The Shadow Roads

Twenty

The cells smelled of mold, damp stone, and candle smoke.Toren took the lantern from the guard and hung it on a rusted hook.

“Dease?” came a voice from within the cell.

“No, Cousin, it is I.”

Samul’s face, paler than Toren remembered, appeared in thebarred frame of the small window. “Toren. No doubt my reputation forhospitality has drawn you.”

“Yes, that was it,” Toren said.

Samul gazed at him a moment, saying nothing. Samul’s thoughtswere always hidden, and here, in the shadows, Toren could not hope to read hiscousin’s face. Rage might lurk behind those eyes, but Toren would never know.After all, Samul had plotted to murder him, and Toren had not guessed it.

“What brought you back, Cousin?” Toren asked. “You agreednever to return to Renne lands. Have you forgotten our bargain?”

“Have you forgotten that I saved you from Beld?”

Toren paused. “I remember that you tried to murder me,Samul.”

Samul took a step back, almost disappearing into the gloom ofhis cell. His voice echoed a little against the hard walls. “Yes, but then youwere betraying us to the Wills-all your vain attempts to make peace. If you’dlistened to me, you’d be ready for the war you are fighting now. You werewrong, Toren, and I was right.”

“Yes, in some ways you were right, but when I disagree witha member of my family I don’t try to murder him.”

“And how many lives will be lost because you were pursuingan impossible peace with an intractable enemy? Your death would have savedlives.”

Toren shook his head sadly. There would be an undeniablelogic to Samul’s argument. Beld might have tried to murder him from hatred,but not Samul. He would only have done it out of conviction.

“I cannot trust you, Samul Renne,” Toren said softly. “Youshouldn’t have come here.”

He could hear Samul’s breathing-exasperated.

“I was spewed out of a little hole in the earth into ashallow stream,” Samul said disdainfully. “A patrol found me as I made my wayto the river. I had no idea where I was. Certainly, nothing would have inducedme to set foot on Renne lands, for our bargain was still sharp in my mind.”

Samul appeared at the window again, the shadows of the barsdrawing dark streaks upon his face. “Coming here was an accident, Toren. Iswear it.”

Toren nodded. He did not really doubt it. Samul was toosmart to have returned to Renne lands.

“What will I do with you now, Samul?” Toren said. “I sworethat if you returned to Renne lands, you would pay for your plot against me.What will I do with you now?”

“Can you not let me go?” Samul whispered.

Toren paused a moment, sadness settling upon him like aweight. “If you were me, is that what you would do?”

“No,” Samul said. Toren could see him shake his head. “No.It’s not what I would do.”

Their silence filled the dank chambers. The guard coughed athis post. Toren could hear Samul breathing raggedly, wondering if he had justpronounced his own death sentence.

“You could let me escape. I would disappear, Toren. Youwould never hear my name again.”

Toren did not answer. It was the easy decision-and leaderscould not always take the easy way. What message would Samul’s release send?That Toren Renne was so softhearted that he could not even execute his ownassassins!

“I can’t let you go, Samul. You know that.”

“Then why have you come here?”

“I don’t know. To find out why you were here. To tell you myselfwhat will be done.”

“And what will be done?”

“You shall meet the executioner, and I shall weep for yourloss, for the love I feel for you.”

Toren turned and started down the passageway between thenarrow cells. He had not gone five paces when Samul called out.

“You might cut off my head, but I am still loyal to myfamily, despite all that you might think. I will give you this one last gift,Toren Renne: another matter where I am right and you are wrong. I have beenspeaking with Lord Carl across the corridor. Vast is a traitor. Carl A’denne istelling the truth. Vast will betray us.”

Toren stopped only an instant. “Vast will not betray us,” hesaid, and went on.

At the top of the stairs he met Dease, who hurried down a corridorbearing a paper, folded and sealed.

“A Fael brought this,” Dease said. “It is from A’brgail.”Toren broke the seal and opened the letter, walking a few paces into the lightof a lantern.

Lord Toren:

I have just arrived at the Fael encampment where the Westbrookmeets the Wynnd. Elise Wills is here, and much is afoot. I think I will be offthis night, and would like the honor of your counsel before I set out.

Your servant, Gilbert A’brgail

Toren looked up to find Dease watching him closely.

“Will you have a horse readied for me, Cousin? I will rideto the Fael encampment within the hour.”

“I will have guards ready to accompany you as well.”

Toren nodded. “Do you know where I might find Fondor?”

“In his rooms, why?”

“I must arrange an execution.” Toren set off down the passage.

He found Fondor in the company of Lady Beatrice, both seatedby a cold hearth, now barred with steel against chimney sweep spies. Torenlooked at the letter again. It was from Kel-intelligence from his many spies.

“But why would Hafydd go off now? We are at war.”

Fondor shrugged. “I don’t pretend to know the mind of thatblackguard. Kel says that the army and the allies of the late Prince of Innesare unhappy, restless. They resent Hafydd, and now that he is gone they see achance to take control of the army again.”

“It sounds like wishful thinking to me,” Toren retorted. Helooked down at the letter again. “If A’denne has gone off with Hafydd, then hisson, Carl, is either mistaken about his father’s loyalties, or he is lying.And this legless man-”

“Kai, whom we had here beneath our roof and whom we let fallinto Hafydd’s hands,” Toren’s mother said. She put a hand to her brow a momentand gave her head a quick shake.

“And this about Beldor …” Toren said. “Beldor was snatchedup by one of Death’s servants. If the rest of this letter is as truthful asthat, how reliable can it be?”

Fondor looked at Lady Beatrice as though he worried Torenwas raving. “Kel thinks this news is reliable,” Fondor said, “and Kel is notoften mistaken.”

“Yes,” Toren said softly. “Yes. You’re right. Kel is notoften wrong.” He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the finallight of day, the growing shadows. “I will go out to the Fael encampment andspeak with A’brgail and Lady Elise,” he said.

“And I will see to the execution,” Fondor said. “I hope you’reright about this, Toren.”

“So do I, Cousin.”

Fondor made a quick bow to his aunt and went out, his boots echoingdown the passage outside. Toren listened to them fade before he turned to findhis mother regarding him. He often thought she must have been very beautiful inher youth, and her poise and grace were undiminished by time. But her face wasso careworn now. It made him sad to see it. The burden of his father in histower was great. It would almost be better if the man died, instead of comingback to sanity every now and then-like a man coming back to life, then dyingonly to be reborn. One could never quite stop grieving-or hoping.

“Yes?” Toren said after a moment.

“There is one other matter I think you must attend to,” shesaid.

“Only one?”

“One that matters. You need to visit Llyn”-she took a deepbreath-“and make her realize that her hopes for you are vain.”

Toren began to protest, but then realized that his motherwould not listen to this, now. When she had set her mind to a thing, there wasno denying it.

“But Llyn has so … little,” he said weakly.

“Lord Carral loves her,” Lady Beatrice said.

“But he is a Wills.”

“Then let her become a Wills!” his mother snapped. “Itmatters not.

She deserves more than her books and her garden. You knowshe does.” Toren nodded. “When I return from the Fael.” His mother nodded, herface softening. She even favored him with a small smile.