Malice

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CORBAN

‘What in Asroth’s Otherworld is the King’s Justice?’ asked Farrell as he munched on a cold leg of chicken.

Corban was sitting in the back of a large wain, bumping along the giantsway, sitting with about a dozen other boys. All of them were eyeing him — or more accurately, the bundle of fur that poked out from under his arm — with varying degrees of curiosity and caution. Farrell was the only one that had actually spoken to him since he climbed into the wain, although all of the others were listening avidly to their conversation.

‘It’s an ancient law,’ said Corban. ‘If you invoke it then your grievance can only be judged by the king.’

‘Asroth’s teeth, I’ve never ’eard of that before,’ whistled Farrell, spitting food everywhere.

‘As I said, it’s an ancient law. I don’t think it’s been used since Ard’s reign.’

‘How’d you know ’bout it, then?’

‘Brina told me.’

‘That witch?’ spluttered Farrell.

‘She’s a healer,’ Corban muttered distractedly. Dark clouds sat on the horizon and a strong, sharp wind was swirling about him.

Glancing down at the bundle of fur nestled in the crook of his arm, he sighed. What am I doing? he thought. I must be going mad. He remembered Evnis shouting at him in the glade and knew he had to do this.

The dead and wounded from the glade had been bound to horses and led slowly out of the Baglun, a rider sent ahead to fetch Brina and any other healers that could make it to the fortress that night. Vonn had fainted when lifted from the ground. Corban remembered his limbs hanging limply as he was carried from the glade.

‘So, what’re you going to do with it?’ Farrell said, nodding at the cub.

‘I suppose that will be for Queen Alona to decide.’

‘Aye,’ Farrell nodded. ‘I s’pose so.’

‘Thank you,’ Corban said, ‘for coming back.’

Farrell grunted.

The fortress of Dun Carreg appeared in the distance. Iron-grey clouds were sweeping in from the sea, causing the day to darken early. The taste of salt was on Corban’s lips, this far inland, and gulls were swirling along the coastline, white specks in the sky.

A storm was coming.