A Sacrifice for Varkanah (On Indefinite Hold)

A Sacrifice for Varkanah Chapter 6

“Saeran Randsly,” Saeran replied, “and this is my cousin Drennan. The lady is Hathien Nerid, the elf is Lark Elford, and he is Hesio Arishan.” He pointed to each of his friends in turn as he introduced them.

“And your destination, Master Randsly?” the knight asked.

“Valdi, sir.”

The knight’s eyes flared so suddenly that Saeran began to question whether or not he’d really seen it. A sudden intake of breath, though, was all Hesio needed to hear to know something was wrong. “Have you not heard? Valdi was burned to the ground weeks ago. By demons, some might say.”

Drennan drew a ragged breath, obviously attempting to hold back tears. “We know that, sir. It was Drennan here who escaped the village before it was destroyed. He told me what had happened, and we’re going to see if there are any others who survived the flames.”

“We did not know that there were any survivors,” the knight said solemnly. “Although, if this boy made it out alive, who is to say there were not others like him?” With a sudden grimace, he removed his steel helm and scratched his chin roughly, holding the cap in the crook of his arm. “These things make the skin raw,” he complained quietly.

“Well, I suppose I ought to take you to Riverthorn to see the Queen. Her Grace has been hunting down these demons that burned your village, though with little success up to now. With your help, though, we may be able to get a little farther along,” he said, placing the helmet back on. “I am Irilden, Captain of the Queen’s Guardsmen. These are my fellows, as well as their squires. If you would be so kind as to follow us to Riverthorn, I will present you to Her Grace immediately.”

“So you expect us to keep up, with you riding and us on foot?” Hesio asked with a suspicious raise of the eyebrow. “Because I surely won’t run alongside you like some bloody dog!”

“We shall walk with our horses if it would make you feel better,” Irilden said.

“Thank you, sir,” Saeran said, again not wishing for Hesio to make things even worse. Watching the knights dismount from their powerful destriers, Saeran moved to where Hesio, who was still fuming for what seemed to be no reason, stood. “What is the matter with you?” he asked, reiterating Hathien’s question.

The warrior shrugged, grinding his teeth together angrily. “I don’t know, Saeran,” he replied quietly, below the hearing of Irilden and the others in his company. “Something about these men doesn’t feel right.”

“They’re only going to escort us to Riverthorn to see the Queen, Hesio,” Saeran said. “Maybe she can help us catch those who burned Valdi. I’d think you would be a little more excited about that, if only for Drennan and my sakes.”

“I don’t like knights,” Hesio admitted. “They claim to be chivalrous and strong and good, to support the weak and poor. Then they go off on the whim of a Queen or a King, burning villages and brutally murdering the smallfolk. I wouldn’t trust this man any farther than I could throw him, steel armor and all.”

“You’re too hard on them, Hesio,” Hathien said. “Those knights that you speak of so fondly, they’re just over-proud swordsmen with a title. A real knight fights for the weak and defends the helpless. There’s an order of holy knights in Virynon, and I’ve heard tell that they leave a pot of gold in every village they pass through.”

“And where does that gold go? The village leaders, whose pockets are swollen with money they squeezed from their people. Eventually the money trickles up the hierarchy, to land in the coffers of the King.” He sighed. “Girl, you need to get away from your nurse’s stories, and get back into the real world. Not everything’s as pure and innocent as you think.”