Redemption (Book 6) (2 page)

Maklavir’s face flinched. “I’ve changed,” he said at last.

“Right,” said Joseph with a shake of his head. “Just because you started going to temple back in Vorten with some kind of new-found religious devotion. And now you’re a changed man?”

“I...” Maklavir hesitated, his face taut. “That’s not really—”

“What about that cooper’s daughter back in Ollais?” Joseph shot. “That wasn’t two weeks ago.”

“It was Edgeton, not Ollais,” said Maklavir crossly. “And that’s not fair at all. She was coming on to
me
, not—”

Joseph struck off a blade of grass with the tip of his rapier. “So you valiantly fought off her advances?”

Maklavir’s face turned a purplish hue. He took a deep breath. “All right, Joseph. I’m not a perfect man. I never have been. But Eru knows I’m trying to change, even a little.
You
, on the other hand—”

Joseph looked up sharply. “What about me?”

“What
about
you?” Maklavir shook his head. “You’ve been distant ever since the Despair in Vorten. You’ve become darker, edgier. I dare say Kara’s noticed it too.”

Joseph turned his head away with a scowl.

“You’re like a totally different person, Joseph.” Maklavir took out a handkerchief and pressed it to the cut in his side. “Certainly not the same man I met back in the Howling Woods. I saw the way you killed those bandits outside of Rella.”

Joseph’s head snapped back around. “You’re
blaming
me for that? Talin’s ashes, Maklavir, I saved all our lives. Kara could still barely stand. Eru knows you were no help at all.”

Maklavir stepped forward, leveling an accusing finger at the bearded man. “You slaughtered them in cold blood. The one was still
wounded
, Joseph.”

 Joseph looked over at the rising sun, the anger evident on his face. “They were all bloodthirsty killers, Maklavir. They would have slaughtered us all if they’d had the chance. We lost the cart as it was. If I had shown mercy at all, let that last man live, he would have—”

“Yes, I know,” said Maklavir abruptly. “He would have found his friends. They would have hunted us down.”

Joseph gripped the handle of his rapier tightly. “Then what in Zanthora are you blaming me for?”

“Nothing,” Maklavir said quietly. He took his handkerchief away, and made a face at the splotch of blood. He pressed it back against his cut. “All I’m saying is that the old Joseph would have let the man go.” His eyes blazed. “So be careful about what you’re accusing
me
of.”

Joseph snorted. “Right, I forgot. Because you’re a changed man.” He looked over at Maklavir. “You don’t even know what love is, Maklavir. How long would it last between you and Kara? A couple weeks, and then your head would be turned by another pretty face?”

Maklavir took a measured breath. “Now you’re hitting low, Joseph.”

“I’m telling the
truth
.” Joseph took a step forward. “You think you’re in love with Kara, but you’re not. I’ve had feelings for her since the first moment I laid eyes on her—”

“Oh, yes,” said Maklavir sarcastically. “And how long ago was that, Joseph? All the way back in the Howling Woods? How much time have you had, exactly? Because from where I’m standing, you haven’t made a move.”

Joseph blushed, his face twitching with embarrassment and anger. “I’ve been moving...at my own pace,” he said slowly.

“There are glaciers that move faster than that,” Maklavir said. “So what exactly is your position, Joseph? You lay claim to a girl and no one else can court her for the six years it takes you to make your move?”

“That’s
enough
,” Joseph said. His hand clenched harder on the hilt of his rapier.

“You accuse me of not changing, but at least I know how to make a move on a girl,” Maklavir continued. “Not like you.”

“Oh, really?” Joseph said. His voice was deathly quiet. “Then why haven’t you made a move on Kara yet? At least she knows how
I
feel about her. How about you?”

Maklavir frowned. “It’s...complicated.”

“Sounds to me like
you’re
the one who’s afraid,” Joseph said with a bitter smile.

Maklavir looked intently at Joseph for a moment, then down at the rapier. In a lightning-fast move he snatched the weapon up from the ground.

“What are you doing?” Joseph asked.

“I’ll fight you for her,” Maklavir declared. He waved his blade through the air. “Right here, right now. Winner gets Kara, the loser backs out.”

Joseph threw his head back and laughed. “You have got to be joking. You want to take me on...in a swordfight?”

