Chapter 2 - Part 4

Saul and Casren have an argument over their encounter with Farren before a familiar face drops in.

  "What was that all about? I had to drag you out of there to stop you from launching yourself at that man!" Saul barked, infuriated by Casren's idiocy in the Notched Blade. He had put them both in danger by going after the Bard, Farren, or whatever his name was; there was no knowing what he would have done if Casren had put a hand on him. Yet Saul could have sworn he was still on the brink of going back in after him. Was he so blind as to the damage he could have done?

"We could have helped him Saul! But you didn't give me the time to try!" Casren cried, just as frustrated as Saul was.

"He didn't want helped Casren, and if you had kept on at him he could have, oh I don't know, turned you to stone just by singing at you!"

"That's nonsense-"

"Is it? No one's ever met a Bard before, not in at least a hundred years or so, don't you get it?! We know he was exiled, but not what for, he could have done anything! And you want him to come with us? You're mad, mad or plain stupid, I don't know which is worse frankly."

"Fine, fine! It doesn't really matter now anyway, he said no didn't he?"

"Yes, thank the Gods. So what next?" Saul asked, genuinely unsure.

"There's nothing we can really do right now. I will discuss with Abareth, and hopefully Nok too, potential routes then send word to you. Then we'll leave once all the arrangements have been made."

"Kelsei's going to kill me, and you when she finds out. Her brother and her fiancé leaving to Gods only know where at the same time."

"Yes...I daresay the wedding will have to be postponed until I return..."Casren mumbled distantly, with little care in his voice.

"Or you could move it forward? I'm sure she wouldn't mind given them circumstances."

"Hmm."

"Casren...I know you didn't want to marry her, our fathers arranged the marriage for political purposes than for love, but can you at least act as if you give a damn about her? She is my sister," Saul stated blatantly, irritated by Casren's attitude.

"Yes, I - I'm sorry Saul. I didn't think," Casren apologised, "Maybe you should take the rest of the night off to go and tell her. And I can fill Baelir and the others in."

"Good idea, I'm su-"

"STOP THAT THIEF!" a voice cried.

  Saul and Casren swerved round in the direction the voice came from to see a bruised and limping Baelir hobbling after a Halfling woman that was fast hurtling towards them. Without time to ask, Saul charged her, tackling her to the ground. All too often had he dealt with thieves trying to make a break for it and he learned the best approach was the direct one. The Halfling squirmed in his arms but he held her fast. Looking her over he noticed she was rather attractive for one of her kind, save from the scruffy clothes. In her hand was a decorative looking coin purse, presumably belonging to Baelir. He plucked it from her grasp and tossed it to the battered prince, who had just caught up.

"Yours I take it?" Saul asked, still holding the struggling Halfling.

"Yeah, thanks, the sneaky minx nicked it from me," Baelir panted, grasping his side.

"Are you hurt?" Casren enquired with concern.

"I'm okay, I kinda fell off a building a bit but no worries," Baelir chuckled, trying to brush away the attention with humour.

"It was hilarious," the Halfling giggled.

"Quite lippy for someone who's just been caught," Baelir sneered.

"I try," she jibed back.

"So what exactly happened?" Casren asked, a little curious.

"Found her in an alley where she pretended to have been mugged. While she was doing the 'maiden in distress' act she lifted my purse. When I noticed I chased her until I bumped into you," Baelir summarised.

"'She' has a name you know," the Halfling snorted.

"Which would be?" requested Casren.

"Petyi," Baelir told him.

"No, I made that up. Don't think there's much point lying about it now you've caught me; it's Alethia. So, um, what exactly are you going to do with me? Pretty boy has his gold, so could you possibly just, uh, let me go?"

"We had you into the authorities who will likely recommend you for Culling, considering you stole from royalty," Saul informed her pointedly.

"What?! The Culling?! For a coinpurse! Only proper criminals get Culled, not pickpockets!" Alethia cried, thrashing desperately to break free.

"You should have thought of that  before you decided to steal from the Prince," Saul stated spitefully.

"No, no, no, there's got to be some other punishment, I'll do anything!" pleaded Alethia.

"Well...we could bring her along?" Casren suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous, she'd escape at the first opportunity and slit our throats in the night," Saul snapped.

"I dunno...she's a thief but that doesn't make her a killer. And she's quick on her feet - she could be dead useful. And if she escapes it's no big deal; she wanders off into the Forest and gets killed anyway. Win - win," Baelir pointed out.

"I'm sorry, am I the only one here with commonsense? First you want to bring a Bard, and now you're suggesting a thief? I understand you need skilled people with you but these aren't what you want Casren," Saul said seriously. He paused briefly, considering. This was Casren's mission, not his, he had no right to question his choices. Let him decide for himself what to do and learn from his own mistakes. "Fine, do as you please. I'll take her to a holding cell at the nearest guard post and explain the situation."

