‘I think that will do for now,’ said Kaira, sheathing her own sword.
‘Yes. Thank you, Kaira. That was most enlightening.’
Kaira nodded her reply, then turned to leave the chamber. She instantly realised she should have taken the Helsbayn from Janessa’s hands first, but by then it was too late.
It was probably youthful exuberance that made Janessa raise the sword one more time. It was her inexperience and the thrill of combat instruction that made her go for one last swing. Kaira had seen it so many times before in the training yard, when green recruits would get carried away with themselves. It rarely ended well.
Janessa raised the blade, this time faster than before, bringing it down in a sweeping motion that made a whooshing sound as the runic blade cut the air.
Kaira’s heart almost stopped.
The blade sheered away half the plinth on which it had been standing and both women watched as the corner of the stone block toppled to the ground, some of it shattering into pieces. They stood in silence for a moment, neither of them quite understanding what had happened.
The plinth was solid granite. No ordinary weapon could have sliced it asunder so easily, and this one was in the hands of a novice, scarcely more than a girl.
Janessa looked at Kaira, the Helsbayn still gripped in her small hands.
Then they laughed.
Kaira walked forward and gently took the weapon from Janessa. Still it felt heavy and clumsy in her grip and Kaira struggled to sheath it.
‘I think perhaps we should leave this here,’ said Kaira, leaning the sword up against what was left of the plinth.
‘I think you may be right,’ Janessa replied.
They both left the room, still smiling. Merrick glanced at them questioningly, but neither woman was ready to tell him what had happened.
The two Sentinels escorted their queen back to her rooms where her governess could attend her. They spent the rest of the day guarding their liege, but Kaira never felt it was appropriate to tell Merrick what had happened. Some part of her was grateful to have shared a private moment with Janessa, which for now she was happy to keep to herself.
Later, when Waldin and Statton had taken over their duty, they had both returned to the barracks. Merrick was silent all the while. Normally Kaira would have welcomed the peace and quiet but she could see he was still troubled as he stared out across the training yard.
‘What ails you?’ she asked, finding his silence almost as disquieting as his constant chatter. ‘You’ve been acting strangely all day.’
Merrick turned to her, annoyance on his face. ‘Did you not hear him? Did you not take note as he announced himself to the court like a noble of the provinces? Tannick Ryder? Lord Marshal he calls himself now. How apt.’
Silently Kaira cursed herself for her stupidity. How had she not made the connection? Kaira had been so shocked by the sudden arrival of their new allies she hadn’t even thought that the Lord Marshal of the Wyvern Guard bore Merrick’s name.
Merrick looked back out across the yard where the Wyvern Guard had trained until sundown, before disappearing into the chambers set aside for them.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.’ Kaira could barely remember the conversation they’d had weeks before when Merrick had told the tale of being abandoned by his father. ‘I never thought-’
‘No, well you wouldn’t, would you. We have the queen to protect, that’s all you can focus on right now.’
‘Stop acting the child, Merrick. You’re a man grown. I understand it must be a shock, but he’s here now. If you have an issue then go over there and speak to him.’
A simple solution, but one Merrick was not ready to try. He merely shook his head, letting out a long petulant sigh.
Kaira found it difficult to understand his problem. She had never known her own parents, having been brought to the Temple of Autumn as an infant. Had she suddenly had the opportunity to speak to one of them she doubted she would have had problems. But then she faced her difficulties head on, unlike Merrick, who took every opportunity to avoid them. Even if it meant running from something right in front of his nose.
‘You don’t know him,’ Merrick said bitterly. ‘You don’t know what he’s like. He’s not going to greet me with open arms. We were hardly close.’
‘Then why let it bother you? If you hate the man so much then forget he’s even here. It’s likely he’ll do the same.’
Kaira instantly regretted her comment. With Merrick so obviously finding this challenging it had been an insensitive thing to say, but tact had never been her strong point.
‘Yeah, forget he’s even here. That’s a good idea. Right up there with “why don’t you stop drinking and join a bunch of celibate knights devoted to protecting the palace with their lives”. I’m sure I’ll be able to manage it. Just forget the father you haven’t seen for eighteen years. The one that abandoned you and your mother to a life of penury.’
‘Then go and confront him.’ This was beginning to annoy her. She knew that Tannick had indeed abandoned Merrick and his mother, but by all accounts he had left them a generous estate. ‘Your paths are bound to cross sooner or later. It’s no use putting it off.’
Merrick stared hard at her. Then his expression softened. ‘You’re right. I should just go over there. Introduce myself. Show him I’m carrying on the family tradition.’ He began to smooth out his uniform. ‘Show him I’m not a complete failure.’
Before he could move, the door to the chamber opened. Garret strode in, lit ominously by the winking candlelight. Kaira quickly stood to attention, but the captain was focused on Merrick.
‘I meant to come earlier, but I’ve had business to attend to,’ he said.
‘I’m sure,’ replied Merrick, glancing again across the courtyard. ‘I was just thinking of attending to some business of my own. He should know I’m here. That I’m still alive.’
Garret cast his eyes at the ground, his mouth moving as though he had something to say but couldn’t decide the right way of putting it. ‘He knows,’ he said eventually. ‘He already knows you’re here.’
There was a pause.
‘And?’ said Merrick.
‘And he doesn’t want to see you.’
‘He doesn’t want to see me? Are you fucking joking? He’s the one that left.’
‘It’s come as sudden news, what happened to you, your mother, your estate. And he has other responsibilities now.’
‘What the fuck does he know about responsibilities?’
Garret’s jaw set and he addressed Merrick sternly. ‘It is a great honour to be appointed Lord Marshal of the Wyvern Guard. A responsibility only he could rise to, only he could accomplish. It won’t have been easy for him.’
‘It wasn’t easy for me. You know it wasn’t. Yes, I’ve made some poor choices, but that’s behind me now. Even though I’m here — even though I’m the queen’s personal guard — he still doesn’t want to see me?’
‘I’m sure he’s proud in his own way. There is just too much going on-’
‘Fuck him then. Let him play at being the noble knight. He was always more interested in soldiers and horses than he was in his family, anyway.’ Merrick turned back to the window.
Garret made to speak again, but thinking better of it he left the room.
Kaira came over to Merrick, but she had no words for him.
‘What an arsehole,’ Merrick said.
Kaira couldn’t bring herself to disagree.
THIRTEEN
There were few things Waylian had experienced that could beat a hot bath. But of all the baths he’d had in his life, this was by far the most welcome. It was as if he were sloughing off the past few weeks of pain and misery; the biting cold, the endless riding, the awful company. All that suffering was drifting away like steam from the water’s surface.
Waylian had no idea whose room this was, though from the books and paraphernalia that adorned the shelves it must have been a senior magister. It was unusual indeed that an apprentice like him should be granted the honour of a hot bath rather than a rub down with a damp soapy rag, and in the chambers of a senior member of the Caste, no less. But then Waylian had accomplished a most unusual and dangerous mission.