Rojuun

Chapter 27

Tathan was nervous about his cousin.  He knew she was different, but couldn’t help feeling that he had put her in way too much danger.  She was inexperienced in life and naïve to the ways of the world.  Yet he had gone and dragged her deep underground to an alien world with ravenous creatures hell-bent on destroying anything even resembling intelligent life.  Some cousin he was.

“Your mood is on the ground and your head is hung low to look at it, Master Tathan,” Sir Danth said.  “You are concerned for your cousin, yes?”

Tathan sighed.  “Yes.  I feel as though I led her into danger and I’m the reason she’s lying in bed, unconscious.  I feel responsible for her.”

Sir Danth gave his shoulder a comforting smack.  Tathan staggered forward.  It would have been more comforting had the knight not had a gauntleted hand and the strength of a horse.  “I understand what you mean and I agree with you.  You are responsible for her.”

The words didn’t make Tathan feel any better than the bruised shoulder did.  “Uhh, yeah.”

“After all, she is a woman and everyone knows women are to stay in their chambers, waiting for a man’s pleasure, right?” Sir Danth continued.  “Dragging them away from home to have adventures and risk their life is the worst thing you can do to a lady.  It was very foolish of you to do so.”  He patted Tathan’s shoulder a few more times until the rogue finally ducked.

“Is that how the knights of your time treated their ladies, Sir Danth?” Tathan asked with barely disguised contempt in his voice.  Marrraa, who was leading the work party, looked back at the two of them with a frown.

“Nay, but it is how you sound when you talk about your cousin, Master Tathan,” the knight said with a flip of a gauntlet.  “You assume responsibility for her decisions.  From what I’ve seen, she makes her own decisions regardless of whether or not you approve.  I was under the impression that you travel together as equals in addition to being cousins.”

Tathan was irritated now.  He had treated Liselle with nothing but respect and dignity throughout their journeys.  At least he had tried to.  “Sir Danth, don’t treat me like an idiot.  Liselle is my cousin and she’s lived in a quiet valley all her life.  I’m not a knight, but I do feel as though I have some honor and a responsibility to make sure she’s safe.”

“Aye, you do have honor, friend Tathan,” Sir Danth said with a more gentle hand on the shoulder.  “And you should protect family wherever you can.  At the same time, you have to let people make their own decisions and live their lives.  It is a difficult balance.  Lady Liselle is not a normal woman and I truly believe she will do whatever she wishes, regardless of anything that might be said to her by you or anyone else.”

Tathan relaxed some.  “I worry about her, that’s all,” he said.  “She just lost her entire family, and then we went off exploring the world.  Now we’re in caverns with hostile creatures that like to play with their food and we qualify as food.”

“I am sorry for the loss of her family and yours, Master Tathan,” the knight said.  “It is a hard thing.  My family was killed when I was young too.  The knighthood took me in.”

“I didn’t realize that, Sir Danth.  I’m sorry to hear it,” Tathan responded with a friendly hand on the knight’s arm.

“It is long in the past.”  He and Tathan chuckled.  Marrraa looked back at them in puzzlement, not getting the reference.  Sir Danth continued, “I grew up in the order and became one of the finest warriors the Knights of Morhain had ever known.”

“I’ve met a few knights in my travels and they’re not half as capable, nor honorable as you, Sir Danth,” Tathan told him.  “I’m glad you’re on our side.”