Chapter 21: Consequences

Gareth slowly stretched as he sat up in bed, feeling the best he had all week. He had been allowed to leave the temple after two days, but Duncan and the rest of his companions had been insistent that he not exert himself. They had taken turns waiting on him hand and foot. Now, some people may have become impatient or annoyed at the constant fussing, but not him. This type of attention was almost a novelty for him, the only other time being when the Mossfelds had beaten him up. He had enjoyed it, but now that he was fully healed, it was time for him to get back to the task at hand.

Pushing the covers aside, he looked at his legs, the part of his body that had been most severely injured. Even though Sand had said it was remarkable, he could see how different his legs looked. Not even Sand's magic could completely erase the trauma he had suffered and it showed. Anger swept through him once more at the sight of the faint scars on his legs. They weren't prominent, but he could feel and see them. At least the one responsible was no longer around. As he ran a hand down his legs, he wondered what Webb would think. Webb had loved running his hands down them, often commenting on the fine, silky brown hair that covered them. Now they were slightly bumpy and Sand had said that he would never grow hair on them again due to the damage. What if Webb thought them ugly? He brushed away the tears that threatened to fall and shook his head. Wouldn't do him any good to dwell on that.

A rumbling from his stomach had him getting up and dressing quickly. He left his room and made his way to the common room to find something to eat. As he entered, his eyes went towards the bar out of habit and he let out a tremulous breath that Qara wasn't there. Yeah, they had said they had sent her packing, but he still was a little paranoid. Trouble like that seldom went away easily.

"Hey, lookin' good kid," Sal called out as he spied the boy. "I see you finally managed to escape the confines of your room, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess they got tired of me lazing about," Gareth laughed. "How about a plate of eggs, bacon and toast Sal?"

"Have a seat and I'll whip it up for you," Sal nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. After serving the boy, he stayed and talked with him about Duncan and the others and what they had been up to the past week. "I'm glad you're okay kid. I've never seen Duncan so worried about someone else before. He's really taken you into his heart and I think he sees in you the son he never had."

"You think so?" Gareth asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I do," Sal nodded. "He used to be an adventurer before opening this inn. He never made time to find a good woman to settle down with and after a while he stopped trying. He may growl and bark, but he's got a big heart and he loves kids, just doesn't show it is all. And just in case you're wondering, he'll never say so in words. But, he will show you in other ways, you just have to be looking for them."

"Sounds like him and Daeghun have more in common than just the same mother," Gareth mused.

"That they do," Sal chuckled. "Neither was ever very good at expressing how they felt. I've learned over time to read between the lines."

"Thanks for telling me, it means alot," Gareth smiled as he pushed his empty plate away. "If anyone asks, I'm going to be over at Sand's store for a while."

"I'll tell them kid," Sal nodded and watched him leave. Gareth was a special young man and he could easily see why Duncan had opened his heart to the kid. It was kinda hard not to like him. A movement in the corner drew his eyes to the disreputable ranger that hung around the place. He never got the whole story out of Duncan as to why the man was allowed to hang around, but he didn't trust him. He saw the speculative look the ranger gave Gareth and frowned. He would have to keep an eye on the man, Gareth already had been through enough.

Gareth pushed open the door to the shop and called out, "Sand are you here?" before seeing that Sand was there and wasn't alone. As his eyes met those of Darmon, he felt his heart start to pound a little faster. He didn't fully understand what it was he felt for the knight, but he couldn't deny the attraction. He could tell that the two had been having a serious conversation before he entered. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

"Come in, Gareth, come in," Sand waived him forward. "It is good to see you up and about once more. We have been worried about you."

"You look alot better than you did even two days ago," Darmon nodded in agreement, visually assessing the boy's condition. "Couldn't tell anything happened to you just by looking at you, which is good."

Despite the light tone of their voices, Gareth immediately sensed that something was wrong. "What's going on?"

Darmon hesitated and looked at Sand. Getting a nod from the wizard, he turned to face Gareth. "We were discussing something that happened a couple of days ago. It's about Qara."

"She's not coming back is she?" Gareth asked, feeling a little panicky at the thought.

"No, she will not be coming back, not ever," Sand said cryptically.

