The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams (36 page)

“Didn’t seem important enough to bring up.
It’s the past. We aren’t betrothed anymore. From what I hear you
are married now, with children,” Havoc called back, never taking
his eyes from the trail ahead of them.

“One child, he is nine this year,” she
corrected and sighed. “Father saw me married not two moons after
you took your damn tattoos. I think he was afraid we might have
been a bit too close of friends.”

“Thought I left you with a bastard in the
belly and became a brigand eh?” Havoc asked sourly. “Well he never
did think too much of me. I suppose I shouldn’t find it
surprising.”

She shrugged and flicked a gaze toward
Victory. “You are a brigand too, then?” she asked nonchalantly.

“No, I am not a brigand. I do not rob,
murder, rape or pillage as brigands do. I am a Fionaveir. I protect
those who cannot defend themselves, despite the guidelines of the
law,” Victory replied a bit indignantly.

“Prickly isn’t he?” she called ahead to
Havoc, raising a slender blond eyebrow at Victory.

“No, he is the diplomatic one. You simply
found a nerve and danced a jig on it. Fionaveir do not consider
themselves brigands, Kes,” Havoc replied.

She chuckled in response and offered Victory
a shrug in what might have been an apology. “You should have let me
know you were coming. I would have brought cats for you both so you
didn’t have to struggle up the mountain on your mules,” she called,
as Razor let out another snort and broke through a drift. Her eyes
danced between the two of them as they glared at her and she let
loose a peel of merry laughter. With a huge smile she stroked her
cat’s neck and glanced over at Avalanche. “That’s the same one I
saw you ride in Sanctuary isn’t it? He has to be ancient by now.
I’m surprised he is able to climb the mountains at all.”

“He is not the typical horse,” Victory
responded as politely as he could. Though between the mule comment
and then insulting Avalanche, directly he was finding it a
strain.

“There was the other nerve,” Havoc muttered
over his shoulder.

“You didn’t mind the mule comment?” she asked
looking toward Havoc in surprise.

“I know you are baiting my temper,” he
replied, his tone as calm as Victory had ever heard him.

“And it doesn’t seem to be working at all,”
Kes replied a bit indignantly.

“I’ll fight if I want to, not for your
entertainment. If you want a show, go to Sanctuary and watch Finn,”
Havoc returned.

“Little Finn? Our fine fighting monkey?” Kes
asked and broke into laughter once more.

“What?” Victory asked in confusion as Havoc
began laughing as well.

Kes shook her head and composed herself and
looked to Victory smiling. “He didn’t tell you that story, either?
Oh, that’s one of my favorites,” she said with a sigh.

“No, he hasn’t,” Victory replied, glancing
toward Havoc and then back to her again.

“My brother hated Jani and was rather open
about it before we were officially betrothed. Jani ignored him for
the most part until my brother eventually cornered him and demanded
a duel. Kadan didn’t understand that Firym don’t duel like we do.
When the Delvay duel it is a show of skill and there is a lot of
bluster but very little death. When the Firym duel there is very
little bluster and a whole lot of death. So Jani mocked him and
refused to duel and made a remark that a monkey with a salad fork
could best Kadan and he wasn’t worth drawing steel for.” She
paused, fighting back another wave of laughter. “So Jani said he
would prove it and the next time he visited he brought a cute
little monkey with him. Everyone in the village knew about it at
this point so the crowd was immense. My brother blustered and
warned Jani that if he didn’t end the charade he will soon have a
dead monkey. Jani just simply nodded and handed the little monkey a
fork.” Her words were getting harder to understand as the laughter
grew once more.

“So my monkey proceeded to bounce from wall
to wall dodging between legs, running up his back, and stabbing
Kadan at every possible opportunity. By the time the fiasco was
over my monkey was out of breath and Kadan was bleeding from dozens
of fork wounds,” Havoc finished with a smile. “Kes is the only one
that I let in on the joke, though. Everyone else believes it was
truly just a trained monkey,” he added with a chuckle.

“My mother laughed so hard from the monkey
that beer came out her nose,” Kes said, her voice still filled with
laughter. “It was barely three days after that incident that she
approved Jani’s suit for my hand, and then the bastard joined the
Fionaveir.” The laughter died and she gave a heavy sigh, shaking
her head at Havoc who in turn ignored her.

