To Be King

Orfen ran a confusing, winding path through the tall grass. Those who believed in his intelligence would think he was doing it on purpose so that his blood trail could not be followed. Those who thought of him as nothing more than a rabid animal would say he was just a panicked, cornered beast.

In truth, he was delirious, conflicted, and lost. It would’ve been hard enough for him to find his way to safety in the unfamiliar terrain under normal circumstances but he was losing too much blood and his instincts were torn between survival and loyalty. But in the end, survival won.

A drizzle started. Then the rain started falling harder, slowly leeching what warmth wasn’t already stolen away by his spilling blood.

When he finally reached a town he didn’t have the wherewithal to think of safe places to hide and merely slipped through the first open door into a dry place he found. He slinked beneath a chair and curled his tiny, weary body up before quickly slipping into unconsciousness.

*

Paen was riding at a slow, calm pace when he felt a fat drop of water hit the top of his head. He tilted his chin up and squinted at the overcast skies. A second raindrop landed in his left eye. He flinched, throwing his head forward and rubbing his eye. A few of his men behind him snickered and he graciously chuckled alongside them.

He turned back to address his men and when he opened his mouth all conversation and snickering ceased, “Let us ride faster and reach town before the Sky decides he must soak us to our hearts!”

With a kick of his heels and a snap of the reins, Paen spurred his horse into a gallop...

... Paen and his merry band did not reach the next town before the drizzle turned into a downpour. As his clothes and hair clung to his skin, he clicked his tongue and leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. In the distance, Paen spotted another group of horses and riders ahead of them, moving at a much slower pace. Even as Paen and his men quickly gained on them they didn’t move aside, forcing Paen to slow down and move to the side off the road.

They were soldiers from the capital. Paen watched and let his men go first, turning his signet ring on his finger. He couldn’t stop his gaze from traveling to the two Kreishan prisoners. The young man was beaten and tied up, being forced to stumble after the horses on foot. The young woman was tied up and thrown over the back of one horse, her braid coming undone. She raised her head and met his eyes.

She’s just a kid.

He looked closer into the boy’s face and saw he wasn’t much older than her. Paen sat up straighter on the back of his horse, cleared his throat to get the attention of the soldiers, and said, “there you are, boy!” while looking the young man in the face. The young man looked at him emotionlessly but not blankly.

He turned to the man of highest rank and opened his mouth to continue speaking only for the bearded old man to sneer, “keep moving or we’ll have to arrest you too.”

Paen smirked and held out his ring, raindrops pinged off the gold, “you need a stronger reason than that to arrest a diplomatic guest of the king. Now tell me why you’ve detained my servants?”

All horses stopped moving and for a moment there was no sound but the falling rain bouncing off armor. Then the old soldier grumbled and stirred his horse to approach Paen so he could inspect the ring. After taking far too long to look at it, the soldier looked up at Paen, “your servants are thieves.”

Paen lowered his hand with the ring and cocked his head to the side, “oh? And what did they steal?”

The soldier took a bundle off his back and unwrapped it, revealing a gorgeous blade of gleaming silver and encrusted with sapphires. Paen quickly schooled his expression of shock and awe and laughed, “this is one of my swords! I lent it to him for protection.”

“He is Sun Clan... sir...” the soldier whose horse the boy was tied to muttered. Paen glanced over and sure enough the boy’s one eye not covered by an eyepatch was yellow.

Paen turned to the one who spoke and raised his eyebrows, “And? Is it a crime to be the child of one’s parents? He cannot control his blood.”

“They were traveling with a were!” the old soldier protested.

“And is it a crime for civilians to be in the vicinity of a were?”

“They were clearly friends with it!”

“Oh, what is your proof?” Paen pointedly looked around the soldiers, “I see no were.”

“It... fled.”

“Convenient...” Paen smiled wryly. “Please return my servants and I will forget this ever happened because I do not see any proof of wrongdoing.”

The soldier hesitated long enough that Paen worried this would not end peacefully, before he finally said, “cut them loose.”