The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft

CH THE PROTECTOR

“Where are you going?” Fleur followed Protector Corbin to her living room.

“Soooo, this is the stranger you rescued, Keeper Fleur,” Corbin stated unnecessarily loud from the door.

“Yes, Protector Corbin, it is. From the armed brigands on the Midcoastal Road you haven’t caught.” Fleur huffed. She rubbed her forehead trying to calm down.

Fang emitted a deep growl as Corbin started to step into the room, and Yuli looked up from his book, whispering loudly, “Shhh, Rieth is asleep.”

“Sleeping?” Corbin demanded, “It’s a little early to be sleeping.”

“I’m sorry, Corbin. I didn’t know you were coming tonight, and I dosed him. What did you want to know?” Fleur inquired calmly.

“I want to know why you would risk your life for a stranger, Fleur? And why I heard about it from the Healer’s daughter and not you?” Corbin sounded like his feelings were hurt.

She scowled at him. “First of all, we found him as the Southeaster hit. And second, I was not going to risk myself or my son on the road to Lumberton with a handful of wounded brigands, who had just attempted murder, running free in a Southeaster.”

“You could have sent your dog, like you did to Callie,” Corbin whined. “Or your cat, like you do to Banth.”

Fleur made an exasperated sound. “No, I couldn’t because Fang would have bitten you again, and Fish would have peed on you again. They hate you.”

Yuli made a sound like he was trying not to laugh. Rieth almost smiled at what she said, and he felt her look at him. He made himself sink deeper into his meditation. She moved away from the door, trying to draw Corbin away from the room.

“Here is the image I took of his identification and travel papers. He is a master woodsmith and woodcrafter, he lives mainly on Olympia with many other Relic Refugees, but he travels to work. He came here to get wood for a commission on Aetheria. I am not a fool, Corbin, I sense no deception in him, but I still had Banth contact my cousin Vole to confirm his identity. He is who he says he is. He was trying to get to Lumberton for the end of winter harvest. He doesn’t even own a sword, just a hunting bow, a long knife, and an ax. His pack was filled with his tools, clothes, and provisions.”

Corbin made a derisive snort and Fleur wanted to give him a glare, but she blinked away her agitation as she walked back toward the entry.

“I still don’t know how he survived other than that he is a pure blood from the old kingdom.” She moved further away but Corbin didn’t follow, he stood glaring at Rieth.

“It still seems as though something is amiss. People don’t travel on Midwinter’s Eve.” Corbin grumbled, “You should have just stayed in your lighthouse.”

“Perhaps if I didn’t have to worry about rescuing travelers from armed brigands as a Southeaster strikes, I would!” She snapped in frustration. She facepalmed loud enough Rieth heard her palm slap her forehead. “I’m sorry, Corbin. I’m very tired. I know you are understaffed in the winter and doing the best you can.”

Corbin’s voice dropped to a concerned tone, “Look Fleur, I need to question him about the attack, and I worry about you out here all alone. Please, wake him up.”

“Like I told you, that will be a problem. Callie said to keep him sedated, so I dosed the broth he had for dinner. Thank you for bringing the extra medicine, I will need it. He has eight stab wounds besides the slice across his neck that nearly removed his head. He can’t talk and may never talk again. I did the best I could without the healers able to get here. All we can do is wait and give him rest.” Her voice dropped from compassionate to warning. “Mark my words, Protector Corbin. Those bandits are using weapons that carry dark enchantments. They are going to forever kill someone. If my eyedrops weren’t made from Water of Light, he’d be dead.”

“Your eyedrops are made from Water of Light but... but... it’s so expensive. How can anyone afford it? How can you?” Corbin choked out in surprise.

“I can’t. They are a gift from my war brother and his wife. Seriously, Corbin, are you even listening to me? Those brigands are using cursed weapons,” Fleur retorted.

“You said that, and that is why you need to move to Lumberton where I can protect you. A single, blind woman living alone would make a tempting target. You can’t stay here, be reasonable, Fleur,” Corbin insisted, “Come to Lumberton with me.”