"What do you mean by that?" Gareth asked sharply. "Don't try to protect me or baby me. I can handle whatever it is."

"I personally saw to it that Qara packed her things and left, just as you asked," Darmon began.

"Even if you had not requested it, after what she did, I would have seen to it that she disappeared," Sand interrupted, earning a glare from the knight.

"A couple of days ago, the Watch was called to a dispute in the upper docks," Darmon continued. "By the time they got there it was too late to do anything. Apparently an argument broke out between Qara and a few of students from the Academy. Qara is dead."

"What?" Gareth gasped in shock.

"According to eyewitness testimony, Qara was confronted by a some of the students and they started arguing," Sand picked up the tale. "They threw insults back and forth and the argument quickly escalated. It was Qara that threw the first spell. However, the students she was facing were more than up to the task of defending themselves."

"When it was over, two students were dead, as was Qara," Darmon continued. "A third student was badly hurt and is not expected to make it. Luckily, bystanders were smart enough to run for cover and no other casualties were reported."

Sand saw the play of emotions across Gareth's face, from horror to sorrow and finally to guilt. "All actions have consequences Gareth," he said sharply. "Duncan may have taken Qara in to work off the debt she owed for the damage done to his inn. However, you kept her with you because you knew it was safer for her. You knew that she was reckless and arrogant, but you still allowed her to accompany you on that last mission, and it resulted in you being hurt. Qara brought this on herself, you cannot take any blame for it."

Gareth nodded, but the wizard's words didn't make him feel better. "I knew that it was a possibility yes. What's done is done." He shook himself and headed for the small back room where he did his meditating. "I came here to do some thinking where I won't be disturbed. I'll be in here if you need me."

Darmon watched the boy go and then turned to Sand. "Well, he took that better than I expected."

Sand stared thoughtfully in the direction Gareth had gone. "I am not so sure about that. Perhaps you should go check on him."

Nodding, Darmon went to the door and silently pushed it open. Looking inside, he saw Gareth seated on the mat, legs bent up and head pillowed on his crossed arms. His shoulders were shaking. Moving quickly, he knelt beside the boy and wrapped his arms around him. "Hey, hey, it's alright, shhh," he soothed.

"I shouldn't have sent her away," Gareth sobbed. "I knew the students wouldn't give up, I knew she wouldn't survive another encounter. Yet, I sent her away."

"Gareth, listen to me," Darmon said softly, using one hand to lift the boy's face to his. "Qara had a big mouth and was full of arrogance. She couldn't see her own faults, failings or weaknesses. She brought this on herself with her careless disregard for the thoughts, opinions, and feelings of others. She thought she was better than everyone else and it was her pride that caused her downfall."

"But-"

"No, no buts," Darmon interrupted. "You tried to keep her safe, putting your own life and the lives of those with you on the line. She repaid you by acting recklessly and injuring you. You could have died because of it and you had no choice but to send her away. Everyone is responsible for their own actions, including Qara. You are upset because it is your nature to care about others' well being. It is a rare and wonderful quality that makes you a very special person, a quality I hope you will never lose. So cry if you want for a life snuffed out so early, but do not, I repeat, DO NOT, blame yourself."

Gareth sank into the knight's arms and cried. He tried to not blame himself, but it was hard. He knew what it was like to be persecuted and he had wanted to spare Qara from that. He had thought that in time he could get the girl to see reason, to change her ways. Now, it was too late. He had failed.

Darmon sat quietly holding the boy, his own heart wrung with pity for the kid's suffering. Gareth had yet to learn the hard truth that you couldn't always save everyone. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it was better that he learn it now. There was trouble coming, of that he was certain. He knew that Gareth would somehow be at the center of it all. This was the first time the boy had lost a comrade in arms, but it wouldn't be the last. Finally, he felt the boy quieting.

Gareth stirred and moved back a little from Darmon. "Thank you for being here."

"I'll be there for you as much as I can little one, never doubt that," Darmon smiled and brushed the hair from Gareth's face. "It will take time to come to grips with this, but you'll have not only myself, but Sand, Duncan, Shen and the others to help you."

"That sounds nice," Gareth said softly. "I never had so many friends before, ones that I could count on. It's nice to not be alone."

"You'll never be alone again, count on it," Darmon vowed, tightening his grip.