Chapter 10
The Roof
Hand over hand Kortin climbed the narrow ladder to the top of the building that housed the living quarters he shared with his family. He pulled himself over the ledge and stood on the roof, feeling the stiff breeze of the cloudy day toss his hair about. This wasn’t the tallest building in the area, but seven stories up did make for a great panoramic view of the city. Kortin would have come up to the roof more often, but he had been told not to. So why risk it?
Today, however, he had come in search of his brother. Tareth was there, on the far side of the roof, looking over the ledge. Kortin knew his brother didn’t come up here very often either, so he’d been surprised when his sisters had told him that’s where Tareth had gone. Their mother was off trying to barter for some food or bread or anything really, and Kortin had just gotten home from school. Tareth was supposed to be watching his younger sisters, but instead, he was on the roof.
Tareth hadn’t been quite the same since he had come home from the Keep a few days ago. He had barely gotten out of bed since then and rarely had an appetite. Kortin’s mother said he had been through a traumatic experience and would need some time to recover, but Kortin saw something else in his brother that worried him. There was a distance in his eyes; a vague look that seemed withdrawn and not completely there. It’s like not all of Tareth came back from those dungeons.
As Kortin crossed the roof, he called out to his brother. “What’re you doing, Tareth? You know we aren’t supposed to be up here.”
But Tareth didn’t turn around, instead keeping his eyes on the street far below.
“You okay?” Kortin asked, coming up beside his brother.
Another moment passed before Tareth spoke. “It’s nice up here. I like how small everyone looks. And how big I feel.”
Kortin turned his gaze over the ledge and watched the people moving about in the streets. They did look small, crowded together between the buildings on either side. But Kortin didn’t keep his focus on the people for long and instead, brought his eyes up to the look out over the other rooftops to the horizon in the distance. He looked past the walls of the city to the treetops of the forest and the river beyond. So far away.
He glanced back at his brother. “What happened to you in the dungeons?”
Finally, Tareth took his eyes off the people below and turned them on Kortin. And for the first time since Tareth had gotten arrested, Kortin saw a presence in his brother’s eyes. He saw a burning and excitement in Tareth again. But instead of giving Kortin hope that his brother would eventually be the same again, it made him scared that Tareth was getting farther away. There had always been a mischievous gleam in Tareth’s eye, but now, that gleam seemed dangerous.
“You want to know what happened?” he asked, a slight smile curving the corner of his lips. “Something wonderful happened.”
Kortin studied his brother, almost wanting to take a step back. Tareth hadn’t always been the most upstanding citizen, but Kortin had never before been nervous to be around him.
“I learned I don’t have to be afraid,” Tareth continued, turning now to face the horizon. “I was taught that I have a power. A power that I can use. A power that’s inside us all.” His eyes came back to Kortin. “You just have to let it in. You just have to open yourself up. It’s waiting out there for all of us; you just have to let it take you.”
Kortin stared at his brother as if he was looking at a stranger. “What are you talking about?”
Tareth laughed, and suddenly, the gleam left his eyes. “You wouldn’t understand. Not yet anyways.”
Kortin didn’t know if he’d ever understand what his brother was talking about. He had never known Tareth to want power or be afraid of anything. What did they do to him in the dungeons?
“Com’n lets just get back downstairs before Mom gets home,” Kortin suggested, stepping away from the ledge.
Tareth nodded, the distant cast back in his eyes. He looked at the people below once more before turning to follow Kortin. But then he stopped. Kortin was puzzled until he heard a voice behind him.
“I thought we told you two never to come up here again.”
Kortin looked over his shoulder and saw the two people he definitely did not want to run into while on the roof. Loris and Prulk were the meanest kids in the building and had bullied Kortin and Tareth on more than one occasion. They were two years older than Tareth, and though Loris wasn’t much bigger, Prulk was large enough to lift Kortin off the ground with one hand, which he had actually done before.
“Do we have to teach you another lesson?” Loris continued. Kortin backed up to his brother as he remembered the previous encounter between the four of them. Kortin’s bruises had taken over a week to heal, and that was only because Tareth had taken most of the hits.
“Look Loris, they seem scared,” Prulk laughed.
