Read Online Prisoner by Megan Derr - Free Book Online
Authors: Megan Derr
Tags: General Fiction
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give a name to his hammer or his belt, yet the Krians named their swords and obviously treated them with an accord usually reserved for people.
This journey so far was only strengthening his perception of the Krians as strange. Iah shook his head—and they said the Illussor suffered problems of the mind.
Which they did, but that was neither here nor there. Iah snorted softly. " So what should I not say? It seems that would be more crucial. "
Sol laughed softly. " Yes, indeed. The man to most be pitied, and in a strange way respected, is the man whose sword does not have a name. "
Iah nodded, understanding. " A man with no one. "
" Exactly. Of late, it has become rather a notorious position in which to be. "
" Why is that? " Iah asked, hearing the amusement in Sol's voice.
" Because neither the most powerful man in the kingdom nor the most infamous man in Kria has named his sword. "
Iah thought for a moment. " The Emperor, of course, and while I know who I think the most infamous man in Kria is, I sincerely doubt Kria agrees. "
" On the contrary. The Wolf of Kria is infamous everywhere. " Sol's arms tightened around his waist. "Steady," he said, switching to Krian. "Travelers on the road." Iah had already heard the sound of additional horses and voices, which were becoming clearer. The words they spoke were nothing like the curses and screams and threats he knew from fighting. These people sounded happy, their words were still the rougher sounds of Krian, but softer than he was accustomed to, smoother. Perhaps because they were completely lacking in fear and anger. Their voices lacked the knowledge that at any moment they could die.
"Hale," Sol returned the greetings cast their way. "To town for winter?" He laughed at the reply given by what Iah guessed was an elderly man. The words eluded him. This was the speed at which he would be expected to speak? He felt a moment of panic—perhaps they should play that he was mute. Was there any real reason to do otherwise? Speaking wouldn't be necessary to identify the Breaker.
Realization struck him so hard it made him gasp. He felt Sol's arm tense around his waist, but barely noticed what else was going on around him. He couldn't identify the Breaker. Without his eyes, his magic was dead. There would be no way to tell if the Breaker was present without it. Which meant he was completely useless. How could he have been so stupid?
"Iah?" Sol asked softly, and Iah realized suddenly that it had once again grown quiet. "What's wrong?"
The words lodged in his throat, choking him. Iah forced himself to take a deep breath, but it did not dispel the misery of realizing that he was really and truly completely useless. "I can't—I just realized—there's no way for me to identify the Breaker. He could be standing next to me, and I'd never know."
"Nonsense. You rely too much on your magic being controlled by your eyes. Control and source are not the same thing, are they? There is no doubt in my mind that you will be able to sense him."
Iah nodded stiffly, unconvinced. Mixed into the misery and the fear was the surprisingly bitter realization that if Sol had not thought him useful in identifying the Breaker, he would still be in the dark and completely at Tawn's mercy. Surely Sol was not so cold as that.
He was a spy, though, and one who played three sides. A man who, according to the beliefs of his country, did not know who he was. And for the first time the ideology began to make sense. How could one man trust another when no one knew who he really was? Iah desperately forced the insidious thoughts aside. He would do himself no favors by doubting his rescuer now.
But the doubts lingered.
*~*~*
Sol contemplated Iah. Ever since his fears regarding the Breaker, Iah had been silent and withdrawn. Though they'd only been together for little over a week, Sol realized he missed their conversations. It was rare he had anyone other than Dal for conversation.
Iah, he'd found, was hard
This journey so far was only strengthening his perception of the Krians as strange. Iah shook his head—and they said the Illussor suffered problems of the mind.
Which they did, but that was neither here nor there. Iah snorted softly. " So what should I not say? It seems that would be more crucial. "
Sol laughed softly. " Yes, indeed. The man to most be pitied, and in a strange way respected, is the man whose sword does not have a name. "
Iah nodded, understanding. " A man with no one. "
" Exactly. Of late, it has become rather a notorious position in which to be. "
" Why is that? " Iah asked, hearing the amusement in Sol's voice.
" Because neither the most powerful man in the kingdom nor the most infamous man in Kria has named his sword. "
Iah thought for a moment. " The Emperor, of course, and while I know who I think the most infamous man in Kria is, I sincerely doubt Kria agrees. "
" On the contrary. The Wolf of Kria is infamous everywhere. " Sol's arms tightened around his waist. "Steady," he said, switching to Krian. "Travelers on the road." Iah had already heard the sound of additional horses and voices, which were becoming clearer. The words they spoke were nothing like the curses and screams and threats he knew from fighting. These people sounded happy, their words were still the rougher sounds of Krian, but softer than he was accustomed to, smoother. Perhaps because they were completely lacking in fear and anger. Their voices lacked the knowledge that at any moment they could die.
"Hale," Sol returned the greetings cast their way. "To town for winter?" He laughed at the reply given by what Iah guessed was an elderly man. The words eluded him. This was the speed at which he would be expected to speak? He felt a moment of panic—perhaps they should play that he was mute. Was there any real reason to do otherwise? Speaking wouldn't be necessary to identify the Breaker.
Realization struck him so hard it made him gasp. He felt Sol's arm tense around his waist, but barely noticed what else was going on around him. He couldn't identify the Breaker. Without his eyes, his magic was dead. There would be no way to tell if the Breaker was present without it. Which meant he was completely useless. How could he have been so stupid?
"Iah?" Sol asked softly, and Iah realized suddenly that it had once again grown quiet. "What's wrong?"
The words lodged in his throat, choking him. Iah forced himself to take a deep breath, but it did not dispel the misery of realizing that he was really and truly completely useless. "I can't—I just realized—there's no way for me to identify the Breaker. He could be standing next to me, and I'd never know."
"Nonsense. You rely too much on your magic being controlled by your eyes. Control and source are not the same thing, are they? There is no doubt in my mind that you will be able to sense him."
Iah nodded stiffly, unconvinced. Mixed into the misery and the fear was the surprisingly bitter realization that if Sol had not thought him useful in identifying the Breaker, he would still be in the dark and completely at Tawn's mercy. Surely Sol was not so cold as that.
He was a spy, though, and one who played three sides. A man who, according to the beliefs of his country, did not know who he was. And for the first time the ideology began to make sense. How could one man trust another when no one knew who he really was? Iah desperately forced the insidious thoughts aside. He would do himself no favors by doubting his rescuer now.
But the doubts lingered.
*~*~*
Sol contemplated Iah. Ever since his fears regarding the Breaker, Iah had been silent and withdrawn. Though they'd only been together for little over a week, Sol realized he missed their conversations. It was rare he had anyone other than Dal for conversation.
Iah, he'd found, was hard
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