coming from somewhere further away in the camp. He looked, over tents and through trees, and he could see a crowd forming.
“What’s happening?” Zayd asked. He took a step, but Barrett shoved him backward with one hand, almost knocking him over.
“I think I know what this is,” Barrett said. “Some kind of hex. Worshipping your false gods is forbidden. Have you forgotten?”
Zayd tried to walk past again, but Barrett moved in front of him. Zayd glanced down at the ground where his blade rested beside his bedroll. Barrett saw that, too.
“Go ahead. Pick it up. Show everyone what I already know. You and all your kind, you’re liars and cowards. False allies.” Barrett’s fists were clenched tight. “ Pick it up. Or don’t you have the damned spine for it?”
Alain Tullus approached and, as he neared, cast a long glance between Zayd and Barrett before he spoke. “Go see Areagus.”
“Gladly,” Barrett grumbled.
“No, Barrett. Not you.”
The expression on Stern’s face brought Zayd some satisfaction as he walked past him.
“There is a problem.” Areagus stood with his arms crossed. There was no one else in the commander’s tent other than Zayd. “A very… a very serious problem.” Zayd knew that the commander had slept for, at most, three hours after the march. Despite this, the pause in his speaking was the only sign that he was even slightly fatigued.
“There was another death last night,” Areagus continued. “Lucius Willock. A corporal from Lycernum, from what I’m told.”
“What happened? How did he die?”
“We’re still not sure,” Areagus said. “It doesn’t appear that there was a struggle, so he may have died in his sleep.” The commander turned and walked to a small table and took a piece of dried fruit from a half-empty plate. “Some of the men believe he was suffocated.”
“Why would they assume that, sir?”
“Willock was friends with Perrin. He was there when Perrin was killed by your kinsman.”
“Not my kinsman, commander.”
Areagus waved his hand. “Very well. Countryman, as you’ll have it. Willock wrestled the bloody blade from Renton’s hand. I’m sure you now share my concern. This looks like one of your men taking revenge.”
“No, sir,” Zayd said.
Areagus raised his eyebrows. “You disagree, captain?”
“It looks that way if you want it to look that way. Sir.”
“So what would you suggest happened?” Areagus sat down at the table and crossed his arms.
“He could have been ill, sir.”
“He was hardly at death’s door. There is no evidence to suggest that.”
“And there is no evidence to suggest he was murdered.”
Areagus exhaled. “You’re being obstinate, Zayd. I did not call you here to accuse you or your men. Whatever the truth is, a conclusion has already been reached by some of the men, and by midday it will be a good deal more that agree with them.” The commander stood and walked back over to Zayd. “You need to be cautious. These scouts of yours… do you really know them?”
“Yes, commander,” Zayd said. It was a lie in service of the truth. Most of them he knew only by name, but he was confident that none of them would do something so foolish.
Areagus nodded slowly before sticking his finger in Zayd’s chest. “Then keep them under control. You’re dismissed.”
Zayd saluted and turned to leave. Areagus spoke again before he had even taken a step. “If it is one of yours that’s done this and you fail to report him to me, I’m holding you responsible for Willock’s death.”
He felt dozens of eyes on him as he left the command tent, so he looked ahead, not bothering to meet the stares of the fearful and angry. He kept his hands from balling up tightly. It would accomplish nothing to show them his own anger, he knew, since it would only make him more isolated. These were his brothers in arms, after all. Brothers in faith. He would feel the same, were he a Trueborn. He thought of
“What’s happening?” Zayd asked. He took a step, but Barrett shoved him backward with one hand, almost knocking him over.
“I think I know what this is,” Barrett said. “Some kind of hex. Worshipping your false gods is forbidden. Have you forgotten?”
Zayd tried to walk past again, but Barrett moved in front of him. Zayd glanced down at the ground where his blade rested beside his bedroll. Barrett saw that, too.
“Go ahead. Pick it up. Show everyone what I already know. You and all your kind, you’re liars and cowards. False allies.” Barrett’s fists were clenched tight. “ Pick it up. Or don’t you have the damned spine for it?”
Alain Tullus approached and, as he neared, cast a long glance between Zayd and Barrett before he spoke. “Go see Areagus.”
“Gladly,” Barrett grumbled.
“No, Barrett. Not you.”
The expression on Stern’s face brought Zayd some satisfaction as he walked past him.
“There is a problem.” Areagus stood with his arms crossed. There was no one else in the commander’s tent other than Zayd. “A very… a very serious problem.” Zayd knew that the commander had slept for, at most, three hours after the march. Despite this, the pause in his speaking was the only sign that he was even slightly fatigued.
“There was another death last night,” Areagus continued. “Lucius Willock. A corporal from Lycernum, from what I’m told.”
“What happened? How did he die?”
“We’re still not sure,” Areagus said. “It doesn’t appear that there was a struggle, so he may have died in his sleep.” The commander turned and walked to a small table and took a piece of dried fruit from a half-empty plate. “Some of the men believe he was suffocated.”
“Why would they assume that, sir?”
“Willock was friends with Perrin. He was there when Perrin was killed by your kinsman.”
“Not my kinsman, commander.”
Areagus waved his hand. “Very well. Countryman, as you’ll have it. Willock wrestled the bloody blade from Renton’s hand. I’m sure you now share my concern. This looks like one of your men taking revenge.”
“No, sir,” Zayd said.
Areagus raised his eyebrows. “You disagree, captain?”
“It looks that way if you want it to look that way. Sir.”
“So what would you suggest happened?” Areagus sat down at the table and crossed his arms.
“He could have been ill, sir.”
“He was hardly at death’s door. There is no evidence to suggest that.”
“And there is no evidence to suggest he was murdered.”
Areagus exhaled. “You’re being obstinate, Zayd. I did not call you here to accuse you or your men. Whatever the truth is, a conclusion has already been reached by some of the men, and by midday it will be a good deal more that agree with them.” The commander stood and walked back over to Zayd. “You need to be cautious. These scouts of yours… do you really know them?”
“Yes, commander,” Zayd said. It was a lie in service of the truth. Most of them he knew only by name, but he was confident that none of them would do something so foolish.
Areagus nodded slowly before sticking his finger in Zayd’s chest. “Then keep them under control. You’re dismissed.”
Zayd saluted and turned to leave. Areagus spoke again before he had even taken a step. “If it is one of yours that’s done this and you fail to report him to me, I’m holding you responsible for Willock’s death.”
He felt dozens of eyes on him as he left the command tent, so he looked ahead, not bothering to meet the stares of the fearful and angry. He kept his hands from balling up tightly. It would accomplish nothing to show them his own anger, he knew, since it would only make him more isolated. These were his brothers in arms, after all. Brothers in faith. He would feel the same, were he a Trueborn. He thought of
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