Chapter 18: Sacrifice

The next three days dragged as Arron kicked his heals waiting for a reply from the King of Terfain. He left the Guard building for a safe house on the outskirts of the city in the rundown poor quarter as he wanted to avoid being recognized. The fair-haired General of the Halcyon Western Army was as infamous in Matheros as he was famous in Halcyon. He was relying on the fact he was infamous in Terfain as well for his plan to work.

With time on his hands he considered what Minara had told him. The initial horror and disgust of what she told him had abated. If he where honest with himself, he had suspected that defeat would mean destruction, and he had almost accepted it after that final message all those years ago. But the fact they had turned him into a Grojan rather than a Grojani played on his mind. He was also growing to accept that the 'plastic surgery' was no such thing, he was more and more convinced he had been genetically manipulated. And when a Grojan had reportedly never been captured either alive or dead, where did they get the DNA from to manipulate his with?

He had to accept that with the defeat and destruction of Earth he would probably never know. The final and greatest thing that occupied his thoughts was Minara herself. Due to his Grojan DNA he knew they were now linked for life, but he was still mostly human and she regarded humans as vermin, happily killing them even after the war had ended and cutting off their ears. That, to his mind, was unforgivable and had been the basis to his second letter. He had produced two copies, the first he would give to the Princess if he succeeded in freeing her so she could hand it to Minara when she released her. The second slightly different he had left with the Guard Captain to hand her at the end of her sentence if his plan failed and he could not secure the Princess's release. Otherwise he had asked the Captain to destroy it. Arron was actually unsure if the letter would ever be found again once it had ended up on the Captain's desk.

A few times he was sorely tempted to go to the Guard cells and confront her, but he thought better of it. He knew full well she would be capable of dissuading him from his chosen course, if she could get past cutting off his ears of course.

It was late evening on the fourth day when there was a knock on the cottage door. Arron opened the door cautiously and was handed a letter. He closed the door and went to sit at the table in the center of the room. He glanced at the seal, it was as he had hoped, from the King of Terfain.

The reply was brief. Agreed. You have my word. Arron knew from his reputation that despite dubious decisions like kidnapping the Princess of Matheros, the King would keep his word once given. The next morning Arron saddled his marvark and rode down to the docks. To avoid recognition, he had requested that one of the town Guard purchase for him a broad rimmed felt hat. He had put it on and pulled the rim down over his eyes, so unless anyone looked closely they could not see they were aquamarine rather than brown. Ships were loading and unloading, small fishing vessels coming and going. He left his mount at the public stables and walked along the dockside. The third ship he came to was Terfain registered and loading cargo. He avoided the porters and walked up the gang way. A sailor stood at the top directing the loading. Arron approached him and asked to be directed to the master of the vessel.