Will You Remember Me?
Nathan and Mark were halfway to Naxen, when a man, dressed in rags, stopped them.
"Hear me, Hear me, I bring a tale of an evil, that will come to Tortall." Mark signaled for them to stop.
"What news, old man?"
"News of a sorcerer, by the name of
Marcus." Mark's eyebrows rose.
"This wouldn't be Marcus, Lord of
Trescothick Isle?"
"Aye, that be the man. He comes to wreck havoc for the young knights."
Mark's eyebrow's retreated into his forehead.
"Thank you for the news, old one." Mark tossed a few gold coins at the man, who caught them, and bit them, to make sure that the coins were real
They rode on, until it began to get dark.
"We'll camp here for the night, we
won't need tents, and it looks clear." Nathan nodded and dismounted, as did
Mark. They rolled out their bedrolls, stoked up a fire and made some stew.
Finally Mark asked; "Do you want to go to Cathrak? We'd come back for the
trial, of course." Nathan sat in stunned silence. He'd only been on a boat once
before in his life. He didn't even remember it.
"Or we could go to the Bahzir land."
Nathan shrugged. He didn't feel like talking.
"Mithros…shield, Nathan, can't you even try to act interested?" Nathan looked up. Mark was juggling 2 apples and an orange. Nathan smiled weakly. He was missing, not surprisingly, Brett. He wondered if Brett was missing him.
BACK IN THE PALACE
"Brett of Lake Lee!" Brett and Eliza
paused in their, umm, kissing, looking out the door of the broom cupboard to
see who was there. It was Shane. Eliza held up a hand, and the air around her
shimmered silver.
"Say something" she whispered.
"I'm over here Shane." Brett's voice sounded as if it came from his room.
Shane sighed and turned around, trotted down the halfway. Brett jumped out of the cupboard, kissed Eliza goodbye and sauntered into his room. Shane was there, an impatient look on his face.
"And just WHAT where you doing?" Brett
fixed his features in his best innocent expression, which incidentally was the
same expression he used when imitating Lord Lawry. "I was busy, dear brother.
What do you want?"
"I have news."
"Of what sort. Tell me brother, I do
entreat thee, is it good or bad. Tell me nought if it be ill, tell me all if it
be well." Shane arched an eyebrow at his brother's theatrics.
"Well, the new is this…" Shane bent his head, and whispered into his brother's ear.
Brett walked out of his room, a hurt expression on his face. Nathan was going to Cathrak. Until the trial, which would be in 2 months. But that hadn't been the worst news. The worst news was that Harold of Stone Mountain, a 2nd year squire, who was squire to Sir Michael of Atherton, would be going with Nathan and Mark. Harold and Nathan had a bad track record. They had jousted against each other once, which had left Nathan with a twisted ankle, after Harold had shoved him off his horse. The two had had long staff fights, which Nathan usually won. But Harold was one of Caddick's cronies, so there could be trouble for Nathan… Why should you care? He hates you? The treacherous, evil part of his mind whispered to him. I care…because I just do… Brett was never good at logical explanations.
