"One cannot answer for his courage when he has never been in danger."
― François de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims
The nightmare saved Kensie's life.
Kensie stood in front of the Throne in the Palace in Haven. His father pointed a finger at Kensie, denouncing him before the Queen and Court. Kensie was disinherited, banished, ordered never to show his face in Valdemar again.
He protested his innocence; everyone laughed at him, mocking him. Lord Orthallen, who somehow wore Geoffrey Teows' face, called him a traitor and coward to the applause of the whole Court.
Bredin Kase, dressed in Herald's Whites, stood at Count Wyeth's side, now adopted as heir to Poldara.
Blood entered the scene. Before the Queen and Court, the stallion bent in front of Bredin so that the boy could mount. As Bredin sat in the saddle, Blood changed from liver chestnut to blinding white…
Kensie woke, shaking and sweaty. As he opened his eyes, he saw a form looming over him and an arm descending. Instinctively, Kensie rolled away. The knife scratched his back and tore his nightshirt.
Kensie fell onto the floor beside the bed. He looked up to see the attacker climbing over the bed to strike again. Kensie was trapped between the bed and the wall; his own sword and dagger were hanging on hooks near the door.
Putting his shoulder against the bed, Kensie heaved it up, throwing it over and sending the attacker back. Vaguely, Kensie heard Geoffrey Teows screaming and hurrying towards the door.
The attacker recovered and stood up; he lunged towards Kensie over the bed. The bed was still on its side and hampered the attacker's movement, so his thrust was short. Desperately, Kensie looked for something to defend himself.
A thousand times, Hwyl Fian had said "Anything can be a weapon. You just have to think of it that way." The training had its intended effect: Kensie grabbed the heavy brass lamp from the night stand and swung it wildly at the attacker. The base connected with the attacker's head, dropping him to the ground. Kensie pushed forward, throwing the bed on top of his attacker. Kensie now came over the bed himself, swinging the lamp again and again, striking repeated blows to the attacker's head.
He stopped, panting. The attacker wasn't moving.
There was noise and the sound of running feet in the hall. A silhouette appeared in the open doorway. The figure had only one arm and that arm held a sword; it was Herald Tobias.
"What's going on?" Tobias demanded.
Kensie turned to him, the battered lamp still in his hands. "I was attacked."
More people ran up behind the Herald, including Jaim Murray carrying a lantern. From behind Jaim Murray, Kensie could hear Geoffrey Teows still shouting that his master had been murdered in his bed.
The Herald stepped forward, sword still at the ready. Following the Herald, Jaim Murray shone his lantern into the room.
In the light, Kensie could see the attacker's body, the head was smashed in by the blows from the brass lamp. His attacker was dead.
"It appears you got him." Tobias said drily.
Kensie looked again at the body and the bloody mess of the attacker's head, then at the lamp in his hand. He threw the lamp down and dropped to his hands and knees. He vomited on the floor.
Sonja Murray knelt beside him, putting a blanket over his shoulder. She patted Kensie's back until he stopped heaving. She offered him a cup of water. Kensie took a mouthful and swirled the water before spitting it out into a bucket held by Mistress Sonja. He took another mouthful and repeated rinsing, trying to clear the taste of bile from his mouth. To clean his throat, he took a long drink.
There were now several people in the room, including Herald Tobias, the Murrays and two other guests holding their swords. The remaining lanterns had been lit and Herald Tobias was examining the body of the attacker. Geoffrey Teows remained in the hall, looking fearfully through the door.
With Kensie's room now relatively quiet, everyone became aware of a ruckus outside in the stable. "Is there another robber in the stable?" Jaim Murray asked.
Kensie recognized Blood's bellow. "That's my horse, he must have heard me shouting. I'll go quiet him."
"No. You stay here. There is a dead body and we need to determine what happened. I will quiet your horse." Tobias said. The Herald reached out with his animal mindspeech and touched the stallion's mind. The noise from the stable ceased. As a precaution, Tobias checked the stable through the minds of Blood and the other horses there. With the exception of the stableboy, who had been trying to calm the stallion, there were no other humans in the stable.
