David Dalglish - Clash of Faiths

“Can’t you do something about that?” Kaide asked, joining Jerico’s side.

“I can heal broken bones and torn flesh,” Jerico said, rubbing his nose. “But that evil is beyond me.”

They both laughed, and were still laughing when they heard the sound of hooves thundering across the ground. When they saw the pale look on the rider’s face, their laughter died.

“Him!” the man screamed, pointing at Jerico. “He did this!”

Jerico looked to Kaide, and he shrugged, not understanding.

“Calm down, Ned,” Kaide said, offering his hand to help the man dismount. Ned did so, still glaring at Jerico. When the paladin neared to listen, Kaide shot him a look, so he stepped back until he was out of earshot.

“Enough practice,” Jerico said, realizing the rest of the men were still lingering about. “Take a break, and put your weapons away. Carefully!”

As they scattered, muttering amongst themselves, Jerico watched Kaide’s face. Outwardly he showed little sign, but his eyes hardened, and his whole body turned rigid. At last he hugged the rider, then approached Jerico, who didn’t fail to notice the man’s hands balled into fists.

“What’s going-”

Kaide struck him in the mouth, then kicked the back of his sore knee. Jerico went down, screaming in pain. The bandit leader landed on top of him, an elbow crushing his throat.

“You bastard,” Kaide said, his voice quiet, cold. “You just couldn’t leave things be, could you? Always have to interfere.”

“I don’t understand,” Jerico said, his words cracking.

“You will. You’re coming with me to Stonahm. I’ll let you see what a fucking mess you’ve made.”

Word spread to the rest of the camp, but given how limited they were on horses, only one other could go with Kaide and Jerico, the short man, Barry.

“Is my family all right?” he asked Ned as they saddled up. “Tell me, is she all right?”

The rider refused to say, even when Barry grabbed him by the shoulders and screamed in his face.

“Look me in the eye!” he cried, shaking him. “Why won’t you look me in the damn eye?”

It’d taken two men to pull him off. Now he rode behind Jerico and Kaide, head down and refusing to say a word. The hours crawled, and when they stopped to let their horses rest, not a shred of conversation was spoken between the three. As they neared Stonahm, there was no denying the cloud of smoke in the sky, nor where it was rising from.

“She’s all right,” Ned said upon seeing the smoke. “I know it. She’s all right, and my boys, too.”

Kaide’s glare was cold enough to freeze the skin on Jerico’s neck.

Jerico felt some relief as they finally rode into the village. The smoke was only from a few homes, not all of them as he’d initially feared. People milled about, looking as if they’d just survived a battle. Seeing Kaide’s approach, they began to gather.

“Jess!” Barry screamed. “Where’s Jess!”

Two boys pushed through the crowd, and they leapt into Barry’s arms as he dismounted. Jerico remained on his horse, feeling lost. People were shouting and crying all at once, a mixture of anger and heartbreak. Kaide tried to soothe them, but soon gave up.

“Where’s Beth?” he asked repeatedly. “I said where’s Beth?”

“With the others,” said a farmer. “Kalgan’s looking over them.”

“Come on,” Kaide said. Jerico dismounted and followed, leading his horse behind him.

The wounded had been too many to fit into a single hut, so they lay spread out on blankets in the open air. Jerico feared to count how many. Kalgan walked among them, his clothes and hands coated with blood. When he saw their approach, he looked at them with dull, expressionless eyes. In the corner, Barry wept over the still body of his wife while his two boys clutched him tightly.

“Kaide,” Kalgan said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

He pointed to where Beth sat on the blankets, staring into nowhere. Kaide called her name, and when she saw him, she burst into tears. Jerico stood, feeling the intruder, as the father ran to his daughter.

“Do you remember what I said?” Kalgan asked, trying futilely to wipe his hands on his robe. “Do you remember?”

“I do,” Jerico said, feeling a knot swell in his throat.

“Good. I hope you remember until the day you die.”

Kalgan went on his way. Jerico looked about. He saw at least seven dead, and thrice that wounded. On every street at least one building had been burned, and in the distance, he saw the torched remains of an entire field of crops. The lump in his throat swelled, and he had to struggle to keep his hands from shaking. After a horrific wait, Kaide finally kissed his daughter’s head and returned.

“You attacked one of Sebastian’s knights,” Kaide said, his glare full of fire. “You struck him, beat him down, and then sent him on his way. You damn fool, this is what you’ve done.”

“He was going to rape-”

“I don’t care!” Kaide shouted. “One woman? One rape? Do you know what they did here? A hundred knights came with swords and armor, burned their food, took every woman they pleased, and killed whoever resisted. One woman, you fucking paladin, all that to stop the rape of one woman? A hundred women can now blame you. A hundred women…”

He choked up, and Jerico looked to Beth with newborn dread.

“Even her?” he asked.

There were tears in Kaide’s eyes when he looked back.

“Even her.”

They stayed in the homes of people that would take them. For Jerico, that meant he had none, so he slept in the hut that had been his during his injury. He lay inside, feeling drained beyond belief. He’d knelt and prayed with any who would accept it, but even those with severe injuries seemed hesitant. Normally he would have felt anger, but instead he felt only sadness. Shouting to them how he’d been in the right felt hollow, and selfish. No matter his healing touch, he could not bring back the dead, nor remove the painful memories they’d endured.

“I wasn’t wrong,” Jerico murmured, trying to sleep. Night had finally come, and no one had been happier to see the rise of the moon than him. Free of his armor, he tried to relax, and force his mind from the hundred horror stories he’d had confessed to him. He tried to forget Barry’s wail, forget that single look of betrayal Beth had given him when she’d turned his way. Unable to help it, Jerico felt tears slide down his face.

The door to his hut opened. For some reason, Jerico knew who would be there.

“Close the door,” he said. “I would hate for anyone to see you like this.”

Barry stood at the entrance. In one hand he held a bottle, in the other, a knife.

“I ain’t afraid of what they’ll say,” the man said, his speech slurred from the alcohol. “You think I care?”

He stepped further in, and the door shut behind him. Jerico sat up, glancing toward his mace and shield. If he acted quick, he could still retrieve them. But he didn’t.

“What are you here for, Barry?” he asked.

“You,” he said. He sniffed, and his red eyes were heavy with tears. “My Jess… they say she ran. The others, the ones that didn’t fight it… but no, Jess ran. Stupid woman, she ran, and now who’ll raise my boys? Me?”

He laughed, the bottle swinging loosely in his hand.

“I’m no good. Never been. Was lucky enough to get Jess. Why’d you do it, Jerico? Don’t you ever think? Every damn peasant boy knows you leave a lord’s knights well enough alone. Boys! But you… you…”

He waved the knife, and he took an uncertain step toward him. Jerico remained still, refusing to look away from that pained gaze.