Ten minutes later, Seth sat on the couch with Brock, waiting for Alya to return. He looked up at his father. Tears flowed like a mountain river down his cheeks. There was a strong man crying like a babe in the woods. Seth blinked. Why wasn’t he crying? Sure, he did earlier, but why did he stop? Was he really that strong or did he desire something else?
Alya rushed through the door. “Keya and her acolytes are on their way to dispose of—I mean, to take care of Sally.” She turned away, just for a second.
Did she smile? Seth thought.
Brock nodded.
Seth looked towards the closed bedroom door. He would find Dane and those . . . those Dark Elves and . . . skin them . . . no, roast them alive. Yeah . . . no . . . well, maybe. Sally getting slapped in the market square was nothing compared to this. Surely, Father will get past his grief and do what is right, avenge his wife. This boy prince had been turned into a vengeful one. But, he was still young and inexperienced. He couldn’t do it alone, right? Father will be at my side, surely. What about Jena and Ellis and Keya? Who could say no?
“Can I get you something?” Alya asked Seth.
“Tea, please,” Seth replied.
“Sure.” Alya threw a log in the fireplace.
Keya, Jena, and four acolytes dressed in light-blue robes with yellow borders rushed into the house. Keya knelt down next to the sobbing blacksmith. “Brock, I’m so sorry.”
Brock’s soaked, red eyes looked up. “Thank you.”
“Where’s the deceased?” an acolyte asked.
Alya pointed to the bedroom door. “In there.”
“Thank you.” The acolytes went into the bedroom and closed the door.
Jena, already crying, sat down next to Seth. “I—I’m so sorry.” She reached for his hand.
Seth put his arm around her and pulled her in tight. “Thank you. I—” What was he doing? Sitting on the couch grieving when he should he finding those creatures who slew the only mother he ever knew. He looked into her eyes. “Will you help me set this right?”
Jena blinked. “Set this right? What . . . I . . . sure, of course I will.”
Seth couldn’t help but notice the confused look on her face. Did she know what he meant? Did he care? After all, she already promised to help him, right? Sure, he’d fill her in later on the details. He looked towards the bedroom door when he heard it open. His heart sank as the acolytes carried Sally’s body out of the house on a wooden stretcher and covered by a blue wool blanket. As they passed by him, a tear broke through the dam behind his eyes. All that hatred and rage fell apart as her fingerless hand fell from underneath the blanket. He pulled his eyes away as they left the house. “Why did they do that to her?”
“To question her, probably,” Dane said as he entered the house.
Seth’s face reddened and his eyes narrowed. “You! What are you doing here?”
“I came to offer my condolences,” he replied.
Brock put his hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Easy, don’t take this out on him.”
Seth nodded. He couldn’t take his eyes off Dane’s black hair.
“What are you doing here, Dane?” Brock asked. “You’re not the type to give condolences to commoners.”
“I—well, you’re right,” Dane said. “I have to know that the prince is all right.”
“I’ll have to check on him,” Brock said. “I haven’t seen him in a few days.”
Dane couldn’t look directly at Brock, as if shame was taking over. “Look, I know I’ve not been . . . pleasant, and that I owe you a lot.” He sighed. “The truth is, I’m not a nobleman anymore either. I’m a washed-up knight from a previous kingdom whose lands were stripped as soon as Kade took the throne.”
Seth glared at Dane. What was he doing? That was not the Dane he knew. Humble? Really? Surely, he was up to something.
“I appreciate that,” Brock said. “But why do you want to know about the prince?”
“If he dies, I lose the only purpose I have left,” Dane said.
Brock looked over at Seth. “I know he’s okay. I’ll be checking on him in a few days, maybe next week. I need to collect myself first.”
Alya smiled. “That’s a good idea.”’
Keya sat down next to Brock, holding his hand. “We’re here for you.”
“Next week then? Can I go with you?” Dane asked.
Brock nodded. “Sure.”
“Can you leave now?” Seth asked.
“You should go, Dane. You’re upsetting them,” Keya said.
Dane frowned. “Fine.” He stormed out of the small house.
What is he up to? Seth thought.
