Return to Alastair (14 page)

After a while, the three orphaned children came out of the little house. They left together after thanking him vigorously. They seemed happy and carried with them the food they hadn’t eaten. He could imagine that it made them feel very rich, just as he had felt as a child whenever he had opportunity to see food enough for more than one meal. It made him think of the children at the Trilett estate who had once lived by their wits and what they could steal, just as these now surely did. Lorne himself had found the little boy named Briant, curled up among fallen leaves, shivering with the cold. At Samis’s orders, he’d taken the boy to their mountain stronghold. But now he thanked God that Briant was well and not under the hand of that cruel master. He would be warm and safe this winter. But what of these?

Suddenly, he was aware of Tiarra’s presence and looked up. She was standing in the doorway of the little painted house, just watching him.

“I want you to tell me something plainly,” she said. “How old was my brother and where were you when you met him?”

“He was twelve, in Joram. He was with Samis when he bought me. He was the first I met of the other boys. Not the easiest, though.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He would barely talk to me, or anyone else. All of us were scared with Samis, but when it was just the boys and Samis was occupied, the rest of us managed to relax a little, make some mischief, or talk. But not him.”

Tiarra was obviously uncomfortable. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You asked.”

“I asked about when you met him, not for all of this.”

“I would have expected your interest.”

“Samis was your master?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Did you hate him?”

He sighed. “It was hard not to.”

“Then there is one other thing my brother did for you, isn’t there? He freed you, didn’t he, when he killed the man. And you would do anything for him now because of it. You gladly lie for him, and you make it seem so real with the good heart you hide underneath!”

He just looked at her for a moment, unable to fathom how she could still feel so strongly against her brother. “I haven’t lied to you. And Tahn did not kill Samis.”

“Did you see his death?”

“No, but—”

“Then you don’t know!”

Lorne shook his head. “Did you see your mother’s death?”

Tiarra’s face turned angry. “I was a baby! How could I?”

“Then you don’t know. People tell you things. That doesn’t make it true.”

“I know what happened then!”

“You know what you’ve been told. But what kind of sense does it make? He was too young to—”

“No! You’re lying to me! He put you to it, didn’t he? Telling me he was twelve when you met him. That’s impossible! He was twelve when he left here.”

“Miss Loble—”

“I can’t fault you. You owe him too much. But it isn’t right. You don’t need another master over you.”

Lorne stood. “That’s enough. I don’t know why you won’t give Tahn the slightest chance. Who holds you so tightly that you can’t think for yourself? He saved your life! He’d endanger himself to do it again. We haven’t lied to you. He was
not
twelve! This town left him near dead, and you all act like he has no right to even ask why! What do you think he is, Miss Loble—a demon, that he doesn’t deserve the kindness you’d give a dog?”

She was quiet, fighting away the churning tension within her. Lorne had a passion in this. But was it truth? “What do you mean . . .” she began, but then hesitated when his eyes met hers. He had a tender fire in him for her brother. He owed him truly. He couldn’t help himself. But the questions wouldn’t leave her. “What do you mean, sir, that this town left him near dead?”

Lorne stared at her in disbelief. “You don’t know?”

“I know our father’s brother came and took Tahn away after the hanging. I have no way of knowing what happened then, except that he became all the more a killer. Under your Samis, right? But does he ever talk about an uncle?”

Lorne leaned against the wall of the house and shook his head. “He had no idea he had any family at all until we heard about you. But the old woman never told you what happened to him?”

“She told me all she knew.”

“About his burns?”

“What burns?”

He shook his head again, angrily.

“What?” she pressed. “What are you talking about?”

“She told you he was nearly grown, didn’t she? And that he helped kill your mother and then just left with a relative without punishment or regret?”

Her heart pounded as he glanced into the house with his face tight and pale.

“What did he tell you about it?” she asked timidly.

“He was perhaps only four, miss. And a man in the crowd poured a boiling pot over him. It must have been the purest agony! His body has healed well, over time. But God only knows the inside, with what Samis put him through on top of it.”

“It can’t be,” Tiarra said. “Martica would have told me.”

“You would think. But she lied. I don’t know why.”

“No.”

He turned from her. “You’ll have to find out for yourself, if you won’t believe us.”

He walked back toward the neighbor’s old cart and sat with his back against a wheel. “God help you, Miss Loble. Tahn wants to add friendship to the common blood. You’re the only kin he’s ever known.”

Tiarra was suddenly feeling numb, trying to make sense of this. “I told you an uncle—our father’s brother—took him away.”

“It was Samis, the mercenary monster, who took him. He got him a healer’s help. He put him in training when he was able. But Tahn was still his captive. He was tortured to obedience, miss. And when he escaped, he took eight children out with him so they would never have to go through what he did under that man.”

“Then you believe him.”

“In all! I’ve seen enough of it for myself. Even his scars!”

Tiarra shook her head. “What reason could Martica have to lie to me for all these years?”

“I have no idea.”

She turned to face the house, thinking of the dying woman inside it, and how she’d lain in her arms once when she was a child trembling with fever. “My brother might have good reason to lie about Alastair,” she stubbornly maintained. “You might, even, if you seek more in this town than you say. Vengeance for our father, perhaps. I know not what else. I don’t doubt you’re his friend. I think you would do anything in the world for him.”

Lorne had bowed his head. “Except wrong. Yes, I would, miss,” he said solemnly.

