of it and the carriage continued down the street. There seemed to be no one around when suddenly shadowy figures seemed to materialize from everywhere and surrounded Roric and Zarsha.

  Krista gasped and turned to Rugar, “We need to warn Sebastian!”

  “No, it’s too late.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Just then there was the rumble of an explosion and a flash of light that lit up the evening’s gloom.

  Rugar finalized, “It’s too late. Come, we must leave this place at once before the dark ones find us.”