"Thank you Saul. Baelir and I should return to the castle now, but I will see you soon," said Casren.

"See you later," Baelir waved enthusiastically.  

  With their farewells said, the small group divided off. As the brothers returned to the castle they filled each other in on their varied levels of success. Whilst they both agreed that having Nok onboard was a fantastic advantage, Baelir, like Saul, had his misgivings regarding Farren and was pleased that Casren had been unable to convince him. It frustrated Casren - he couldn't understand why they distrusted such an unfortunate soul. What were they seeing that he didn't? Farren may be low on luck but he was a good man, Casren knew it.

  As they passed through the city walls into the castle grounds, both reflected on the enjoyment they were receiving from a simple walk in the evening's cool air. It seemed such a stark contrast in pace from the events of the day, so quiet and calm regardless of the turbulence awaiting the people of the city should they fail their mission. Yet they were full of hope and a certain anticipation to start their adventure. The days ahead were bound to be perilous, but already they had a small group of capable people willing to offer advice and assistance. With their help maybe, just maybe, there was a chance they could appease their Gods and save their people who existed in a blissful ignorance they would never again know.

 

  "Enjoy your new room, Halfling," Saul spat bitterly, throwing Alethia carelessly into the small cell. He had just spent the last hour filling in the paperwork for holding her in custody temporarily and was glad to be rid of the creature finally. To her credit, she hadn't resisted the entire time - the possibility of being Culled seemed to have pacified her somewhat - but that hadn't stopped her from making his job as awkward as she could. Throughout the entire time she had refused to provide any form of positive identification, using fake surnames and addresses that he had to verify by searching through various stacks of records. When she wasn't doing that she asked for water, or food, or to be taken to the bathroom, anything to take up more of his time. At last when what little of the report could be filled in was completed, he handed it in to the guard on duty, praying that when the next performance review was due Alethia's file wasn't selected.

  The cell he had chosen for her was small, damp and had naught in it besides a straw bed and a chamberpot. Her kind didn't need much in the way of comfort after all. The Halfling examined the room while Saul locked the cell door behind her, Alethia's lips pursed in displeasure. She turned to him and said, "I've stayed in worse," with forced optimism.

"Why doesn't that surprise me," stated Saul disapprovingly.

Alethia crossed her arms and frowned at him, saying, "So what's your issue then? The vagabond lifestyle or is it just that I'm a Halfling? You wouldn't be the first person I've met to loathe my kind before you've met one properly."

"Oh I've dealt with your lot plenty, believe me. I'm yet to meet one of you that isn't a thief, cutthroat, con artist or some other form of criminal scum, so forgive me if I'm quick to judge. Halflings thrive off of misconduct, you just can't help yourselves. It's despicable."

"Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why we behave badly? It's because of people like you, who would rather have us caged up in a pen somewhere and left to rot than give us a chance to prove ourselves as equals. Working hard and earning money isn't an option for us. We can try but we barely get paid enough to feed a dog, let alone a whole family. We steal so we can keep on living, there is no other choice."

"I'd rather die than see you treated my equal. I'll bring you word of our departure when I can. In the meantime make yourself comfortable," Saul grunted, walking from Alethia's cell. He cursed the Halfling's words. How could she believe that they were justified in their actions? Every single one of them was an abomination outside of the Gods' plans that had landed them their imprisonment within Patharis. If not for them, the humans would be free to expand and develop as a race, instead of being stuck within a few adjoining cities sharing their space with filth like her. Their presence sickened  him every day.

  Locking the prison cells behind him, Saul walked into the foyer of the guardhouse towards the exit, nodding at the guard on duty.

"All locked up then?" the guard asked, his voice monotone from boredom.

"Yes. Hopefully she won't cause much of a problem and if she does, well, she'll be out of your hands soon enough," Saul replied.

"I could, uh, arrange to make her a bit more 'compliant' if you think she's gonna be a pain."

"No, I don't think so. She may be a Halfling but she doesn't deserve mistreatment. We are men of the law after all," Saul informed him disapprovingly.

"Suit yourself. She'll be here when you want her," the guard assured him, leaning back in his chair and lifting his gaze from Saul, their conversation concluded.

  Heading out into the night air, he inhaled its coolness deeply, thankful to be out of the guardhouse at last. The streets were where his real job was, and being stuck inside filling out paperwork only ever felt like a hindrance. There was always going to be people who needed his help, and bureaucracy wasn't going aid any of them.

  Strongly resisting the urge to report to his commanding officer and spend the rest of the night on duty, he went instead towards his family's estate. Casren had been right, it would be better for him to break the news to Kelsei now, rather than wait until tomorrow. For the next few days he was bound to be busy making preparations for the journey and would have little time to visit his family. Besides, this way they would have a chance to properly say goodbye.

