Frays In The Weave 62 Regrets: 1

He swore and ducked under a wild swing. Stepping inside the guard of his opponent he stabbed with his knife and withdrew. The man gasped and went limp.

A short dash brought Harbend to the next defender, and he cut him down from behind. Aphitus nodded and together they advanced over the courtyard. They sprinted across it and took cover behind a low wall before anyone could get a good aim at them.

Aphitus stepped out of cover and made a rude gesture before jumping back. Two bolts slammed into the wall and both men rushed across the courtyard one again. The heavy crossbow might punch through almost any armour, but it took forever to reload. Harbend waited as long as a quick crossbowman would take and jumped into the open and back again.

They aimed almost as bad as they thought, and another bolt went wide.

He hoped Escha jumped the rest at the exact time. Sooner or later someone would get lucky and Harbend had no wish to take a bolt when he was this close.

Yells of frustration and fear told him it was unlikely. Then the sounds of metal reached him from behind the walls. They were going to finish their deadly work this time as well, but there had been a price. Two of Karia's men lay wounded, and Harbend wasn't sure both would survive the night.

He followed Aphitus to the gates and forced his way inside when they were opened. The fighting was all but over and the time for revenge had come. He accepted that word now. As much revenge as vengeance. The mission had taken a life of its own by now, but he didn't care. As long as the killing continued he had a reason to live. It had to continue. A bit of Nakora stayed alive, and even though he suspected that last remnant would die with his last victim there was no longer anything he could do about it. What had started must be finished.

When he came into the main building Karia made way for him. They had long since stepped aside when the real killing began. It was as if they no longer agreed with the necessity, but they simply couldn't understand. Not the way Harbend did. No one could. Nakora hadn't loved any of them, so they hadn't lost as he had.

As he killed the remaining members of the household he wondered about his own sanity, but if that was the price he had to pay he was willing to.

#

Escha nodded as Karia continued. "This has gone too far. We're nothing but murderers now."

"Would you have me break my promise now?" Escha asked?

Karia shrugged. He didn't know. "Are we to become the same as those we hunt? Isn't there a border you cross when breaking your word becomes the lesser evil?"

"That is a question you have to answer for yourself, young Graig," Escha said.

Karia looked among his men. He would get no help from them. They followed him out of loyalty. Just like Gring wore her honour like chains his men were tied to him in their own way. It had gone beyond right or wrong now. And a border had been crossed.

"I release my men from my word. I will break it myself."

Escha nodded, as did Gring to Karia's surprise.

"What we saw last night I will not be witness to again," Karia continued, "and nor will my men. Those were children. There's no possibility they had a hand in Nakora's murder." He had reneged on his word. Where shame and self-disgust should have been prevalent he only felt relief. A strange elation spread through him, and he smiled for the first time in days. "Who will tell Harbend?"

"I will," Escha said. "I got you into this. It is only fair I should get you out of it as well."

"And you?"

"I will keep my promise to him. He has after all already paid me for my services." Escha's smile belied his mercenary words, and Karia understood that Escha had never really cared for the fee he extracted.

"I don't believe I'll ever understand you," Karia agreed at last. "Are you all the same in Khanati?"

"No. We are as you. Humans with faults and merits, and individuality. I am Escha er Achnai Khar, responsible for my actions and with no common behaviour to hide behind." Escha let go of his smile. "You should remember that. It is never who we are and always about who I am."

The growl from behind him told Karia that Gring had understood as well. He wasn't entirely certain exactly what it was she had understood, but from her sound it was a profound truth indeed.

He stared at the ceiling. They really should be on their way before Harbend woke, but not before they had rattled enough weapons to convince any would be a.s.sa.s.sin that attacking Harbend this night would only be an exercise in futility. A deadly one.