Ru Emerson: Keep on the Borderlands

“She’s a good child, and I’ll miss her, but M’Baddah’s betterfor her than I would ever be.”

Eddis knew he’d stay if she decided to go back to the road.He’d welcome her if she chose to travel with him. It was too much effort tothink about, at the moment.

One good thing had come out of all this: Flerys. It was hard to remember the wild, filthy creature who called itself Blot. Now the girl walked confidently about the Keep. She kept the golden earrings Jerdren had told her to take from the bugbear chieftain’s wife, wearing them on a chain aroundher neck since they were much too large for her ears.

“I’ll wear them and remember him that way,” she said.

Odd, Eddis thought. Other than that brief kindness, Jerdren had paid little heed to the child.

Blorys-she hadn’t seen him in days. Not since Jerdren’sfuneral. I should find him, tell him… She couldn’t complete the thought.Tell him she was sorry his beloved brother had chosen to die, so he could live? Her throat tightened.

To her surprise, most of the Keep men had quietly returned to their companies, and those she saw seemed little changed by what had happened.

Willow and Mead had left hours earlier, stopping to talk to her on their way out. Willow had been sympathetic. Mead tried to talk her into sense. It didn’t matter.

“If I hadn’t dropped when he threw that second knife, Jerdrenwould still be-” She swallowed hard, shook her head.

“Don’t think that.” Blorys’ voice.

She started, blotted her eyes and looked up, then away.

“Eddis…”

She shook her head again, and this time he dropped down next to her.

“Mead told me. I… gods, I should have come to see youbefore now. I didn’t know you thought…” His voice tightened. “It’s not yourfault. How can you think that?”

“He’s dead, isn’t he?”

“He’s dead because he chose to let me live. If you’re placingblame, lay it on Hebold. Black hells, lay it on Jers for taking the man into that temple with us.” The man’s voice was suddenly tight. “You can’t just sithere, brooding on it. Jers would hate it.”

She frowned, puzzled.

“I saw how he looked at you, Eddis. I know how he felt,because I feel the-never mind.” He got to his feet, reached down and waiteduntil she finally took his hand to let him pull her up. “I know my brother.Wherever he is now, he knows he died doing something heroic and tragic at the same time.” He managed a faint smile. His eyes shone with unshed tears. “I’dlike him alive again, so I could strangle him just for that. But it won’t helpanything, and it won’t change anything.”

“I-” She tried to smile at the awful joke, bit back a sob.“He was the most annoying, frustrating, crazy-! And I hate that he’s done thisto you.”

“What?” Blorys asked quietly. “Left me? Left me in his debt?Stepped aside with a noble bow to leave the field to me? I’m angry with himright now, but that’s grief. He’d have been angry if our places had been changedthat afternoon. There was no easy way out of this one, Eddis. No way out at all.”

She shook her head. “What do you mean, the field?”

“I know how he felt about you, Eddis. We both did. I stilldo. I know it’s hardly the time to talk about it. But, if you’ll listen to mefor a little, an idea I had… Well, maybe we’ll have the time, later. Todecide, anyway.”

He folded his arms, leaned against the wall.

“I’m done with the road and guarding caravans. Too manymemories in that, and the gods know I don’t need the coin. I can’t go back toour home village. I’d be stifled in a fortnight. And you?”

He let the question hang. She shrugged.

“M’Baddah’s restless,” she said after a moment. “Wonderingwhat’s happened to his homeland, thinking that if things are still bad for hispeople, he might be able to help shift the balance. M’Whan will go with hisfather, of course. And Flerys-”

“I thought the child was staying with you.”

She smiled faintly. “She sleeps here. Finally understandspropriety, at least in a place like the Keep. But no, she’s bonded withM’Baddah, and he’s very fond of her. I’m… I’m glad for the child. She’ll behappy with him, and safe, I think.”

Silence, but a comfortable one. Eddis looked up to see Blorys watching her, his eyes warm. “You said you had a plan?”

He blinked. “Oh-oh, that. Yes. Panev is readying to journeyon east, and he’s looking for an escort. I know,” he added with a small laugh asshe shook her head. “No more guarding, I said, and I mean it. But this would beone way only, and for my own purposes. You know that the realm used to trade with the lands to the east.”

“Of course. Trading silks and other rare fabrics. It alwayssounded to me like the kind of fable that grows up when the truth has been lost.”

“Sounds it, but I spoke with Ferec yesterday. The old recordsfrom Macsen’s days show that silk and emeralds were traded here, and finepottery. Maybe those people have fallen on hard times as well. If we went there, we’d know, wouldn’t we?”

Silence.

“Think of it. Not the wealth, we both have plenty of that.But new lands, new faces. Maybe a chance to begin trade for the Keep once again, now that the road’s fairly clear.”

He stood, gripped her shoulder gently. “I need to go see tothe horses. Decide whether to sell Jerdren’s gelding or keep him as a packanimal.”

Silence.

“I won’t press you for an answer now, Eddis. Think about it,though. Please?”

She nodded.

“Don’t rush it. We have time.” He hesitated a brief moment,then turned and left.

Eddis gazed down at her hands. The room felt empty without him. Time. Jerdren thought he had all the time there was-until it was too late.She jumped to her feet, leaned out the doorway. Blor was already out of sight, then she saw him striding toward the smithy’s.

“Blorys! Blor!” Her voice echoed, and he turned around as sheran toward him. “I… you don’t need to wait. It’s all right.” The rest ofthe words wouldn’t come.

He took her hand in both his. “You’ll come with me? Friends?I won’t ask more.”

“No,” she said. “I know what I want.” Her face felt flushed.“Besides, you’re good at guarding my side.”

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. “Four horses,then,” he said. “Unless you think we can manage with one packhorse between us.”

She smiled back. “Four. Just make sure that you don’t get meone named Feather!”

She turned and ran back to her room, her heart suddenly much lighter. East might be an error, or guarding that grim priest once again might be. It might be a serious mistake getting anywhere near those caves again, however briefly. But they’d come through all right. The two of them. Whereverthey finally chose to go.