Chapter 1: Parting is Such Bittersweet Sorrow

I knelt by Konnor’s head as he lay crumpled on the ground in front of the royal stables. He was in agonizing pain and undisguised hate flashed from his eyes. “I will heal you so you don’t die, ONLY if you give your word that you will not prevent us from leaving your lands. If you go back on your word, Morgan will be the one who suffers, not you.” He would, his son would suffer from the lack of having a living father. But, the prince took my threat the way that I intended him to take it.

“I swear that I will not impede you from leaving my country.” I made a lifelong enemy today and I don’t think that Megan could ever forgive me for crippling her father, even though he tried to kill me twice.

I touched his forehead and gave the barest of trickles of healing to stabilize the man so that he should live. The shock to his system caused him to pass out so he did not hear my parting words to him, “You’ll live, Konnor. Don’t make me come back.”

“Yolanda, you have a choice. I can take you home, you can stay or you can come with us. Coming with us is more dangerous and you will probably be in exile. With the war on the horizon, I don’t see either Chandra or I being in one location for a long time.

“Tell me what you want to do.”

She looked down at her crippled uncle and father of her best friend. I didn’t think that it would be a difficult decision for her. “Megan will need me, I’m sorry Charles but I need to stay.” In a very short time, I came to adore this woman and I believed that she felt the same about me.

“I’ll miss you. Please explain what happened to Megan and apologize to her for me. If I could think of a better way than to leave, I would.” I hugged her and kissed my newest friend lightly on the forehead before stepping back. Chandra ran to her and gave her a fierce hug, only to be surprised by Yolanda’s deep goodbye kiss to innocent girl.

Chandra’s face turned a bright red and she looked at me guiltily.

“Bye Chandra, I will send you your dresses once they are made. Charles, I will make sure that Uncle keeps his promise.”

I hated leaving Yolanda here but she believed that Megan would need her support until Morgan came of age. Nothing I could or would say would change her mind.

I stopped Hector and Armand from loading Yolanda’s chest and just had the pair mount the carriage. I wanted the money puzzle box from the Ambassador that I stole from inside of Yolanda’s chest. Opening it myself, I stored it inside the carriage under the rear seat.

After one last kiss from the elfin paramour, I mounted Juniper and together we left Yolanda standing next to the fallen prince while we exited the place grounds.

The predawn bustle at the gates consisted of farmers and merchants queuing up to enter the city not to leave, besides the gate guards were not about to question nobility’s coming and going. Armand figured out the correct path out and we did not encounter any problems exiting the city. The guards at the gate just stood aside and waved us through. The mile long train of carts of produce awaiting entrance to Fairview allowed us to make sure that we had more than enough provisions

“Do you think that he will keep his word, My Lord?” Chandra stuck by me looking for trouble before it found us. She still had a slight fluster from earlier that Yolanda’s kiss caused and tried to mask it by being as business-like as she could.

“Not a chance. He can’t afford to let us go even with Yolanda standing over his shoulder proclaiming our innocence and his oath that he gave. Even if he does keep his word, someone else will come after us.”

“Why are we keeping the carriage then? Wouldn’t we move faster without it?”

“Two reasons. One, it is full of food and provisions for both the horses and ourselves. Second. It is a rolling bunker, if whoever comes with too many soldiers, I plan on negotiating your and their freedom and if that doesn’t work then I am going to have you and the men brace yourselves in there while I do my worst.”

“I hope that I will be able to get away with just taking their leader hostage and escaping. With you three in the carriage, I also hope they will not be able to capture you.” She looked dubious at my ‘grand plan’, not that I could argue with her, this was my worst case scenario. She also noticed my repeated use of the word ‘hope’ since she muttered it under her breath.

“Make sure that you get plenty to eat and drink today. I expect visitors sometime late tonight or tomorrow.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Worry and uncertainty showed plainly in her face and her tentative actions. She slowed her horse and looked around for oncoming riders.

“Relax, we have time. Konnor won’t even be awake until later this afternoon, and if we are lucky not even until tomorrow. His system received a massive shock from both my kick and my healing.”

“What about Lady Yolanda?”

Yup she is really worried. I should probably be more worried also, but for some reason I’m not.

