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I made my way into the Royal Stables, knowing my father would be working there. I found him brushing Little Thunder. The dark bay was one of the queen’s favorite mounts. Maybe it was because he was sturdy and reliable. More likely the queen favored the pony because King Tobias refused to be seen with his wife riding upon such an ignoble mount.
The past year’s strain showed in my father’s narrow face, creased with more lines than I remembered. The gray that once touched only his temples had spread to all but the top of his head. There, remnants of brown remained.
He nodded to me and dismissed a stableboy, but kept brushing as I approached the stall. “Krish,” he said, “it’s done with?”
“It is,” I said. The memorial service for Prince Reveron took most of the morning. I stood as Grand Wizard Seelain’s personal guard during the ceremony. She hugged me after the ceremony ended, but said nothing. She hadn’t said more than a few words to me since the prince’s death, her fiancé’s death, even during our return trip. Jadd had been the prince’s mentor, and she shared her thoughts with him, and briefly spoke with Lilly. But not with me.
“Grand Wizard Seelain blames herself for the prince’s death,” I said. “It was me, Dad, who failed him.” I didn’t tell him she’d heal emotionally once she fully realized who was to blame. It was me who failed to stop the ogre’s blade.
My father stepped out of the stall, took my helmet from under my arm, and set it on a nearby bench. He then helped me unbuckle my breast plate. I’d paid good coin to have both cleaned and polished, but their luster remained tarnished in my eyes.
He set my armor next to my helmet. “Does the king blame you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.” Imperial Seer Lochelle would eventually piece everything together. “It depends on what Prince Halgadin thinks.”
“I know the crown prince doesn’t care much for your friend, Major Jadd.”
Dad knew Jadd. He’d even had dinner with my family twice. I’d told my father a few things about my mercenary mentor’s history with the crown prince. Besides, my dad picked up on stories about officers and nobles while working in the stables.
“I think they’ve settled some of their differences,” I said.
My father went back to brushing Little Thunder. “You’ll know where you stand if the king gives you another medal. If he does,” he said, winking once, “you might hang on to it this time.”
I smiled briefly. He was right. I grabbed a rag and some oil and began working it into the pony’s saddle.
After a few minutes my father said, “A lot of you didn’t come back. From both your missions.” He patted Little Thunder’s neck. “Was getting the Blood Sword back worth it?”
Although I couldn’t freely talk about the mission to retrieve the Blood Sword or the raid against Fendra Jolain, he knew a little about them. Serpent handlers picked up on things. Serpent handlers considered themselves better than stablehands, but still they talked. And Rin heard things too, and shared them with Dad. If nothing else, they could count.
And, after today, the names of those who died during the raid on Fendra Jolain’s temple would be widely known. Only seventeen of us made it back. Four of the enchanters holding a piece of the Shard Staff also died during the raid. It was the price paid for Enchantress Thulease’s efforts. Her daughter and one other enchanter lay in a coma with only an ember of life burning within each of them.
“The war’s not over,” I said. “Most of the enemy’s mercenaries demanded their coin and are returning to the Southern Continent. But the Long-Tooths haven’t given up. Won’t give up.”
“Their morale’s broken,” my father said, picking up a comb. “Their goddess is dead.”
I focused on inspecting the saddle’s billet strap, not knowing what to say to my dad. I didn’t think Fendra Jolain was dead. I held the Blood Sword for only a moment after pulling it from the fallen goddess, before Grand Wizard Seelain helped me sheath it, but its evil was gone. I knew that. She, the goddess’s essence, was in the sword now.
The immortal bloods, the gods and goddesses, were at war, but they had rules. I didn’t know what the rules were and didn’t understand why they had them, but the Colonel knew and followed them. I’d learned that after bartering with him, trading the Blood Sword for a weapon to stop the Necromancer King.
I’d have bet a lot of my own coin that Colonel Ibrahim knew what would happen to Fendra Jolain if we succeeded. Maybe King Tobias knew as well.
If the ancient soul trapped in the Blood Sword brought suffering and death through the blade, what might Fendra Jolain do? Did the king know? If not, he’d certainly learn, but it might take a while. Supreme Enchantress Thulease’s burns were healed. She was physically healthy but something inside her was broken. She’d done as ordered by Prince Halgadin. She brought down the steel golem, and through her—through the Shard Staff—sapped the lives of four enchanters to do it. The spell cast to keep the Blood Sword from reaching Fendra Jolain’s hand summoned strength from her daughter and another enchanter, leaving them little more than a razor’s edge from death.
I looked up to see my dad working, combing Little Thunder’s mane. Five minutes must have passed.
“They’re releasing your sister to mine and your mother’s custody tonight,” he said. “It’ll be good to have her home again.” He paused his combing. Little Thunder stomped once and he started up again. “It’s been more than a few years and it’s not our home in Pine Ridge.”
The moment had come, the one I dreaded. My stomach knotted, but he had to know. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I met his eyes, but couldn’t really see him through the welling tears. “Dad, I...I...”
He dropped the comb and moved to stand in front of me. “I know, Son,” he said. “I know what happened. Jotey came by yesterday when he learned Raina was going to be sent home.” Dad gripped my shoulders. “You did a hard thing—what had to be done. You loved her enough to not let her die.”
There was a long silence before I wiped the tears. “She wouldn’t speak to me on the way home. Wouldn’t even look at me.”
“You’ve been through a lot, Krish. She’s been through a lot.”
“You think she’ll forgive me?”
He shrugged. “Even bound up, she healed your friend Major Jadd, didn’t she?”
That was true. Raina awoke, lying bound next to Jadd. He was dying. And even though he was the enemy, she healed him, leaving herself open to vengeance, or his mercy.
My dad turned and went back to his work. “Allow her some time, Son.”
I took a deep breath. Another anchor of guilt tied to my heart, but from this one I might someday be cut free.
“What’re you going to do now?” he asked.
I didn’t know. Prince Reveron was dead. Grand Wizard Seelain? Would she even need a personal guard now, and would she want me to serve as hers? King Tobias knew I was a neophyte healer. He trusted my loyalty and ability to complete missions, but not as much as Prince Reveron did. The prince and Grand Wizard Seelain had been my patrons, and I’d served as the king’s pawn through them.
The war wasn’t over, but I was tired of death. Weary of seeing those around me fall. I never set out to be a mercenary. The path opened before me and couldn’t be avoided.
“I don’t know, Dad.” I shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know.”
“You’ll figure it out, Son.”
He then looked past my shoulder with a smile. I turned to see what he was looking at. Drux, Jadd and Lilly were walking down the line of stalls toward us. Jadd and Drux were still in their dress uniforms, but Lilly had changed out of her formal dress back into her green shirt and leather breeches.
Lilly nearly shouted, “Flank Hawk, we’re going to the One-Eyed Pelican. You wanna come too?” She ran up and took my hand, not really giving me a choice.
“I’ll see to your armor,” my dad said. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
“Have you ever eaten there?” I asked him.
Dad smiled a knowing smile even as Jadd crossed his arms and scowled. “Is there something I’m missing?” he asked.
Drux slapped Jadd on the shoulder. “Taste buds?”
“I’m getting the fish soup,” Lilly said. “That’s your favorite, isn’t it, Flank Hawk?”
Jadd put a hand on my shoulder as we turned to go. “You may be right, Lilly,” he said before I could reply. “I believe it’s the only dish he’s ever dined upon there.”
If you enjoyed Blood Sword, try Soul Forge, book three of the First Civilization’s Legacy series.
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