A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind) (12 page)

I had been soaked in sweat, as if I had just come through a grueling ordeal. My actions had seemed to amuse him and he had started to laugh in an inhuman squalling cackle that
was nerve jarring. He’d cackled insanely the rest of the time that remained before his match began.

Coming back to the present I continued studying the hooded figure within the room, noticing the similarities I felt that he shared with the crazed arena fighter from the past.

Suddenly, he spun in my direction seeming to sense my study of him somehow. I ducked below the window sill, and even though I was sure that I hadn’t been seen by him I still felt exposed to the whole world, as I clung to the side of the citadel beneath the window.

A pain filled cry emanated from inside the room, “Run Roric! Save yourself!”

After a brief moment of hesitation I flung myself reck
lessly back down the way I had climbed up the side of the citadel vowing to myself to avenge Treorna’s suffering, if it was the last thing I ever did. I leaped onto the remaining horse and raced out the side gate moments before it clanged shut.

I had barely made it thirty yards past the gate, when I was almost knocked from my saddle by a blow to my back. Holding onto the pommel of the horse, with one hand to keep from falling I reached back and felt for what had hit me. An arrow shaft was lodged deep in my side.

I couldn’t do anything about it now. I had to get away from the city first. The whole citadel had suddenly come alive like someone had kicked over an ant hill.

I made my way rapidly out of the city following the same route I had taken into it earlier in the day, only this time pur
suit was close behind.

Marfoul turned away from the window and made his way back over to Treorna.

Treorna looked up at him, with clarity only given to those near death sometimes and said, “That man is going to be used as part of the Creator’s plan that even you won’t be able to stop!”

Treorna wheezed painfully for breadth and Marfoul chuckled. “My dear you would have to possess means far above the primitive implements of this world to hinder me in my work.”

“That can be arranged, as well you know.” Treorna gasped out.

Marfoul, angered by her words hissed, “Where do you summon up the nerve to tell me about things you know noth
ing about? You stupid little priestess! Look at you lying here, all pathetic and wasted of life! Are you going to tell me that someone
like you, who has done our will and our bidding all this time could possibly grasp or have any understanding of the limitations we are held by?”

“Yes.” Treorna said softly, as her eyes began to glaze over.

Marfoul, seeing her close to death grabbed her head and forced her to look at him. “My master has all the power here! If you thought your suffering was almost over, think
again priestess! Soon you’ll leave this mortal world and en
ter my domain where I will personally see you suffer far worse things, for the length and breadth of all eternity. There is no hope for you anymore do you hear me?” Marfoul said, as he shook her head roughly.

Treorna’s eyes opened briefly once more and she said, “My name is Treorna. Remember it well, because you’ll hear it again before your cast out of your habitation. I ceased my priestess duties for you long ago in order to serve the will of my Creator instead. I will join into what the Creator’s Son has prepared for those who believe and walk in the ways of the Creator and there is nothing that you can do to stop me, but your portion will be as you claimed for me, an eternity of hell fire and damnation!”

Marfoul reared back from the table madly and a dagger materialized in his hand. He rammed it, with all his force down through Treorna’s heart, but she was already gone. Her face despite all the pain she had been made to feel was wreathed in a peaceful smile, which only maddened Marfoul more.

The sentries outside the door abandoned their posts and ran blindly down the hall to get away from the hellish tantrum going on within the room they had been unfortunate in being tasked to guard. The demented screams of their master chased them down the hall.

I leaned heavily into the mane of the horse that I rode. The mane was thick with lather, and through the fog my
brain was lost in I registered that neither I nor the horse were going on much farther.

The horse stumbled into a depression and caused the broken off arrow shaft lodged in my side to move painfully. The moment of clarity afforded me by the pain of the arrow moving awoke me to the realization that the horse was starting to fall forward. I kicked my legs out of the stirrups moments before the horse’s chest made contact with the ground.

The impact threw me from the saddle into a cluster of boulders to the side of the trail we had been traveling along. I screamed as the arrow worked deeper into my side. I man
aged to briefly sit up and take in my surroundings before the darkness overwhelmed me. I was at the beginning of the Ernor Hills not far from my home. How ironic I thought, before I passed out.

It was hot. Slowly my eyelids fought their way open. It was hard, because they felt glued shut and foreign to me, but there was something moving nearby and then something pecked my leg hard.

My eyes shot open, with the new addition to the world of pain I was already feeling. Vultures! A whole flock of them covered what had been my horse in a busy feeding frenzy. Now one of the buzzards was getting the idea that I was on the menu as well. Panicked at the thought of being eaten alive I managed to move my legs and waive my arms some, which left me panting for breadth and exhausted.

The vulture fluttered back a couple of feet and cocked its head at me. It then proceeded to settle down and wait. Vultures prefer to eat the soft organs and tissues first, such as the eyes, but they rarely eat something that is still alive and protesting. Scrunching back deeper among the boulders and brush I tried to make myself inaccessible to their probing beaks. I felt like I would pass out at any moment and eventu
ally against my will I did.

I could feel a gentle breeze touching my cheek, as I heard the sound of a musical instrument floating on the breeze. My body felt at peace surrounded by a firm softness. I had made it to heaven after all. I hoped it wasn’t a mistake that I had been allowed in, because it felt to secure and peaceful here to leave. Even if it was a mistake to let me in I decided that I would bask in the moment as long as they would let me. I turned on my side. Big mistake!

The attempt to turn on my side caused pain to flood through me, which brought my eyes wide open. Not heaven after all, but not hell either. I looked around and began to take an inventory of the room I found myself in. I remem
bered the arrow wound and I located the source of my pain behind some white cotton bandages on my lower left side. The broken off arrow shaft was gone. Everything else seemed to be where it should be and functioning, which was a relief as I remembered fighting off the vultures.

