He eyes flicked down to the sword on his hip. He smiled and dropped a hand to its hilt. "This is an Oathblade," he said. "It's a bit of a badge of office for a Justice. It's blade is indestructible."
Her eyes widened. "A magic sword?"
"Somewhat, but nothing like stories told to children," he laughed. "I couldn't cut through a rock or anything." He frowned. "Well, I suppose I probably could with enough time. The blade isn't supernaturally sharp, or wreathed in flame. It just never dulls and is indestructible."
"It was flaming white last night."
"Just light," he said, shaking his head. "We have cantrips that can do little things like that."
"May I see it?"
He slowly drew the blade from its sheath, laying the blade out across one palm. The pristine whiteness caught the early afternoon sun and gave it an ethereal glow.
"My uncle taught me swordsmanship," she said breathlessly, enraptured by the sword before her. She gently ran one finger along the flat of the blade, careful not to stray too close to the edge.
"You did quite well for yourself last night," Daron noted. He saw her cheeks flush slightly, complimenting her brilliant auburn hair.
"My father showed me some as well, when I was quite young." Her voice lowered, brimming with memories and sadness. "It's about all I remember of him. He was a businessman of some sort. Always gone on long trips. The few times I remember him being around, we practiced with swords."
"You lived with your uncle? What happened to your father?"
"My mother took me and we left when I was young," she whispered. "Can we not talk about this? It's been a rough few weeks." He cursed himself for pushing too hard, Jarod's words coming back to haunt him.
She glanced up into his eyes, barely a foot apart. He mouth go dry as her copper eyes met with his. "May I hold it?"
He tried not to smile, knowing how it would turn out if she grabbed the sword. He spun the white blade around and offering her the hilt over one arm. Gingerly she grasped the blade, hesitating a moment before hefting it up. Daron tried to cover a smile as the blade tumbled from her grasp, clattering to the deck. Leah skipped back a foot, dodging the falling sword.
"It can only be held by the one who's oath created it," he said as he retrieved the blade and sheathed it. "Very handy for identifying a Justice at times. No one else can hold it, nor move it, so you know a Justice by it."
"Quite impressive," she said with an air of mock solemnity. The corners of her mouth tugged up into a grin. "Though I could have handled myself quite well last night."
"That must be why I had to fix a foot long gash across your stomach," Daron said. "Or why you stowed away on the boat."
"Perhaps a little bit of help was in order." Her grin widened. "A tiny, miniscule bit. Especially given how sloppy you were with a sword."
"Sloppy enough to save your life."
"That doesn't even make sense," she grinned. "Where are we headed to now, savior of mine?"
"Upper Terrin," Daron said. "Speaking of which, I should probably pay the captain for your fare. I'm sure he knows by now, and I have little doubt he could hoist you over the edge into the river with one hand."
Leah nodded, her lips still touched with a warm smile. It was pleasant to be on the receiving end of it, Daron had to admit. Jarod had wanted to have him look after her, and it was certainly an easy task on the eyes.
"I need to rest some anyway," she said, stepping away from the railing and stretching. While the clothes Brynn had loaned her were baggy and loose, they still revealed an attractive figure when she pushed her arms above her head to pop her back. Very easy on the eyes.
She strode lazily across the deck, casting one final glance back at Daron before vanishing back into the ship's innards. Daron lingered for a moment, a smile still etched on his lips, and then pulled his coin purse from his jacket and went to the wheelhouse to confront Captain Yates. This was going to cost him, but it was worth it.
Chapter 10.
"You sure you won't reconsider, Lord Justice?"
The captain stood wringing his oversized hands beside the walkway that extended down to the river shore. It was late afternoon, the sun nearly kissing the river ahead of the great steamboat. The fall air was still warm, but with the hint of a chill that evening would bring. Daron shifted his pack higher onto his shoulder, standing close beside Leah while Brynn and Aiden strolled across the deck to join them.
"Wish that I could, Captain," Jarod said amiably, extending a hand. The captain regarded it hesitantly, before enveloping it in his own hand and giving it a vigorous shake. Daron saw his commander wince. "We've had a slight change of plans, and it's quicker to go overland from here."
