The High King: A Tale of Alus (21 page)

"I wouldn't go as far as that, Leoltus. I faltered once or twice along the way I assure you. Seeing all those men dying at my hand is not easy, but I do it to survive. Seeing my own men die from my commands is probably even harder still." He shook his head ruefully, and said changing the subject, "But enough of that, how is everyone here?"

An unfamiliar worried look crept into Leoltus' eyes, "By everyone, I assume that you mean Tabitha, don't you?"

Starting to worry himself over the older man's reaction, Gerid spoke directly and truthfully, "Of course she is first on my mind. What is wrong? Has something happened to her, Leoltus? Is she ill?"

"No, nothing as serious as death or horrible illness..." the older man started though he mumbled something that sounded like `I don't think anyway' that Gerid almost caught.

With the worry never leaving the pit of his stomach, the giant demanded, "Come on, man, what is it? You’re not telling me is making me even more afraid than if you would just come out and say it. Now tell me. I need to know."

Gerid had grabbed hold of the man's shoulders as the youth neared a state of panic, before he noticed Leoltus suddenly wincing in pain. As he released his tenacious hold, the older man sighed and said, "There has been a change of status for her since you left. Karma took her as his concubine in your absence and the girl is now well along with her pregnancy."

"What!" he snarled as his emotions switched like lightning to anger. The sudden heat in the giant's eyes caused Leoltus to fall back fearfully, but Gerid didn't even notice. He had left the man forgotten in his wake; his anger drove him along its crest towards the house. Charging through the doorway like a storm pushing its weight into the sea, Gerid nearly tossed the door from its hinges in his fury. The thunder of its crash caused two maidservants to jump who had been dusting just a few feet away.