  A faint flicker of dread went through him, the realism of his departure resurfacing once more. It didn't seem like it was really going to happen - leaving Patharis' walls and venturing out into the world beyond to meet the Gods. Saul didn't even know what was beyond the Glass Forest, other than Elves, Dwarves and the Bards. Were there other human settlements as well, or did they only exist within Patharis? It was entirely plausible that at least some people had left the cities, whether by Culling or venturing out of their own volition, especially seeing as that Bard had been human, therefore they must live somewhere out there. What's more, Casren had claimed that all of the Enndosius family had left for their quest every generation, but how? The Glass Forest seemed so lethal that so many trips through was just impossible. Maybe the Gods controlled the trees themselves, making them rise from the ground  to create a path for those they saw fit to pass, but no one had ever seen such a thing. Nothing added up, not as far as Saul was concerned.

  The walk to the estate was uneventful. He only passed a few people on his way and each one had simply continued on their way, not requiring the assistance of a guard. As he looked up at the estate's impressive stature, he smiled, the comfortable familiarity of his childhood home setting him at ease from his worries. It felt as if nothing could harm him here, the youthful naivety of invincibility returning once more to sweep aside adult realism.

 The Terrogard estate was the only building in Bellagon that had any sense of style. Made of the same grey stone as the rest of the city, it gave off a feeling of power, with its tall strong walls towering over anything else nearby. Like all of the other noble estates, it had its Quadrofire tower, which for this month was lit the bright red of Igniatis, the God of fire and courage. The crimson light licked its way down across the cobble roof, casting dark shadows down over the face of the building. Fitting for the noble house of the military city; the red could symbolise not only courage, but the spilt blood of all those who had dared to threaten the Royal family. Not that there had been much in the way of wars the last few hundred years - being in such close confines meant keeping battle tactics secret very challenging. If Saul's memory served, the last war had been the Strauswall rebellion two hundred and fifty years ago. They had let their lust for power overcome them and attempted to take the throne from the Enndosius'. Not only had they failed miserably, but they were relieved of the charge of Bellagon, resulting in Saul's family's noble status. As a result, there was now a huge rivalry between the two families, with the Strauswall's believing the Terrogards to be usurpers, regardless of their own betrayal. Unable to convince the other nobles of their right to their former designation, they instead existed in the background of the Patharis Council, with their voice no longer carrying any weight. When the engagement between Casren and Saul's sister Kelsei had been announced, the Strauswalls were enraged by the further cementing of the Terrogard nobility, but had not as of yet done anything to jeopardise their seat on the council. Were that to happen, many believed that the King would go as far as to Cull them, consequences be damned.

  Saul shuddered at the thought. The Culling was the harshest punishment one could receive in Patharis. Many would prefer the predictability of a hanging over it. With nothing but the clothes on one's back, the convicted was ejected out of the city walls into the Glass Forest itself. There, the Gods would decide their fate themselves. If they survived the Forest, it meant that the Gods believed them to be innocent, and they were free to live out the rest of their lives in whatever existed out there. Otherwise, they would be torn to shreds by the trees, or die of thirst, or exposure, or whatever the Gods deemed fit as their punishment. During Cullings, some of the people of Patharis would watch from the lookout towers on the city walls, and made bets on whether the criminal would survive or not. As part of a guardsman's training, they were made to watch one, so they could understand the full harshness of the law that is sometimes required.

  When Saul had been made to watch, it had been a serving girl from the castle that was being Culled, who had poorly attempted to execute the King on his birthday celebration. No one knew who had hired the girl, but it was clear she was an agent from the Assassin's city Furniast, meaning that anyone could have bought her services. She had been judged the following day by the Council to be guilty, and was sent straight into the Forest. Saul could picture her face as she had been cast out so vividly, the raw, uncontrollable terror of someone who knew they were going to die. For he first ten minutes, she had hammered on the door, wailing and begging to be let in. When she realised she had truly been abandoned, she panicked, and ran straight for the Forest, only to trip over her own feet and fall onto a nearby tree head first. Her face had been sliced in half, killing her instantly as the blood slid from her halved-head and trickled down the crystalline tree. The picture still made his stomach turn.

  Brushing the memory aside, Saul climbed the small set of stairs and knocked on the door of the estate. There were a few moments of silence before the door clicked open. An elderly manservant greeted him with a warm smile, recognising Saul instantly.

"Master Saul! What a pleasant surprise. Do come in," the manservant welcomed, opening the dorr wide for him.

"Thank you, um, Tolmin isn't it?" Saul asked, unsure if he was matching face to name correctly.

"I'm honoured you remember my Lord, it's been a good long while since we last spoke."

"Yes, I really ought to visit more often."

