Tested (The Life of Uktesh Book 1) (19 page)

Laurilli ran to her mother and held her as they both wept. Uktesh unsheathed his sword and said, “I will swear to whatever god you believe in, that the next person to touch any of my friends outside of the tournament will die seconds after.”  Uktesh heard the hollow sound of his own voice and got chills,
I mean it,
and the sudden revolution shocked him.  The sudden and abrupt violence lent credence to his words, enough so that the crowd quickly dispersed back to whatever they’d been doing.

“Tylor, will you think less of me if I drop out of unarmed if I get paired against Uktesh?” asked Larut.

“Heck no, I’m thinking of dropping out of sword just cause he’s in it!”

Their banter had the needed effect as Laurilli laughed and angrily wiped her eyes dry, “I shouldn’t have screamed, what kind of fighter did I look like screaming?”

Tylor grinned and said, “A very cute one?”

Uktesh laughed and sheathed his sword, “Hey that’s my line!” He ignored the unconscious man on the ground, but Laurilli moved to the man and rolled him on his stomach, “If he is still participating and if he’s in the sword competition, I want a chance to hurt him. So I can’t let him choke on his own blood now can I?”

Uktesh shrugged and said to Tylor, “I believe you mean a very cute engaged one?”

“You’re engaged!”

“Since the beginning of this trip?  Yes.”

“Oh man, and here I’d found a lovely golden necklace to give you as an engagement gift. Now where’d it go?” he started to pat his pockets.

“Did you mean this one?”  Uktesh said and held up the necklace they had found.

“Well it does look like that, but,” he patted a pocket in his vest again, “ah here it is!”  He pulled out a thin golden necklace with a sapphire at the end of it.  “I had meant to give it to Laurilli to congratulate her on her first victory, but I think I should congratulate her now.”

“For what, surviving my first groping?”

“That was your first?”

“Well,” she paused and thought about it, “yeah.”

“Either your father is more fierce than I gave him credit for, or you don’t get out much, maybe both.” he shook his head in shock.  “No, the reason you should get it is because you’re probably the only person in the world who can be groped and still help the person who did the groping, no matter what the reason.”

She smiled and pulled her hair up and allowed Tylor to put it on her.  They continued to walk to their barracks. Once inside, they set up their beds. The two women had the beds furthest from the door so that anyone who tried to get to them had to go through the six men who, each as chivalrous and brave as they were, would fight to the death to save them.  They had plenty of time before night fell and the festivities started that marked the start of the tournament the night before it began.  Larut, Esolc, and Myrtin said that they just wanted to rest before the fight tomorrow so they’d stay with the gear, which left the rest of them free to do whatever they wanted.  Uktesh grabbed Laurilli’s hand a said, “Come on let go explore!”

Her eyes lit up and they made a dash for the door, when Heathyr said, “Wait!  We need to pick a time and place to meet up again!” 

They halted and looked at each other and shrugged, when Tylor said, “How about we meet at the water fountain in the market place? It’s a great place to shop and a better place to watch the fireworks. It’s easily found and the fountain is in the center. We can meet during the fireworks.”

“Sounds good.” Laurilli yelled as she grabbed Uktesh’s hand and pulled him out the door with an infectious laugh.  They ran past the guard shack and the old man nodded to Uktesh.  Somehow he knew that the guard had been able to watch the whole fight take place.  They slowed to a walk soon after, but Laurilli didn’t let go of his hand and he interlaced his fingers with hers.  “So where should we go?”

He shrugged, “I’ve never been here. Let’s ask someone what the best thing to do is.” 

They walked up to a group of kids that looked three or four years younger than them and asked. One of the girls said, “You should see the jugglers down the street!”

“No,” said one of the boys, “the fire breather next to them.”

“No,” said another of the girls, who had a tattoo under her right eye that extended around her cheek to curl up toward her temple, “you should get a henna tattoo. They aren’t even permanent!  She’s right by the jeweler, two streets down from the jugglers.”

