A. Searle - The King's sword

“You have trodden upon the soil that belongs to the Johran people. By doing so you seal your fate and provide our tribe with nourishment and…”

Ronan dropped his hands impatiently. “I provide your tribe with nothing until I am granted an audience with your leader. The alternative is for me to cut you down where you stand.”

One of the men smirked and Ronan’s lips pulled. “You think I cannot? What weapons do you have that are so powerful to strike against the King’s Sword?” They blinked and Ronan knew he had their attention now. “Spears? You may use them well but you should be warned that I am a wizard and I travel with two changelings and a sorceress, each very dangerous creatures.”

The one to the left spoke again. “You are the King’s Guard?”

“He is the stone wizard, Ronan.” Keegan’s voice bellowed from behind Ronan with force that would have moved a mountain. The stone wizard? And then Ronan almost laughed as he remembered Keegan had caught him playing with the small stone at the lake in Jobi Hills.

“You will take me to your leader now,” Ronan commanded.

“No one comes to Johran unless they wish to become a meal to our people,” The man argued. “It is the law we live by.”

“As your hunted are we taken to your leader?” Ronan asked, making a quick decision and praying he did not regret it later.

“Yes.”

“Then we surrender to feed your people. However I stipulate that no one is to be cooked or served until I speak to your leader myself.” Ronan crossed his arms. After a moment the man inclined his head and turned to lead them the way.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” Keegan murmured lowly. Ronan did too. He’d just placed them all in the midst of what could become a very dangerous situation.

“How far?” Ronan called after an hour and a half had passed.

“Two days and a night to camp,” one answered and Ronan gritted his teeth. He’d assumed that he would be speaking to the leader tonight.

“I’m famished,” Arien said as they finally stopped for the night. “But I doubt there is anything to hunt around here.”

Ula glanced at Ronan and he gave her a nod so she rose and stepped off into the dark. She wasn’t really hunting, he knew. He’d guessed it when she brought the elk back for the harpies. She was using sorcery to manifest food. Obviously the others hadn’t guessed the trick though for when she returned they all made a big deal over how great a huntress she was.

“If you are my betrayer I am going to be thoroughly disappointed,” Ronan murmured when she sat down to skin the rabbits she brought back, “for I would starve to death without you.” Ula’s lips twisted and her black eyes glittered but she said nothing.

The three men that led them had kept their distance but when she fashioned the meat over a spit, they neared, licking their lips hungrily. They obviously hadn’t had a meal for several days, bodies thinned and gaunt. Ronan sighed.

“Do you think you can manifest enough to feed them as well?” Ronan asked Ula in a low voice.

“I can.” She nodded and Ronan tilted his head in thought.

Ronan bent his head toward Ula so that the others could not hear. “Perhaps before we reach the leader, you can come up with a bit more to carry as a peace offering. If the tribe is as starved as these three, it might make my task a bit easier to offer something they need.”

“A good plan.” She nodded again.

Ronan straightened. He had to rely on her again. And after he decided he would not accept help from any of those traveling with him again, not until he found out who the betrayer was. But this world was too dangerous to go at it alone. Reluctantly he admitted to himself that he needed each of them to make it to Merisgale.

When he looked at Ula, his eyes dropped to find that three more rabbits had appeared where there had only been two before. “Are you men hungry? Ula has outdone herself and there will be more than enough food for us all tonight.” He brought his gaze to the three tribesmen. They moved closer and knelt near the fire.

“We’ve been hunting these hills for days. We found nothing.” The one who’d spoken before addressed Ronan. “Now your woman has more food than we’ve seen for many months.”

“Ula is a bit better at hunting than most I’ve ever met,” Ronan told him. “I did not realize that cannibals also ate animal.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “We eat whatever we can to survive. When we have the chance to eat flesh it is a sacred ritual.”

Ronan raised a brow, curious now. “Really? How so?”

“To eat of the flesh cleanses our people’s bodies and souls. Your centaur is no good to us, for he is half animal. But the rest of you will be sacrificed so that our people remain pure of evil,” The tribesman explained.

“What is your name?” Ronan inquired after a few moments of considering the reasoning behind the cannibalism.

“I am Yarro and these are my sons, Gu and Plae,” He answered. “And you are the stone wizard Ronan.”

Ronan slanted a gaze at Keegan just in time to see the grin snake across the horseman’s face. “I prefer just Ronan.”

“Why do you wish to speak to our leader? Most do not come this way or have any business with us.” Yarro drove the blunt end of his spear into the ground and then sat down beside it, across from Ronan.

“I wish to join your tribe, so we may cross into the moors freely.” Ronan decided it wouldn’t be wise to mislead. He didn’t know how big their tribe was and a lie would be found out quickly enough.

Yarro’s eyes widened. “A wizard wants to become a Johran?” His sons dropped to his side, their eyes locked on Ronan now. “We’ve never had a wizard among us. Such a great honor. And would you protect us from starvation?”

Ronan felt his chest constrict. His mouth was dry as the image of his dying mother filled his head. Her body had been skeletal and her voice weak. No magic, she had whispered, respecting her husband’s wishes long after he was gone.

“I would,” Ronan answered blinking from the painful memory. “I plan to strike such a deal with your leader that will keep those that travel with me safe as we pass through your land.”

Yarro studied him for a long moment. “I am the leader you seek. What you propose is interesting, Ronan. You want to travel through Johran lands to get to Merisgale and deliver the sword. Normally we would allow you to pass but not your companions.”

“You are the leader?” Ronan stared at the thinned man.

Yarro smiled. “Expected something more?” He had too gentle a face to be the leader of such a primitive people. “You realize that becoming one of us means you would accept and respect our ways. You would be expected to eat the flesh of someone who was not one of our kind.”

Ronan’s stomach turned. “I understand.”

Yarro regarded him thoughtfully. “Would one that travels with you sacrifice meat of their bones for you?”

“I will,” Arien jumped to his feet.

“I would as well,” Keegan said from his spot near the horses.

“Not me.” Mikel the Hort glanced around and then looked apologetically at Ronan, “There’s not much of me here anyway!” Ronan’s lips slanted, and then sobered as he looked at the others.

“I would give you my arm if it is what you need,” Ula offered softly.

“You travel with many who honor you, Ronan.” Yarro observed the others before looking at Ronan. “There is a ritual to be performed before the members of the tribe. If you are willing to become part of our tribe, to provide for us and call us your family, I can see no reason why we should not grant you and your companions free pass through Johran.”

“Then it is agreed.” Ronan held out his hand and Yarro grasped it firmly. The world around them suddenly rippled, glinting silver for a moment, before changing from the barren hills. Ronan blinked. They were standing in the middle of a large village with small huts not much different than the thatched houses of the Jobi village.