Ru Emerson - Keep on the Borderlands

It was quiet here once again: no guards, and no sign of Kadymus, though Eddis wondered if there were fewer stones on the great throne. Any thief who’d try to cut-purse a swordswoman in a village tavern isn’t brightenough to leave cursed gems alone.

Sun gleamed pale in the west. They rested a few moments, thenset out for level ground.

“Stay alert,” Jerdren warned as he waited for the last onesto join them-Blorys, Panev, and Hebold. The priest looked less grim than he hadin a long while, but the supposed hero was muttering to himself, eyes flickering from his two-handed sword to Jerdren, Eddis, the priest, and back again. Blor met Eddis’ eyes and smiled. She smiled back.

Hebold abruptly sheathed his sword and drew a long-bladed dagger, turning it in his hands as he strode down the shelf. He hauled Blorys off balance, fingers gripping his hair, the knife pressed against the young man’s throat.

“Hebold, what’re you doing?” Jerdren said, bewildered.“That’s my brother! Don’t-!”

“Brother!” Hebold spat. “I saw you both drooling over therubies I pried from that throne. You want ’em, don’t you?”

“I don’t-!” Blorys managed, then fell silent as the blademoved slightly.

“I know you all took things in that cave, gold and gems! Youhid ’em from me when I wasn’t looking!” Hebold shouted. “I’ll have all of itnow, every last single penny! Or this man dies, and he won’t go easy!”

Eddis took a step toward them. Hebold grinned at her mirthlessly, and the tip of his knife broke skin. Blood seeped down Blorys’throat.

“Don’t hurt him,” she said, her throat tight and dry. “He’sno threat to you, Hebold.”

“He may not be. But you-!” His eyes gleamed and he licked hislips. “One more order from you-one more word! — and you’re dead, woman!But I’ll kill him, no matter what!”

Eddis gazed into Blorys’ eyes, then met Hebold’s mad glaresquarely. “Why kill him? I’m the one you hate-aren’t I? You’d like to cutmy throat, but you won’t. Because you’re afraid. Aren’t you?”

“Eddis, no!” Blorys croaked.

Hebold’s arm slacked a little, and he looked confused, angry,nervous all at once. The men around her seemed frozen, except for Jerdren. She could sense him moving cautiously up alongside her. Hebold gave him a mad glare, and he stopped. Behind the barbarian, Eddis realized something was moving. Flerys, spear in hand, edged up a slow, cautious step at a time.

If Hebold knew she was there… He’d never get the chance,Eddis thought in sudden fury.

“You want orders, you barbarian bastard? I’ll give youorders!” she snarled. “Drop that blade and turn him loose, or I’ll gut you whereyou stand!”

Hebold stared, astonished, eyes shifting from her to Jerdren and back again. He bellowed in surprise as the girl’s spear bit into the back ofhis knee, and he spun around to slap her down, but Flerys had let go the shaft and fled into M’Baddah’s arms. Blorys surged against the man’s grip andhalf-spun out of it. Hebold came back around, dagger swinging. The point sank into Blorys’ shoulder. He sagged as the barbarian laughed and threw a secondblade at Eddis, but she’d dropped flat.

Behind her, Jerdren choked and went down. Hebold staggered back, his wounded leg collapsing under him. M’Baddah, Willow, and M’Whanfinished him off.

“Oh, gods.” Eddis scrambled to her feet and ran to Blorys.There was blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were clear.“Blor-gods, don’t move, Blor! Panev can-”

She turned. The priest was bent over Jerdren, who lay flat and still two paces away. She touched Blorys’ face gently.

“Wait, just wait. Promise me!”

He nodded, and his eyes sagged shut, but he was still breathing. Eddis’ legs gave way. She crawled over to Jerdren on her hands andknees, swallowed dread.

Bloody froth covered the man’s chin. Hebold’s daggerprotruded from his belly, just below his short leather armor.

“All… right,” he whispered and tried to smile as sheleaned over him. His eyes shifted, flicked over his fallen brother, then met Panev’s squarely. “Priest,” he said. “I remember what… you did for Willow.That… box of powder?” He swallowed, raised his voice a little. “I know youcan heal us both. I’m… not as bad off as Blor, though. Take care of… ofhim first, will you?”

Eddis’ throat closed. “Jers!” Her voice wouldn’t rise abovea whisper. “Gods, no, don’t do this!” His fingers gripped her hand, his eyeswarning, and she fell silent.

“Do it, Priest,” Jerdren said, “before… one of us…dies…”

Panev gripped Jerdren’s fingers and signed a blessing overhim.

“That’s right,” Jerdren whispered. “Go. Save him. I… canwait.”

Eddis’ eyes filled with tears. Jerdren clung to her fingers.“You can’t do this,” she choked out.

“Shhh.” His eyes flicked warningly toward his brother. Shecould see the priest sprinkling his powder around the knife, remembered the man’s words as he brought Willow back from near death. Panev could use this cureon one man only. Her tears spilled over and fell on Jerdren’s face. He laid hisfree hand gently against her cheek.

“Don’t cry, Eddis. You’re… my kind of warrior, remember?”He coughed and brought up a smile. “Tough, skilled. And so… so beautiful. DidI ever tell you that? So… gods’ blessed beautiful.” He swallowed, grimacedas pain knifed through him. “Take… care of him for me.”

She brushed her lips against his fingers as they slipped from her hand, as the breath eased out of him on a long, quiet sigh. Eddis closed his eyes, dashed tears aside with the back of her hand, and let M’Baddah help her upand hold her. Flerys clasped her close, tears plowing a muddy path down her face.

The priest staggered up. “The man will live. He will sleepfor some hours, though. Those of you with the strength for it, carry him.” Hemade another sign of blessing over the still Jerdren. “And his brother. We willnot leave such a hero behind.”

“What about ’im?” Flerys demanded, black eyes fixed onHebold.

Eddis stroked the girl’s hair. Her eyes were hard.

“We leave him where he fell, child. He’s got everything hedeserved.”

Ten days later, Eddis sat cross-legged and barefoot in theopen doorway of the small, private sleeping room of the Keep’s inn, staringblankly at the paving stones, fingers absently working through a long strand of dean hair. Even that seemed too much of an effort all at once, and her hands fell to her lap.

They’d been welcomed as heroes, and Jerdren had been given ahero’s funeral pyre. Not one of them could enter the tavern or walk into theopen without folk cheering them or asking about their great adventures. The castellan had brought out the treasure they’d sent ahead, and with the restthey’d brought in, each of them was wealthier than they could have imagined,even after shares were set aside for the families of men who’d died out there.

“Adventures,” the swordswoman muttered. She felt old andused, too tired and disinterested to even rise from the floor, though her back was beginning to ache and one foot had gone to sleep. “Heroes,” she saidbitterly. “We had luck and skill, and even then…”

Even then, they hadn’t finished the job-not the way she andJerdren had planned. There were hobgoblins and goblins still alive, including their chiefs. Possibly these would scatter, now that the priest was dead and his temple and chapel burned. The minotaur might keep to his maze and be no threat to those who traveled the road. It didn’t matter, she thought. I won’t go backthere again.

Just now, she wasn’t certain she’d go back out to guardingcaravans. People here were friendly, but she didn’t feel like one of them.Nothing in the realm called her back there, and now M’Baddah was talking aboutreturning to his homeland. M’Whan would go, of course. She wasn’t surprised whenFlerys decided she wanted to go with them.