Mickey Reichert - Flight of the Renshai

"You're not Renshai?"

"Hel, no." Treysind said it with an enthusiasm that surprised Calistin, given how much Treysind wanted to become his brother. "An' as Hero says it, I wiel' a saword 'bout as good as a cat do." He held up grimy hands with bits of mutton stuck to them. "Paws, appar'ntly."

Magnus took a sip of his ale. "I suppose it's reasonable for me to assure you that, if you lose the battle, I'll make sure no one harms your friend."

Calistin had not even considered Treysind's welfare; and, in light of Colbey's recent words, that bothered him. He tried to attribute the lapse to courage. "That's not necessary, since I'm not going to lose. Not to you."

"Probably not," Magnus did not lapse into false bravado, though he demonstrated no fear either. "But even the greatest of warriors makes a mistake sometime. And that mistake is usually his last."

Calistin appreciated the implication that he was, in fact, the greatest. "I don't make mistakes."

Magnus smiled. "Well, whatever your possible errors, you certainly don't suffer from a surfeit of humility."

Calistin was not entirely sure whether or not he faced an insult. "False modesty is not a virtue."

"Nor pride," Magnus added. "Be that as it may, aren't you going to eat your dinner?"

The plate beckoned but, thus far, Calistin had managed to resist. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? To face me slowed by a bellyful of meat."

Valr Magnus clamped his jaw, obviously biting back his own irritation. "Not at all. Nor slowed by starvation. I want to find Valhalla in the most magnificent battle of my life. I want to love every minute of my existence as Einherjar. I don't want to spend years or decades waiting for you to join me so I can finally face you at your best. And if I won? What joy or pride can come from defeating an opponent not at his best? Then, when I finally joined you in Valhalla, would it be to find you stewing in bitterness? I think not."

Calistin could barely believe what he was hearing. "It didn't seem to bother you any that your people cheated so you could murder my mother."

For the first time since he had joined them at the table, Valr Magnus lost his suave composure. He simply stared at Calistin, his features pinched, an artery throbbing at his temple. "What," he finally managed, "are you talking about?"

"The man who jumped on her. Surely you noticed."

Magnus moved nothing but his mouth. "You mean the Erythanian spectator who slipped and fell? He could just as easily have landed on me."

"But he didn't, did he?"

"Dumb luck." Magnus ran a finger through the condensation on his mug. "Many a misstep, many a falling branch, even the weather has turned the tide of battle."

"Yes," Calistin agreed. "But this wasn't a natural phenomenon, was it? This was the work of a man."

"I would say the 'misfortune' of a man."

"And I would say the deliberate action of a hired cheater."

"That's a strong accusation." Magnus' jaw remained clenched after speaking. "One that begs proof."

Calistin closed his eyes, trusting his other senses implicitly to warn him of danger. He could still vividly picture the scene on the Fields of Wrath. He opened his eyes before speaking, "I saw the man in the tree, the only one in the tree. That Erythanian did not fall; he leaped with intention and deliberate aim."

"Forgive me if I seem unreasonable. I just don't believe my own people would practice such trickery nor demonstrate such little faith in me." Magnus met Calistin's gaze directly, his pale eyes full of honest wonder. "It's not uncommon for the losing side of any battle to see fouls where they do not exist, to call them even when they don't see them."

Calistin leaned toward his rival, holding his gaze with as much intensity as he could muster. He tried to emulate Colbey's dire stare and hoped he had inherited the necessary color and power. The mountain-hard gray tinting the standard Northern blue eyes seemed to make all the difference. "I am trained to notice everything. I can see the potential in any warrior just by studying the layout of his muscles, can evaluate his training in a single move. That Erythanian was an arrow well-timed and trained. His fall was no accident."

Valr Magnus did not quail beneath Calistin's stare, but he did back down with a deep sigh. "Calistin, I can tell you're sincere. You believe every word you spoke-"

Calistin did not wait for a "but." It would enrage him, and he did not want to start their battle inside a tavern. It could never lead to the fair one-on-one fight he needed. "I believe because it's true." He leaned in further, straddling his food with his arms. The intoxicating aroma of the mutton filled his nose. "I'm not a deluded child rushing in to defend his mama. I'm a man, older than I look, a competent warrior who has won many battles, in and out of real warfare."

"Yes, but-"

Calistin continued over the Aeri. He needed to finish. "I'm considered not only the best of the best when it comes to combat but also when it comes to teaching the most capable warriors in all the world. These eyes…" He raised his brows and fully opened his lids, "… miss nothing."

"But that Erythanian, they explored his history. And there was nothing-"

"Of course not. That deceit was well-planned and executed. It had to be." Calistin saw the uncertainty on Valr Magnus' face and knew he had scored an important victory, one that, for once, had little to do with swords and combat. "And you had to know-"

Treysind placed a hand on Calistin's leg in clear warning.

Valr Magnus seemed to emerge from his trance, and his considered look turned angry. "If you're accusing me-I most certainly didn't-I bested a Renshai in single combat." He started to stand. "I did it with honor and integrity. Don't impugn my-"

Treysind jumped in to rescue his hero again. "He's jus' sayin' ya had ta know he's got good seein', not ya had ta know 'bout tha trick."

"Oh," The Aeri dropped back into his seat. "I thought you were going to accuse me of having a hand in deceit or of knowing about it in advance."

It was exactly what Calistin had been about to say, but he was smart enough to take the reprieve Treysind had won him. The truth was, he no longer believed his intended accusation was right. "Of course not. No warrior brave enough to face the best of the Renshai, twice now, would sully his courage by trickery. The gods would never have such a man in Valhalla."

Valr Magnus sat back with a guarded smile, arms crossed over his chest. They were a warrior's arms, strong and sinewy but not bound by muscle. He had that rare, near-perfect build that left his abilities nearly limitless. Calistin would pay money for a class of students exactly like Magnus, at least in figure. "Calistin, if you give me some time, I can find answers to your accusations. If I discover that we bested your people by trickery, I will do whatever is in my power to lift their exile or, at the very least, base the future of the Renshai on a truly fair fight. Or we can have that battle now and let the details fall where they may. I leave the choice, Calistin Kevralsson Ra-khirsson, entirely up to you and will abide by whatever decision you make."

Calistin knew what he wanted. He had not come so far, had not inflicted his rage on the best warriors of the West, to wait.

A hand fell to Calistin's shoulder. For an instant, he imagined it was Colbey's, reminding him of his need to act in ways that affected the history of the entire world, not just of himself. Killing Valr Magnus, while infinitely satisfying, would not save the Renshai from their plight. But the fingers belonged only to Treysind, the touch a silent gesture of warning and support. "I-," Calistin started, unable to finish, torn between right and need. "I want-" He knew exactly what he wanted and doubted he could suppress it. Other words would not flow from his tongue.