Turning his gaze upon one of the women he demanded, "Laya, where is Tabitha?"
"Up... upstairs with S... Sama's maids," the woman stammered fearfully as she tried to slink away from the angry force before her.
The woman had nothing to fear as her words sent him flying to the nearest staircase. Taking the steps two and sometimes three at a time, he rushed up the stairs and ran the rest of the way to the maiden's chambers. Throwing open the door almost as hard as the more solid main portal, the bang was still echoing as Gerid spotted a startled Tabitha instantly.
"Gerid?" she asked totally taken by surprise and struggled to her feet uncomfortably as she was already far along in her pregnancy.
The sight of her, which should have made him happy, served only to throw him deeper into a rage. His mind had moved his focus once again as he revealed his mind in a deep growl, "Where's Karma?" Not caring to wait for an answer, Gerid stormed back through the doorway. He knew where he would find the man that Gerid had believed to be his friend. Running out the back way, nearly toppling a maid with her hands full of newly washed linens and scaring those of the kitchen staff preparing for lunch, Gerid aimed his fury in the direction of the practice fields.
His guess that his betrayer would be at one of his favorite places soon proved correct.
"Karma!" he roared as only his enemies on the battlefield had heard him roar.
The swordsmen and farmers throughout the compound all looked fearfully in his direction. The master's son had been practicing as Gerid had believed. Seeing the raging giant approaching with his great sword drawn, Karma looked wistfully at his seemingly frail blade wishing that it were more than it was. As the master's son sighed fearing that peace would come only with the drawing of blood, which would most likely be his, six of his guardsmen leaped to cut off Gerid from their ward. They shook as one in the face of such fury knowing that he was more than they could handle, but it was their duty to protect the master’s son.
Gerid hardly slowed as he crashed into the swordsmen tearing through their line, but still holding his temper enough not to harm the men overly much. That pleasure would be left for Karma alone to face. With the distractions sent spinning in all directions, Gerid struck downward at Karma's sword with perhaps the most powerful blow that he had ever delivered. With a sickening, metallic crack, the last defense shattered. The blade tip flew back and away even as the handle and lower, broken blade slipped from the man's suddenly numbed fingers. With his left hand, Gerid hefted Karma by his shirt high into the air before him.
Gerid tossed aside his sword and began to draw back his free hand for a mighty blow. His mind cared little whether his power was great enough to kill with just his fist. He was too far into a blind rage to worry over such small matters as life and death.
"I trusted you, Karma!" he hissed through clenched teeth. His arm pulled into position behind his shoulder as he finished preparing to strike, "How could you have betrayed me like this?"
"Gerid, stop!" a voice cried in horror. Tabitha's voice he realized dimly.
Turning to see her breathing hard and holding her belly to try and prevent any bouncing from her running, the giant returned his attention to his prey still hanging resignedly, though fearfully, in his grasp. "I told you our secret as I would a brother and asked you to protect her until my return. Is this how you honor your pledges, Karma? You take her for your own. You soil her with your seed. Why shouldn't I kill you right here and now before all these people?"
"Don't," Tabitha pleaded from beside the two men. "He did it to protect me, Gerid. Put him down now. Please. You've gotten this all wrong. Put him down so that we might explain."
With a grunt of contempt, Gerid flicked the man away with a twist of a powerful wrist. A gasp from Karma and his bluish color showed how close he had come to strangulation. A pair of his guards moved to either side of him keeping their eyes on the giant warily.
"I don't think that we have anything to talk about," Gerid retorted and started to walk away from both of those involved in his pain.
Tabitha placed her small hand against his chest to restrain him, though only his love for her however shattered it might be, could actually hold him fast. The woman faced him with tears. With earnest eyes, Tabitha stated, "Yes, we do, Gerid, but we need a place where we can speak freely."
Still hurting, the man refused to look at her and replied in almost a pout, "I don't think that I could bear being alone with either of you right now."
The woman sighed with exasperation, "Fine. Then why don't you go ask Catiya about everything? If you are too full of your rage to listen to me then maybe you'll allow her to tell you. She knows all that has gone on better than even Karma."
Turning away from her, he stated, "I will." The woman's hand fell away tiredly as Gerid started for the house where the hurt man knew that he would find his only close friend that he felt could be trusted to tell him the truth, though the man really didn't want to hear it. The spectators parted to let him pass. Over their heads, Gerid spotted Finneas running towards him at the front of his band.