“Rest assured, Protector, my son and I are perfectly safe in Soldiers Cove. Now... it’s late and since my guestroom is occupied, you should get to Finn’s boarding house unless you plan on returning to Lumberton in the dark.” Fleur announced in a cold, hostile voice, “Good night, sir.”

Corbin stared at her, then shook his head. “By the Light, I only want you to be safe and cared for.” He looked back at Rieth who was making a slight snoring sound as Yuli turned a page in his book. Yuli’s giant wolfhound raised its lip to show Corbin its teeth before Corbin walked to the door. “I don’t want to fight, Fleur. I’m a patient man, but I won’t let you put yourself at risk. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

He walked out and stood on the porch as Fleur closed the door behind him. Looking back at the door, he wished the residents of Soldiers Cove weren’t so protective of their lighthouse keeper, so she would move to the larger settlement of Lumberton. The rumors he had started had failed to convince her to seek a husband or accept his attempts to woo her. He walked around the house and looked into the large bay window. He saw that Fleur’s giant gray cat was sitting in the window, glaring at him, it opened its mouth in a silent hiss.

Corbin hated her pets. The first thing he would do once they married was get rid of her pets and send her son away to the Guardsmen’s or Huntsmen’s Academy. Fleur was special. He suspected she had been someone important and he would figure who she really was. All her records appeared in order, but she looked so familiar, she looked like someone who was supposed to be dead but with different hair, eyes, and strange scars.

Fleur closed the door behind Protector Corbin and locked it. Bending down, she touched the puddles he left on her wood floor. She couldn’t stop the disgusted sound that came from her lips as she went to get a towel from the laundry room. In moments, she was back mopping up the melted snow and mud. Rieth just listened but did not move. He was sure they were being watched and Fishlover had jumped from his feet to the window. The cat was glaring out into the darkness at someone.

“You okay, mom?” Yuli asked getting up to help her.

“That man dripped snow and tracked mud all over my floor!” Fleur huffed angrily. “Honestly, I wish he would marry anyone else and leave me alone.”

“You know you can’t marry him. Fang and Fish would eat him,” Yuli teased as he helped clean up the mess.

“True... true...” Fleur laughed and hugged him.

In the living room, Rieth shifted like he was asleep. The dim light allowed him to peek out through his hair at where Fish was glaring. Rieth let his magic flow, he could see and feel the Lumberton Protector staring in the window at Fleur as she hugged Yuli. Fang suddenly leaped at the window, barking viciously. Fishlover rose up to arch his back in hostility. Corbin stumbled backwards and fell in the snow.

Rieth hid his smirk as he stretched like he had just woken and made a show of being in pain as Fleur fussed over his wounds. His Huntsman’s sense followed the Protector who stormed away toward the town. Fleur settled Rieth into bed and brought him some numbing tea and a potion of sleep to drink. Rieth began to form a plan of how to win Fleur back and the thought of having competition would make it more pleasurable and interesting because he had always enjoyed having competition. He was hunting again but this time his prey was his hope.

Protector Corbin returned in the morning with a grizzled old veteran named Banth of Batan. Fleur made them all breakfast while Rieth answered all of Corbin’s questions as honestly as he could. Finally, Fleur had told Corbin to quit asking the same questions over and over. It was noon when the Protector finally left.

Banth stayed for lunch. Rieth knew who he was, but the retired veteran had only met the Huntsman Lord Yurieth once. Banth had served the Guardian Lord Kaleth for many years and was the only surviving guardsman from the attack on the Southern Castle. Banth had lost his leg but he had stayed one of Kaleth’s closest friends until the Guardian’s death. Fleur introduced him to Rieth as a retired guard from the House of Adamos. Rieth had noticed the old man tapping insults directed at Cobin in an old comm code and had tapped back. They had quite a conversation while Corbin was interrogating him and Rieth was glad the Protector had no magic.

Banth chuckled as Fleur showed Corbin out. “I like you, Rieth. How did you know the old comm code?”