She glanced back at him, and her eyes filled with tears. How could these things be so? Martica said Tahn was a fiend, a deceiver, a villain like their horrible father. But this man seemed none of that.

At that moment she saw the little girl, Rae, obediently on her way back to them down the dusty street. She had the perfect distraction for a young man with a caring heart. But now? Oh, now Tiarra only wanted to run inside and beg Martica for answers! How much of what Lorne had said was true?

“Miss Ti! Help!” the little girl suddenly called. Lorne jumped to his feet.

Rae was running now, and Tiarra glanced at Lorne. He looked like a soldier, standing ready. What could he do but help a pleading child? It made her feel guilty, but she knew she wouldn’t stop it now.

“Miss Ti!” Rae screamed. “Please, help! Jori’s hurt!”

Tiarra ran out to meet her. “What happened? Where is he?”

“The old house where he likes to go. He was in there, and part of the roof fell in! We heard him holler, but we can’t even find him!”

Tiarra was quiet for a moment. But then she turned to Lorne. “These are my friends. I need to try and help. I’m not sure anyone else will.”

“All right,” he said without hesitation. “We’ll go. Let me get my horse.”

He had unburdened his animal, and all of his things were on the ground in a neat pile next to Martica’s house. Tiarra watched him quickly take up his blanket, the water skin, a rope, and his sword. He turned to the little girl. “How big is the house?”

“Bigger than this one. It’s been empty a long time now.”

“A lot of roof fell?”

“Almost half.”

“C’mon, Freedom,” he said to the horse. “Might need your help.”

Rae took off running in the direction she’d come, and Lorne was immediate in following her. Tiarra stayed at his side, knowing his earnestness, knowing that she was about to destroy any trust that could have been between them.

Why must you believe us, Lorne Graise?
she lamented in her heart.
Why must you be so willing to help? Would you do the same if my brother were here? Or would it be him running down this street to rescue a child you don’t even know?

It didn’t take them long to reach the old house, a derelict place with a gaping hole in its top. It almost looked like it could fall in on itself. And it was at least twice as big as Martica’s house.

“Where was he?” Lorne asked. “How far in? Which side?”

The boy named Ansley stepped from the structure and wiped his brow. “I still can’t find him, Rae,” he said. “I’m scared.”

“He likes the middle room,” the girl said. “Ansley, could you get to the middle?”

“Not very well.”

Lorne moved to the doorway. “Jori!” He turned to Tiarra. “I’m going in. You and the children stay here. It’s surely not stable.”

When Lorne disappeared inside, Ansley could barely contain a chuckle. But Rae looked ashen, almost angry.
She knows it’s not right,
Tiarra thought. After he helped them, to trick him this way. But she gave the children a quick hug and whispered her thanks.

“What will we tell him?” Rae asked softly.

“Whatever you must. I’ll be back.”

“Jori!” Lorne called again.

And suddenly he heard a voice in answer. “Here.”

He moved through rubble toward the sound, still not seeing the little boy whose voice he’d heard. “Jori? Talk to me.”

“Over here.”

“Are you hurt? Keep talking. I can’t see you yet.”

But there was silence for a moment. Finally a timid voice answered, “I think I’m okay.”

Lorne continued his search until he found the child, curled up beneath a slab of door. He crawled out of the hiding place on his own.

“It’s all right,” Lorne told him. “You look pretty good. Were you hit by anything?”

“No, sir,” Jori answered, beginning to feel a bit scared. He’d been willing to do Miss Ti a favor, but he hadn’t considered whether this stranger might have an angry temper about him over such deceit as this.

“God is good,” Lorne told him. “Let’s get out of here before we lose more roof. Can you make it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lorne took the boy’s hand and led him out the way he’d come in. It occurred to him to wonder how the boy could have managed the collapse unscathed, but not until he got outside did he know that something was amiss. The other two children stood together waiting. But Tiarra was gone.

“Where did the lady go?” Lorne asked immediately.

“She had something she had to do.”

“What?”

“She had something she had to do,” Rae said again. “But she’ll come back.”

Lorne stared at them for a moment. Neither of them ran up to their friend Jori or asked if he were all right. They just looked at Lorne rather anxiously, all three of them did, as if waiting for something. “Where is she?” he asked them, his discomfort growing. No one rushed to an accident just to slip out before the outcome was known. She wasn’t as callous as that. But she was certainly cunning, to play such a trick as this.

“We don’t know where she went. Honestly, sir.”

They knew he was angry. They could see it in him. And it was frightening, not knowing what to expect.

“When did that roof fall?” he asked them.

“Two weeks ago,” Jori answered with a tiny voice, followed by tears. The young man could beat them. He had a right.

“Do you know why she put you up to this?”

“She had something to do, by herself,” Rae said again.

Lorne shook his head. He’d have to find her. Tahn had left him with a charge. “There are men who want to hurt her,” he told the children. “I only want to keep her safe. We have to find her before she gets herself in trouble. Will you help me look?”

He looked at Ansley, the oldest, but the boy turned from his eyes and fled down the street.

“What about you?” he asked the younger ones. “Are you going to run too?”

“We didn’t mean you no harm,” Rae told him.

He sighed. “I can’t expect you to help me against her wishes. Just tell her to be careful, if you see her. This is no game. Tell her I’m looking, and we’re here because we don’t want anything to happen to her.”

He mounted his horse.

“He was really trying to help,” Jori whispered to Rae.

“I know,” the little girl said. “I don’t suppose he’ll hire us for nothing no more.”