The Outcast, page 30
part #2 of A Knight's Journey Series
There was nothing she could do. Even if she took her own life, another would be killed. She was alone and helpless, and Gannon would not be stopped.
She had thought to bring justice, but instead, she had brought ruin upon her country.
Chapter 28: Rowan
“You fought with all the honor and skill with which you are praised,” said Erza, the woman from the arena. “I offer my gratitude for your assistance, unnecessary though it was, and I ask the right to challenge you.”
“I refuse,” Rowan said.
The melee was ended and though he had been the last combatant left standing, he had not been declared the winner. Apparently wining a melee required that you be the only one left living. In this the rules were clear.
He had been meant to die, of course. The overseers were subtle but Illan Ishtar was not, and the reward offered for Rowan’s death had tempted many of the other fighters. Some had been skilled, others had not.
Rather than allowing his opponents the chance to group in the chaos, Rowan had been active in seeking out combatants. One of those had been a beast of a man who, at the time, had been close to crushing Erza. Rowan had cut his leg and then knocked the man unconscious, then left Erza to herself. She had taken some offense at that, though she apparently held no grudge against him. Almost as soon as the melee had ended and Rowan had left, she had come to find him.
“Why will you not fight me?”
Rowan ignored her.
“Who is this?” Barra cried out suddenly. Rowan cursed to himself. He’d hoped to already be gone from the arena, but Erza had held him back. Now that Barra had arrived, there would be no freedom.
“I am Erza,” Erza stated.
“I recognize you,” said Barra suddenly, eyes widening. “You’re the one who bloodied the Turh’in boy.”
“He broke my heart so I broke his face," she said without expression.
“Why is she bothering you?” Barra asked Rowan, pointedly ignoring Erza.
She is only as bothersome as you, Barra, Rowan thought, but he knew that was not fair. Barra followed him out of loyalty and though he was an annoyance, his intentions were pure. Rowan had spared his life and as a result, Barra owed him a blood debt.
“She only wishes to challenge me.”
“Then she must defeat me first,” Barra growled. “I will protect your life with my own, your honor with my strength.”
“You are mistaken in that,” Erza interjected. “I do not only desire to combat you. I also wish to join you. You upset the rules of this society, and I appreciate that.”
Rowan could only sigh in frustration. He did not want any of this. It was not why he fought in the arena. He may have spared his opponents, but couldn’t they see that it was not for any virtuous reason or cause? He was as selfish as any of them.
All he wanted was to feel something and to embrace pain. He did not care about his life, so why did they?
“I must go now. There are things that I have promised to do.” Rowan had already rinsed himself of the blood and sweat that stained his body, but his clothes were still torn and soiled and, despite the rinse, he remained unclean. He would need to visit one of the bathhouses this evening to wash both himself and what remained of his clothing. It would be rude to do so at Maude’s home, and besides, he did not intend to speak with Nelliel in his current state.
Perhaps I will begin wearing the standard tunic meant for combatants in the arena, Rowan thought. It is not preferable, but I haven’t the money to continue purchasing the cloth to mend my clothing.
“Barra will come with you.”
“Please don’t.”
“I must.”
Rowan waved a hand in irritation. “I cannot stomach you now. Go off and…” As he trailed off, he noticed that both Barra and Erza were giving him a strange look.
“You wish to eat me?”
Damn. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had trouble with phrases. He spoke the words of the Lauratrean language but the meaning was often lost in translation.
“Just leave me be,” Rowan said, choosing to ignore the miscommunication. Explaining wouldn’t be worth the time. “You can bother me later. You already found my residence.”
“Housing is boring place! I will follow you.”
Erza perked up at this. “Housing?”
“No.” Rowan met her gaze coldly, then looked to Barra and shook his head—more to himself than anything else. Then he turned and left.
Even this late in the day, he had to fight his way through the press of bodies. The arena district was one of the most crowded areas in the city.
Not wanting to be recognized, Rowan wore his cloak with the hood up to conceal his face. Lauratreans normally observed each other’s personal space, but that custom was ignored for victorious combatants of the arena. Rowan had known to be wary of gamblers upset at losing their bets on his matches, but he had not known that those who bet for him were just as troubling. Al’Rhun had informed him that it was not uncommon for victors to sell their sweat or even the blood from their wounds. It was even more lucrative for victors to collect the blood of their opponent from their weapon.
The crowds diminished as Rowan moved further away from the arena. Every so often he felt the need to look over his shoulder to make sure that Barra wasn’t following him. Though he didn’t see the man, Rowan couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to turn a corner and find the big man waiting for him. And that was exactly what happened.
“Why are you following me?”
“You are in danger. As your asa’gai, I must be there to fight for you. My honor demands it.”
Rowan slipped quickly through the crowds, doing his best to leave Barra behind. The man’s size should have made it difficult for him to keep up, but he was proving surprisingly quick. People also tended to move aside when seeing the lumbering man.
“I demanded that you stay behind, yet here you are. Doesn’t your honor require that you listen to me?”
“I am sworn to you, not to obey you.”
Rowan shot the man a look.
