Chapter 9; Trust (Click here to access Chapter 9)

Chapter 9; Trust

/House Rolan

/A sixth—two hours—before Theren’s Meeting

Theren’s discreet walk to Jutei was going to take at least a sixth longer. That gave Muriel enough time to take a carriage back to the Rolan manor and discuss matters with Lord Keran. Theren had never known, but Muriel only worked under her to deliver information to Keran. He’d found Theren’s system to be the most efficient—the one she’d built around Rean. He was the coverlord of Keran’s spies, but in truth all of his work was done with Rean. In a way, he’d betrayed Rean at every step, but revealed all of it only to her father, taking his command for it. There were missions that Theren did at times carry out without Sir Muriel’s help, because he did have knightly duties and personal work with Keran himself, so not all was told to Keran. 

Sir Muriel waited at the lords’ room in the Rolan Manor. 

He expected to meet both Rothrin, the commander of the Crocodiles, and Keran, of course. Muriel was dressed in a grey robe, as usual too long fitted for him; it draped over the heel of his foot and dragged along the ground. Muriel sometimes looked like he was floating on water when he smooth strutted down a street with his feet entirely out of sight.
Muriel stood at the entrance of the room with his arms folded. The room had a high ceiling, as did almost every manor in Loazer, but this in a special way. Rav Maki himself painted the walls and carved the ceiling. The walls had illustrations of Rolans’ triumphs in Loazer, as did the pillars outside of each Rolan’s corridor. Here, there was a depiction of all the higher families bowing to Georgon Rolan, the man who conquered the East. Proud men. Muriel thought, sneering. He looked back towards the beautiful paintings on the wall behind him. They were too painted by Rav Maki. A moment later the grand-bronze door rushed open as he turned back around. Wiola’s light shone brightly in a direct ray, focusing only on Muriel. Wiola’s light had a tendency to direct its light rays on living things more rather than on everything equally. Usually most things seemed slightly dimmer than living things, which always shined brightly. The short knight was towered over by the fat, old man Keran Rolan. He had a goblet of wine in his hand, and his slender son Rothrin stood behind him with his hair wavering down his shoulder, and a few of his guards stood with them, dressed in green painted armour. Rothrin was slender, tall, and had long wavy hair very similarly to Altheas Tansha. Save for it wasn’t blue.

‘Bloody hell, you’re short.’ Lord Rolan said.

‘As you’ve always said, and as always I accede to your wonderfully intricate description.’ Muriel said, with a wide and welcoming smile.

Keran raised an eyebrow, and took a large sip of his wine. He gestured with his cup-holding hand to a gentle paige, who went outside. Keran peeked down at Muriel’s robe, as did Rothrin, who had his hands folded behind his back.

‘Whereof is the news you bring?’ Keran asked, as he took a seat at the front of the table, Muriel to the seat on his right, and Rothrin on the left.

‘We have found out that the Triad are located in Jutei.’

‘Krilin’s grave, but how—’

‘Father.’ Lothar said, walking into the room. He was dressed in a long shirt falling over his red, striped legging. His hair stood straight up, and the light shined brightly on him. Keran turned around and grimaced, ‘What d’you want?’ 

‘You never let me come for a single coverlord sitting.’ 

‘Y’can’t. Your brother’s here already.’ He said. His paige came in to the room and filled his goblet up again. He took another sip as he frowned at his younger son.

‘But you’d let Nathanial sit too! Never me.’ 

‘Father, give the poor boy a chance.’ Rothrin said. He was standing up for his brother, no matter how much his brother betrayed him or irritated him. But off late Lothar had been acting odd, almost insecure, and so his brother stood up for him.

Keran stared at Lothar, thinking whether he should or shouldn’t.

‘I’d rather let y’sister sit ‘ere.’ He said.

‘Father, plea—’

‘Oh Krilin save me, shut up and sit down!’ Keran said in frustration. 

Lothar sat beside Rothrin, satisfied but unwilling to show it. He wore a glimpse of shame on his face, as he always did for some reason. Muriel had the slightest of smiles, taking interest at the family conflict.

‘Jutei? Have you found out why they’re here.’

‘Well, m’Lord, that’s why I’ve come here. I urge you to go, see for y’self.’

