Tahn (37 page)

It was true. But it was certainly not their fault. They’d been served in the dining room, which was more than Tahn could take. He sighed. “All right,” he told them. “I’ll come. You show me your rooms.”

But it was a struggle. The house was a painful reminder. Anywhere else, even on these grounds, it was not so bad. But the house had been the abode of newlyweds. He could imagine Lady Netta as haunted as he was by the memory.

But Temas and Rane had his hands, and he walked with them across the wide lawn.

“Why don’t you stay with us tonight?” Tam asked. “You can have my bed.”

“Or you can have our whole room,” Doogan offered. “We can go in with Duncan and Stuva if you want to be alone.”

Tahn smiled at their fond efforts toward him. Without even trying, somehow he’d gained their love. Another gift from God, the eternal, merciful Giver.

He stopped and hugged the nearest of them.
You’ve given me love for them, Lord. How warm and wonderful it feels. Like being alive from the dead.

Tahn did stay in Doogan and Tam’s room that night, but he was far from alone. All of the children, even Vari and Temas, crowded in, and they camped out together on the floor, their new pillows all in a line. Well after midnight, Netta looked in and found them. Quietly, she sneaked in and covered the little ones with blankets. Then she sneaked out again with a smile.

It was a busy day that followed. Tahn knew that Benn Trilett was receiving messengers from the other noblemen of the land. Sympathy for their loss. Gifts for rebuilding. It was as though the rest of the nobility followed Lionell Trent’s lead and gauged the Trilett heart toward them by Benn’s response. In addition to that, the people of Onath had spread the word far and wide that Benn was gathering soldiers. Men came every few hours to offer themselves for the post.

But different guests drew attention in the late afternoon. Kert Wittley and three of his children came rumbling up the lane with their farm wagon laden with goods.

As Netta greeted them with appreciation, Tahn stepped forward from beside the pond, followed closely by a dripping wet Vari, who’d been swimming.

Kert Wittley gave Tahn a quick bow. “Mr. Dorn, my friends I told you about—they and I—we felt badly that we couldn’t come in answer to the children’s plea for help. We owe you an apology, sir. We did nothing but pray for you. I hope you forgive us for not taking to arms. A hard thing it is, fearing for the wives and little ones.”

Tahn shook his head. “You cared for my children. You owe me no apology. I thank you for the prayers. They did me more good than your arms could have. I owe you my gratitude.”

Kert gestured to his wagon. “Well, anyway, we all—and that’s about six families—we wanted to do something for you. Thinking of all of you in a cave! Lord o’ mercy! We’ve been poor but not that bad off. And Lady Trilett, how she lost her home and such! We can’t do so fine, you know, but we all sent what we could just to make the way a little easier.”

“Sir!” Netta exclaimed. “We have enough!”

“I couldn’t have rested, ma’am, thinking about the children! I couldn’t have rested not knowing for sure. Your men, they said they’d be fine, but you know how men are sometimes. Wouldn’t admit to a need if it bit ’em in the face! And besides, I felt guilty not coming to help the young man when God knows I could have.”

Netta was looking at the wagon with its array of garden produce, butchered meats, and woven wool. “Sir—”

Wittley looked at Tahn. “I’d be obliged if you’d take ’em. Take a load off my conscience, if you know what I mean.”

Tahn nodded to Netta. He knew what it meant to the man, though the rural families, facing winter, surely had a greater need for such goods than the Triletts did.

Netta looked from Tahn to the farmer for a moment. “All right,” she finally said. “I’ll go get Ham to help us unload.”

Tahn would have suggested Vari’s assistance, but when he turned toward the boy, he stopped cold. Vari only had eyes for Leah. And Leah made no secret of how she felt.

“So good to see you again,” she told Vari with a smile far from timid. “I have prayed every day for your safety.”

Netta was back quickly with the faithful servant couple. “Stay to dinner with us and rest the night,” she told the Wittleys. “And allow us to return a gift to your families as a thanks for your generosity.”

Kert gave her a quick smile. “I welcome your hospitality, ma’am.” He went around the back with Ham and the wagon to unload.

“You can come with me,” Hildy told the three Wittley youths. “Be a couple of hours before dinner, but anyone that’s been traveling has need of a good bite to tide them over till then.”

Vari moved to go with them, but Tahn caught his arm. Now that the girl was right in front of their faces, he’d have to say something while he had the chance.

“Vari,” he began when the others were gone. “About Leah—”

“Pretty, isn’t she?”

Tahn cleared his throat.

At that moment, a guard came running to them from the gate at the head of the lane. “Mr. Dorn! Sir!”

Tahn tensed immediately, knowing there was worry in the man’s tone. “What is it?”

“We’ve caught one of the mercenary men come looking the place over. He says he’s alone, but I don’t believe him. Armed to the teeth, he is! And I knew his face myself as one that was with the baron’s men searching the countryside after Benn Trilett’s head.”

“What have you done with him?”

“Nothing without your word or Lord Trilett’s, sir. And he asks for you by name. But then they all know you, don’t they?”

“I’ll speak to him.”