Later, Keya and Alya unpacked some of the kitchen pots and were cooking supper on the fireplace. They were cooking Seth’s favorite, fresh rabbit. But, it might as well have been gruel. The images of his slain adoptive Mother kept flashing in his mind. Every time he saw it, his face grew redder.
Jena rubbed his hand. “Can I get you anything?”
Seth shook his head. “No, I—I’m fine.”
“Liar,” Jena whispered. “You’re not. How could you be?”
“Seth,” Brock began, “we need to talk. Let’s go to your room.” He wiped the tears from his cheeks. “I need to talk to my son. We’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Keya nodded. “Take your time.”
Brock followed Seth into his bedroom.
Seth sat down on the edge of his bed and Brock closed the door behind him.
“Seth, we’ve got to change our plans,” Brock said as he sat down.
“Yes, we’ve got to find whoever did this and kill them. Sounds good to me,” Seth said.
Brock sighed. “Not what I meant.”
Was his adoptive Father afraid? Were all those words about duty and courage real, or just words coming out of a coward’s mouth? “That’s what I meant,” Seth said.
“Seth, look—”
“No, you listen to me. I want to avenge the only mother I ever knew. When she was slapped by those Dark Elves in the market square, you did nothing.”
“But—”
Seth’s eyes narrowed. “Now that she’s gone, you’re still going to do nothing about it?”
Brock shook his head. “I won’t do this with you. Seth, we have to—”
Seth jumped up. “No, we will do this! I won’t stand by and let her killers get away with it.”
Brock advanced on Seth. “You don’t even know who did it.”
“Dane had something to do with it,” Seth said. “Remember the letter? The Dark Elves would need someone to get close to us.”
“Why’s that?” Brock asked.
“Because we would spot them. It’s kind of hard to miss their blue skin.”
“Did you forget?” Brock shook his head. “No, the Dark Elves could be anyone. Keya, Alya, or even Jena.”
Seth blinked. “You’re crazy.”
“Everything all right in there?” Alya asked through the door.
“We’re fine. We’ll be a few more minutes.” Brock sat back down and motioned Seth to do the same. “Seth, please sit.”
Seth obediently sat back down. “What?”
“Dark Elves can change into human form, like . . . like a chameleon. Sally saw them do it when were at Staerdale Castle. The castle was already heavily infiltrated long before they attacked,” Brock said. “We can’t trust anyone.”
“Dane I can see, but not Jena.”
Brock sighed. “Maybe, I just don’t know.”
“Is it magic?” Seth asked. He stared into Brock’s soft eyes, looking for the knight he’d heard so much about. “This is even more of a reason to find them.”
“No, you don’t understand. I have to protect you. If I go after them, they’ll surely find out who you are.”
Seth’s mouth dropped. “Don’t you dare lay your cowardliness at my feet.”
“I’m no coward! I’m a father,” Brock said. “We’re not leaving yet. We’ll tell them we changed our minds and we want to be close to our friends at this time.”
Seth shook his head.
Brock’s eyes hardened. “You will play along until we get you to safety. Got it?”
“No, I can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“You’re really a coward. Is the real reason you didn’t try to overthrow the Darkstriders before because you were waiting for me to grow up or were you just afraid?” Seth demanded.
“Seth—”
Seth stood up. “No, I will not play along. I will find my mother’s killers and make them suffer.”
“I forbid it.”
Seth glared at him. “Nothing you can do about it.”
Brock slapped Seth, knocking him to the ground. “You will obey me.”
Seth rubbed the handprint on his left cheek. “So, you’re brave against a boy, but not your wife’s murderers. Coward.”
Brock grabbed Seth by the shirt and threw him on the bed. “I’ll not let Sally die in vain. You will do as I say, period.”
“No.”
Brock punched Seth in the jaw.
“Brock, no!” Keya said as she pulled him back. “He’s just a boy!”
Jena pulled Seth off the bed. “You okay?”
Seth rubbed his chin. “I’m going to find my mother’s killers.”
“No,” Brock said. “You can’t.”
Seth grabbed his sword from the corner and stared right through Brock. “I’m no coward.” He stormed out.