until they had released him. His gold, of course, would remain in Koroll's keeping until he returned with proof of Josarian's death. He didn't necessarily have to complete the job by the next dark-moon; but that was clearly when Koroll's confidence in him would begin to wane.
"If I were to be slaughtered like a goat in Cavasar upon honorably fulfilling our contract," Tansen told Koroll as they road side by side, "all shatai everywhere would be very annoyed."
Koroll chuckled. "If you were to come back and cut me in half for having pressed you into service on behalf of the Emperor, His Radiance would also be annoyed." He glanced at Tansen. "However, I think I see before me a reasonable man, despite the shallah blood in your veins. If we can do business together this time... Who knows? There may well be other contracts, eh?"
"You will find that I usually charge a higher fee than the return of my own gold," Tansen said dryly.
Koroll laughed out loud at that. "All right, here's a better bargain. Kill Josarian, and I will pay you double the gold I took from you. Fair enough, shatai ?"
Tansen smiled slightly. "I, too, appreciate a reasonable man, Commander."
Koroll grinned at him. The military governor's spirits had been light ever since seeing Tansen train in the courtyard this morning. Deprived of his swords, Tansen ran through forms and drills empty-handed, testing his endurance, exploring the limitations of his healing wound. Concentrating as he had been taught, excluding everything that might distract him from honing his skills, he hadn't realized until he was done that a dozen Outlookers were watching him in stunned silence.
Then Koroll spoke from a balcony overhead. "We don't see many shatai here," he reminded Tansen, grinning broadly.
Looking up at him, seeing the exultation in his captor's expression, Tansen realized that even Koroll had started to half-fear that Josarian truly couldn't be killed.
Every man can be killed , Tansen thought as he rode beside Koroll now. Every man. The burden of that memory had never grown lighter, and so he turned away from it, as always. He rolled his left shoulder against the slight throbbing of his wound, and reflected with satisfaction that at least Koroll now believed he could kill Josarian. He almost smiled when he considered how scandalized his shatai-kaj would be to learn that Tansen's ability to kill a Silerian mountain peasant had ever been doubted.
Koroll pulled his mount to a halt when they reached a fork in the road. He pointed to the road on the right and told Tansen it led to the Amalidar Mountains and the Orban Pass. Somewhere beyond there lay Emeldar, Josarian's native village.
"You are, of course, absolved in advance of any violent acts you are forced to commit against Silerians in your pursuit of this villain," Koroll said. "May the Three watch over you, shatai ."
"I'll take the protection of any gods that care to offer it." Tansen paused and added, "Twice the amount of gold you took from me—I have your word on that?"
Koroll nodded. "Frankly, it's worth even more than that to me, but I have a budget to consider."
"Yes, of course." Tansen watched Koroll release the strap that bound the Kintish swords to his saddle.
"Not that I don't trust you," Koroll said, "but it's never wise to take a man for granted." He tossed the swords into the tall grass beside the road, then turned his mount around and galloped back toward the city, with four Outlookers hot on his heels.
Pleased with the impression he had evidently made, Tansen grinned as he watched them kick up a cloud of dust.
Tansen spent the first night of his quest at a humble inn where he met a small caravan of traders who had left Cavasar shortly before he had. They were traveling through the mountains to the southern coastal city of Adalian, a port which even now was still occasionally attacked by marauding Moorlander pirates. The Valdani only controlled the northern Moorlander tribes—and they
"If I were to be slaughtered like a goat in Cavasar upon honorably fulfilling our contract," Tansen told Koroll as they road side by side, "all shatai everywhere would be very annoyed."
Koroll chuckled. "If you were to come back and cut me in half for having pressed you into service on behalf of the Emperor, His Radiance would also be annoyed." He glanced at Tansen. "However, I think I see before me a reasonable man, despite the shallah blood in your veins. If we can do business together this time... Who knows? There may well be other contracts, eh?"
"You will find that I usually charge a higher fee than the return of my own gold," Tansen said dryly.
Koroll laughed out loud at that. "All right, here's a better bargain. Kill Josarian, and I will pay you double the gold I took from you. Fair enough, shatai ?"
Tansen smiled slightly. "I, too, appreciate a reasonable man, Commander."
Koroll grinned at him. The military governor's spirits had been light ever since seeing Tansen train in the courtyard this morning. Deprived of his swords, Tansen ran through forms and drills empty-handed, testing his endurance, exploring the limitations of his healing wound. Concentrating as he had been taught, excluding everything that might distract him from honing his skills, he hadn't realized until he was done that a dozen Outlookers were watching him in stunned silence.
Then Koroll spoke from a balcony overhead. "We don't see many shatai here," he reminded Tansen, grinning broadly.
Looking up at him, seeing the exultation in his captor's expression, Tansen realized that even Koroll had started to half-fear that Josarian truly couldn't be killed.
Every man can be killed , Tansen thought as he rode beside Koroll now. Every man. The burden of that memory had never grown lighter, and so he turned away from it, as always. He rolled his left shoulder against the slight throbbing of his wound, and reflected with satisfaction that at least Koroll now believed he could kill Josarian. He almost smiled when he considered how scandalized his shatai-kaj would be to learn that Tansen's ability to kill a Silerian mountain peasant had ever been doubted.
Koroll pulled his mount to a halt when they reached a fork in the road. He pointed to the road on the right and told Tansen it led to the Amalidar Mountains and the Orban Pass. Somewhere beyond there lay Emeldar, Josarian's native village.
"You are, of course, absolved in advance of any violent acts you are forced to commit against Silerians in your pursuit of this villain," Koroll said. "May the Three watch over you, shatai ."
"I'll take the protection of any gods that care to offer it." Tansen paused and added, "Twice the amount of gold you took from me—I have your word on that?"
Koroll nodded. "Frankly, it's worth even more than that to me, but I have a budget to consider."
"Yes, of course." Tansen watched Koroll release the strap that bound the Kintish swords to his saddle.
"Not that I don't trust you," Koroll said, "but it's never wise to take a man for granted." He tossed the swords into the tall grass beside the road, then turned his mount around and galloped back toward the city, with four Outlookers hot on his heels.
Pleased with the impression he had evidently made, Tansen grinned as he watched them kick up a cloud of dust.
Tansen spent the first night of his quest at a humble inn where he met a small caravan of traders who had left Cavasar shortly before he had. They were traveling through the mountains to the southern coastal city of Adalian, a port which even now was still occasionally attacked by marauding Moorlander pirates. The Valdani only controlled the northern Moorlander tribes—and they
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