“It is difficult to explain. As a matter of honor, the rules are not rigid but fluid like water.”
“There are rules?”
Rowan could sense Barra’s shrug without having to glance back. As much as the man was simple, he was also complex. And now he refused to stop following Rowan. After the prior attack, Barra was determined to serve as a bodyguard… as though Rowan needed his protection. Of course, Rowan was wary enough to wear his blade. He wasn’t stupid.
“Where is it that we are headed?”
“I’m going to see a friend.”
“Your woman?” Barra asked. Rowan didn’t answer, he just turned and walked in a different direction. When he got there, he encountered someone entirely unexpected.
* * *
"I’ve been waiting for you.” Nel said when she opened the door. She then hugged him tightly and added, “You have a visitor.”
Nel’s greeting threw him off. She’d been clear about how she felt since he’d returned to the arena, and today, she had finally stopped watching him fight. He’d expected her to be cold and angry.
“You needn’t worry about me.”
“But you won’t worry for yourself. So I must worry twice as much.”
But I don’t care if I die. Rowan wanted to voice his thoughts, but couldn’t say that to Nel while she held him in relief. The words would hurt her too much, never mind that they were the truth.
“This is, umm…Barra,” he said instead.
Nel studied the man, then yelped as she recognized him. “He’s the one you fought. In the arena.”
“Yes.”
“And he is with you.”
“He is.”
“But why is he with you?! The man tried to kill you.”
“He didn’t succeed.”
Nel stared at Rowan, her silence demanding an answer.
“He came to me after the fight. Found out where I lived and wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Barra perked up. “I owe a life-debt to Tattercloak. I am bound to him in service.”
Nel looked to Rowan.
“I’ve found it best to just accept him. He won’t go away.”
“Very well. Have you come to your senses and decided to come back to me?”
“Actually…”
Nel’s eyes widened. “You have come to see me.”
“Do not misinterpret this,” Rowan said immediately. He did not mean to be harsh, but it was necessary. He was a danger and couldn’t allow himself to grow close to Nel or her family. “I only came to let you know that I am safe. That is all.”
“It doesn’t have to be all.”
“Yes. It does.”
Rowan could see that Nel wished to press the issue, so he cut her off before she could do so.
“Why did you say I have a visitor?” he asked. “I am the visitor. Unless I misunderstood.” He was growing fluent in the Lauratrean tongue, but he still struggled with some words and phrases. Sometimes he had to guess the meaning of something based on its context.
“I almost forgot,” Nel said, stepping back and disentangling herself from him. “Just wait a moment. I will return.” She disappeared into the house, leaving Rowan alone with Barra.
“Your lover is quite beautiful.”
“She’s not my lover.”
“But she is clearly interested in you. You know this, jya?”
“Nel’s made her intentions clear, and I have too.”
Rowan meant that to be the end of the conversation, but Barra wasn’t picking up on that.
“You should enjoy your youth, Tattercloak. You are both attracted to each other, you cannot deny this. There is no reason you should not indulge in young love.”
“I am a dangerous man, Barra.”
“All men are dangerous.”
“None like me,” Rowan replied. “I will hear no more of this, Barra. I am tolerating your presence, but leave this alone.”
“Very well. But I will point out that you did not deny your attraction.”
Rowan glared at him, but Nel returned before he could give some reproach. With her came Maude.
“Fool boy! Why must you do this to me?” Maude hurried towards them and practically fell into Rowan. She sobbed loudly into his shoulder and began to curse at him as she hugged him. “I am so happy to have you return alive.”
Her actions brought the attention of everyone else in the household. Lanth and Ien came out, sharing a look between them before going back to whatever they’d been doing. He sensed that they did not approve of him.
Ganda also came out. “Congratulations on your victory,” he offered as he helped Rowan pull away from Maude. “Did you…this time?”
“No,” Rowan answered. He studied Ganda but couldn’t tell if his answer was what Ganda had wanted to hear or not.
“You must be wounded. Or overwhelmed at least.”
“It was nothing I couldn’t handle,” Rowan lied. He’d been wounded but it was nothing life-threatening and therefore not worth mentioning. He’d bound the wounds himself, as the healers were always occupied with others in need of their services.
“Tattercloak fought very well,” Barra proclaimed, drawing all eyes to him. This prompted yet another introduction for the man.
Maude reacted much the same as Nel had, but once it was clear that Barra owed Rowan a life-debt, she took a liking to him. She did not forget about Rowan, though.
“I do not care what you say, you will be healed all the same.” Her enthusiasm showed just how much she cared for him, but even so, Rowan wanted to protest. He did not want to bother them.
“But, maudra…”
Maude stopped to look at Nel, then seemed to remember something.
“Surely it can wait.”
“What can wait?” Rowan asked. There was something they hadn’t told him.
“I think perhaps that Nelliel is right in this,” Ganda said. Then he quickly added, “But you can still attend to young Parren. His wellness is important, and, I apologize, Parren, but I believe we have learned by now that you cannot be trusted to say when you are not well.”
Everyone seemed in agreement yet Rowan was still in the dark as to what they were all talking about. He was about to ask yet again when his question was answered.
