Talen had long since fallen asleep but the others had not retired yet. Conversation had been slow. The meal had been basic. They were all still taking in the events of in the cave, the creature, the... revelations.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kalten asked. He didn't look at Berit, but they all knew who he was talking to.
"No really, no." was the reply. He had not said a word since, and not eaten anything either.
"We're good listeners." Tynian prompted.
"What's to say." Berit was not looking up from staring at the fire. "They lied and I killed them. They were all I had and I killed them anyway."
"It sounds like the world is the better for it. I know that you were definitely better off for it." Khalad said, remembering the network of scars that he had seen on Berit's back. They had been layered and varied, telling a tale of years of pain. Berit gave him an anguished glance that pleaded silence, to keep that private between them.
"So did you just jump on them with a knife or something." He asked instead.
"More or less." Was the toneless answer.
Khalad wondered about the skill needed to fight an unknown number of older and more experienced assassins. He also thought of the men in the palace and how they had been killed quickly and cleanly.
Berit saw his look "Most of them were quite drunk. That helped." That drew a smile from the others, though not from Berit himself.
"I think I understand much more Berit" Sparhawk said forward, trying to draw Berit into what he was saying. "When we have done what we need to do here you should consider the Order. I think you would fit in well."
That did change Berit's expression. Shock was broadcast
"A man who murdered everyone he called brother?" Berit's tone ridiculed the idea.
Sparhawk ticked the points off on his fingers. "A man who has skill with a blade and without. A man who considers carefully before he takes a life. A man who values honesty above everything. A man who endured so much for the sake of justice. And..." He smiled at this. "A man who goes on mysterious, magical and quite frankly unbelievable quests."
"He's right you know" Bevier joined in "the willingness to run off into the wilderness at the slightest hint of trouble is the hallmark of a great knight."
"And the willingness to eat bad stew cooked by a bad cook. Badly." Tynian looked at Ulath pointedly, who ignored it.
Berit was studying the nobles, none of whom seemed particularly surprised by Sparhawks offer.
"You are actually serious aren't you? Despite the fact that I'm too old.."
"….you'd be expected to progress quickly..."
"…..and not gentry..."
"….luckily Sparhawk here knows a young woman who might be persuaded to change that..."
"...and only a fool would trust an assassin."
"How about if we promise not to be greedy sadistic murderers you promise not to kill us in our sleep, deal?"
The knights knocked his objections one by one, but Khalad wasn't sure how perusasive they were actually being.
"You nobles are strange strange people." Berit said eventually.
That Khalad could totally agree with.
It was sometime later. The fire had died down and only two men were awake. One of them was saddling a horse.
"Where do you think you're going?" Khalad demanded.
"Away." Berit was curt.
That made Khalad angry, that he was leaving, that he was running "Why, do you think someone is going to sneak up on you in the night or something?"
Berit snorted. "Like anyone could. No this is not for my safety but for yours."
"I don't really think we're at risk." Khalad hissed.
"Neither did they." Berit was calm in reply.
"Well they deserved it." Khalad insisted.
"I'm sure there are some souls somewhere who would disagree."
"Well they were sadistic murderers, their opinion doesn't count." Khalad put his hand on the horses bridle.
"I understand..."
But Berit cut him off with a low angry hiss. "Don't. Don't say you understand. How can you understand what it's like to live in fear that your next failure will be your last. To try and hide from men who would beat you to death because you weren't good enough. Or because you were too good and might be a threat someday. Who would put you in.." Berit forcefully stopped himself.
"I'm not going to let you do this." Khalad said simply. He thought he could become friends with the man in front of him and he wanted to ease his pain.
The next moment he found himself on the floor, not having seen the punch that Berit threw.
"I'm sorry about that but this isn't your decision." The assassin said, mounting. "All that talk earlier, about me joining the order? They are completely deluded. This is best for everyone."
Khalad felt his jaw, feeling it ache but it wasn't broken at least. "So you're just going to walk out on the fight."
"It's not my fight."
"It could be." Khalad called at his retreating back.
"What do you mean he left?" Talen was aghast, and Khalad felt another wave of anger for hurting his brothers feelings.
"Forget about him. He was offered a great opportunity and passed it up, more fool him." Kalten also sounded angry and with good cause.
"What opportunity?" Talen asked.
"It doesn't matter now. Let's just focus on the spell for the moment that's what's important." Sparhawk bought their attention back to the matter at hand. They had been in the midst of a discussion about how to proceed when Khalad had revealed that their party was now one less.
"I still say you've read it wrong. It can not say that it takes 'the life force of one man' to complete the spell." Kalten started where he had left off.
Sparhawk sighed in reply. "That's what it says Kalten, we all agree. Once we have the other ingredients we need it will take my life to say it. And I'll gladly give it." Khalad felt his stomach clench at the thought. Khalad hadn't squired for Sparhawk for very long but their two families had been tied together for generations. If Sparhawk, the last of his line, died before Khalad did he knew his ancestors would look down on him at disgust in his failure to keep his lord alive. And who could blame them.
"I know it's not ideal, and god knows I want to go home. But who here would not lay down his life if it was needed?" Sparhawk met the eyes of each man, and they nodded grimly in agreement. Bevier however looked thoughtful.
"I think we would. And maybe that would work." He saw the others puzzled expressions. "The spell says life force of one man, correct? But does it say that life force has to come to one man? Could we all not share it?"
Khalad smiled, and the others looked relieved.
Ulath clapped Bevier on the back "You are much smarter than they say my friend! Yes, I think that will work. Lets pack up, get what we need back at Phada, and go close this doorway."
