Chapter XII

Tourth

I strode after Wren. I was practically on her heels when she stepped out the door into the courtyard. I grabbed her shoulder. She was not going to walk away from this so easily. Not after a comment like that. She didn’t know what I had done, what I had witnessed, why I truly left for war. I had to set her straight.

“Tourth!” A familiar voice from hazy years past stopped me mid-motion, my hand resting on Wren’s slender shoulder. Suddenly I was encased in a bear hug. I released her as I was lifted from my feet with my assailant’s enthusiasm. “Where have you been hiding all of these years?” Hiller demanded as he pounded on my back.

Then before I could respond, he had stepped back to examine me at arm-length. “You look thin.” In the dim light of the torches, I could just make out the familiar planes and angles of Hiller Pendraco’s handsome face. “We last heard of you before the battle of Catorna in the south. When we didn’t hear of you afterwards, we gave up hope that you had survived that massacre. Philon even sent out a few scouts a year back to see if they could find you, but they returned with nothing. Where have you been keeping yourself?”

“Right here,” I rushed to say. Hiller had always been the talkative one of the Pendraco clan. If I didn’t speak up soon, he would continue his narrative without any assistance from me, especially if he was excited. From the sparkle in his eyes, I could see that he was just that. “I returned home and settled back here.”

Hiller frowned. “And you didn’t send word to us?”

“There was no need. We were safe and well enough.”

“This is hardly well enough,” Iscarus pointed out as he appeared at his brother’s side. The years had been kind to him also. His lean frame showed no signs of abuse or malady. “I saw Kat, Tourth. She has been without adequate food recently.”

“Last winter was rough,” I admitted. “This year will be better.”

“Aye, it will,” Hiller said. “We will see to that.”

“Wren told us of your troubles with Orac’s local Enforcer, and Philon sent us to straighten you out.”

“You don’t need to…”

“Nonsense,” Hiller thumped me on the back. “What are family friends for? If your father, may he rest in peace, hadn’t supported father in the Turantian conflict, we would have lost half of our holdings. We are just returning the favor.”

“My Lord.” A strange soldier approached us. Suddenly realizing that he was speaking to three nobles, the man immediately clarified. “My Lord Hiller, the horses are being moved out to the temporary corral. The men need to know where they are to set up camp.”

Hiller turned to me. “Where do you want us, Tourth?”

“If they bunk three to a room, they should be able to fit into the old barracks,” Dardon suggested, joining the conversation. “Wren has already offered her room. She says she will bunk in the old keep.”

“She shouldn’t need to do that,” Iscarus protested. “There has got to be a way that she can still keep her room and bunk us all.”

I watched the exchange wondering when I had lost control of the situation. Only hours before it had been Dardon, Svhen, and me, completely in control and certain of who we were and what we were doing. Now, looking at the chaos around me, I had no clue how many men were here. I was afraid to think of how we were going to feed them all during their stay. Didn’t Wren realize the consequences of her request for help?

As though answering my question, Wren joined us. She avoided my eyes, meeting Hiller’s instead. “The provisions are stored, the horses bedded down for the night, and your cook is rearranging the kitchen to suit his needs. Svhen says he has organized a watch rotation from the volunteers. If there is nothing else, I am going to head to bed. There is a lot to be done tomorrow.”

“Indeed there is,” Iscarus agreed. He grinned my way. “We have a strategy to plan.”

“You should be able to keep your current sleeping arrangements,” Hiller told her. “I will speak to my men. If I remember the barracks well enough, those rooms are plenty big enough for sleeping four men apiece.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I will not see four men squeezed into one of those rooms just so I can have one to myself. I will be more comfortable out in the open. I have missed sleeping outdoors.”

“And if it rains?” Hiller asked, looking doubtful.

She smiled. “I wouldn’t be much of a bounty hunter if a little rain hurt me. If you would excuse me gentlemen,” she said with a bow. “I need to sleep.”

Hiller and Iscarus bowed in return. I nodded although she didn’t bother looking my way. Dardon walked back toward the barracks saying he needed to make sure no one stole any of his gear, and the soldier followed him.

“Where did you find her?” Iscarus asked. The awe in his voice did strange things to my stomach. If I didn’t know better I would have identified the feeling as jealousy. Even stranger since all I wished at that moment was to shake some sense into her head.

“She appeared one day a few weeks back, and asked for a roof over her head in exchange for her services.”

Hiller frowned at me. “Is there a man you need to find?”

“Not as a bounty hunter as a huntress.”

“A blessing for you, Tourth,” Iscarus muttered. “Well, I am off to find my bed. See you on the morrow.” He turned toward the barracks, but Hiller remained.

“What is wrong with you, Tourth?” he asked. “You have changed.”

I refused to look at him, turning to stare at the broken castle gate instead. “War changes men, Hiller. Some men grow into heroes, other monsters. I thought I was of the former and found I was the latter.”

Uncharacteristically silent, Hiller stood motionless beside me. “You are not alone in finding that Tourth.” Another span of quiet fell between us. A wolf howl far outside the walls only interrupted it for a moment. I hoped that Hiller would leave me, but he didn’t.

“What did she say to you?” he asked suddenly. “When you came out of the keep, there was anger in your eyes and it was directed at her.”

I took a deep breath. “Wren says I should speak of what I am hiding to someone.”

Hiller moved, shifting his weight. “She is right.” Then without a farewell, he lumbered off into the night, leaving me standing alone in the darkness.

My anger was gone. His words had drained it away. That didn’t mean I was ready to take Wren’s advice. She didn’t fully understand the depth of my sin and I had every intention of keeping it that way. I took a deep breath of cold night air and held it before releasing it again. Then I walked toward the barracks, ignoring the dull ache in the center of my chest.