"Well," the captain drawled, "it's been a pleasure. Even with your unexpected friend." He threw an exaggerated wink towards Leah, who smiled and nodded. "No refunds, mind you. You paid for a full trip, but it's your choice to leave early." He roared with laughter as if it were a joke.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jarod said, beginning to walk down towards the shore. The remainder of the party shuffled down past him onto the lush grass. "Thank you for understanding."
"I wish you well on your journey, friend Jarod," the captain said with a surprisingly graceful bow. He lingered a few moments more before retreating to the wheelhouse. Two crewman pulled in the gangplank, and within a minute the River Siren was a unclear form down the river.
They withdrew from the shore into a copse of trees about a hundred yards from the river. Leaves were being shed, carpeting the ground in beautiful reds and golds, though enough still remained in the trees to provide a break from the gentle wind. They loomed overhead, the branches whispering softly.
"Are you going to tell us about this unplanned excursion," Aiden asked, dropping his pack to the ground.
"Especially since it now involves walking. A lot of walking," Brynn injected.
Jarod waved one hand impatiently. "There's an old acquaintance not too far from here I need to talk to," Jarod said, dropping his pack and detaching the folded up tent from the bottom of the harness. "We camp here and leave early tomorrow."
Luckily Daron had managed to purchase a tent of his own off of a deckhand on the River Siren, at a highly inflated rate, much to his chagrin. He hadn't expected to be camping, though he berated himself for not being prepared. Brynn and Aiden both had brought sleeping accommodations.
He glanced to his side where Leah stood. She'd volunteered to follow along, much to his relief. He hadn't been sure if she'd continue on to Upper Terris or not, given he'd paid for her to do so, and was pleasantly surprised she'd continued along with them on their detour. She must have some amount of trust in them, at least.
"We're taking a detour so you can chat with a friend?" Aiden asked. "What about our orders?"
"It's less than a day out of our way," Jarod said. "There's a few questions I need answered, and he's got the books that will likely have what I'm looking for."
"There's a pretty large library at Upper Terris," Daron said. He found the thought of hiking invigorating. He'd spent a lot of time trudging through the woods with a pack slung across his back in his younger days. It had a familiar sense of comfort. Besides, anything that would stall a visit to a city the size of Upper Terris was a good thing.
Jarod hesitated, throwing a quick glance at Aiden. "He has books that we aren't likely to find in a library," Jarod finally said. "Or the Order."
"You're talking about Seth," Brynn said, producing her own tent and unrolling it across the knee high grass. "I can't imagine any other person affiliated with the Order that would have unique books like that, nor near here"
Aiden paused in the midst of opening his pack. He threw Jarod a long, piercing glance, but said nothing. Daron frowned, not recognizing the name, and more than a little curious at his friend's reaction.
"Seth?" He asked.
"He was a teacher at the academy when I was a student there," Jarod said, his voice distant and full of memory. "He left quite a number of years ago."
"Left?" Aiden snorted. "He was thrown out for teaching heretical beliefs."
"There's that," Jarod admitted, sighing. "He has access to a number of books that are hard to find elsewhere."
"For a good reason."
"Quit being so critical," Daron said. "He can't be that bad."
"He was removed from the Order because he was teaching impressionable young minds some very inappropriate things," Aiden said, eyes boring into Daron. He'd rarely seen his friend angry in the few years they'd known each other, and suddenly he was glad for that. The look Aiden gave him now was cold and alien. He looked like a kettle about to boil over at any moment.
"What's past is past," Jarod said with a firm voice that implied finality. "He has access to information that I need. It's as simple as that. Hang up your prejudices."
"It's not prejudice to think dealing with heretics is a bad idea," Aiden replied, but let the conversation lapse. A heavy, pallid silence hung over them as they made camp for the evening. Leah caught his eye once, raising an eyebrow in question. Daron could only shrug with his own confusion. He had no idea who Seth was. There hadn't even been a whisper that a teacher had ever been removed, let alone for something apparently heretical, though Jarod had to have been a student nearly three decades back.