“What’s the matter?” Maklavir said fiercely. “Are you afraid to fight me?”

Joseph tossed his rapier down on the grass. “Maklavir, it wouldn’t even be a fight. You wouldn’t last ten seconds.”

“I’m willing to fight for Kara,” Maklavir said, his face deadly serious. “Are you? Come on, Joseph, why don’t you show some backbone for once. Stick your neck out for the girl.”

Joseph put up both his hands. “Maklavir, I am not fighting you.”

“I would advise you to pick up your sword,” Maklavir said. He narrowed his gaze. “Because on the count of three I’m coming for you whether you’re ready or not.” He raised the tip of his rapier. “
One
.”

“Maklavir—” Joseph started to say.

“
Two
.”

“This is ridiculous,” Joseph said. “We can’t—”

“
Three
!” Maklavir hurled himself forward and struck out with his rapier.

Joseph leapt to the side.

Maklavir went flying past him. His sword slashed and cut through empty air.

Joseph wiped a hand across his mouth. “Maklavir, for Eru’s sake—”

“For honor!” Maklavir cried. He turned and lunged at Joseph again.

Joseph dodged the badly-aimed strike and grabbed Maklavir’s sword hand.

Maklavir cuffed Joseph hard on the side of the head with his free hand.

Joseph grunted. He shook his head, and twisted Maklavir’s hand until the rapier pointed away. “What in Zanthora—?”

Maklavir swung at Joseph again.

Joseph blocked the blow with his free hand. He punched Maklavir hard in the face.

With a startled cry the diplomat tumbled back into the wet grass, toppling head over heels. His rapier rolled off to one side.

Joseph shook his hand and stepped forward across the grass. “All right, Maklavir, that’s enough of—”

Maklavir pushed himself back up to his feet. With barely a pause he lowered his head and charged towards Joseph like a bull.

Surprised, Joseph tried to step out of the way, but didn’t make it in time.

Maklavir crashed into him, wrapping his arms around Joseph’s mid-section.

The two men stumbled backwards with a series of shouts and grunts. They slammed into the wooden fence at the end of the field and went right through it. Splintered pieces of boards flew out into the grass of the field.

A dozen yards away two cows lifted their heads from their relentless chewing to see what was going on. One swished its tail.

“Get
off
!” Joseph panted. He pummeled Maklavir on the head.

“For love!” Maklavir shouted, his face turned towards the ground. He repeatedly punched Joseph hard in the side with one of his fists.

Joseph grabbed Maklavir around the neck in a headlock.

Maklavir kept charging forward blindly, pushing both of them across the field.

One of the cows mooed. The second cow went back to grazing.

The ground suddenly gave out from under them. Both men toppled over the steep edge into a shallow drainage ditch. They crashed with a giant splash into the cold, muddy water.

Maklavir straggled to his feet, shaking the water from his eyes.

Joseph climbed up, steadying himself against one side of the ditch’s edge. “You want to fight?” He snarled. “Come on, then.” He barreled towards Maklavir, his boots sending great splashes of brown water through the air.

Maklavir balled up his fists and held them in front of his face.

Joseph took a lunging strike at Maklavir’s head.

Maklavir blocked the punch with his own fist. He lashed back a quick strike in return.

The blow caught Joseph on the face. He staggered backwards through the knee-deep water, sputtering and spitting.

The other cow went back to grazing as well.

“Ha!” Maklavir said triumphantly. “Didn’t think I could land a hit, did you—?”

Joseph came wheeling back. He slammed a fist into Maklavir’s stomach.

The diplomat crumpled in two. He tottered and fell backwards with a splash into the water, ending in a sitting position.

“You ready to give up?” Joseph said.

Maklavir coughed and wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Water dripped from his goatee and ran down his face in rivulets. “Never!” he shouted. He grabbed at the edge of the ditch and pulled himself back up.

“I’d stay down if I were you.” Joseph braced himself and raised both his fists. “I wouldn’t want to bruise that pretty face of yours.”

“Just try it,” Maklavir responded. He raised his own fists.

Both cows lifted their heads again. They kept chewing.

Joseph came in. Water swished around his legs. He feinted left, then struck right.

Maklavir dodged, then threw a roundhouse punch at Joseph’s head.

The pathfinder ducked out of the way.