Rieth tapped out. “Learned from father who wanted his sons to be career warriors and earn a rank.”

Banth nodded. “But you became a woodcrafter.”

“And my brother became a swordsmith and metalcrafter. We were making tools for those in the territory of Odini when the Cataclysm came. The Blind Oracle saved us.” Rieth tapped out quickly.

“You lost your family?” Banth asked, but Rieth knew the veteran had read the history created by Rheema and Abrieth, so he just gave a weak nod.

“Not you too, Banth. Seriously, must you both tap out insults? Someday he might figure it out." Fleur huffed.

"He hasn't yet." Banth answered smugly, "Now, Reith, you were telling me about your family?"

"Enough... Let the poor man rest. Are you hurting, Reith? Do you need more tea?”

Rieth wrote, ‘Tea and sleep would be nice.’ Banth read the words aloud then said, “I’ll help him to his room, Fleur, if you’ll make the tea.”

“Fine, but no more questions.” Fleur sent them upstairs.

Banth helped him into the bathroom then to bed. Rieth’s leg and shoulder were hurting terribly, but not nearly as badly as his throat, so he didn’t have to fake his pain.

“You’re a lucky man, Rieth. Not only to be saved by Fleur’s sword skills, but that she could sew you up enough for you to revive. She said you stuck your finger in your throat to keep from bleeding out... that was very clever, did they tell you to do that when you trained to be a King’s Guardsman?”

Rieth knew he was being tested so he told the story of an unhoused commoner in the King’s Academy. He wore a sad expression as he wrote, ‘Those of low rank or no house were barely trained before they were sent to war. Sticking my finger in my stab wound was something I saw a healer do during the siren’s battle when the warrior he was trying to save almost killed him and the warrior died at the hands of a huntsman.’ Rieth looked out the window then scribbled, ‘I hate war, so much useless dying.’

Fleur came in with his tea. She picked up the simple tablet and scowled at Banth, “I said no more questions. You both feel knotted up. What did you ask?”

Banth cleared his throat. “I asked where he learned that trick that saved his blood from draining out, he answered and said he hates war.”

Fleur’s mouth made a thin line. “Well, that makes three of us. Now out, so Rieth can sleep.” She handed him a cup of numbing tea. She ushered Banth out and closed the bedroom door.

Rieth felt Fleur and Yuli leave with Banth. A few minutes later, Protector Corbin came into the house. Rieth carefully rose and pulled his long knife from his pack before he slipped back into bed. He laid very still and let his tracking sight watch Corbin’s energy moving downstairs. Corbin started toward the stairs and stopped at Fishlover’s challenging yowl, then there was the sound of a scuffle as Corbin cursed vehemently. Fishlover chased the Protector out of the house. Rieth limped down the stairs and whistled. The giant cat ran back in from the light snow. Rieth cleaned up the muddy footprints and blood the Protector had left behind and made it look like he had never returned and been attacked by Fish. He limped back upstairs to his room, and shut himself in, then opened a special compartment hidden in one of his tool bags. Fish licked the snow off his fur as Rieth sent a short message.

‘Need intel on former guardsmen, retired Banth son of Batan from Soldiers Cove, and Lumberton Protector Corbin, both of Arbor Isle, Southern Star Archipelago.’

Rieth hid the burst transmitter and laid down. As he laid there petting Fishlover, he wasn’t worried about Banth. He could tell the old man cared deeply for Fleur and Yuli. Sipping his tea, Rieth contemplated how to deal with the protector, what he first considered an amusing rivalry, he now felt was darker. Something about Corbin reminded him of the obsessiveness with which one of his former students had stalked another warrior. Rieth worried for Fleur and Yuli. He knew how dangerous obsession could be, he had spent decades chasing his.

Protector Corbin was still stomping mad when he arrived back at the edge of Lumberton. His wounds had stopped bleeding and the healing potion he had kept from those he took to Fleur for the wretched woodsmith had worked to heal the scratches and bites he had gotten from Fleur’s vicious cat. He remembered stories of the Huntsman of Adamos having his novice huntsmen and foresters train felines and canines as protection companions.