Turning my attention to the room I was in I discovered it to be simply decorated, but very homey despite the lack of ornamentation. The room was very clean and well maintained. Just then the door opened and a girl with blond pig tails walked in with a tray. When she noticed me awake I watched her eyes grow comically huge. The tray and its contents crashed to the floor as the girl disappeared down the hall calling out for what I took to be her mother, as she fran
tically declared to all that the stranger was awake. Soon an attractive middle aged woman appeared in the doorway with the girl, and a smaller boy I hadn’t seen before, who peeped around her dress at me.

“Well it’s good to see our guest finally awake! I must apologize for the mess Dorie made of your lunch.” She said, as she moved to clean up the broken dishes on the floor.

Moving to rise up I groaned aloud with pain. It felt like there was a hot poker in my side that someone was twisting around savagely. Suddenly the woman was at my side help
ing me to sit up.

“Dorie fetch those pillows.
Now!”

Reluctantly, the girl approached with two large pillows, which her mother took and put behind my back. I lay back against them feeling about as capable as a sick kitten. I was completely vulnerable to these people, but thankfully they seemed more interested in my well being than my demise. Maybe that was because of the money they could get for turning me in, came the corresponding dark thought.

“There now. I bet that feels better, to get into a different position.”

“It does. Thank you.” I said finding my voice, which was very scratchy sounding.

I croaked out, “Ma’am I can’t stay here. I’m wanted by some very bad people that would cause harm to your family. If you help me get up I’ll get out of here right away.”

I moved to get out of the bed, but she stopped me.

“Now you let us do the worrying about our own safety. You sit right back in that bed and relax and get your rest. Dorie go get some more broth for Mr.?”

She asked, turning to me with a question in her eyes.

“Roric.”

I watched a spark of recognition pass across her eyes for one moment and then it was gone and she turned to the girl and said, “Dorie get the soup for Roric, if you would please and make sure to bring some of the bread that I made this morning too.”

A big man stepped into the room. He had to be over six and a half feet tall if he was an inch, but it wasn’t his height that was solely impressive. The man was built like a bull with corded bunched up muscles that stretched the seams of his shirt out. His voice sounded like the rush of a black
smith’s bellows when he spoke, “My name is Eliak. This is my wife Samantha, my daughter Dorie, and my sons Elim, Jash, and Niall.”

Besides the little boy I had seen before I saw two older and stalwart looking boys standing out in the hallway be
yond their father.

“Eliak this is Roric.” Samantha said.

When she said my name the similar look of recognition passed across his features too, as when I had told her my name, which caused me to wonder what they knew about me. Had they seen my face on a wanted poster? Were they even now thinking of collecting a reward for my head?

Eliak asked, “Your father was he called Lorn?”

I nodded my head in confirmation as I decided to trust these people a little further.

Eliak nodded in return, “I knew your father. You are welcome to stay in our home, as long as you like, Roric son of Lorn.”

And with that they made their exodus from the room leaving me with the soup and bread that Dorie had brought.

They knew my father! I searched my memory, but I could not place them anywhere in it. The body’s necessities took over and I started to consume the food in front of me with a passion. Eating though had the effect of making me very tired and I drifted off to sleep against my will, as my questions remained unanswered.

All I had were questions for the good people that had tak
en me in and cared for me. At first they were reluctant and then parts of their connection with my parents became clear.

“I knew your mother as a girl. She was one of my best friends when we were young. We lost contact with each other until we met again as newlyweds. Eliak was in the
army and he was transferred to the garrison at Kingdom Pass where he was under the command of your father, who had just recently married your mother. Those were good times.” Samantha finished softly.

“My father was in charge of Kingdom Pass!” I ex
claimed.

“Yes and he was one of the best to ever command there.” Samantha replied. “He gave it all up for your mother though. She did not like the fighting and the danger your father was constantly exposed to. Not to mention the attempts on her own life, which led to contention between her and your father’s family.
Your father knew that the decision to leave the Valley Lands would not be a popular one so they simply left in the middle of the day one day without war
ning. We were only one of a very few that knew of your parents decision to move here to the Ernor Hills. It was a secret that we closely guarded. I can well understand why they wanted to get away from all the rigors of a life spent fighting in a constant war and dealing with the intrigues of the high council. We had just moved here ourselves for much the same reasons, when we heard of what happened to your fam
ily. The report that we heard was that all of your family had been lost. I mourned a long time for my dear friend and her family. I’m comforted to know though that she’s in a good place and that if such things are permitted that I’ll see her again one day.”

“You believe in the Creator as she did?” I asked.

“Yes, I wouldn’t have gotten very far in life if I hadn’t.” Samantha replied softly.

“She was always trying to teach me of the Creator, but I’m afraid I didn’t listen very well or care as I should have at the time. Now I do, but I know very little about the Creator or His ways and yet He has revealed Himself in a powerful way in my life. I feel a deep hunger to know more and to understand the meaning of all this,” I said, gesturing around me to everything and nothing in particular, “And what my place and purpose in all of this is. I know what to do that’s right in front of me, but no more past that. It is very frustrat
ing!”

Samantha smiled a little, “How you remind me of my early days in wrestling with my new found faith. Don’t wor
ry Roric about the future. Your path will be made clear in the Creator’s good timing. It may mean a lot of patience and faith on your part, but it’s always the best path taken. What is important though is that you have set your heart on the task of learning what the Father of all life has for you to do in this life and He will not disappoint you in this. Be patient Roric, for understanding will come in His good timing and all will be made clear, you’ll see.”