“Parren-nihm! Al’Rhun has been expecting you,” Al’Rhun said as he entered from the sitting room. The merchant wore layers of orange and tan silken robes bound at the waist with a deep purple sash draped over his shoulder.
Rowen was startled by the unexpected appearance.
“What are you doing here, Al’Rhun?”
“As this one said, he has been waiting for you. To speak with you about important matters.” He spared a glance for Barra, but unlike the others, the merchant had seen the two of them together before. He said nothing.
“He came a short while before you arrived and insisted on waiting,” Nel whispered. “I tried to make him leave but couldn’t without being exceedingly and outright rude. Were you expecting him?”
Rowan shook his head.
“Then how did he know to come here?”
Rowan wondered the exact same thing.
“Shall we sit and talk?” Al’Rhun suggested. Not waiting for an answer, the man turned and led the way back into the sitting room. Rowan glanced to Maude and Ganda for permission, then followed with Nel. Barra came too.
The sitting room, just off the main entrance to the home, was used to entertain guests. Well-lit and decorated for show, it held a long table that sat low to the carpeted floor, suitable for serving drinks.
Al’Rhun seated himself on the host side of the table dividing the room, forcing Rowan to take the visitor’s seat. It was a subtle way for the merchant to assume the more powerful position. It also made it uncomfortable for Maude and Ganda to stay and join, as it was considered improper for proprietors to occupy the guest seats. Of course, the custom was only working for Al’Rhun because he himself did not adhere to it.
“Perhaps some drinks are in order. Come, noohna.” Maude pulled Nel away towards the kitchen and Ganda quickly excused himself, leaving Rowan and Al’Rhun alone. Well, excepting Barra, who had taken a seat in the corner.
“That’s much better. Now we can speak at leisure.”
“How did you know to come here?”
“Your speech has much improved since this one first met you. It is still common and thickly spoken, but perfectly understandable. This one struggled for much longer to learn your own language.”
“You have not answered my question.”
Al’Rhun frowned. “You do not have any ideas at all? It is true that you are not easy to follow and find, but Al’Rhun knows all that happens in his city. It was, in truth, a guess that you would be found here, Parren-nihm. The chances were even that it would be here or there.”
“Here or where?”
“Why, the housing where you are staying of course.”
Rowan did his best to hide his displeasure. He had not wanted anyone to know where he was staying. Nel was an exception, of course. But Al’Rhun apparently knew where to find him. The merchant clearly had the advantage in this conversation.
“As for here, this one would have thought it obvious,” Al’Rhun continued. “You are close to this family. Very close indeed!” He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “It is known that you and the daughter are quite close. That should be a well-met union. Very well-met.”
Nel entered just then, bearing a tray with cups and a pitcher of iced water. She hesitated on seeing where Al’Rhun had seated himself, then moved to kneel beside Rowan. She placed the tray on the table, arranged the decorative drink clothes, and placed empty cups upon them. She carefully lifted the pitcher and poured the drinks.
“Many thanks,” Al’Rhun said as he took the first cup poured. He glanced at the curtain brushed aside as Maude also entered the room. She carried bandages, seemingly prepared to search Rowan for wounds, but Al’Rhun loudly cleared his throat to draw her attention. Then he spoke to Rowan.
“Have you any idea why I have come?”
Rowan accepted a cup of water from Nel. He sipped the cold liquid and found that it had been flavored, though he didn’t recognize the taste. It was good.
“I’ve no idea what motivates you to do anything that you do.”
“Truly?” Al’Rhun adopted an expression of surprise. “You have absolutely no ideas?”
Rowan shook his head. He could guess, but was disinclined to do so. Let the man just come out and say what he wanted.
“You’ve returned to the arena!” The merchant spread his hands as though his meaning was obvious. He was met with silence.
“After you fought Illan Ishtar and this one came to you as your sponsor. He invited you to attend a party with him so that you could be honored in victory, but you refused. Do you remember?”
Rowan sighed. “I do.”
“Then you will remember telling Al’Rhun that you would not return to the arena. That you would no longer require his sponsorship. Yet, as Al’Rhun humbly predicted, you have returned.”
“I do so on my own.”
“You still make use of Al’Rhun’s sponsorship, whether you know it or not. It was never revoked.”
“I don’t need or want it.”
“But you have it.” Al’Rhun waved a finger at him. “And this one will continue to support you, for you need it.
“Al’Rhun told you earlier that he would honor you if you emerged victorious, and you have! So Al’Rhun will be hosting a party to celebrate his fortunate investment, and you will be coming.”
“I did not agree to that.”
“It does not matter. You will attend Al’Rhun three suns from this day. Why, this one has even invited a lord from your country to attend. So you must come.”
“A lord from Atlea. Who?” Rowan asked. That could be dangerous. He was well-known and wanted, though he’d only ever met a few lords during his time in the capital and it was unlikely he would be recognized.
Rowan was surprised that an Atlean lord would agree to come all the way to Lior. It was a long, difficult journey. And from what he’d heard on the streets, tension had elevated between the two countries. Enough so that the border had been closed.