Catching hold of his master's arm, the soldier watched the people behind the giant carefully. "My lord, are you all right? We heard that you were in some fight and came to help."
"Don't worry, Finneas. I'm quite all right," he replied though his pained voice revealed otherwise. "Just keep on with what you were doing and I'll come over shortly. First, I have some more business at the house to attend to yet."
After leaving his followers to ponder their leader's strange actions, Gerid took a path that wouldn't bring him to the back door. Instead he moved around back and soon found Catiya's balcony. Without hesitation, the man climbed the trestle as he had almost a year before. Topping the railing, Gerid found the woman painting within her room. A simple, white, sleeveless frock served to cover her barefoot form as she stood concentrating on her work. Catiya jumped as he slid aside the pair of glass doors that had been shut barring the cool afternoon breeze.
"Gerid, you nearly scared me to death coming up that way! What took you so long?" she scolded after regaining her composure. Catiya set down the brush in its place on her easel. With that done, she came over and wrapped her arms around him in a strong hug. "I've missed you around here, but judging by your face you've already seen Tabitha." She shook her head with a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I told them that you would be too big a baby to let them explain what happened."
"A baby?" he complained in a half growl and pushed her away in annoyance.
"A big, fat baby," the girl twirled in a quick circle as she giggled. "I knew that you would be too mad at them to let her tell you that the baby is actually yours."
Gerid's jaw dropped and the woman laughed even harder. "What do you mean?" the man asked dumbfounded.
Catiya struck a pose as if she were giving a wise lecture and answered, "Well, you know about the law which prohibits slaves from having children, don't you? When Tabitha told me that she had missed her time of the month and had been getting sick in the mornings... well, we had to come up with some way to save her and the baby. I knew that Karma loves you like a brother and, since he is also mine, we went to him with the matter. He thought of the concubine story and went to Sama to ask for her. After that, we just pretended that it was actually his child and that the two of them had snuck away together to do it before he had asked. Of course, father couldn't possibly have his own grandchild put to death despite the circumstances, now could he?"
Gerid's knees started to give way in shock and he took a quick seat on the woman's bed. Catiya
immediately bounced over to join him. The girl threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss of joy on his cheek. She laughed again and said, "You're going to become a father, Gerid."
With one arm, he pulled the woman around and onto his lap to face her. With his look so serious, Catiya was nearly in tears with her laughter. Gerid asked, "You're not lying to me are you?"
"Why would I lie? Telling you it was his would free you up that I might be able to win you for myself. I have nothing to gain from lying to you, Gerid, though I suppose that father would hate to have you kill Karma, of course, especially when I could prevent it, huh?"
"I'm going to be a father," the young man said suddenly as he ignored the rest of the girl's words. A silly grin began to slide across his face. He hugged Catiya suddenly and strongly. "Now I suppose that I should go apologize?" Gerid admitted with a sigh.
The door to the room opened then. Karma stuck his head cautiously inside the frame and asked, "Is it safe yet?"
Gerid got up and walked over to the door and opened it for his wrongly accused friend. "I'm sorry, Karma. When I thought that two of my loved ones had betrayed me, my emotions simply overwhelmed me. I really am sorry, my friend."
The young man waved off the apology. "Don't bother with me. I already forgive you and all is forgotten as well, but you're going to have your hands full trying to apologize to Tabitha. You really hurt her feelings, I think. She's in my quarters now. You're free to use them, Gerid." Spying his sister behind Gerid's large form, he shook his head in chagrin. "When are you going to learn to dress like a lady? We're lucky that the soldiers haven't attacked you yet. Gods, you're showing more leg than my horse!"
Catiya made a face at him. "Thank you so much, my brother, but I wouldn't worry over that. I tried to order one to take me and he still wouldn't. Now good bye, Karma, you are dismissed, soldier," she ordered with a mock salute and stuck out her tongue.
Feigning being stung by her retort, Karma left with a grin.
Gerid lingered a moment longer to add, "But I only had one reason to resist you. You are an incredibly beautiful woman, you know, even now when you have paint all over you and with your hair pulled back in a tail. Your brother is right to worry over you, Catiya."
The woman sighed and retrieved her paint brush. Pointedly keeping her gaze from Gerid, she ordered, "Just go be with her."