Tobias reached out to Blood's mind, reassuring the stallion that its master was unharmed and out of danger. The stallion quieted and the noise from the barn died away. "There, that's done." Tobias grinned at Kensie.
Kensie looked at the Herald in astonishment. "That is amazing!" He said. "I wish I could do that."
Irian snorted mentally to her Chosen.
A healer had arrived and, after confirming the attacker was dead, turned his attention to Kensie's wound. Quickly, he cleaned the shallow cut on the boy's back, then stitched it. Kensie sat stoically while the healer worked, silently enduring the pricks of the needle as each stitch was made. After closing the wound, the healer applied a poultice and bandaged it. Finally, the healer applied a bit of his gift to ensure there was no infection.
"You should rest several days to allow that to heal properly." The healer said.
Kensie glanced over his shoulder, trying to see the wound. He rotated his arm experimentally. "My thanks, Healer…"
"Woral Granath"
"…Granath. But my father Count Poldara had ordered me to attend him in Haven without delay. I must go on in the morning." Kensie said. He pulled the blanket over his shoulders once more.
Tobias interrupted. "I am afraid you will have to stay one day at least. There will be an inquest in the morning and you will be required to testify."
Kensie sighed. "Father will not be pleased…"
"Your father will be happy that you are alive." Healer Granath said. "And he will be displeased if you get wound fever because you would not rest."
Kensie looked warily at the healer. "If I must stay, I will. But no more than one day."
The healer grimaced. "I suppose it is better than nothing."
Kensie looked around. His purse was on the mantle beside the window. He gestured to Geoffrey to fetch it. Warily, the manservant stepped into the room and edged around the bed, keeping his eyes averted from the attacker's body. He handed the purse to Kensie, who paid the Healer his fee.
Tobias turned his attention to the dead attacker. He quickly checked the pockets and clothes for clues to the attacker's identity. The attacker carried an armory: A short sword on his hip, a long sword over his shoulder, two daggers on his hip, another long dagger on the outside of his right boot, a thigh sheath that fit the heavy knife still in his hand, two thin blades in boot sheaths, two wrist knives and another heavy knife on the outside of his left arm. His pockets yielded no less than three garrotes and a brassard on his chest carried a dozen throwing-stars. There was also a cosh on his belt.
Tobias found a small purse in a hip pocket that held a crown plus several shillings and coppers. There was also a money belt. Tobias pulled it off the corpse and raised his eyebrows as he hefted it. Opening it, he found fifty new-minted gold crowns.
The attacker had one gold ring with a design in the lozenge. Tobias pulled it off and held it up to the light. Tobias swore. Grabbing the dead man's right wrist, Tobias turned up the sleeve, baring a tattoo in the shape of a fire-drake.
Tobias swore again, catching Kensie's attention. At the boy's inquiring look, Tobias said "You are phenomenally lucky. This man was a Tedrel warrior."
Kensie blanched. "I thought they were wiped out. How would he get here?"
Tobias shook his head. "Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them scattered after the battle. Some fled back into Karse, for all the good it did them. Most of those were burned by the Sunpriests, but a few made it back to Rethwellan. The rest, knowing what the Sunpriests would do to them, fled into Valdemar or tried to make it to Hardorn. A lot of them have become bandits and robbers, either joining existing gangs or forming gangs of their own. They are the last plague of the Tedrel wars. It is going to take ten years to extirpate them.
"It appears your attacker has been fairly successful until now, judging by his money belt. As I said, you were phenomenally lucky: The Tedrels who have gone in for robbery often kill their victims, even if there is no need."
Kensie shivered. "I think I would like a drink." He said.
"Not yet, I am afraid." Tobias said. "You will have to give your statement first." There was the sound of booted feet in the hallway. "I think the Watch is here now."
A strong-faced woman appeared in the doorway. Her Watch uniform had Captain's bars on the shoulder. Her hair was black with some grey at the temple. Her nose was beaked and she had a scar on her forehead. "I am Captain Dara Riordon of the Leuven Watch. Would someone tell me what is going on here?"
"Herald Tobias Abdiel." Tobias introduced himself. "Young Lord Kensie here has just fought off and killed an attacker. Other than a shallow cut on his back, Lord Kensie appears to be well."