“Or you could go to see the wyvern trainer!”  The shocked silence met that statement, “I swear I saw a man riding a wyvern or a small dragon around outside the gates. He must’ve been part of an act.”

“Wow,” Uktesh said, “thanks! There seems to be a lot of things to do. Thanks for the suggestions.”

“Have you heard about the war?” asked one of the boys.

“No, what about it?” asked Laurilli anxiously.

“We just took over the whole southern half of Beletaria.”

“Wow, that seems like a lot.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking those Beletarians have inflated reps,” said the same boy.

They started to walk away when Uktesh felt a tug on his pants and turned to see who had tried to get his attention, only to see a fast form sprint away from them. M
y money!
  He patted where his money pouch should’ve been, but found only cut strings, “Stay with them.” Uktesh said to Laurilli, “I’ll be right back!”

He Rushed after the thief, and quickly upgraded his dash to Hawk Soars, because he knew if he lost sight of the thief his money was as good as gone. He saw the person shoot around a carriage and into an alley.  Uktesh flowed into the perfect Rising Knee and took one hop onto the drivers bench, then leapt through the air, landed, then rolled right behind the thief. Without a thought he flowed into Leaf Falls and swept the man’s legs out from under him.  In full sprint the man tumbled forward and skidded to a stop a few feet away. Uktesh saw that he still held his money purse.  Uktesh planted his knee on the thief’s back, grabbed his money, quickly counted it, saw that it was all there, and stood up.

“Halt!  What goes here!”  Shouted a guard from the street, Uktesh smiled and moved towards him, “Halt, I said!”

“This man stole my money. I chased him down and took it back!  Arrest this man as a thief.”

The man in question finally got up, and Uktesh saw that it was the same contestant that had groped Heathyr, “Sir, this boy attacked me as I came into this alley! I’m but a humble tournament contestant, assaulted even before I honor this fair city with battle.  I demand you arrest this boy, and have him give me back my money!”

“One of you lies. I’ve a mind to believe the gladiator. He has the look of a warrior about him, and you, boy, surely could only have defeated him through stealth and trickery!”

“What?  I just told you what happened! I have witnesses who saw me get robbed, and chase down this man.”

“Friends of his, surely, guardsman, to make his story more plausible.” said the thief.

“Is what he says true? Are these witnesses your friends?”

“No, one is sure, but the other six or seven were giving us directions.”

“He admits that one is his friend surely they all must be!”

“I’ll just take you both down to the magistrate. He’ll settle this out.”

“Wait!  I can prove the money’s mine!  I know how much is in it.” Uktesh said, “The thief wouldn’t have had enough time to count it all.”

“How much is in it?” asked the guard.

“I’ll whisper it to you, then he’ll whisper it to you, and you can judge who’s telling the truth.”

The guard nodded, “That makes sense. Come tell me how much is in it?”

Uktesh whispered to the guard, “Nine gold pieces, and a golden necklace.”

The guard turned to the thief, “Your turn.”

“No need for me to whisper, nine gold pieces, and a golden necklace.”

Uktesh was shocked,
Did he really have time to count it all, or did he hear me?
  He heard the guard mutter, “Well that didn’t work.

“What’s going on here?” asked a voice that demanded answers and one that Uktesh recognized instantly.

The guard looked over his shoulder and did a quick double-take, before he dropped to a knee, “Lord Youreth, nothing that need concern one of the Triumvirates.”

“Crime concerns me. From what I understand, you’re trying to ascertain if this boy ambushed a loyal citizen or if he was stolen from by one of the contestants in this year’s tournament. Is that the gist of what you’re doing?”

“Yes, my lord.” he said still on his knee.

“First, get up. If one were to attack you, you’d have almost no chance.  Second what’s your name boy?”

“Uktesh.”

“Thirdly, what’s your name sir.”