“You want me to come?” Vari asked. “It might be Marcus.” “No,” Tahn said immediately. “Stay with the children. It might not be Marcus.”

As quickly as he could manage, Tahn went with the guard to the trees by the gate. Three of the Triletts’ men were gathered around a young blond man slumped beside a tree. His hands were tied behind his back. As Tahn approached, one of the guards struck the prisoner in the face.

“Stop,” Tahn told them. “Let me talk to him.”

The young warrior looked up at him. It was Lorne.

“He fought us,” one of the guards explained. “As soon as we got close.”

“He’s not fighting you now,” Tahn said, but he could see that Lorne still wore the garb of the dark angels and had been armed as the guard had said.

“He was on the wall, sir. He might have been in the yard in seconds. You warned us about such attacks.”

“I wanted to see if you were here, Tahn,” the young prisoner said. “That’s all!”

“He fought us off like a demon!” a guard argued. “He had more in mind than a look!”

“I was afraid!” Lorne admitted. “I knew I wouldn’t have a chance if you weren’t here. I thought they’d kill me, that’s why I fought! I never should have come.”

Tahn lowered to one knee. “Why did you?”

“I—I need decent work, so I can send money to my family. They sorely need it. I thought to offer myself to the Triletts’ service. But it was a foolish chance to take—an enemy coming back. I shouldn’t have done it!” He stopped and swallowed hard. The desperation was clear in his eyes. “Please let me go, Tahn! I swear I’ll not trouble you. It wasn’t to my liking what they did to you and what we did to these people. You know I didn’t want it! Now I can hardly—”

One of the local guards cut in, glaring. “You admit you took part in the Trilett murders?”

Lorne bowed his head. Tahn knew the truth. He could do nothing but own to it. “Yes, sir.”

The guard scowled. “Onath may yet have its hanging.” He grasped the prisoner’s arm roughly. “Shall I call for Lord Trilett for this judgment?”

“No!” Lorne cried. “Tahn, please! My mother’s got a hope in me. They need my help. You weren’t the right one to hang, I know that, but—”

He stopped when he saw Tahn’s eyes, so dark and distant.

“Oh, God.” There was a tremor in the young man’s voice. “No.” He hung his head again. He seemed to sink before them, broken.

Tahn was remembering when he’d first met Lorne and how hurt the boy had looked when he knew he was being sold by his own father. Yet he’d gone back to his family now. And for them, he’d come to him for help.

“Lorne.” Tahn lifted the young man’s face and saw the anguish in his eyes. He moved his hand to his shoulder. “There’ll be no more talk of hanging.” He turned to the guard. “Let him go.”

“What? Sir! The Lord Trilett—”

“I’ll explain this to him myself. Let him go. He came looking for a job, and that is exactly what he’ll get from us.”

The guard frowned. “How can you trust him?”

“I know him,” Tahn answered without hesitation. Lorne was telling the truth, he knew it beyond doubt.

“But he is a killer! We must consult Lord—”

Tahn looked at him with impatience. “Then go tell him now! I’ll bring the young man to him as soon as he is ready for us.”

As one guard hurried away from them, Tahn pulled the knife from his belt and cut the prisoner’s bonds himself. Lorne looked at him as though he could scarcely believe it. He rubbed his right wrist.

“You’re all right?” Tahn asked him.

“Yes, thank you.”

Tahn looked around them at the guards who still watched. “They have a zeal for Benn Trilett,” he explained. “It is a thing to admire.”

“I understand.”

“You’re on your own?”

“Yes.”

“What do you know of Samis now?”

“Nothing. And I hope it stays that way. I rode off when we were waiting at Jura. About ten of us left him, I think.”

Tahn smiled. “Our second report of such good news. Marcus said he is sick.”

“I hope it’s true. He chases me in my dreams.”

“You’re not alone in that. Do you have a large family?”

“Yes. Six sisters and four brothers. Most of them younger. My grandmother and a widowed aunt are with them too.”

“They have nothing?”

“Almost nothing. My father can’t work. He can’t even walk anymore. The others try, but—”

Tahn held up his hand. “I’ll ask an advance in pay for you. If Lord Trilett agrees, you can take it to your family to ease their burden. Stay with them a while, and come back when you are ready.”

“But I haven’t earned—”

“You’ve earned a bit of peace, don’t you think?”

“No. I haven’t earned it.”

“Then count it a gift from God. I have a wagonload for them, no matter what Benn says about the pay. You’ll take it in the morning, won’t you?”

Lorne closed his eyes against the moistness in them. “Are you sure he’ll let me go?”

“I trust it, Lorne. He understands now what sort of army we were. It can’t erase the hurt, but he won’t be able to hate you.”

Bennamin met with Tahn and Lorne, and the three of them went walking around the pond. In the kitchen of the house, Jarel looked out at them from the window. “Another rough sort,” he said with a sigh.

Hildy looked up from her cutting board and saw his displeasure. “The world is full of those, Jarel. God help them.”

“Does my uncle have to entertain them so close to the house? He trusts Mr. Dorn too much, being alone with them like that! Something could happen too fast for a response.”

“He trusts him, all right. But he trusts God more.”