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Wren

I woke the next morning and left the castle by way of the back door. Passing the sentry with only a nod, I headed toward the clearing that I had discovered Tourth pacing only days before. I needed to think and that was as good a place with the grounds and walls soon to be crawling with guests.

On the journey the day before, I had spoken in length to Iscarus and Hiller about the state of the defenses of Iselyn Castle. They had grabbed onto the idea of rebuilding the defenses. Apparently Hiller’s men had been doing just that at the outposts along the shared border between the two valleys. I fully expected to find a flurry of activity when I returned, and I felt I needed time alone with Deus before I confronted Tourth again.

The morning was cool, crisp, and sunny. The strange combination of bright warmth of the sun on my head and the slight bite in the air was invigorating. I raised my face toward the sun and breathed out praise to the Creator. High above me on the breeze, I spotted one of my falcons. It looked like Elsu, the black male, bringing a message from Ilara. I smiled. Even more to praise the Lord about.

I waited for Elsu to join me before stepping into the shadow of the trees. Following the path Tourth and I had covered on our way out from where I had discovered him. Without the sun kissing my head and shoulders, the air grew almost cold. I laced up the front of my leather jerkin while Elsu shifted uneasily on my shoulder, wings partially spread. Once I stopped adjusting my clothing, he stroked my ear in thanks and settled back onto his perch.

“Sorry, Elsu,” I whispered, not willing to break the quiet around me. I reached up to stroke his chest in return.

The branches were low. I held a few of the aside so that we could pass, mindful of the falcon’s head rising above my own. Within minutes, we stepped from the crush of foliage into the clearing. Deep green shadows broken by speckles of morning sunlight filtering through the canopy above our heads greeted us, inviting us to explore their hidden depths.

I circled the area, careful not to disturb the ground cover more than necessary. If Tourth returned to this place in the near future, I didn’t want it to be too evident that I had been here. Spotting a perfect perch halfway up one of the trees, I decided that would be where I would spend my morning devotional. I signaled Elsu to leave my shoulder. He did with a flurry of wings and a slight rebuke at being shooed away so soon.

After a quick climb, I settled on the branch. Pressing my back against the rough bark of the tree, I balanced there. Elsu settled two branches above me and began preening as I drew out my worn copy of the word of Deus. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and began to prepare my heart.

“Almighty God, thank You for Your grace. Its depth and width are unbounded. Without it, we would all be lost. Please, Father, open Tourth’s eyes to the overwhelming abundance of Your love and mercy. Show him that You can heal the deep pain within him. Meet him and show him Your face. You are not just a God who guides his children, chastising them when they need correction, but You are also a God of forgiveness, a gift that we need more than any other because we are a fallen race.

“Have I pushed him too hard?” Remembering his anger from the night before, I frowned. “Please guide me, Father. I am not infallible. I am sinner like all others. Put the words in my mouth that will penetrate his defenses and bring him to you. Use my actions to speak for you. I am your vessel. Please use me.”

I turned my thoughts to the preparations going on back at the castle, the work and the plans to reclaim Tourth’s title and authority. I prayed for success. I asked for wisdom, and I pleaded for the souls of the men and women of the valley. After spending time petitioning on behalf of each of my siblings, I asked for a blessing on my time in the word before closing my prayer.

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Tourth

I woke to voices out in the courtyard. Rolling from my bed, I grabbed my sword and was halfway to the door before I realized that the voices were raised in teasing banter, not alarm. I suddenly remembered the events of the night before and closed my eyes against the memory.

Returning to my bed, I sank back down on it, returning my sword to its sheath. Running my hands through my hair, I tried to turn my mind to my morning prayers, but the door burst open before I could focus. Dardon strode in and crossed to stand over me.

“Lord Hiller wants to know if they can cut down the grove north of the upper meadow to use for a new front gate.”

“There is wood enough stacked behind the smoke house,” I reminded him without really looking up. “What does Hiller care about the gate?”

“They already used that in the repairs to the gatehouse.” Dardon ignored my question and sat down next to me on the bed. “He also wants to know where he can get thatch to re-thatch the roof of the stable.”

“What?” I pushed myself to my feet, reaching for a clean tunic. “The stable roof is the least of our worries. If he is so eager to give his men work, they should work on the outer wall.”

“That is what he said you would say. They are already working on that. He was wondering where would be the best place to get more stone.”

I pulled my tunic over my head and grimaced at Dardon. “It seems he still knows me well.”

Dardon just grinned. “He and Lord Iscarus asked me to request that you join them at the front gate. They have some plans that they want to run by you before they commit to them.”

“I wonder why they are bothering to ask.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could catch them. I looked over at Dardon to find him frowning at me. Shame quickly filled my chest. “That was wrong of me, Dardon. Pray don’t tell them what I said.”

Dardon nodded. “I can understand how you feel threatened, Tourth. Just remember that they are only here to help.”

I nodded. “Have you seen Wren yet this morning?” I asked as I reached for my sword and belt.

“She left past the rear sentry an hour or two ago. I suspect she will return when she is ready.”

“When she does, could you let me know. I wish to speak with her.” I buckled the leather straps of my belt and reached for my leather jerkin.

Dardon studied me for a minute as I laced the front. “Don’t go scaring her off, Tourth. We need her.”

“I doubt anything would frighten her off, Dardon, unless she wanted to go.”

He frowned at me as though disagreeing.

“Come. Show me where Hiller and Iscarus are waiting. The sooner we can get to work the better.”

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Wren Romany - © 2009 Rachel Rossano