“How in the hell did you convince Finn to
allow himself to be transformed into a monkey?” Victory asked in
disbelief. He was curious about the betrothal as well, but knew
Havoc well enough to leave the topic alone.

“I blackmailed him,” Havoc replied with a
shrug. “Needless to say Kadan will not be pleased to see me, but
I’ll refrain from reminding him publicly that a monkey defeated him
in a duel.”

“Wait, Kadandelvayan?” Victory asked as the
name at last sank in.

“That would be the one,” Havoc agreed with a
smirk.

“You are the High Lord’s daughter?” Victory
asked, looking toward Kes with a raised eyebrow.

“Adopted, but yes. My father was a favored
warrior of Lord Delvayon. When he died fighting the Rivasans, the
Lord adopted me and took my mother in,” Kes explained. “That’s
probably something I should warn you about, Jani. You won’t talk my
father down, Kadan either. Not that Kadan would be likely to listen
to you anyway. The Rivasans have been pushing us for a while.
Personally I think that after you speak with my house you won’t
want to talk them down anymore, either one of you.”

“Why would we abandon our mission of peace?”
Victory asked. He wasn’t sure what she meant about the Rivasans’
pushing them, but that answer could wait until he spoke with the
High Lord. As far as he understood from his history lessons, war
between these two nations was as common as snow in the winter. The
reason could be as simple as an insult between the houses and they
would war over it. He couldn’t fathom a reason he would be drawn
into the nonsense, though, not with the current troubles the world
already faced. The matter with the Blights outweighed personal
insult as far as he was concerned.

“Because the Rivasans have your envoy. Our
spies reported his capture last night. He didn’t make it thirty
miles into the land before they had him, and from the reports they
are not playing nicely with him,” Kes replied, her words pulling
him back from his contemplation like the crack of a whip.

Victory frowned heavily and Avalanche slowed
to a stop. “Havoc, do you realize who they sent into Rivasa?” he
asked.

Slowing his own horse Havoc turned in his
saddle and studied Victory’s expression carefully. “By the look on
your face, it’s bad,” he said with a sigh.

“They sent Remedy in. Symphony will have to
be warned of this,” Victory replied.

“Bloody, buggering hell. Of all the damned
agents they could send they pick the single one our future Empress
is in love with.” Havoc sighed heavily and nodded thanks to Kes.
“Thank you for letting us know. This does indeed change things.
Looks like I will get to kill some Rivasans after all.” He kept the
excitement out of his tone but Victory didn’t miss the large smile
growing on his face as he turned back in the saddle once more.

With an inward sigh of his own, he prepared a
mental link with Symphony and tried to think of the gentlest way to
break the news to her. The Fionaveir were despised in Rivana.
Remedy had taken a huge risk by accepting the mission and had
likely already paid for it with his life. The Rivana justice system
worked with swift efficiency.

He could see the twin gates of Valemuir
looming ahead of them in the distance. He had perhaps two miles
remaining to determine exactly what his approach was going to be
with High Lord Rendelvayan. He would have to have his plan set by
the time they arrived. Rendelvayan wasn’t known for his patience.
Symphony had sent him to make peace, but with Remedy held prisoner
or possibly dead, those plans would most certainly change.

Gaelyn

Shade balanced himself carefully on top of
the cage, the thick bundle of meat tucked precariously under one
arm. Taking care to watch his footing, he moved to the center of
the thick black bars and examined his prizes below. The trap was a
rough one to be sure, but by his count he had captured close to
twenty goblins despite that fact.

The creatures milled below him snarling and
growling up at him. They were quite possibly the ugliest creatures
on Sanctuary he decided. The tallest in the cage stood perhaps
three and a half feet tall and was an impressive specimen for the
race. It’s muscular body was thick and the ink black skin was slick
with oil. The creature paced below him, it’s small black eyes
locked on him and glittering with malice. A low growl began to
emanate from the goblin as Shade studied it and it gnashed it’s
oversized fangs in frustration as it crouched to jump.

