Betrayal's Hands - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Leagues away, Cor slipped unnoticed over the terrain, heading again for Duth Darek. By the time he reached the city again Teri and Krev were in the half-ogre's cottage and Makan and Darleth were breaking camp to return home.

Cor knew where to go this time. He wasted no time in scouting out Makan's estates, only to learn that the Baroness and her youngest daughter had left the week before for their home, the capital of Makan's barony, Kahltop. He also learned that Makan was out hunting him and his escaped slaves still. This amused him, and gave him a moment of levity from his otherwise dark mission.

Then Cor was on his way again, heading to the east, to Kahltop. It took him two more weeks of travel, since he had no horse and had to play the part of a wandering mercenary. He arrived to find it strangely quiet. With the baron gone the residents seemed relaxed and the guards were lazy. He kept his disapproval to himself, but studied everything carefully. Corillius felt confident that with a dozen men he could capture the castle.

He spent three days studying the manor house itself. He noted the guards, their shifts and rotations, and the comings and goings of the baroness and, less often, her daughter. The soldier within him studied with a keen eye, noting opportunities and weaknesses. The man that he was despaired at the deed he must commit. He hated himself for it, and he knew that he would never be able to sleep a night through once his mission was complete.

He had his chance early on his fifth day. D'lariana, with a pair of guards nearby, was in the garden taking her breakfast. Cor's subtle questions had found out that she was eleven years of age, and promised to be quite a beauty when she grew up. She had given her mother and her nannies a handful of trouble while younger, and was still known for impropriety unbefitting a noble lady. This earned many of the commoners an unusual warmth in their hearts for the cute and winsome girl.

D'lariana was chatting with one of the guards, drawing both their attention away from the innocuous flowers, stone statues, and burbling fountain. Cor slipped over the chest high mortared rock wall and slipped in behind a hedge before the guards noticed him. He crept silently along the hedge until it ran no more, then hefted up some pebbles from the ground and tossed them in a high arc to the other side of the garden.

He waited a few seconds, then slipped out from behind the hedge and lightly ran the short distance to a column, stopping abruptly and peering around it. The guards were looking, with curious expressions on their face, away from him. He slipped back a little so he was out of site and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He was all business now, but inside of him that part that despaired beat on the bars of the cage he had put it in.

Cor burst from around the pillar, throwing a hand axe and catching the farther guard in the front of the left shoulder with it. He grunted and fell back into the wall, stumbling and going down. The closer guard turned to see his partner fall, then turned back. The hilt of Cor's sword crashed into his face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

Cor had D'lariana then. He slung the surprised girl over his shoulder and ran back to the wall. The guard he had hit with his axe lifted himself up and cried out, making Cor curse. He threw the girl over the wall and vaulted up himself. He landed beside her and picked her up, hearing her breathing fast and seeing a brief glimpse of her eyes wide with fear and shock.

Tucking her over his shoulder like a sack of grain, he ran from the palace and ducked through a street and into an alley he had scouted out earlier. The girl started to scream then, her fists beating on his back futilely. He kicked in a door to a nearby building and lunged through it.

He pulled D'lariana from his shoulder, his face a mask of rage. He had built up his walls within himself to do what needed to be done, and now was the time. He had to be quick, before the people outside told the guards where he had gone.

Cor held her with one hand and drew his Kingdom sword with his other. He looked at her and drew the sword back. He realized he had meant to spill her blood in the garden, but for some reason he had brought her there instead.

She stared at him, meeting his eyes, her mouth open in realization and horror of what was to happen. A tear leaked from her eye and then she did something that he could not have possibly been prepared for. She straightened up, nodded, and closed her eyes.

The rage drained out of him. He stood there and lowered his sword. He stared at her face, marveling at the innocence and maturity impossible for an eleven year old girl.

"What are you doing? Aren't you afraid?" Cor whispered, unable to strike.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, spearing him with their green gaze. "Yes, I'm afraid. But there's nothing I can do about it... my father's upset someone, no doubt, and my death is to teach him a lesson. If it makes him a better man to my mother and sister, than maybe it will be worth it."

"Wha.. how... Bah!" Cor said, slamming his sword back in his scabbard. "I've been bewitched, that must be it!"

He turned and looked out the door behind him. No one was readily evident but he was not so naive to think they had escaped. He stuck his head out and saw a dozen guards at the end of the alley talking to some people that pointed down the alley.

Cor turned back and saw that the girl, his target, had tried to escape. She ran to a shuttered window and opened it, then tried to escape out of it. He cursed and rushed after her, grabbing her by the back of the dress and hauling her back in. She screamed for help, causing him to cuff her on the head.

"Be silent, wench, or you'll force me to kill you!" Cor hissed.