“I think you’re right,” Loris returned. “But you know, they don’t look quite scared enough, Prulk. I mean they are up here after all.”
“That’s true. Maybe we should show them the quickest way down from up here.”
Kortin felt his body tremble as he took another step back. The two bullies were laughing to themselves, while they continued to throw out possible ways that they could teach Kortin and his brother a lesson. This is our chance to get out of here.
The ladder was still on the far side of the bullies, but Kortin thought he and Tareth could make a run for it and maybe the bullies wouldn’t pursue. It seemed like the best option. He just had to get Tareth’s attention.
Tareth was in front of Kortin now, so Kortin reached out and tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “Com’n Tareth. We can make a run for it.”
But Tareth didn’t turn. Instead, he did the opposite; he stepped towards the bullies. They were still distracted by the humor of their own twisted jokes and didn’t notice Kortin’s brother moving towards them.
After a couple steps, Tareth stooped down and picked up something off the rooftop. He hid whatever it was in the folds of his sleeve before Kortin could see the object. It didn’t seem that important to Kortin at the moment anyways, for his mind was still trying to comprehend what Tareth was doing. The dungeons definitely knocked something loose in him.
Kortin was about to just tackle Tareth before he did anything stupid, but then it was too late.
“Now, what do we have here?” Loris said as he and Prulk faced Tareth.
“You come to beg for mercy?” Prulk chuckled.
“Oh, I hope not,” Loris chided.
At last, Tareth stopped, and Kortin’s breath caught in his throat as he waited for what was going to happen next.
Then Tareth spoke. “I don’t want to harm either of you, but I think it is only fair to inform you that this is now my roof. You do not get to make the rules anymore.”
A long moment ticked by in silence before the bullies burst out laughing. “Are you serious?” Prulk asked.
“It looks like he is!” Loris chimed in.
Kortin couldn’t believe Tareth was still standing there. What is he doing?!
“I’m starting a group,” Tareth said as if answering Kortin’s unspoken question. “You two are invited of course. I could use a couple of guys like you.”
Now, the bullies weren’t even laughing. They were just staring at Tareth as if he was some weird creature they’d never seen before.
Then Prulk turned to Loris. “Is it time to beat his face in yet?”
“Yes, I think so,” Loris answered.
“Finally!” Prulk exclaimed, starting forward with his chest puffed out and a grin on his face.
Kortin didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t look away. He wanted to help, to do something, but he froze. Fortunately, Tareth didn’t need any help.
From where he had hidden it up his sleeve, Tareth pulled out a foot long metal pipe, which he swung with the full force of his whole body. The bully had no time to react, not even to raise his arms. Kortin cring
ed as the pipe collided with Prulk’s head. The impact made a sickening thud, and Kortin watched in horror as the bully instantly crumbled to the ground.
Tareth, meanwhile, was already on the move again before the dust had even settled from Prulk’s face-plant. But this time Tareth had his sights set on Loris, who was staring with his mouth hanging open.
Lunging forward, Tareth slammed the end of the pipe into Loris’s belly, doubling him over. The bully coughed and choked as he fell to his knees, ending the fight before it had even really begun.
But Tareth wasn’t done just yet. He grabbed Loris by the hair and tilted the bully’s head back. Loris had fear in his eyes as he looked up at Tareth.
“I told you this is my roof now,” Tareth said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I’m having a meeting here tomorrow night for my new group. If you’d like to join me, I’d welcome it. If not, that’s fine. If you’d rather try to inflict some sort of revenge, well you’ll know where to find me.” Then Tareth leaned in close. “But you better come at me with more than just a few silly threats. I won’t be alone next time.”
Tareth let go of Loris’s hair, and the boy fell to the ground still clutching his stomach. Then Tareth dropped the pipe next to the two bullies and walked casually towards the ladder.
Kortin stood there in the breeze of the rooftop and felt paralyzed. He’d watched his brother steal and cheat and lie, but he’d never seen him do anything violent. It scared Kortin down to his very core.
When Tareth reached the ladder, he swung around and was about to start down, but then he noticed Kortin on the far side of the roof. “You coming with me?” he called out.
Kortin stared at his brother. Am I?