Even after a long and arduous apology to his wife, it took a few more days for things to become almost as before the army had left. It could never be totally the same, of course. Too many things had changed with him and her as well over the last several months. They both needed to adjust to the thoughts of his seeming immortality and then there was the upcoming baby that would have caused a definite change in their lifestyles by the advent of becoming parents. They talked often to reacquaint themselves and readjust, but it would take time even still.

Only a week later, the homestead received the rest of their returning mercenaries with Kolonus at the head of the column of soldiers. They brought word that the mercenary division had been given leave until the following spring when, if the rumors could be believed, the king's armies would find a way to make Enswere pay and maybe even Kloste if he were to be so bold. With the reprieve granted, Kolonus took off for his own home to be with his wife.

With the commander gone and much of the reserves consisting of free men with their own homes to return to, Gerid, in his boredom, volunteered to help out with the work on the farm whenever he wasn't
supervising the training of the remaining units still living in the barracks, which seemed to be often since the lieutenant wished to give the men more time to rest after their summer of battling. One such chore served to change his path for the future by instilling new ideas in him. He was with Leoltus and Finneas, his nearly constant companion and right hand, on a trip into Camerton for supplies, when they decided to stop at a tavern for a brief drink. It lay near the wharf district which meant that there were also a few sailors taking the time to hoist their mugs of ale and raise their voices in shouts of merriment.

