Read Online The First Life of Tanan by Andrew Riley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Riley
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and held them for a moment, his lips still moving.
Lindelin bowed his head. When he turned to look at Tanan, he looked as if he had aged ten years. His face was ashen and he looked tired. There was sadness in his eyes.
“Go home right now,” he said to Tanan. Then, he turned to the crowd, focusing on no one in particular, “Someone go find Jelak.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jelak arrived a few minutes later carrying his butterfly net, took stock of the situation, and dispersed the crowd. Nobody argued, but every window around the square with a view of the scene was soon filled with curious faces.
Lindelin and Jelak stood over the body.
“I think Tanan did this,” said Lindelin. He was tired, and sat down on Jelak’s bench.
Jelak looked at Kirkik’s body. “How could Tanan have killed a full grown man?” he asked. “There’s not a mark on the body.”
“I told you that we were planning to send him off to study with Soama, but I had no idea his magical ability was this strong.”
He looked from the body up to Jelak, “I didn’t see what happened, but I saw his face afterward. This was an accident.”
Jelak joined Lindelin on the bench. The two sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Jelak turned to Lindelin. “Did you know that Kirkik was the younger brother of King Dannap?”
Lindelin shook his head, his heart sinking.
“This isn’t going to end well,” said Jelak.
Lindelin nodded, and then put his hands on his knees and stood up. “We were planning to leave Port Billen. I think we’ll have to go sooner rather than later.”
Jelak looked up at his friend. “Get Tanan out of the village now, Lindelin. The King’s Legion will track him down. I won’t be able to stop them, but maybe I can slow them down.”
Lindelin squeezed Jelak’s shoulder as he walked past. “Thank you, my friend.”
• • •
Anin saw the commotion from his Apothecary. When he heard that Tanan had been involved, he closed the Apothecary and went home. Tanan was nearly hysterical with grief over what had happened.
When Lindelin arrived, he made Tanan tell them what had happened. After a few follow up questions about his morning’s studies at the Abbey, it made sense.
“Tanan,” said Lindelin, “you didn’t know. Nobody could have known that you would be able to work that kind of powerful magic. This was just a terrible accident.”
Lindelin and Anin went into the next room and spoke quietly. Anin started packing bags while Lindelin went to talk to Tanan again.
“Tanan,” he began. “I’ve always been proud of you. What happened today doesn’t change that. Even though it was an accident, some people won’t see it that way.” He paused for a moment, not wanting to say what he had to say next. He touched Tanan’s chin and tilted the boy’s head up until they were looking at each other.
“Your father brought you from the main land when you were an infant. Your mother and father were Lataki.”
Tanan felt sick. He had always been told he was from Istra, but his mother wasn’t able to take care of him so Soama had brought him to Port Billen where Anin and Lindelin had adopted him. Like every child in Komisan, he grew up fearing the Lataki, hearing stories about how the Lataki would come and kill everyone if they ever found out about the Komisani. How could he be a Lataki?
“Son,” Lindelin continued, “I’m sorry you have to find out today, like this. There are going to be men, soldiers, who will come…”
Tanan was crying.
“Your father is going to take you out of Port Billen and you can’t ever come back.”
Tanan threw himself at Lindelin, burying his face in the the old man’s chest and sobbing. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Tanan followed his father up the road with his chin in his chest. He was miserable. He just wished he could
Lindelin bowed his head. When he turned to look at Tanan, he looked as if he had aged ten years. His face was ashen and he looked tired. There was sadness in his eyes.
“Go home right now,” he said to Tanan. Then, he turned to the crowd, focusing on no one in particular, “Someone go find Jelak.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jelak arrived a few minutes later carrying his butterfly net, took stock of the situation, and dispersed the crowd. Nobody argued, but every window around the square with a view of the scene was soon filled with curious faces.
Lindelin and Jelak stood over the body.
“I think Tanan did this,” said Lindelin. He was tired, and sat down on Jelak’s bench.
Jelak looked at Kirkik’s body. “How could Tanan have killed a full grown man?” he asked. “There’s not a mark on the body.”
“I told you that we were planning to send him off to study with Soama, but I had no idea his magical ability was this strong.”
He looked from the body up to Jelak, “I didn’t see what happened, but I saw his face afterward. This was an accident.”
Jelak joined Lindelin on the bench. The two sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Jelak turned to Lindelin. “Did you know that Kirkik was the younger brother of King Dannap?”
Lindelin shook his head, his heart sinking.
“This isn’t going to end well,” said Jelak.
Lindelin nodded, and then put his hands on his knees and stood up. “We were planning to leave Port Billen. I think we’ll have to go sooner rather than later.”
Jelak looked up at his friend. “Get Tanan out of the village now, Lindelin. The King’s Legion will track him down. I won’t be able to stop them, but maybe I can slow them down.”
Lindelin squeezed Jelak’s shoulder as he walked past. “Thank you, my friend.”
• • •
Anin saw the commotion from his Apothecary. When he heard that Tanan had been involved, he closed the Apothecary and went home. Tanan was nearly hysterical with grief over what had happened.
When Lindelin arrived, he made Tanan tell them what had happened. After a few follow up questions about his morning’s studies at the Abbey, it made sense.
“Tanan,” said Lindelin, “you didn’t know. Nobody could have known that you would be able to work that kind of powerful magic. This was just a terrible accident.”
Lindelin and Anin went into the next room and spoke quietly. Anin started packing bags while Lindelin went to talk to Tanan again.
“Tanan,” he began. “I’ve always been proud of you. What happened today doesn’t change that. Even though it was an accident, some people won’t see it that way.” He paused for a moment, not wanting to say what he had to say next. He touched Tanan’s chin and tilted the boy’s head up until they were looking at each other.
“Your father brought you from the main land when you were an infant. Your mother and father were Lataki.”
Tanan felt sick. He had always been told he was from Istra, but his mother wasn’t able to take care of him so Soama had brought him to Port Billen where Anin and Lindelin had adopted him. Like every child in Komisan, he grew up fearing the Lataki, hearing stories about how the Lataki would come and kill everyone if they ever found out about the Komisani. How could he be a Lataki?
“Son,” Lindelin continued, “I’m sorry you have to find out today, like this. There are going to be men, soldiers, who will come…”
Tanan was crying.
“Your father is going to take you out of Port Billen and you can’t ever come back.”
Tanan threw himself at Lindelin, burying his face in the the old man’s chest and sobbing. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Tanan followed his father up the road with his chin in his chest. He was miserable. He just wished he could
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