I looked skyward figuring that Kassandra had something to do with the calm acceptance of my fate.

“I’m not worried about Yolanda she can take care of herself, it’s Megan that concerns me. I just hope she doesn’t overreact and muster hundreds of men to come after us or worse send scores to shut the pass.”

“But she loves you. Why would she do that?”

Sigh

“Because I hurt her and she loves her father. I hope I’m wrong, I really do.” I knew I wasn’t.

“Go talk to Hector and Armand and let them know my suppositions. Also, if there are a large group of soldiers coming our way, you and they are to enter the carriage and let me deal with the men. Is that understood?”

“No, My Lord. My place is by your side.” Pride, determination and something else, something that I couldn’t identify gave her confidence enough to defy me.

“Remember your oath to obey me Postulant.” She didn’t like that, not at all. “Don’t even think about conveniently forgetting my orders and coming to my rescue.”

“That’s not fair! I’m supposed to be by your side!”

“It might come to that. Goddess I hope not but it might. Please Chandra, do what I ask.”

“Yes, My Lord.” I believed that she would obey me. I could only hope ... that word again, there were too many variables that I had little control over.

“No go and talk to the men, I need to think.” She rode off to do my bidding, obedient, but not happy.

Dawn came and went with a few light, fluffy clouds scattered across the sky. The roads were busy with farmers and merchants transporting their goods to and from the city with an occasional mounted patrol. After the third patrol that we passed, I had to settle down Chandra. She kept tensing up in their presence, which drew suspicious glances our way. The carriage dissuaded the soldiers from stopping or questioning us, since it clearly belonged to a noble and no soldier wanted to get on a noble’s bad side.

I slowed my horse causing my student to search for me, “Relax. No one will catch us before we stop for the night.” She didn’t look any more relaxed. “Focus Chandra, find your center. We’ll be fine.”

That still didn’t work. I leaned close to her and whispered, “Did you enjoy that kiss from Yolanda?” I wore that knowing smirk that she hated. I watched her face turn a bright red as the blush started from her forehead and pinked the exposed flesh of the neck and below, that her red robe didn’t conceal.

That seemed to work, hormones can do wonders for changing her focus. “Better. Now let’s catch up to the carriage.” I could feel the hard stare that she gave me as I rode past. Chandra didn’t lag behind long and veered close enough to hit my bicep as she rode past. Hard. Rubbing my left arm, I chuckled loud enough for her to hear. That, she blatantly ignored, returning to scouting ahead.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. We moved at a faster pace than I would subject to a carriage occupant, but since the blasted thing was empty of people, I could ignore that limitation. I distracted myself by designing a spring system for the body of the carriage to make the ride less harrowing for its occupants. I planned on stopping at that same inn for the evening that we had rested at before entering Fairview, hoping that our pursuers would catch us there. I could use the doorways and limited accesses to protect my charges.

This time, when I entered the inn, I, thankfully, was neither drenched nor muddy. The innkeeper recognized me, no big surprise there, I don’t think that many people did sit-ups in the common room before they left for the day.

“Welcome back, My Lord. Would you care for a room?” The innkeeper still rung his hands in that same greasy apron. It looked worse than it had the last time. I doubted that he had washed it during our absence.

“I would like two rooms and a hot bath, there are only four of us for dinner tonight.”

I hope.

He chased a couple of men away and called Staci over to wash the table and bring me an ale. I wanted to wash up before subjecting myself to the smoky main room. Staci brought me ale and Chandra met me with a clean outfit. I thanked her and directed my student to freshen up.

We had stopped a couple hours before dusk, I expected whomever pursued us to catch up and deal with me here. Chandra. What I didn’t expect was the twenty men that filled the main room before I even received my stew. I leaned back and loosened my sword waiting for their leader. None of them had a weapon drawn. I didn’t want to be the first.

A grizzled sergeant approached my table and I gestured for him to sit.

“My Lady awaits you in her carriage, My Lord.”

“I take it that she is pissed at me.”

“I wouldn’t know, My Lord. Please come with me.” Weapons might not be drawn, but that didn’t mean he took me lightly.

Taking a sip of my ale and motioned for Staci, “Please tell my Postulant to stay where she is, would you?” The serving girl hurried off and Chandra’s men did not stop her.