PART 3

Chapter 1: Meeting of Minds

    Riselle met with Amadi at his forge to discuss Zephyr’s readiness after his assassin’s training.

    At first Zephyr stood outside like a recalcitrant schoolboy, then decided to make himself a part of the decision. He’d passed both his training and his tests, and after being captured, no one was going to decide his fate without his knowledge, permission, or participation.

   When the door to the forge opened, they looked at him in surprise.

   “You’re not supposed to–” Riselle stated.

   “I can, and I am.” His tone was quiet, but she and Amadi both knew there would be no gainsaying him short of fighting him, which looking at the coiled spring his tone implied, neither of them wanted to do.

   Amadi kicked-shoved a chair over to him.

   Zephyr spun it around and sat backwards, his arms on the backrest. “So what have two decided for me?”

   “The talk of revolt grows,” Riselle said.

   “ And the slave markets are expanding,” Amadi said. “We don’t want another Kenjin. The realm has over its share of servants through its conquests and politics.”

   “ It does for now,” Zephyr said. “Servants die, and replacements are needed, are they not?”

   They looked at him for a moment before Riselle answered. “If they revolt against the markets, and don’t win, the nobility and their allies will strip us of the land through exile and execution, and seize it for themselves. Then it will be the rebels themselves in the markets.”

   “So what can we do?”

   “The Guild has been asked to join the rebellion.” Riselle said.

   “I thought we owed ‘allegiance to those who will pay us’,” he smirked at Riselle.

   “They’re willing to pay us, Zephyr.” Amadi said.

   “You’re an assassin?” He looked at Amadi in surprise. “I don’t understand. You came here a free man.”

   “I did, but I wasn’t always. This goes well beyond us all.” 

   “How so?”

   “The slavers of Kenjin want to expand, to take over the smaller markets and place them all in the cities. They are no longer content to sell prisoners and hostages whose families defaulted on ransom, or even rebels.

    “They’re paying the nobles to raise armies and capture the realm’s peasantry, seize farms, and create a new supply of Dociles.”

    “To what end?” 

    Riselle sighed at his denseness. “From there, Zephyr, they will fight among themselves to carve out the biggest piece for one of them to rule the others. It began all those years ago, when they brought you and your friend here.”

     “We want it stopped.” Amadi said.

     “What can I do to help?”

    Riselle took a deep breath before answering. “The Guild wants you to kill Karis and Gale.”

    The moment had come. 

    He fell silent, thinking. 

    Gale had known Karis wanted to expand, but likely didn’t know it was a kingdom goal.

    He’d been willing to protect her, so if there was a way to save her from death, especially at his hands, he had to find it. 

    Gods be damned, I do love her. We gave each other our true names.

    “Are there any noble houses on your side?”

    “If they are, they haven’t come forward to say.” Amadi offered. 

    “And even if they do, we can’t trust them.” Riselle said. “Amadi and I brought you here because we know you were in Kenjin with Gale, and we need to ask now if you will join us in stopping Kenjin?” 

    “Don’t answer too quickly. Consider your words.” Amadi said. 

    So Karis knew where I lived though I told no one, and these two knew I was in Kenjin though I told no one. Spies, indeed. I’ll have to rid myself of hands that would make me a martyred pawn.

     For a few moments they listened to the fire’s crackle, a contemplative silence falling on the room as his both his forge mentor and blade trainer waited for his answer.

     He closed his eyes and settled himself, concentrating on the fire’s hiss and pop.

     “Zephyr?” Riselle’s prompting, an echoing whisper from another world.

     He didn’t see her grip the handle of her knife, or Amadi slowly reach for his own.

     In another moment or so, he gave them his answer with a nod. 

     “I’ll help you. But I won’t kill Gale, let me–”
      “I’ll do it,” Riselle said.

      Amadi groaned inwardly. Foolish girl, she didn’t know.

      “I was going to say, let me talk to her. Riselle, if I won’t kill her, that means you can’t.”

      “I outrank you.”

      “I don’t care.” He stood up.

      “Both of you, stop this.” Amadi stepped between them. “It grows late, and cold. We’ll speak no more about it tonight. Rest here, and we’ll see what the morning brings.

      “Zephyr, help me bring in more logs for the fire.”

      He dared not leave the two of them. 

      Zephyr, not trusting himself, gladly took the offer.

      Riselle, also grateful for the break, stayed inside lighting candles and pouring wine that would see them all sleep well.