Maklavir toppled forward. He sailed past Joseph and crashed face first into the water of the ditch.

“You’re pathetic,” Joseph growled. He jumped on top of Maklavir.

The diplomat twisted out of the way. He brought up a fist filled with dirt and slime and smashed it all over Joseph’s face.

“Ow!” Joseph shouted. He stumbled back, trying to smear the concoction out of his eyes. “
Eru in Pelos
, Mak—”

Maklavir got unsteadily to his feet, then punched Joseph hard across the face.

Joseph fell backwards and crashed into the brown water.

One of the cows gave a bored
moo
.

“Now who’s laughing?” Maklavir threw himself at Joseph, his fist coiled back and ready to strike again.

Joseph jumped up, his clothes soaking wet. He lashed out with his own fist.

Maklavir missed. He tripped and crashed heavily into the side of the drainage ditch.

With the dirt still in his eyes, Joseph swung wildly. He didn’t connect with anything at all, but the force of his swing toppled him back into the water again with a huge splash.

Maklavir coughed, leaning against the bank and holding his stomach with one hand.

A crow landed on the broken remains of the fence. It cocked its head curiously as it watched the two men.

Joseph struggled to his feet again. He wiped the last bit of mud and grass out of his face.

Maklavir steadied himself, still struggling for breath. He raised his fists defensively.

Joseph balled his fists and took a step forward.

“Joseph! Maklavir!”

Both men froze. They glanced to the side.

Kara stood by the broken remains of the fence, staring down at them in complete shock. The hood of her green cloak was down, and her ragged red hair tossed gently in the morning breeze.

“Hey, Kara,” Joseph said weakly.

Kara looked from one man to another. “What on Zanthora are the two of you
doing
?”

Joseph and Maklavir looked at each other.

They were both covered in slime, mud, bits of grass and leaves. Their clothes were completely soaked. Water dripped off them like a steady patter of rain. Maklavir was bleeding from the lip. Joseph had a swollen cut across his cheek. Now that they had stopped fighting, both men were shivering in the cold morning air.

Joseph looked back up at Kara. He paused for a second. “I was...teaching Maklavir to swordfight.”

Kara kept staring at them.

“Yes,” said Maklavir hesitantly. He plucked a long wet vine from his shoulder and dropped it into the water. “Just...a bit of fencing, that’s all.”

Kara glanced back at the cow pasture beyond the broken fence. “Aren’t those your swords back there in the grass?”

Both men were silent for a long moment.

“These are...” Joseph squirmed. Water dripped from his beard. “Advanced techniques.”

Kara cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

Joseph coughed. “Yes.” He put a hand awkwardly on Maklavir’s shoulder. “You’re...showing a lot of progress, Maklavir. Good job.”

“And you,” said Maklavir, spitting a piece of grass out of his mouth, “are an excellent teacher, Joseph.”

“Come on, you two,” said Kara with a sigh. She leaned against the broken fence. “Tell me what’s really going on here. Why were you fighting?”

There was another long pause.

“You know,” said Maklavir as he dabbed at the corner of his mouth, “I can’t honestly remember.”

“Neither can I,” said Joseph quickly. He gave an innocent shrug of his shoulders. “We really just got a little carried away, that’s all. Heat of the moment and all that.”

Kara gave both men an intent look. “Right.” She rolled her eyes. “Keep your secrets. I don’t care.” She jerked a thumb back towards the edge of the field. “I’ve got a fire going, if you’re done beating on each other and want to come get warm.”

Both men looked at one another.

Kara crossed her arms. “And have some breakfast. And bandage those bleeding cuts.”

“Well,” said Maklavir after another long pause, “that sounds capital to me.” He stepped forward out of the water and climbed up out of the ditch.

“Me too,” said Joseph. He pulled himself out of the ditch as well.

Kara looked again at both bruised and bloodied men. “You’re...both sure everything’s all right?”

“Of course,” said Joseph with a reddening of his cheeks.

“Absolutely,” said Maklavir with an easy smile.

Kara turned away. “
Men
,” she said under her breath.

The cows began to wander off, their tails swishing nonchalantly.

Joseph and Maklavir began to follow Kara across the field, their heads hung low and their faces sheepish.

“I say,” came a voice from their right, “is everything all right?”