Gerid beckoned to the barkeeper and asked in simple curiosity, "What are they celebrating?"
"See the man in blue over there? That is their captain. He's a privateer for King Colona and they just returned from a profitable time at sea. They defeated a fair sized pirate ship and brought in a good haul."
Gerid took a moment to mull the words as the bartender returned to his business. After a minute, he started over to the table where the sailors had gathered despite Leoltus' warnings against such a course. Gerid moved behind the captain and tapped the man on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, captain," he began, "could I have a moment to speak with you?"
The captain turned his weathered face to the interruption. A cool, steady gaze looked the giant over and quickly took notice of the slave mark still scarring the back of his hand. "I don't talk with slaves," he replied curtly and turned back to his companions with sheer contempt.
"Well, perhaps this once, you could make an exception for me?" Gerid asked trying to hold down his anger and to remain calm, which was a flaw in his nature that he recognized now.
The two crewmen on either side of their captain stood quickly drawing their swords. "Be off wit' ya, `fore we gits angry," one growled in annoyance. "You may be big, boy, but dat means ya only bleed more after we stab ya."
Gerid laughed at the serious threat and replied casually, "You would think so, wouldn't you? Now sit down and back off that I might speak with your captain."
The alcohol had already served to weaken restraint among the sailors and the table of sailors rose up in anger. The captain never turned as he restated his earlier demand, "I suggest that you leave now."
Grabbing a hold of the pirates to either side of him, Gerid shoved them aside so hard that they crashed into the men behind them before stooping to pick up the captain by his shirt with one hand. The man twisted and angrily stabbed his cutlass awkwardly into the giant's chest, but Gerid stood straight and tall like a god. Wincing with the pain from the deep wound, he refused to drop the captain. Instead, taking the blade forcibly from the shocked man, Gerid pulled out the cutlass and leveled the weapon towards the surrounding seamen. "You can't kill me, but I can kill you all easily enough," he growled his statement of fact.
Seeing Gerid stand unaffected despite the mortal wound still bleeding from his chest, the sailors turned as one and ran from the room in abject terror. After they had all left, Gerid put the captain back down in his seat and stepped over the bench to join him. The man was still staring at the wound with wide-eyed amazement that had yet to cause fear.
"You should be on the floor dying or dead!" the captain cried out with shock.
"I know," the giant answered simply and noted Finneas helping to support a completely shocked Leoltus at the bar. Ignoring them, he continued, "Now listen to me, captain, I want some information. I want to know how you got this job of yours and what it is exactly that you do."
Numbly, the man answered, "I am a privateer for the king. I started as a sailor of a merchant ship, which was too boring after awhile. Later, I was eventually given a place on a warship. With the king's blessing, we fight pirates and enemy ships while still making trade runs for merchants. We keep most of what we take and give the rest as tribute to the king." Coming out of his shocked state slightly, the captain asked in a whisper, "What are you? A fallen god enslaved?"
"I am a son of Turas," Gerid remarked
offhandedly, not wanting to try and explain what he himself had yet to understand. All soldiers could call themselves sons of Turas, since they fought their own wars under the god’s eyes so it was also true. "So you are saying that I would have to go through the king to become a privateer? You're saying that you are able to keep most of what you win as well?"
"A quarter goes to the king, the rest is divided between officers and crew. Sometimes the king will ask for a favor by sending you on a mission for him. Then he will most likely pay for your time."
"What about the ships that you capture?"
"Huh?" the man asked absently. The captain was surprised by the continued questioning, but suddenly realized the question remained unanswered, "Oh, I've never taken one back with me. If I do win one, they are usually too full of holes from the catapults we use, but I have heard of other crews that have sold them to the shipyards or to other captains in need. The captured crews are usually sold as slaves since they'll be totally unreliable."
Standing, Gerid nodded his head with
satisfaction. "I thank you very much, captain," he said and prepared to leave the man.
"Captain Eris. What is your name, son of Turas?"
"I am Gerid." The young man glanced at the cleared hall ruefully, "I am sorry that I ruined your party, Eris."
He returned to Leoltus and Finneas then, the former still staring in unbelief at his chest wound. "Some of the men had spread a rumor about you, but I had taken it for just that. Warriors often tend to exaggerate about heroics and seem unkillable sometimes until the day they are killed, but you truly are. You said that you are a son of Turas, could you be?"
Finneas snorted, but let Gerid answer.
The giant smiled benignly and replied, "I don't truly know, my friend, but the story works as well as anything else for an explanation. All I know is that, if the gods didn't have something to do with this, then I haven't any other clue as to where it came from." He drained his mug of ale quickly and turned to the barkeeper who had returned cautiously from the kitchen beyond a wooden door. Gerid addressed him casually, "I smell something cooking back there. What food do you have?"
The man ran in back returning shortly with plates of roasted fish that his wife had been cooking and served Gerid and the others. The man shyly slunk back to the other end of the bar and started shining a metal flagon as he watched the men warily. Leoltus watched Gerid as well though with curiosity more than anything else. As Gerid tore into the fish with a passion, the older man began, "Before you went over to the sailors, I noticed a special look in your eyes. I believe that I know you well enough to say that you weren't just going to pick a fight. Why...?" he asked leaving the question unfinished.
"I'm thinking ahead to a plan that could gain me the ability to make Merrick pay for his crimes years earlier than I had hoped. I was thinking that, if I could save up enough money in the next season's wars, maybe I could find a way to buy a ship. From there I could capture other ships so that I can build a fleet. Given enough time and good fortune, maybe I could bring enough power to defeat Merrick and crush him in one blow."
Leoltus was silent a moment as Gerid continued to eat his meal. Finneas chewed on his fish staying out of the conversation, knowing that he would follow Gerid no matter what the course his life took. The foreman finally spoke into the silence, "You are still looking at a lot of time to spend gathering your forces, not to mention the cost involved. Maybe there's a better way than that, Gerid?"
"I have time and the cost would even out with conquest of the pirates and enemy ships as Eris said, but I gather that you have something better in mind?"
The older man shrugged. "Not completely thought out, of course, but perhaps there is a way that wouldn't mean having to fight for everything. Let's say that you work for the king and attack Kloste. You could try and build a small fleet and then turn on the pirates. If you either defeat enough of them or find one of their bases, maybe you could convince them to ally with you rather than having to defeat a whole island of them as they are rumored to have such fortresses. If they could be persuaded to join you with a chance to win plunder or a clean slate by starting a new life there, then you would have your fleet in half the time. I tell you, if you promise a pirate a sufficient reward, he'll work for you and save you the losses of fighting them as well."
"Leoltus, I think that you are onto something. The plan will need to be refined and true goals set, but we have at least a year to worry about that before Carter releases me as a free man after all."
Leoltus held up a hand, "Slow down. I can see your mind getting ahead of us again. As you yourself just said, you are still a slave. You need to concentrate on your life as it is now before you worry over what may never have a chance to be. You still have that year of fighting left on your contract and we don't know the limitations of your strange powers."
"Hmmm," Gerid hummed to himself. His eyes faded off into the distance and his fork hovered above the remains of his lunch forgotten. Quietly, the man mused, "Has Carter ever tried using his soldiers for privateering before?"
The older slave man threw up his hands in incredulity even as Finneas smiled slyly at his lord. Leoltus cried out, "You never cease to amaze me. You are actually considering asking the master to back you on a new business venture as if he was a new partner or old friend. That’s an impossible thing to accomplish since you know nothing about sailing or sea battles."
"What I don't know I can learn or hire someone who does," Gerid said calmly and took another bite of meat. "Do you think that he would at least discuss it? I am his greatest warrior or so I am told," he added with a quiet smile that the older man understood.
Leoltus shrugged, "For you maybe. You've already beaten him into one deal, but I might suggest getting some additional support of your plans. Perhaps Karma or Kolonus could assist you in wearing him down? Carter may be head of his family, but Karma and the other children would benefit from a true partnership if you prove successful."
Swallowing a last large piece of fish, Gerid thumped his fist on the table top and stated with enthusiasm, "Well, let's get a move on then, men. I want to go see what the others think of such an idea. Let's finish our errands and head back."
With a last gulp of his own ale, Leoltus followed his exuberant friend.