“Irtith,” he said, lifted his chin, and puffed out his chest.  Now that Uktesh got a better look at him. He saw that the man was only five feet five inches, barely taller than Uktesh. He was sickly thin, and his skin had a gray pallor to it.

“Really?  I’ve heard of you, came in fourth in swords two years ago is that correct?” asked lord Youreth.

“It’s true, and I only lost to the champion, who as I hear it isn’t competing this year. Thus I return.”

“Ah yes, he’s occupied with the war, a truth which we’d feared would mean less fighters. But strangely with most of our champions and top fighters in the army, the masses must’ve felt they had a better chance this year.”

“I myself would’ve joined the army,” said Irtith quickly, “but my family needed me at home. We sent my younger brother to fill the quota.”

“I see. A tough thing to lose one’s family for a time.” Uktesh could practically see the images of lord Youreth’s daughter, full of life, racing through his mind.  “I’ve made my decision. It will be mandated and carried out tomorrow.  If you both will submit to becoming a tournament contestant and the first fight of the day, then the winner of that fight will be the victim, and the loser the thief.  You will fight using real weapons.  What say you?”

“I agree to your judgment, my lord. I am only participating in sword this year will that be ok?”

Lord Youreth looked at Uktesh and raised his eyebrows, “That’s fine with me.” said Uktesh.  “However, I was going to bet five gold coins on the match and find the owner of the golden necklace to give it to them.”

“Very well, to sweeten the pot whoever wins will get their money back, plus five golds from me, and if you win, I’ll personally see to it that the owner of the necklace receives it.”

“Thank you. That’s not all I was worried about, but also that I might have some coin to spend this night with my girlfriend.”

“You, a possible thief, test my patience. I’ll give you two of the gold pieces for tonight.  If you lose the match tomorrow and survive, you’ll either come up with the money you owe me then, or you’ll work it off in my fields.”

“Thank you. That’s most generous.”

The guard didn’t think so though, “Sir, if this boy isn’t the thief, he’ll still have no chance of beating the fourth best swordsman from the tournament two years ago.”

“We must believe then that the gods will help the winner and punish the loser.”

“Indeed! Well said, my lord,” said Irtith, “if I may take my leave.”

Lord Youreth nodded and Irtith left quickly. Youreth took out two of the gold coins and passed them to Uktesh, “I must admit I feared ever finding you again, young man. I wanted to thank you for what you did this morning.  After I had some time to think about it, I realized that you helped me more than I’d thought, first not striking back at me to injure, second finding my daughter’s killer, and third not accepting the necklace, which, if you win, I’ll be taking back if you don’t mind.  Fortune prick me but I nearly trampled some people getting here, when I saw you fly off the carriage.”

“You knew who I was?”

“Kid, you make an impression.”

“My lord, you know this boy?” asked the guard.

“Indeed I do, a more honest child I’ve never met.”

“Then why didn’t you allow me to arrest the thief?”

“Because now he’s going to fight Uktesh, and from what I remember that’s punishment enough.” He turned back to Uktesh, “From what I understand this won’t be a challenge?”

“Well, the fourth best is a title not easily won. But from how quickly I was able to beat him twice today, tomorrow shouldn’t be a terrible stretch.”

“Twice?” asked the guard.

“He groped Laurilli, the younger woman, earlier today. That does remind me, I broke his collar bone and nose for that, but he didn’t seem much injured.”

“A mystery that won’t be solved today. Go enjoy your festival. You, young guard, are you a betting man?”

Uktesh turned and started to walk out of the alley, their voices followed him as he went, “No, my lord.”

“Truth be told I am not either, because it isn’t gambling if you know for certain something will happen. So trust me, gather all your money and bet it on the fight tomorrow. The odds will be hugely stacked in Irtith’s favor. Why you could easily win twenty to forty times the amount you bet.”

“Really, my lord? Too bad I don’t have,” their voices receded until Uktesh couldn’t hear them anymore. He quickly found Laurilli and together they went to watch the jugglers and the fire breather. While they walked, Uktesh filled her in on what took place.