When the men returned from fishing, theboys had a dinner of rabbit stew waiting for them. Master Markelwalked over to the pot and inhaled deeply. “That smells mightygood, boys,” he remarked. “Master Clava and I have kept some oftoday’s catch for dinner, but what you have smells a bit moreappetizing.”
“I think we can have the stewand the fish,” added Konic. “It’s not right to waste good food. Didyou have a good day hunting?”
Arik and Tedi had agreed to be honestwith their fathers and explained about running into the bandit atthe inn. Tedi went on to explain how he had run into the bandits’camp two nights ago and the bandit had hurled the deadly littlestar at him. The boys continued talking over dinner and theirfathers seemed content to listen. Tedi had expected his father tobe furious, but Alan’s facial expression was one ofconcern.
After dinner, Alan and Konic sattalking quietly while the boys cleaned the dishes and pots. Tedithought his father looked happier than he had at anytime in thelast three years. When the boys were all done with their chores,Alan spoke. “We are going to post a guard tonight and every nightuntil things quiet down in Lorgo,” he announced. “Tedi, give thatstar weapon to Master Clava. Arik, you are going to have the lastwatch, so you should get to sleep right away. Tedi will wake youwhen it is your turn. Everyone is to be awakened if you even thinkthere may be a problem. I will take first watch.”
Tedi handed the star to Konic. Alanindicated that Tedi should sit next to him so they could talkwithout disturbing Arik. Konic stuck the weapon in his pouch andstarted walking towards town. “Where is Master Clava going?” Tediinquired.
“He is going to talk with yourbandit,” Alan said quietly.
Arik shivered as he watched his fatherwalk away from the campsite.
Chapter 4
Bandit
Konic Clava walked into the common roomat the Fisherman’s Inn and looked around. It did not take him longto pick out the man in black seated by himself in the corner, nordid it surprise him that the man had already inspected thenewcomer. Konic understood why the man was seated alone. No one whovalued their life would voluntarily sit with a man whom soobviously reeked of death, at least not while there was anotheropen seat in the common room. There were other open seats as thenumber of travelers to Lorgo had steadily decreased since theCollapse, as they had everywhere else. Still, Konic marched overand sat across the table from the mysterious killer. And a killerhe surely was. Konic could see death in the man’s icy blue eyes.The man’s hands carried the calluses of both sword and bow, as wellas some that Konic could not identify. The bandit sat, bowstringtaut, ready to spring in any direction at a moment’s notice, yet hegave the casual appearance of relaxing with his drink. The manmight not be a bandit at all, Konic pondered, more likely anassassin.
A young town girl came over to take hisorder. “Good evening, Master . . .”
“Just an ale, girl,” Konicinterrupted. “And I’ll signal if I wish another.”
The girl left with a puzzled look andKonic turned his attention back to the mysterious man who waslooking out towards the rest of the common room, though Konic wassure that the man was watching his every move.
“Can I get you a drink whenthe girl returns, stranger?” Konic asked.
“I am well cared for,fisherman,” the bandit smoothly replied.
The bandit’s accent was slight, butobviously not Sordoan. “You are not Sordoan, I see,” heremarked.
The bandit blinked at him beforereplying. “No one is Sordoan anymore,” he stated flatly. “And if Icame from anywhere around your town, you would surely already knowme. What is it you wish to ask me that comes so slowly to yourtongue?”
The man was no fool, but Konic hadalready determined that. The problem would be getting any usefulinformation from him. Konic was sure that the man could lie with asstraight a face as if he were telling the truth. It was also clearfrom the man’s behavior that he did not consider Konic as a threat,only a distraction from watching the other people in the commonroom. “I am just curious what brings someone of your obvious skillto such a small town as Lorgo,” Konic finally asked.
The girl brought Konic’s mug of ale andgave him a puzzled look but did not say anything.
“I am just traveling through,”smiled the bandit. “Who can say what makes a man travel anyparticular road any more than what makes a soldier settle down andtake up fishing?”
Konic was startled. Not manytownspeople even knew that he had been in the Army when he wasyounger. Surely the sword calluses were long gone and covered byyears of fishing. How could this simple bandit know that? Thenagain, this was no simple bandit, Konic reminded himself. The manhad all the poise of a person who had spent his whole life in theArmy. Perhaps he is a forward scout for one of the many warringarmies ravaging Sordoa. Then again, most of the bandits plaguingthe world had been soldiers at one time or another. “We’ve hadtrouble with bandits invading the town before,” Konic finally said.“If that is your intention, I would like to dissuade you from thethought.”
“If that is your truepurpose,” the bandit smiled, “you can leave now, satisfied that youhave accomplished your mission. I have not seen much in your townthat would interest a group of bandits.”
The bandit’s smile told Konic that theman had not bought his story, but surely he could not know whyKonic was here. Even Konic was not sure exactly why he was here. Hewanted the boys safe and he suspected that this man might beharmful to them, but why? What did the bandit want here? How couldhe find out? Finally he decided, as he did most other times, thatthe truth was usually the best course. “I lost my wife to banditsthree years ago,” Konic declared bitterly, “and all I have left ismy son. If you are here to harm him or his friend, I will killyou.”
When the bandit made no comment, Konicshakily continued. “I know you are a man of great skill and youthink my threat idle and boastful, but I assure you that I will notrest until your bones are scattered to the vultures.” Konic tookthe star weapon out of his pouch and slammed it on the table. Alleyes in the common room turned at the sound and the bandit sweptthe star up and out of sight before Konic could see the man’s handmove.
The bandit rose and gently touchedKonic’s sleeve. “Let us walk,” he simply whispered and strode outthe door of the inn. Konic rose unsteadily and followed. The mancould easily kill him outside and be out of town before anyone evennoticed, but Konic had a duty to his son that nobody would frightenhim out of. When Master Clava had gone through the door, he saw thebandit leaning lazily against a post as if he had not a care in theworld. He was holding the star weapon in his right hand.
“Was this given to you by yourson?” the bandit asked.
“His friend,” Konic responded.“The son of my friend. He says you almost killed him withit.”
The bandit just nodded and before Konicrealized it, the man in black had three of the stars in his hands.He turned casually and nodded at a sign across the street. Thebandit threw the three stars, one at a time, at the sign. All threeof them landed inside a letter O in the sign. “If I had wanted toharm the boy, rest assured that you would not now be talking to meabout him.”
Konic followed the bandit across thestreet to retrieve the stars with his mouth hanging open. “The boywas attempting to sneak into my campsite and thought no one couldhear him. I scared him away. That is all there is toit.”
Konic nodded as the bandit pried thethree stars out of the sign. He handed one of them to Konic.“Return this to Tedi, that it might remind him to neverunderestimate his opponent. It is called a Lanoirian Star and it isa potent weapon in experienced hands. Perhaps he will learn how touse it.”