“I don’t think so, buddy,” Shade warned, and
adjusted himself to a better balance. The creatures were small in
size but fierce in nature. If he lost his balance now they would
tear him apart before he could even consider using a spell.
Lowering the package carefully he balanced it across his knees and
unfolded the cloth. It had taken him nearly an hour to prepare the
meat with the alchemical surprise inside.

The largest creature caught the scent of
blood and began to snarl louder, stretching it’s hands toward the
ceiling in a vain attempt to reach him or the package. Shade
regarded the talons inches from his foot and frowned at the goblin.
“So, patience isn’t a strong virtue. Got it,” he muttered and
dropped a large chunk of meat to the creature.

It dove for the morsel as did several others.
Within moments, they were locked in combat with one another, little
black bodies flailing with talons and fangs flashing. Shaking his
head with a sigh he quickly began dropping more meat into the cage
hoping they would give up the fight over the first morsel at the
sight of more food.

“We have a problem,” Charm’s voice came from
beside the ship. Shade glanced up from the fight and regarded the
rogue with a raised eyebrow. He hadn’t heard him approach, but then
that was nothing new. He never heard Charm approach. “The Rivasans
have captured our envoy,” Charm explained, his gaze going briefly
to the goblin’s squabble.

“My money is on the little one with the scar
down his back. Nasty little bugger,” Shade said and rose slowly.
With careful steps he made his way to the edge of the cage and
dropped down lightly to the ground. “I’m not sure who they sent to
Rivana, but it was a foolish thing to do. There was no way they
would listen to a Fionaveir.”

“He was traveling in secret to speak with
Lord Hexian,” Charm explained with a sigh.

“Gee, I wonder if the villagers turned him
in?” Shade said dryly as he began to wipe the blood from the meat
off his hands. “Look, I’m sorry, Charm, but your friend is likely
dead. The Rivana law is rather brutal.”

Charm ignored the jibe and continued. “I
believe you met the envoy before we left the Fionahold, his name is
Remedy,” he said. Shade slowed in his task and dropped the cloth
onto the wing of his ship.

“The incredibly nice one with minty breath,”
Shade said with a slow nod.

“The incredibly nice councilor with minty
breath,” Charm corrected.

“Do you have any indication that he might
still be alive?” Shade asked with a hint of hope in his voice. In
truth, he had liked the man a great deal. Remedy had been kind and
easy to speak to. The more important aspect however was that it had
been obvious how much Symphony had liked the man.

“Symphony believes he is,” Charm replied, his
eyes once again going to the goblins who were still snarling and
tearing at each other.

“No insult meant, Charm, but do you have any
reason other than Symphony’s hopes?” Shade asked, his tone filled
with sympathy.

Charm nodded slowly and returned his gaze to
Shade. “Remedy has value to House Avanti. I don’t think Lord Rivasa
would kill him without contacting Avanti first. He was captured
recently and I think Avanti will want him alive.”

“Well then, help me get this cage loaded and
we’ll see what we can do,” Shade said with a slight nod and opened
the cargo hatch to the spell hawk.

“You mean to take them with us?” Charm asked,
his tone filled with shock.

“Well I’m not going to go through the trouble
of catching them all over again,” Shade replied, shaking his head.
“I still need about forty more of them. To release these would be
stupid,” he added and glanced toward Charm. Realizing quickly that
the rogue had no intention of helping, Shade sighed and with a
quick spell levitated the cage.

“I really don’t think we should take them,”
Charm objected.

“You don’t have to catch them again if we
release them, I do. So we are taking them,” Shade snapped as he
maneuvered the cage into the ship. With practiced hands he chained
the cage in place and stepped back off the ship, closing the hatch
behind him.

Pausing by Charm he considered his ship and
then looked to the rogue. “You know Rivana has spell hawks as well.
I won’t be able to just fly into the city,” he warned.

“I know, first things first. We need to
acquire more information. We don’t even know that he is truly alive
beyond my suspicions,” Charm replied.

“OK, so first stop is Kedravon. If we are
going to find gossip anywhere it will be in their capital,” Shade
agreed and headed for the front of the ship. Charm gave a slight
nod and followed. “I know Kedravon decently well. My father was
rather close friends with Lord Rivasa when it was convenient to
him. I can get us close but we will have to approach the city on
foot. It shouldn’t be too hard, though. The last time I was there
the guard was light.”