Corbin walked into the old sawmill as if he owned it because he did. Officially, he had been the foreman, and the family he formerly served owned it but the current lord was unaware that he had transferred the ownership when the previous lord of the house was killed by the Guardian and the Oracle. He had tracked the late Guardian to the Southern Star Archipelago several times before his death, but he had never been able to find what the High Lord of Adamos had been doing here. There was no wealth to be made in searching for a dead man’s secret. There were too many other things going on at that time during the war.

Corbin had ‘retired’ to Arboria after then-First Protector Colby of Orion and Guardsmen Admin Rheema had discovered someone was breaching the Guardsmen’s Secure Database and selling the info to the Dark Prince’s allies. They had planted thousands of pieces in false information which had almost cost Corbin his life at the hands of an assassin. He had disappeared to Oceania rather than end up in a liquid fire bath. He had run the Twin Trees Sawmill under the stipulation that only normal colored wood was to be exported while the exotic colored wood was studied. The sawmill hadn’t made money because of the expense of exporting the wood and he had closed it. Only two sawmills had stayed in business until the two-hundred-year ban on exporting the exotic colored wood ended by selling wood for fuel and supplying the Southern Seas Shipyards.

He had parlayed his position as former mill foreman and a retired guardsman to become the Protector in Lumberton. For nearly a century, he had used his position to run and protect a small group of thieves. Every few years he ‘retired’ them and kept the profits for himself. In the corner of the first floor, seven bodies were wrapped in tarps because the ground was too frozen to bury them.

Four men were huddled on the second floor around a woodburning stove. All were wounded. One had a patch over his face and eye. All had bandages on their arms and legs.

Corbin looked around at them and shook his head. “Well... well... well... What happened to all of you?”

The one who lost his eye snarled, “You said the Healer would be travelling, that we could ransom her. But there was only that warrior and then a swordswoman with warrior magic and a novice archer showed up with war-trained animals. That damned feline took my eye.”

“Woren is right, you should have warned us there was a patrol.” Another shook his bandaged hand at Corbin. “The warhound almost took my hand off after that warrior shot me. If I hadn’t been wearing my armor, I’d be dead. You said it would be easy wealth, but we live like rats in this frozen factory... I came from Aetheria because we were in the corps toge...”

Corbin removed his head before he could finish.

“Why did you do that?” A tall one backed away.

“Because Muick, I don’t like complainers.” Corbin said coldly. “I hired you all. I kept you out of the King’s prison, and you can’t even get to the crossroads in time to grab a single female healer traveling alone. And as for a warrior... Ha! The man you attacked was a houseless woodsmith traveling alone.”

“No, he had warrior magic, his eyes glowed, just like the white-haired woman’s, ” Muick declared.

“He has no magic and neither does she!” Corbin snarled at them, “The only white-haired woman in Soldiers Cove is blind, you fools... Are you sure you want to claim that a blind woman did this to you? Why did you even attack that simple woodsmith? His tools wouldn’t have brought more than a hand full of coins, and he is no warrior. I’ve met him. I had to pretend to start an investigation.”

“We’re sorry, Protector Corbin.” The half-blinded Woren said.

“Woren, recruit some locals, I’ll give you a list of candidates. We have the winter harvest which means the return of lumbermen, they will all be carrying enough coin and gem to cover their room and board for the lumbering season. The fleet will be here for the spring crab harvest, that means mariners and fishermen with coin coming ashore. And at the end of the summer, there is going to be a big woodcrafts fair on all the islands to celebrate the opening of the isles to exports. We are going to have a lot of wealth moving through the Southern Star, I expect you to do your jobs and make sure part of it stays here. You will get your share then you can leave through the portals and I never want to see any of you again.”

“What about those we hire here?” Muick asked.

“Don’t worry about them. I’ll handle their... relocation.” Corbin smiled at them and the room seemed to grow colder.