Lawrence Watt-Evans - The Unwelcome Warlock

“I am,” Sidor said. He pushed past one of his comrades, stretched out a hand, and disappeared.

That started a rush, but Hanner and Gerath joined efforts to enforce some order, to make sure the tapestry and its appurtenances – like those crystals – were not damaged, and that each traveler had time to step aside, once in Ithinia’s house, before the next approached.

One by one, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, Vond’s hirelings and the former warlocks vanished through the tapestry.

“Where will we go, in Ethshar?” one of the Called asked, standing unmoving before the tapestry.

“We’ll find somewhere for you,” Hanner assured her. “My family is rich and powerful, and I’ll see to it that something is arranged.”

“Go on,” Gerath said, pushing her forward. She still did not reach out, but another shove sent her close enough that one hand brushed the fabric, and she was gone.

“We could let some of them stay,” Hanner said.

Gerath shook his head. “I was sent here to get everyone out, and I’m getting everyone out. If some of them slip back in, that’s not my problem. For now, though, everyone goes.”

“What about Rudhira?” the last of the Called, a middle-aged man Hanner thought might be named Elner, asked.

Gerath frowned. “I’ll make an exception for her. I don’t want to go searching for a crazed throat-cutting murderer; do you?”

“No,” Elner, if that was his name, agreed. He stepped forward, and vanished.

Hanner stared at the tapestry, and the empty patch of floor where Elner had stood, and then turned to look at Gerath.

Crazed throat-cutting murderer?

Technically, Hanner had to admit the description was fairly accurate, but since her attack on Vond had probably saved his life, and quite possibly the lives of hundreds of other people, he did not think of it as “crazed.”

There were enough people back in Ethshar who might look on it that way, though, that perhaps Rudhira would be safer stranded here in the refuge. Rothiel had said no one was planning to charge her with murder, but still, there were the mercenaries, and the various Called warlocks who had hoped Vond might restore their magic; she might find a very unfriendly reception on the other side of the tapestry.

But Hanner thought it should be her choice, not his.

There were only three men left in the village now – Hanner, Gerath, and Marl. Gerath was starting to look impatient; Marl looked uncertain. “Gerath,” Marl said, “I was wondering if…”

“No,” Gerath said, grabbing Marl by the arm. “Go.”

Marl gave Hanner a look, but Hanner did not meet his gaze. Marl shook off Gerath’s grip, then said, “I’m going.” He turned, stepped up to the hanging, and disappeared.

“You’re next,” Gerath said.

Hanner frowned. “Why?” he said.

“Because I said so,” Gerath said.

“I wanted to get the other tapestry and take it back with me, to see if it can be repaired,” Hanner protested.

“So go get it,” Gerath said. “Then get back here.”

“You don’t need to wait,” Hanner said.

“I want to be sure everyone is out of here,” Gerath said.

Hanner started to ask why, what concern it was of his, then thought better of it. “All right,” he said, “but you can do that just as easily from the other side. If I’m not there in a few minutes, you can go back to Warlock House and come back and get me.”

“Or I can wait here.”

“If you want,” Hanner said. “If you aren’t worried about Rudhira popping out of hiding and cutting your throat. She didn’t much like you.”

Gerath stared at him for a moment, then turned up a palm. “Please yourself,” he said. “But if you aren’t there in half an hour, I will come back for you.”

“Of course. I’ll just go get the tapestry, then.”

“Whatever you like.” Gerath watched as Hanner headed for the door, but had marched into the tapestry before Hanner had gone a single step past the threshold.

Out in the street Hanner paused. He looked around, then called, “Rudhira?”

No one answered. Hanner shook his head in disappointment, then ambled across to the house where the ruined tapestry hung.

He brushed it, just to be sure, before taking it down, but it did not transport him anywhere; it was mere lifeless fabric, with a long gash in it.

He had it rolled up and slung on his shoulder, and was halfway back to the other house, when Rudhira stepped around a corner.

“Hello, Hanner,” she said.

He stopped in his tracks, and smiled. “Rudhira,” he said. “It’s good to see you! I was a little worried.”

“You shouldn’t have been,” she said. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know, I know, but I’m a worrier.” He hesitated, then said, “Thank you. You probably saved my life.”

“That was the idea,” she answered. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

“You didn’t have to -” Hanner began.

“Yes, I did!” Rudhira interrupted. “I had to! I couldn’t let him hurt you, Hanner. You’re too good a person for that. You…I care too much for you to let that happen! When I saw that sword at your throat, I had to.”

“You…” Hanner blinked, overwhelmed by her words. At last he managed, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I suppose you couldn’t just wound him…” He let his sentence trail off unfinished; he knew the answer even before Rudhira spoke.

“If I left him alive, he would have sent his men after both of us,” she said.

“I know,” Hanner admitted.

“It’s not as if I had never killed a man before.”

“I know that, too.”

For a moment they stared silently at one another. Then Rudhira said, “So you are going back?”

For a few seconds Hanner hesitated; then he nodded. “I want to see my children,” he said. “They haven’t seen me for seventeen years, and I want to see how they’ve grown up, and be sure they’re happy. I want to see my sisters. I want to make sure the tapestry that brings people here is somewhere safe. I want to help clean up Vond’s mess.”

“It isn’t your mess.”

“Still, I want to help. I take it you intend to stay here? The wizards tell me no one’s planning to charge you with anything, that the overlord’s laws don’t apply here, so you could come back with me.”

She shook her head. “I’m better off here. I like it here.”

Hanner looked up at the unmoving sun. “I like it here, too. I think I might eventually miss the moons and stars, though.”

“You don’t have to come back. You certainly don’t have to stay.”

“If I come back, I do have to stay – that new tapestry is going to disappear soon.”

“Is it?”

Hanner nodded. “It’s not too late to change your mind,” he said. “If you stay here, you’ll be trapped.”

The little redhead looked around thoughtfully at the deserted village, then nodded. “That’s fine,” she said.

Hanner had hoped she would reconsider; he did not want to leave her here. It was not, he realized, that he was concerned for her safety; it was that he would miss her. Her outburst proclaiming her concern for him had caught him by surprise, but now that it had sunk in he found himself warmed by the thought. She cared for him, and he cared for her.

He hefted the damaged tapestry. “I’m going to see about getting this thing fixed,” he said. “Or maybe commission another one, if I can ever afford it. I’ll bring it back here. Then you can come and go as you please.”

“So can you,” Rudhira pointed out.

“That’s true.”

There was another moment of silent contemplation; then Hanner said, “I’ll come back, whether I have it fixed or not. Eventually. I do want to see my family, all of it, and make sure everything is as right as I can make it. It may be months, maybe even a year or two, but I’ll be back.”