"You're going to do it anyway, you pig!" She spat back at him, refusing to be intimidated by him.

"No, I'm not," Cor said, realizing it was true. "I'll not murder a child. But you must come with me."

"What, so you can have your way with me? I think not!"

Cor cursed again, something involving a troll having intimate relations with the Kingdom's Queen. D'lariana blanched a little at the strong language. "I'm no rapist, now shut up and do as I say!"

Her lip trembled a little but she nodded. Cor saw her eyes look past him and widen. He spun about and ducked when he saw the threat. Two crossbows twanged as they released their deadly bolts. Both missed the dodging Northman, but both made wet sounds of impact, followed by a soft cry.

Cor spun again and the crossbowmen dropped their weapons. D'lariana collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath that would not come. Blood stained her expensive yellow silk dress red. She hiccupped a few times and then lay still, shuddering as death took her.

Cor could not believe his eyes. She was dead! But he was not going to kill her, damn it! How could she die? He turned back to the guardsmen, who saw him and were furiously cranking their crossbows back to reload and fire upon him. He reached them first.

Outside the storeroom now Cor barely registered the ten guards that surrounded him. He carried his momentum and seized the initiative, attacking them without pause. They reacted slowly, and by the time they understood that death was in their midst three had fallen. The remaining did not last long, and one even tried to escape. It took Cor almost a minute to run him down and slash out his throat with his sword.

Cor stood up, the blood of his enemies dripping from him, and looked around. The street was empty, unheard of at such an hour. A few people were hiding and peering at him, but they offered no threat. He glared at them all, breathing hard, and then turned and ran towards the gates of the city.

He looked down at one point and realized that his sword, a Kingdom long blade, had broken in the fight. He held only a portion of it in his hand. He let it fall from fingers gone cold and did his best to melt into the crowd. The cry had gone up but he managed to escape out the gate in the confusion.

He spent the night far from Kahltop, staring at his hands even though he had long since washed the blood from them. They were responsible for the girl's death, he knew. He was responsible. It had been his order to do it, but he could not. He had meant only to capture her and take her back to his people to hold as a hostage. But no, she had died and her blood was on his hands. Cor wept openly, terrified of what he had become and what further horrors he might yet do.

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Baroness N'meria held her satin robe closed with trembling fingers. With Makan gone, she had invited Karoak to her bed each night. Some nights all she wanted from him was to be held, sheltered and warmed in his arms. Other nights she wanted him to sweep her away with passion so she could forget that their lovely child had been taken from her by the northlanders.

The first night, Karoak had turned red with anger when he beheld the darkening bruise on her cheek.

"He has dared strike you! One day very soon should the northlanders not finish it, I will kill him." He had softened his words by pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly.

Tonight she needed him. Needed to be swept away from this world. She had no tears left. She had been weeping since the guards had brought her the body of her youngest child.

Karoak entered the room, closing it softly behind him. His strong face was haggard and drawn. "I have failed you, my Lady. This is my fault." He dropped to his knees before her. "If I had only been more vigilant." Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"There was nothing you could do. Makan has done this by angering someone with his scheming. It is he who has killed my children." She dropped down beside him, leaning in to kiss the tears from his face. "Come to me now." She smiled wanly, standing and drawing him back to her bed. "Let us forget together, if only for a moment." With that she dropped the robe and reached for him.

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It had reached the second week since Darleth and Makan had been waiting in the bandits cave for the return of Krev and his captive. Makan despaired that they might never arrive. Sven, who had survived his questioning and was mobile again, though still weak and not at full strength, grew nervous that his usefulness would soon end. Darleth chafed at the chance to return home, for clearly no more was to be gained, but he waited impatiently for Makan to be finished with it, he needed the man still, now more than ever if his eldest daughter was no more.

Winter came quickly to the northlands, and although less harshly, just as quickly to the Kingdom of Aradmath. Baron Makan returned to the Duth Darek and learned by messenger of his daughter's fate. In a fury he ordered every man in his service he could spare to search for the spy that had shot her and then killed his guards. He even posted rewards for the assassin. Later that same day, when finally alone, he collapsed in his office and for a moment let his fears and his grief overwhelm him. The northern bitch's vow was coming true.

Makan stayed at the capital, unable and unwilling to face N'meria. D'lariana's death was his fault, he felt. He should have taken better precautions to have her protected, especially since his other daughter had already been taken from him. He alternated between raging and weeping. His concern for N'meria showed itself at one point, but he felt reassured that Karoak was there to watch over her. He even sent a missive to his captain of arms to spend every waking moment in her company. Word had already spread of his children's fate; if his wife were to be taken as well Makan would be publicly laughed at by the other nobles.

Continued in Chapter 11

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