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Everything Begins Chapter 22
“Right away, Ga’briyel,” Tero said, nudging Dinton with his elbow. They disappeared quickly into the tall grass.Frank sighed and turned to Sophyra. “There has to be water around here somewhere.”She nodded, her eyes wary. “There is a small river over there, sir.” She pointed to the north. “Perhaps half a hundred paces.”“Lead the way.” As they walked, Frank asked, “Do you have anything else to wear?”“No, sir,” Sophyra said.Frank frowned. “You cannot keep wearing that dress. Perhaps one of my shirts will work as a dress for you. I will get one when my men return.”“That is not necessary, sir. I can wash this one out.”“Not a chance,” Frank said. “You will not have one trace of that animal’s blood on you any longer.”They had reached the river, which was a good ten paces across and roughly one and a half deep. Sophyra had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, and her head was once again hanging. Frank had no idea what had caused her to shut down like that until he opened his mind to
Everything Begins Chapter 23
“Have you never ridden a horse before?”“No. Please do not let me fall, Ga’briyel.”“I would never let you fall. Just place your hands on the back of the saddle. Hold on tightly, but do not tense up. Relax and enjoy the ride. We are not going far tonight, just another hour or so. You will be fine.”With that, Frank heeled Kumar to a walk and started upstream to join Dinton and Tero.“What do you think they are talking about?”“Home, probably. Although, Sophyra looks a couple of years younger than him, so I wonder how much she actually remembers about their village. After all, he was only six when he left.”Dinton and Tero were tending to last meal as Frank and Sophyra sat together on the ground about fifty paces away, out of earshot of the others. They had traveled upstream for about an hour until the light failed to the point of danger if they continued. They had made camp, and Frank had helped Sophyra down from the horse.“Are you all right?” he had asked when he saw her grimace as
Everything Begins Chapter 24
She took his hand and stood. When he tried to release it, however, she clung tightly to him. They walked to the fire where Dinton and Tero were lounging, Tero whittling again.“About time,” Dinton said. “There’s stew left in the pot for you two.”“Thank you, my friend,” Frank said and then he frowned.Sophyra had tensed and was standing slightly behind him, her eyes on the ground, her grip on his hand almost painful.“Sophyra, they will not harm you, either. Dinton and Tero are my friends, and they are good men. You have no reason to be afraid anymore.”He pulled her forward and put his arm around her shoulder. Tero put down his wood and knife and stood up. Frank felt Sophyra start to shake, but he held her firmly, and she stiffened in surprise when Tero knelt before her, his open hand on his heart.“I swear my life to you, lady,” he said, his eyes on hers. “I will give my life before I let anyone harm you.”Not to be outdone, Dinton joined him. “I also pledge my life to you. I will
Everything Begins Chapter 25
“What about my revenge on the Asabya?”Another low chuckle came from the glow that was once again over the river. “Take it if you wish. Go to Grama as you had planned. As I said, the Asabya are indeed evil, and if you wish to rid the world of them, do so. Just know that they are a minor evil compared to what you will encounter soon.”Frank wanted to ask more, but the glow disappeared, and he was left standing on the riverbank staring out across the water. He growled softly, spun on his heel, and stormed back to the camp. When he got there, he stopped. Dinton had put his sword away and was waking Tero for his turn at the watch. The older man climbed to his feet, rolled up his blanket, and glanced over at Sophyra before putting more wood on the fire. As Dinton settled in to sleep, Tero grabbed his whittling and sat down where Dinton had been. Frank frowned when neither of the men saw him, and he walked back to Sophyra. He grabbed his blanket from where it had fallen and wrapped it aroun
Everything Begins Chapter 26
"Thank Yisu! Tonight we get a bath and a bed and a decent meal.”“And just what is wrong with my cooking?” Tero asked.“Nothing, but you have to admit that with supplies running low, today’s midmeal was a little lean. I am yearning for a mahisa steak with potatoes and fresh vegetables dripping with butter.” He grinned. “But first, a long, hot bath.”Tero laughed. “All right,” he conceded, “even I have to admit that sounds good.”Frank and Sophyra said nothing. They were riding slightly ahead of the other two, and neither of them were in the mood for light banter. They were both trying to think of anything but what had consumed them for the last two days.For his part, Frank was trying to ignore the heat coming from Sophyra. He knew what it meant, and he was not sure how much longer he was going to be able to ignore the fire that was building up between them. At the same time, she was thinking of him. During their ride north, she had had the opportunity to admire him without him notici
Everything Begins Chapter 27
"My lady, sir, my name is Eneith.” She gestured to a pile of fabric on the bed. “My husband told me you needed some proper clothing, my lady, and—” here she glanced at Sophyra’s current garments—“I must say I agree. Those are not what such a beautiful lady should be wearing.” She glanced at Frank with a small smile. “Please take no offense, sir.”Frank cocked his head and studied her curiously. “I am not offended, Eneith, but may I ask you a question?”“Of course, sir.”“I am very good at reading people, and I know for a fact that those villagers downstairs are terrified of something, but I do not get the same thing from you. Why is that?”Eneith’s smile immediately turned into a scowl. “Cowards! They are all scared that if they say anything against Kardag, they will end up like Masym. The greedy fool tried to steal from the man and got caught. If you ask me, he got what he deserved.”“Death?” Frank said. “Is that not a little harsh for stealing?”“Depends on what he tried to steal, d
Everything Begins Chapter 28
"What was that all about?” Tero said, worry evident on his face.“I think I just met Kardag,” Frank said as he moved back to his seat. “He said he was going to kill us tonight.”“You talked to him? How is that possible?”Frank just gave Tero a look as he sat that said he should not have to ask that question. The sensual heat he had been feeling from Sophyra had been completely replaced with prickly fear.“It is not going to happen, Sophyra. I will protect you, I promise.”“How, Ga’briyel? If what Eneith says is true, he can kill without leaving any evidence, and he makes people just disappear.”He took her hand and rubbed his thumb along the back. “There is a lot you do not know about me. Believe me when I say that he cannot hurt me.” He looked at his men. “Dinton, Tero, watch yourselves and Sophyra tonight. He can hurt you.” He stood up and moved toward the door. He had almost reached it when Sophyra laid her hand on his arm. He looked down at her. “What is it?”She dropped her eyes
Everything Begins Chapter 29
Thrust and parry, strike and block, spin and step and dance. The fight continued for several minutes, and then Frank managed to make contact. The point of his sword barely scratched Kardag’s upper arm, but the Daitya let out a sharp hiss, once more reminding Frank of a serpent. Blood welled up on the pale skin revealed through the cut robes, but the blood was not red; it was black.“You will pay for that, boy! Enough playing around. It is time for you to die!”Kardag’s strikes abruptly increased in speed and accuracy, and Frank was forced backward toward the center of the room as his sword flashed in the candlelight. It was exactly where he did not want to go, but he had no choice. Kardag’s attack was designed to steer him in that direction, and he had no chance to go elsewhere. The strikes were coming too fast.His right foot collided with one of the unconscious villagers, and he stumbled briefly before regaining his balance. It was enough, however, and the pain that filled him when