Spears of Redriver

Part Eight - Blood in the Dark

Carthus walked down the dark and narrow street with a tight grip on the spear in his hand, using it as a walking stick. The quick thud of wood on stone and dirt echoed ever so slightly. He looked back for a moment, eyes wary of the tall bregir walking behind him. The yellow-eyed lizard man grinned at him sharply.

"You really don't have to be here," Carthus said.

"Nonsense friend...I am not here," Ythara replied, "as I said before, I will not interfere in your fight. I merely want to see why you needed my spear".

"You know I am no good with the sword yet," Carthus smiled.

"And I've seen you with a spear...you fight like possessed by one of the Ferdag," Ythara spoke with some excitement.

"I'll take it as a compliment," Carthus grinned. He was not sure what the Ferdag were exactly, only that they were some kind of demonic beasts that fought the Brahda long ago. He gripped the spear tighter for a moment, it felt good to have one in hand. He was thankful to Ythara for giving it to him even though he had to tell the lizard-man why he needed it.

"We are almost there, yes?" Ythara asked suddenly. Carthus nodded. They neared the end of the alley and stopped in the shadows.

"We are here," the Maad warrior said.

"I know this plaza...it is the statue of old Brogar Morrison..." Ythara's voice trailed off as Carthus pointed into the plaza and passed the statue of the large dwarf. The three-story building opposite them with a sign of an ax and a drinking flagon hanging above the door bustled with activity this time of day. It was late in the evening and most men and dwarves were done with work. Most were out for a drink. Amidst the drunken singing and shouting on the front stoop of the inn sat four Nadaen warriors, proud in their armor.

Carthus was sure that Jahki was also there, although he could not pick him out in the dark right away. The young warrior had come to watch the inn for almost a week since he and Oro discovered the Nadaens there the first time. The Maad clansmen had come back to this inn every night for drinks and then left somewhere else. He once followed them to a small red-roofed house near the end of a small street a few blocks south of the plaza. Most nights Jahkai walked alone, before the others.

"So what now?" Ythara asked.

"We wait for my prey to come out," Carthus replied. He leaned the spear against the wall and sat down, eyes still on the tavern. Ythara slunk down on the opposite side of the alley, sitting back against the wall.

"So these men hunt you and your friends," the bregir said with a hint of admiration in his serpent-like voice, "you risk your own life now to save your friends from getting caught".

"The duel was fair...under watch of our elders and the Nadaens still raised arms to kill me when it was all over, they would have caught me if not for Jeden and Oro," Carthus replied. He was not sure why he told the Bregir the truth of who they were but he trusted him.

"You have courage Carthus...and it will take you far," Ythara glared into the plaza, "is that your Jahkai?". He pointed at a group of Maad men in yellow and green armor. Carthus stood, watching the men gather to speak before one of them turned and strode off into the night.

"That is him" Carthus grabbed the spear and pulled his hood on higher nodding to the lizard-man. They left the alley, staying on this side of the plaza until the shadow of Jahkai disappeared down another street. Then, out of sight of the rest of the Nadaens, they crossed the plaza and followed around the bend. The sounds of music and merriment faded into the growing night.

They followed Jahkai around a few more bends and cut through the same dark alley that Carthus had followed the Nadaens through the night before. It was him and he was all alone.

"Who are you?" Jahkai's voice suddenly broke the silence of the night. He turned just as suddenly, facing the way he had come. Carthus froze where he was, at the corner of the alley, out of sight, "I know you are following me...why?".

Carthus heard a few footsteps slowly inch toward him. He looked to Ythara and nodded.

"This is it...it has to be here and now," Carthus whispered, "you stay back as we agreed".

"Step out of the shadows coward" Jahkai called out again. He stopped in the middle of the street, maybe twenty or thirty feet away.

"I am here" Carthus stepped out, spear in hand. He walked out to the center and turned to Jahkai who squinted into the night.

"Can it be that you came to me?" Jahkai asked realizing who it was that stood before him, "were you going to try and kill me, stab me in the back?".

"No, that's not how it ends for you...I always respected you as a Maeli and for that, I will give you a Maeli's death," Carthus replied.

"Come then, show me how you will do it, boy!" Jahkai started at a run toward Carthus, pulling his long knife from it's sheath.

Carthus held his ground and Jahkai lunged at him swiping his blade sideways. The younger warrior was faster and able to avoid it with ease, attempting to strike back. Jahkai too ducked out of the way and stepped just out of reach of the spear. Jahkai stepped back in again, slicing toward Carthus' arm, but missed and was out of range just as quick. They circled.

Carthus stabbed forward but as Jahkai blocked the strike, he pulled the spear back and swung again from the side. Jahkai blocked yet again and swiped his short blade against Carthus' shoulder, cutting deep. Warm blood seeped down Carthus' arm and he stepped back. Carthus stabbed forward weakly as a distraction, coming over the top with a closed fist. He knocked Jahkai back but he recovered quickly and they circled again for a split second before Carthus moved.

The young Maeli stepped in and stabbed forward catching Jahkai off guard. The spear tip pierced Jahkai's leather armor under his ribcage and a steady flow of blood began to pour as Carthus pulled it back. Jahkai winced in pain but moved forward. Carthus stepped back and the older Maeli fell to his knees, spitting blood to the dirt. He glared up at Carthus with a visible shock across his face.

"You..." Jahkai coughed, "you are...truly the son of Ekon...".

"It is over...I won the duel with your brother fairly just as I won here today, I won't kill you but you have to return home and leave me and my friends in peace," Carthus said. He crouched beside the fallen Maad Maeli.

"I cannot...return without," he coughed and spit more blood, "without your head boy...my father will disown me".

"Then go elsewhere, but know that your hunt is over!" Carthus shook his head.

"I can't do that...you have to kill me" Jahkai almost collapsed on his face in another fit. He kept coughing until he finally fell, too weak to hold himself up. Carthus saw his pain and how quickly he was drained of any strength. He saw the blood that his enemy lay in and nodded to himself.

"Be at peace Jahkai...I always admired you as a Maeli," Carthus stood and raised his spear in both hands.

"And I you, Carthus son of Ekon," Jahkai looked up and then propped himself up slightly. Carthus struck down with a shout, piercing through Jahkai's neck.

A brief moment of silence seemed to flood in on Carthus as he stood over Jahkai's body. The silence was filled with a strange peace and sorrow all at once. When he decided to come after Jahkai on his own, he was not sure that he could beat him but now that it was done, he almost regretted it. He was forced to kill one of his own in an unnecessary fight yet again. First, it was Erius and now his brother Jahkai.

"Carthus...we have to go now," Ythara's voice shook the young warrior out his daze. He blinked at the lizard-man whose yellow eyes glowed in the faint light of the moon above, "I see the rest of them coming down the alley...we have to go!".

"It is done," Carthus nodded, "let's get out of here".