If the Order had removed a teacher, likely they'd want to keep it quiet. Perception was a powerful tool, Daron reasoned. It wouldn't do to have the paragon of justice looking like it couldn't handle its own affairs.
This has to be unusual for Leah, Daron thought. While the rest of the world was used to the Order, and to Justice's in general, she'd grown up detached from that. He couldn't imagine what it would be like missing a part of the world. It'd be like growing up without language, or reading. Now she was thrust into the middle of a group that she didn't even know existed, yet was integral in the way the world worked.
"I think I'm going to bathe in the river," Leah announced once their tents had been set up. "It's been weeks." She borrowed a cake of soap from Brynn, and headed back towards the river. Jarod glanced up at Daron, nodding with his head after her. Daron frowned. Was he seriously insisting he keep an eye on her, even then? With a sigh, Daron wandered off after her.
"Bring back some firewood," Jarod called. Daron waved a hand in acknowledgment, fuming at the role he'd been given. When Jarod had said to stick close, he hadn't expected anything like this. He grumbled to himself as he weaved through the trees in the fast fading afternoon light.
"He wants you to keep a watch over me," Leah said as he emerged from the trees. It wasn't a question. She stood near where the River Siren had left them, the bank dropping off sharply to a shallow portion of the river that had been dug out some time in the past, allowing for ships to dock for the night along the route. The river was dotted with similar spots, laboriously made back when steam boat travel had been the preferred mode of transport before trains had crisscrossed the nation.
"For your safety," Daron said. Leah rolled her eyes in exasperation, but said nothing. Instead, she grabbed the bottom of her oversized shirt and tugged it over her head in a swift motion. Daron spun away, cheeks flaming. He muttered to himself as he sat down on the gentle grass, his back deliberately set against the river. Damn Jarod and his insistence on sticking near her.
A heavy splash announced her entry to the water. He heard her gasp in shock, but kept his gaze firmly focused on the trees before him. Birch trees. That was a good thing to focus on. He could hear splashing about behind him. He kept his mind firmly on the gently swaying leaves before him, and tried not to think of what lay behind him.
He shook his head to clear it, and tried another tactic. "You could come with us, you know. To Upper Terrin, and back to the Order when we're done. I'm not sure how long we'll be there, but it won't be too long, I'd imagine."
The splashing abruptly stopped. Daron risked a glance over his shoulder to make sure she was fine, and saw her standing waist deep in the gently flowing water, regarding him with curiosity. He snapped his head back around, musical laughter lilting through the air to him.
"I might just do that," she said. The splashing resumed. "I really hadn't given much thought of where I'd go next. I guess I can't go home, anyway." There was a note in her voice that quivered, the sound of something close to breaking with sadness. He could hear a heavy sigh, nearly a sob, over her splashing.
He felt relieved she would be traveling on with them, though he couldn't exactly place why. If she was attacked again, it'd be with a handful of trained Justices at her side at least. That gave him a bit of peace.
"That doesn't look much like watching," Brynn said, stepping out from behind the birch trees and striding across the grass, dropping herself to the ground in front of him. "That looks more like dereliction of duty. Jarod said to keep an eye on her."
"I can hear her just fine," Daron muttered.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather watch," Brynn said innocently. She smiled sweetly at him, and leaned to one side to look past him at the river. "I can describe to you what's going on. I've got several adjectives I think would work very well here."
"No need," Daron said hotly. He tried to focus again on the trees, but Brynn angled the other way, blocking his view. She craned her next to watch past him.
"She's rinsing off now," Brynn stated, her grin growing wicked.
"That's it," Daron growled, jumping to his feet. "You keep an eye on her. I'm grabbing some kindling and heading back to camp. Get her back before it gets dark."
"It's entirely too much fun to make you blush."
Daron stomped past her and retreated back to camp. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. That woman was going to be the end of him, by the gods. He'd have to do something to get even. Such a thing could not go without repercussions, he decided. Daron wandered back to camp, entertaining thoughts of revenge, hacking down branches as he went with his Oathblade. It wasn't exactly its intended use, but he doubted the gods would mind if he used it for the good of the group in such a way.
