Sentinelspire - Mark Sehestedt [50]
Valmir started to call out, but he thought better of it and closed his mouth. Sauk seemed very deep into his own thoughts. Valmir had been with the band when one of Talieth's personal guards had made the stupid mistake of looking at Sauk at the wrong moment. Val had stood with the others and watched while Sauk beat the man nearly to death. Chiganis had survived, which Val couldn't quite make up his mind about. He didn't like the bastard, but he wasn't sure if the man deserved to die that way just because of a look the half-orc had deemed disrespectful.
Sauk happened to glance Val's way as he passed. He stopped. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing at all," said Val, and he did his best to keep the insolence out of his voice. No easy task for him. "You?"
"Been out."
"On the mountain?"
Sauk nodded. His black mood seemed to be gone, but one could never be too sure. He nodded a farewell and turned to leave.
"Sauk?"
The half-orc stopped and turned. "How's Taaki?"
Sauk's eyes narrowed. "She'll live. Why do you ask?"
Val feared he'd trod onto thin ice. "Just concerned is all. She healed up yet?"
"If I were you," said Sauk, "I'd concern myself with other things. But then, I suspect you're nothing but relieved now. Am I right?"
"I don't get your meaning." "Our quarry didn't make it back."
"And why would that relieve me?" said Val. "I'll admit I didn't much like it when the bastard tried to blind me with his cooking, but… relief? I don't follow. Relief that he's dead?"
"Yeah," said Sauk. "I think you're relieved he's dead. Or you ought to be, if you're smart."
"What makes you say that? You and Talieth said he was our best hope for…" Val looked around. In the fortress, one never knew what ears and eyes might be lurking. "You know. If we're back where we started, why would that relieve me?"
"Because as long as I've known you, Val, you never think of we, of us. You're all about you. And unless you're damned stupid-and I don't think you are-you had to know that Kheil's return might have… changed your situation. Looks like you are back where you want to be. Eh?"
Valmir scowled. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, enjoy the bed while you can. Things change." He glanced at the boulder that had been the target of Valmir's earlier attempts at the spells. "And keep practicing the magic. Something tells me you're going to need it."
Sauk smiled-though there was no kindness in it-then tossed his shirt over his shoulder and walked away. Val watched him go, and it occurred to him that he hadn't seen Talieth all morning.
Chapter Seventeen
"Me?" said Lewan. "I don't understand. How can I help you?"
"What I am about to tell you, Lewan, you cannot speak of to anyone else. Not Ulaan." Talieth approached as she spoke, bringing the full bearing of her station down upon Lewan. He had to force himself not to cower. "Not to any of the servants or anyone else in Sentinelspire. Do you understand?"
Lewan nodded, too intimidated to speak.
"You have lived in the Endless Wastes most of your life, have you not?" she said.
"Since I was twelve. Before that, I lived in a small village. In Murghom."
"Murghom?" Talieth smiled. "I thought you had the look of them. Your master has raised you since…"
"Raiders attacked my village," said Lewan, and he left it at that. Those were memories he preferred not to uproot.
"Your parents?" said Talieth.
Lewan looked away and clenched his jaw. His mother's face in that last moment kept trying to come up, but he pushed the image away. He took in a deep breath through his nose, willing himself not to cry, then said, "Berun and his master saved me."
"His master?"
"An old druid from the Yuirwood." Lewan shrugged. "I met him only that day, and I scarcely remember him. But my master spoke of him often. With great affection." "Chereth, wasn't it?"
Lewan blinked and looked to her. "How… how did you know?"
"That is where our tales come together. But I must start farther back. In all your years, in your village in Murghom or your life with your master, did you never hear of the Old Man of the