"I imagine being a guardsman must keep you busy my Lord. Can I get you a refreshment?"

"No, thank won't be necessary, thank you. If you know where Kelsei is at the moment I would appreciate it if you can point me in her direction."

"I believe Lady Kelsei is reading in the parlour. I can escort you there if you wish?"

"No, no, I can make my own way Tolmin."

"Very well my Lord, if you'll excuse me then," Tolmin said, bowing politely before shuffling off into another room.

  Saul was pleased to see that the estate hadn't changed at all in his absence. The same lavish decorating and beautiful furniture was in place, making it feel as if time had stood still for him until his return. As he walked, his steel boots usual clunking sound was muffled by the soft rug underfoot, almost making him forget how heavy and noisy they really were. So faint were his footfalls that it took his little sister a few moments to notice his presence. She was picturesque, sitting back in a wicker chair with a small feather cushion propped up against her back, a small candle lit on the desk beside her to help her read, the light flickering against her cheek faintly. He wanted to leave her there, totally at peace with the world and not burdened with the news Saul carried. But he knew it had to be done.

  He cleared his throat to get her attention. Her eyes lifted from whatever book world she had chosen to envelop herself in and looked to him. A wide grin spread across her delicate face and she jumped to her feet, throwing the book aside.

"Saul!" Kelsei cried excitedly, rushing forwards to wrap her tiny arms around him in embrace. Ever since she was a child, she had suffered from a rare defect that meant it was incredibly difficult for her to put on any weight, making her exist in a constant state of frailty and weakness. Her skin forever looked tight against her bones and pale, but to Saul she was the most beautiful girl in Patharis. There was nothing he wouldn't do to protect her and make her well. Yet today he would have to break her heart.

"Did I surprise you, mouse?" He asked with a smile, bopping her nose as she hugged him.

"Definitely! And don't call me mouse, you know I don't like it!" she scorned feebly, unable to appear serious from all the grinning so instead deciding to poke him in the belly as punishment.

"Only when you stop looking like one," he teased, poking her back.

"Haha. What are you doing here?"

"Can't an older brother stop by to surprise his little sister every now and then?"

"Well, yes, but it's been ages since you last did. Don't think you can trick me!" Kelsei giggled.

"You're too clever for me, that's for sure," Saul conceded, frowning before continuing, "You may want to sit down Kelsei, I have some news."

"Is...is everything all right?" she asked, tensing at his words.

"There's...there's something we need to talk about. It's very important, and I have to tell you now, so you can understand."

"Okay," Kelsei whispered, her voice fading in fear as she sunk into a nearby chair. There was one directly next to hers, so Saul sat in it. He couldn't tell her everything - as few people as possible could know to prevent the risk of more people finding out, endangering the stability of the cities. But what could he tell her to make her understand the seriousness of what was going on?

"There's been a rumour that...that the Dwarves are planning to attack Patharis. It is only a rumour, so likely nothing will come of it, but it needs to be investigated. As a show of good faith, the King has decided to send the Princes to discuss the matter with the Dwarven King, which means-"

"My wedding has to be put on hold," Kelsei finished. Her face had paled to the shade of chalk, and her hands were shaking. For someone who had so little happiness and hope in her life because of her condition, a wedding meant everything to her, but now even that had been taken away from her. Reaching over, Saul took her hands in his to steady her.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I know how much this means to you," Saul whispered softly.

"But what if the rumours are true? What if they try to hurt Casren?"

"I won't let that happen. I met with Casren earlier and agreed to go with him, to keep him safe to return to you."

Panic flooded her face, "You're going with him?! Saul, no, I can't lose both of you, I couldn't bear it."

"Nothing is going to happen to us, I promise. We are taking with us the bravest and best adventurers Patharis has to offer to keep us safe. Even old Abareth is coming along," Saul reassured her as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes.

"I-I could come with you? My physicians say I'm doing a lot better!" Kelsei suggested, full of hope.

"I don't doubt it, I can see the difference in you," Saul lied kindly, "But I could never put you in harms way little mouse. If I know you are here, where it's safe and sound, I'll work harder than ever to get back to you with Casren. Please Kelsei, understand, for me?"

"...Fine. But you both better come back in one piece or - or I'll kill you myself!" She laughed through the tears.

"I swear it. I would hate to invoke the mighty wrath of mouse," Saul teased, squeezing her hands. She laughed at that, and Saul found himself in great admiration of her bravery - she had been through so much yet she could still be hopeful in the worst of scenarios. He swore to himself that he would do whatever it took to ensure they got back. Even if it meant getting rid of that Halfing the Princes had taken a shine to.

Author's Note

This is the last part I'll be posting on writerscafe! You'll have to wait for the actual book now or contact me personally! Please please please read the whole of Charge of Gods and let me know what you've thought so far!