Captain Riordon glanced around the room. "Herald Tobias and Lord Kensie, I will need your statements first. I will also need statements from everyone else, so would the rest of you please wait downstairs in the common room until I give you leave to go."
She spotted the healer. "Ah, Woral. I'll need you to examine the body to determine the cause of death."
She ordered everyone else out of the room except for two of her men: One she directed to make note of every object in the room; the other pulled out a notebook to record the witness statements.
Although the 'cause of death' was obvious, Healer Granath dutifully examined the body, noting the position of the wounds and how deep they were. Knowing that Captain Riordon would demand it, he also checked for any signs of poison or drugs.
Captain Riordon took Kensie's statement. Kensie told her everything he remembered from the moment of waking up and seeing the attacker. As he finished his statement, Kensie began shaking.
Captain Riordon was unsurprised. The reaction was common for people who had narrow escapes. "First kill, lad?" She said sympathetically.
"That I remember clearly." Kensie said. At the Captain's raised eyebrow, Kensie went on "I don't know if I killed anyone in the Final Battle of the War."
Captain Riordon knew who Kensie was, of course, and had heard the story of his 'cowardice', but she said only "Yes. Battles are confusing."
From the look in her eye, Kensie knew what she was thinking. He had given up trying to make people believe him and said nothing.
Captain Riordon took Tobias' statement next, then asked him to go with her to the common room to assist with the other interviews. With a Herald present, people tended to be a little more careful with the truth – even without the Truth Spell.
As it happened, Herald Tobias' presence was necessary. Geoffrey Teows spun a tale of how he had fought at his master's side to defend him from the attacker.
"Excuse me, Master Teows, but that is untrue." Tobias interrupted. "I heard you fleeing down the hallway shouting that Lord Kensie had been murdered while I could still hear the sounds of the fight."
Captain Riordon quirked a smile and questioned Geoffrey until she got a reasonably truthful version.
In the room, Healer Granath finished his examination of the body. As he put his notebook away, he spotted Kensie sitting in shock in a chair, still wrapped in the blanket. "Come lad, let us get you to sleep."
The healer had one of the watchmen summon Master Murray to find a new room for Kensie. Master Murray and the watchman carried Kensie's belongings to the new room.
Kensie got into bed. The healer gave him a dose of poppy and stayed with him until it took effect.
In the morning, Kensie and the others attended the inquest. Magistrate Nigel Lynch moved the proceedings along briskly. Healer Granath spoke first, describing the body and the wounds Kensie had inflicted. The healer said that there were eight to ten blows to the head, but that the attacker had probably been dead by the third or fourth blow.
Herald Tobias leaned over to Kensie. "You do things rather thoroughly, don't you?" Kensie blushed, unsure how to respond.
Kensie was called next. As there was a death involved, Magistrate Lynch required Kensie to give his testimony under the truth spell. Kensie told what he remembered of the incident up to the moment Herald Tobias had come into the room. "I didn't know the man was already dead," Kensie finished, "I was frightened and wanted to make sure he was down."
"Under the circumstances, I would have felt the same way." Magistrate Lynch said. "Myself, I probably would have hit him a few more times just to make sure." The people in the chamber laughed at the Magistrate's joke. The scars on his face bore testimony to his own service in the guard forty years before.
After determining that Kensie did not know the attacker and had never seen him before, Magistrate Lynch dismissed him.
Tobias testified next, describing what he had seen and what he had found on the body. When Tobias mentioned the Tedrel signet and tattoo, Magistrate Lynch commented that he had hanged a few Tedrel bandits in the area previously.
The others gave their testimony. A saddled horse had been found tethered to a tree in the woods near the inn with several weapons hanging from the tack. The bridle and the saddle both had the fire-drake sigil tooled into the leather. A saddlebag bore a change of clothing that would have fit the attacker. Sewn into a compartment in the cantle, the watch found several gold coins from Valdemar and other countries, including three Karsite sols as well as numerous precious stones.
The watchman who had examined the room said that bootprints matching the attacker's had been found leading from the window to the bed. The window had been unlatched and the robber had apparently come in that way. There was also a trail of bootprints leading from where the horse had been found to the point where someone – apparently the attacker – had climbed up to the window.