As the sun completely dipped below the horizon, throwing the world into autumn twilight, Daron returned to camp, still seething, but carrying a hefty load of wood. Aiden was down on one knee, carefully breathing life into the fledgeling fire. Daron dumped his load of wood nearby.
"What's got you all fired up?" Aiden asked, snapping a few smaller pieces of kindling across one leg and feeding the fire.
"Women," Daron said, exasperated. He glanced across the camp to Brynn's tent. They must have arrived back before him, as he could hear muffled voices and stifled laughter drifting through the air.
"What do you know of women problems?" Aiden snorted. "You're twenty five and unmarried. Plus utterly blind."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Daron snapped. Was everyone deciding to take jabs at him this evening?
His friend threw a long, meaningful glance towards Brynn's tent, and then shook his head. "Sometimes, Daron, you can't see what's right in front of you. You don't know what you're missing."
"How long have you been married?" Daron asked, squatting down and helping feed the new kindling into the growing blaze. He tried to keep his tone neutral. It was silly to get upset over something so trivial, and it was unkind to lash out at Aiden for his own petty problems. Still, he found his gaze wandering to the occupied tent.
"Thirteen years," Aiden said, smiling. "I was a stone's throw over sixteen at the time. We'd known each other since we were children. We always knew we'd be married, though we never talked about it until the day I proposed. It was just one of those things we took for granted would happen."
"Is it hard, being away for so long?" Daron absently poked at the fire with a gnarled stick, sending a shower of sparks up. Aiden's face across from him was lit with flickering light, throwing a sinister cast across his features. His friend pondered for a long moment, staring deep into the dancing flames.
"Very," Aiden whispered. "Our daughter is seven now. I get north fairly often, but it's not enough."
"Why join the Order, and then? You had to have known you wouldn't see them often."
Aiden frowned. "What else would I do? We're called to serve, Daron. It wasn't really a choice. I knew I had to do it, and my family supports me. Sometimes I..." He trailed off, and shook himself out of deep memories before standing. "I've got to get food cooking, I suppose."
His friend wandered away, leaving him alone beside the flickering blaze. Daron pushed himself to his feet and wandered a ways away from camp, out into the darkness. He lay in the cool grass, head propped on his hands, gazing at the stars as they twinkled far above. It had been far too long since he'd taken the time to look.
He tilted his head at a motion beside him, and Leah dropped down into the grass. She mimicked his pose.
"Sorry about earlier," Leah said, eyes focused skywards. "Does she do that to you often?"
"As long as I've known her," he muttered. "If a day comes where she isn't making a sarcastic comment or making my life miserable, she's probably dead."
"It's just friendly banter, though."
"It is," Daron admitted. He honestly wouldn't trade it away, though he did wish she knew when to quit sometimes. "She's like a sister to me, and I suppose siblings fight."
They lay in silence for a moment, listening to the gentle sway of leaves in the autumn trees. The sun had fully set, giving him a clear view of the twinkling stars far above.
"Do you know the constellations?" he asked. He saw her shake her head out of the corner of his eye. He slid a few inches closer to her, until they were but a hands breadths apart, and pointed to the expanse above.
"Those three bright ones there," he said, "just above the treeline." Leah nodded. "See how they're set into a sort of square? That's the Shield of Harwyn. The two lines of stars that dip towards the horizon are his legs, and that hazy bit there his body. Lord Harwyn the Just. The first Justice to be created by the Order. The gods saw the strength of his heart, they say, and he was taken before he could die, and given a place of honor at the Eternal Hall."
Leah said nothing, her gaze distant to the sky above. "Those seven over there are The Harp. Aeltha the Bard played the most beautiful song in the world, ending a seven hundred year war with nothing but her harp and voice. Knowing that no song could ever match the beauty, the gods took her harp, to play always in the Eternal Hall."
"That's a very silly legend."
"All legends usually are," Daron said, dropping his arm. "But it was about the only class I ever manage to get full marks for. I used to camp a lot as a kid, and my father would tell me all the stories behind them."
They lay in long silence, simply watching the heavens unfolded above them. He could feel warmth radiating off of her in the chill air, though she shivered.