Read Online The High King: A Tale of Alus by Donald Wigboldy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donald Wigboldy
Ads: Link
invincible or immortal. At Simon's and the poor, lamented Captain Dernick's advice, the young man had held himself in check, but for what? The captain was dead now. The ship and its cargo had been taken and all its crew had nothing but slavery in their futures.
At one point between bouts of hunger and sea sickness, Simon had moved next to Gerid. The smells of urine, mildew and any number of other rank odors of men penned in unbearably close quarters nearly suffocated him as he tried to breathe enough to speak. "How are you and Janus holding up?" he ventured.
"Janus has been feeling sick again and I am just loving my stay in this ship of luxury," Gerid grumbled. "I can't believe that this is all happening to us. It's bad enough that we needed to flee Marshalla, but now the fates have brought us to slavery." Simon could sense Gerid's head turning to look at him though it was too dark to see each other as more than dark shadows. "Do you remember the story that father used to tell us, Simon?"
"Which story?"
"Of my birth and the Seers' prophecy?"
"Of course, more than that, I can still remember that day even though I was only a small boy. It's gotten foggier with age, but I still remember. What of it?"
"If the Seers were right about my great destiny, why has this happened to us? According to the story, I am supposed to go on to do great things in my lifetime, but how can I do that if I am a slave? It doesn't make any sense to me."
Simon sighed and thought about the questions a moment. He thought back to that day the Visionaries had come. "If I remember correctly, they also predicted that there would be problems along the way as well. This could definitely fulfill that part of the prophecy." He thought of the Seer's charge to him and sighed again, "Looks like I failed to protect and raise you though, doesn't it? That was what the Visionary had charged to both father and I. Father did his best for you until he died, but look how I've done."
Simon felt a strong hand press itself upon his shoulder. "You did well after father died, Simon. He would have been proud of the way that you created such a strong business from his farm. It was a lot of
responsibility to take on at your age too, but you did it. Don't put yourself down, brother. The only one who let the family down was me. If I hadn't been so foolish as to have lost control of my temper and beaten those soldiers, we wouldn't be here. It’s all my fault for thinking that prophecy meant anything."
"True you could have done better about holding your temper, little brother, but remember that Lord Merrick is the real scoundrel here. Fighting isn't wrong if it’s fought in the proper way. You followed the rules of dueling he set out with his own words and we still gave our tithe fulfilling our duties to him. The toad lord had no reason to destroy our lives except to show the rebellion his strength before they could ever truly begin," Simon finished bitterly as the words were like acid on his tongue.
"You think that he knew of the rebellion, Simon?" Gerid asked in surprise.
"He may not have known of Stephen's actions in particular, but all tyrants need to make people fear them when they've pushed their citizenry too far. Merrick's pettiness and greed can cause nothing less than the need for change one day."
They sat in silence for a time then. The whispers of other men and the rushing of the water against the hull filled their silence, until Gerid spoke up quietly. "Promise me that if we get separated, you'll try and find a way to return and make Merrick pay, Simon."
"Oh, don't worry about slavery. I may still have a way to get us out of it."
"No" Gerid hissed angrily, "I mean it. Whether we wind up slaves or not, find your way back to Marshalla and make Merrick pay for his crimes to our family. I hope to do so and perhaps we'll find that way together if we both make it back. Let's also agree that, if we do make it back, every first of spring and every first of fall we'll
At one point between bouts of hunger and sea sickness, Simon had moved next to Gerid. The smells of urine, mildew and any number of other rank odors of men penned in unbearably close quarters nearly suffocated him as he tried to breathe enough to speak. "How are you and Janus holding up?" he ventured.
"Janus has been feeling sick again and I am just loving my stay in this ship of luxury," Gerid grumbled. "I can't believe that this is all happening to us. It's bad enough that we needed to flee Marshalla, but now the fates have brought us to slavery." Simon could sense Gerid's head turning to look at him though it was too dark to see each other as more than dark shadows. "Do you remember the story that father used to tell us, Simon?"
"Which story?"
"Of my birth and the Seers' prophecy?"
"Of course, more than that, I can still remember that day even though I was only a small boy. It's gotten foggier with age, but I still remember. What of it?"
"If the Seers were right about my great destiny, why has this happened to us? According to the story, I am supposed to go on to do great things in my lifetime, but how can I do that if I am a slave? It doesn't make any sense to me."
Simon sighed and thought about the questions a moment. He thought back to that day the Visionaries had come. "If I remember correctly, they also predicted that there would be problems along the way as well. This could definitely fulfill that part of the prophecy." He thought of the Seer's charge to him and sighed again, "Looks like I failed to protect and raise you though, doesn't it? That was what the Visionary had charged to both father and I. Father did his best for you until he died, but look how I've done."
Simon felt a strong hand press itself upon his shoulder. "You did well after father died, Simon. He would have been proud of the way that you created such a strong business from his farm. It was a lot of
responsibility to take on at your age too, but you did it. Don't put yourself down, brother. The only one who let the family down was me. If I hadn't been so foolish as to have lost control of my temper and beaten those soldiers, we wouldn't be here. It’s all my fault for thinking that prophecy meant anything."
"True you could have done better about holding your temper, little brother, but remember that Lord Merrick is the real scoundrel here. Fighting isn't wrong if it’s fought in the proper way. You followed the rules of dueling he set out with his own words and we still gave our tithe fulfilling our duties to him. The toad lord had no reason to destroy our lives except to show the rebellion his strength before they could ever truly begin," Simon finished bitterly as the words were like acid on his tongue.
"You think that he knew of the rebellion, Simon?" Gerid asked in surprise.
"He may not have known of Stephen's actions in particular, but all tyrants need to make people fear them when they've pushed their citizenry too far. Merrick's pettiness and greed can cause nothing less than the need for change one day."
They sat in silence for a time then. The whispers of other men and the rushing of the water against the hull filled their silence, until Gerid spoke up quietly. "Promise me that if we get separated, you'll try and find a way to return and make Merrick pay, Simon."
"Oh, don't worry about slavery. I may still have a way to get us out of it."
"No" Gerid hissed angrily, "I mean it. Whether we wind up slaves or not, find your way back to Marshalla and make Merrick pay for his crimes to our family. I hope to do so and perhaps we'll find that way together if we both make it back. Let's also agree that, if we do make it back, every first of spring and every first of fall we'll
Similar Books