After a break for luncheon, Magistrate Lynch gave his conclusions: That Kensie had been attacked by a former Tedrel mercenary intending to rob him; That Kensie had defended himself and killed the man in self-defence and was therefore innocent of any crime; That Jaim Murray was entitled to reparations from the robber's money to pay for the damage to his inn.
When Magistrate Lynch ordered that the horse, jewels and money be turned over to Kensie as a suffering price, Kensie shuddered. "I would rather not have blood-money." He told the Magistrate. "Could the money and whatever you can get for his horse and equipment be given to the local almshouse?"
Magistrate Lynch looked at Kensie for a moment. "It shall be done as you request, Milord." He said and banged his gavel.
It was mid-afternoon by the time everything was done. The day was cold and gray. Even if Healer Granath had not ordered him to rest, there was no way Kensie could have made it to Haven that day.
Irian could move far faster than an ordinary horse, so Tobias was in the saddle and ready to leave within a quarter-candlemark. "I will tell your father what happened here and that you are safe." Tobias told Kensie. He waved and Irian was off at a gallop.
As Kensie waved at the receding Herald, he cursed himself. Why hadn't he told his story of the Final Battle while he was under Tobias' truth spell? People would have had to believe him then!
As they headed towards Haven, Irian mindspoke her Chosen. ::What do you think?::
::It stinks.:: Tobias replied in mindspeech. ::Why was the window unlatched? It is too cold now for it to be opened to catch the breeze. The boy's money pouch was right by the window. If the attacker had wanted to rob the boy, he could have taken it and left. The Tedrels may be bloodthirsty bandits, but they wouldn't complicate a robbery unnecessarily. Besides, he would have secured the purse first before dispatching the boy.::
::All true.:: Irian said. ::What else?::
Blinking his eyes at the wind of their passage, Tobias went on. ::Those fifty gold crowns in his money-belt. They were all new-minted. Robbers build their treasure bit by bit. If they have a hoard, it is made up of old and new coins, minted over many years. It is possible he stole them all at once, but we would have heard of any theft that size.::
::So?:: Irian prompted.
::Why would anyone pay to have the boy murdered?:: Tobias asked rhetorically. ::I think I better talk to Talamir about this.::
::Agreed, love.:: Irian said. ::By the way, did you notice one other thing?::
Tobias puzzled. ::No, what?::
::Do you remember the ruckus that stallion was making after the boy was attacked?::
Tobias thought about it. ::Yes. He said the horse must have heard him shout out.::
::That is all very admirable and shows that the horse is loyal to his master.:: Irian said. ::Except for one little thing.::
::What's that, love?:: Tobias wondered what Irian had noticed.
::The boy didn't make a sound. I have better hearing than that beast and I would have noticed.:: Irian said. Her mindvoice had a touch of smugness.
Tobias remembered her snort when Kensie had said he wished he could mindspeak his horse. ::You mean he has animal mindspeech?::
::I think he may. I didn't 'catch' his mindshout, though, so it may be one of those cases where it is directed only one way and not a broader ability. From what he said, it is totally unconscious as well.::
::OK. I'll pass that on to Elcarth and Kyril. We'll keep an eye on him.:: Tobias said.
Tobias arrived at the Palace in the late evening. He found Count Poldara in his Palace suite and told him about the attack and reassured him that Kensie was well. He did not tell the Count of his suspicions about the reason for the attack.
Next, he found Talamir. By good fortune, Kyril and Elcarth were with him, so he was able to brief all three of them at once. They agreed with Tobias' ideas but were equally puzzled as to why anyone would want to kill Count Poldara's heir, even if he were not in disgrace.
On his way back to his quarters, Tobias remembered that Alberich had a keen interest in everything to do with the Tedrels. With a sigh, he turned towards the salle.
::Alberich is not there.:: Irian said.
::Where is he?:: Tobias asked.
::He is down in Haven for the evening.:: Irian said.
Oh, well. Tobias supposed even the weaponsmaster was entitled to a night on the town now and then. Tobias stopped by the kitchen and made himself a cold meal from the pantry before bathing and going to bed.