He propped Honor's Face shaft-down on the ground, giving all a good view of its mirror side. "Your loyalty and bravery are commendable," Kaz returned, playing on those traits the minotaur race respected most. "And I am honored by your actions. But this is a thing I have to do on my own. It must be done this way, for in crowded Nethosak, stealth will serve me better than an army." He dipped his head in gratitude. "I appreciate that you want to help, but I must reject the offer."
Brogan was not to be put off. "Kaz – "
Straightening to his full height, Kaz growled, "That is my command, Brogan."
The riders grew silent. Brogan finally nodded. "We will wait for you, then… but if you do not return after a reasonable time, we will come to help you." Others nodded or grunted their agreement. The one-horned minotaur raised a hand. "Victorious journey, Kaziganthi."
One by one, the other minotaurs followed suit until the entire band had saluted him. Kaz raised a hand in return.
Then, with Brogan leading, the riders turned their mounts and rode off, heading for their dwellings.
"You realize now they won't stop at simply putting your mark on the entrance of their dwellings, don't you? You've started giving them outright commands. By doing so, you've acquiesced to being their leader… their clan leader."
Kaz almost dropped the axe. "I don't want that! I should go after them now and-"
"And do nothing." Helati sighed. "My love, you might not want to be clan leader, but I know you too well. You won't let others take a risk that you can take yourself. To our people, that is the sign of a true leader, not like those who rule our race now."
"Then our race consists of a bunch of fools-with me the biggest fool of all."
"And I am a bigger fool for loving you." She embraced him. "I wish there were another way. I don't want to lose both you and my brother."
Kaz snorted, trying to sound like the reckless warrior he had once been. "You won't lose us. I'll bring Hecar back. He's probably stopped to talk to every female in the kingdom, that's all."
Stepping away, the minotaur warrior swung the axe back into its harness. He mounted, purposely looking away from Helati as he did. The thought of leaving her was almost unbearable.
"May your father watch over you, Kaz."
He pictured Ganth, so tall in the memory of his son. It was Ganth's example that Kaz had followed all his life. At that moment, Kaz realized he had become more like his father since his encounter with Huma and the others. Would his father or his mother, Kyri, for whom he had named his son, have journeyed back to Nethosak on such an insane quest? Both of them had gone down with their vessel, Gladiator.
It doesn't really matter what anyone else would do, Kaz decided. I'm the one going.
"Kaz…"
He looked down at Helati. Even in the dark, he could see the set expression on her face.
"If you don't come back soon, I, too, will follow. Some how I will."
"I'll be back."
Turning away, he prodded the horse. The animal started off at a fast trot. He did not look back. He did not dare to do so. If he had, the minotaur was certain he would have turned around and stayed home, never leaving the solace of his mate's side again.
Nothing else slowed him as he left the settlement. The other dwellings were dark, but Kaz knew that not only those who had tried to join him but also many who had not were peering from the shadows. He had never wanted to be a leader, not really, but he could not help feeling some pride.
Before long, there was nothing to give sign that anyone lived in the area at all. Kaz had initially chosen the location because of its remoteness. He cared little for visitors or passersby. While he had become resigned to the influx of new settlers, he was pleased that few others sojourned to this hard land. There had been the occasional trader and, once, a foolhardy band of robbers who had not understood what it meant to steal from a minotaur, but otherwise his people lived in peace. That would change someday, but hopefully not too soon.
Dawn came and went. The day was cool and a little overcast, fair traveling weather. Kaz paused only to deal with necessities, such as feeding and watering his mount. The empire city was far enough without wasting time. He prayed to Paladine and Kiri-Jolith that nothing terrible had happened to Helati's brother. If Hecar was harmed however, Kaz would see to it that the perpetrator regretted his act for the short time he still lived. Kaz had not become so peaceful that he was above meting out justice in time-honored minotaur fashion.
By nightfall Kaz had to admit that it might be better to bed down than continue on. It was an oddly starless evening, so dark that he could barely see even the shadow of his hand in front of his face. He found a reasonable site two intertwined trees that would give him some concealment and allow him room to fight if the need arose, then set about taking care of the horse and building a camp.
It had been a good day's journey. As he settled down by his small fire, Honor's Face beside him, Kaz hoped that for the next several days he would be able to make similar progress. Near the lands of the twin kingdoms the going would be slower, but he saw no reason why the trek to that point should not proceed smoothly. The landscape consisted mainly of wooded areas until the extensive mountain range running along the upper half of the eastern edge of Ansalon. Fortunately, one could ride on the east or the west slope and avoid having to cross the heights. Only when he reached the southern borders of his people's self-proclaimed empire would the peaks cause him some difficulty, but Kaz, like most minotaurs, knew the best paths.
Kaz only hoped Hecar was not in any immediate trouble. He stared at the fire, wondering what it would be like to return to the homeland.
When he started to doze, he could not say. It was only when he saw that the fire was about to go out that Kaz realized he had fallen asleep. His hand gripped the shaft of the axe, but there was no obvious sign of danger. Kaz snorted in annoyance at his own jumpiness and started to work on the fire.
He had just finished rekindling the fire when he heard a branch snap.
Kaz eased his way to Honor's Face, clutching the axe and slowly bringing it to hand. Having wandered for several years before settling down with Helati, the minotaur was more than familiar with night visitors. It was the best time for beasts and bandits to ply their trade, and he had met more than his share of both during his various travels. Once he had even faced a scaled abomination resembling a dragon, the result of a mad mage's effort to create the perfect warrior for the Dark Queen. That had been the worst of the lot, as far as Kaz was concerned. Abomination or bandit, I've no time for such games anymore, Kaz thought as he peered into the darkness. If it won't come to me, I'll go to it.
He really had no evidence that it was anything more than an animal, but Kaz had discovered long ago that he had some sort of instinct, a sixth sense, that more often than not differentiated between what was simply a deer or raccoon and what was worse. It might not be a threat, but then again…
His horse, too, was alert, though from long training it did not budge. Kaz stepped away from the fire, trying to determine exactly from which direction the noise had come. To his left, he decided. Cautiously, the seasoned warrior started that way, moving with surprising silence for one of his bulk. Most assumed a minotaur relied on brute strength and was therefore neither swift nor cunning. Being underestimated by his adversaries had proven to Kaz's advantage more than once.