Muriel had a plan, a gamble, to move higher up in Keran’s ranking, but the gamble was that he’d reveal his actual methods of working  to Keran after sighting the Triad; he’d reveal Theren’s operation. He thought this would in fact be a risk, but he couldn’t continue secret, unwarranted meetings any further. He thought that Keran, judging through Theren’s spies’ efficiency, would allow the operation to run, with her spies, on an official level. It was a truly large gamble.

’You’ve sighted them?’

‘The very finest have, as always M’Lord.’

‘Karam-a q’a?’ Keran asked. You are sure?

‘They’ve been sighted, as I’ve told you.’

Keran didn't know what to say. This was the Triad, not a random trio of men. The most dangerous warriors in Kaandor. And yet, when their war is going on, they choose to come to Erhin.

What drove them to come here! Keran thought. Muriel, Rothrin, and Lothar stared at him, as stared of into the distance. 

‘Father?’ Rothrin asked.

‘So be it. We leave now. GET THE CARRIAGES READY!

‘Son, you will learn something today.’ Keran said to Rothrin. His younger brother looked at Keran and felt infuriated.
‘Father! Take me also.’

Keran cocked his head and looked at him, dressed in his fine, red sleeved over-shirt. He sniggered.

‘Oh father don’t take me for a complacent fool!’ Lothar said. ‘I want to get better.’

Keran looked stern. He walked towards Lothar, frowning. He got up close, and whispered to him, ‘Oh son, you are but a complacent fool. You are ignorant, arrogant and selfish. Krilin blessed me with my wife and three fine kin o’mine, and unfortunately with one cursed idiot as well, who’s not good for anything.’ Of course, Keran always carefully left out the discussion or the mention of his lost child. Too many unwanted memories raised in his mind even with a slight mention. Lothar felt an urge of emotions, sadness, anger—no—rage. Keran walked away and back to his seat on the table, and— ‘FATHER! TAKE ME AND I WILL PROVE YOU WRONG YOU DRUNKARD.’ Lothar screamed at him. Keran looked at him, and oddly enough, Lothar’s hand was on his hilt. 

‘So be it. The idiot shall journey with us.’ 

Lothar locked in a tempered look in his face, and called Rothrin aside.

‘Brother, please. I am not the fekhin demon father thinks I am! You must believe me.’ Lothar said.
His brother was frowning, as if he was… contemplating. What should he tell his brother, who was in fact a demon disguised as a human, at least in some way? He was always rude to all he met. He took his people for granted. He was always arrogant and self-promotive, and of course, the accident he caused when he was twelve. But Rothrin could see; his brother began to put in effort to be better, ever since that day when Keran went with him to the butcher’s.

He’s trying, and he won’t improve if I don’t help him. Krilin take me, Nathanial is next in line for  Lord of Loazer, I command the crocodiles! The poor boy has no deeds ever handed. Father’s cruel either way…

And then he remembered, Father’s cruelty… Ah Krilin himself! The vicers! All two hundred, dead? Er he’s turning into all hell below! He walked out of the room with his hands folded behind his back, as the guards inside swung the majestic bronze doors open. The sound of horses’ hooves beat against the stony ground. Keran watched through a window as the carriage door swung open. Rothrin got inside. He shouted orders at a few Crocodiles, and they scurried about their duties. Keran didn’t feel very good about bringing Lothar along, but he’d committed. 

I’ll have no choice further the road leastways, might a’well teach him now. Keran thought. Often, a surge of temper boiled within him at the sight of Lothar. At all he’d done. But it wasn’t the mischievous deeds that made him this way—as many as there were—it was that accident; the murder he caused. Nothing would ever redeem him from that. But he was his son, and so Keran had no choice. He walked over to Lothar, ‘Son, I know how you feel. But if you’d have been more careful… either way, when you’re fully grown you are going to have to do my duties. I am taking you today because even regarding what happened in the past,’ Lothar's eyes swelled with tears, ‘I must still hand you the responsibility.’ He tried to conceal his emotion, but was finding it difficult to.
‘I am very cruel to you, but it does not change the fact that you are my son.You are weak, you are beaten, but I will teach you how to be strong. It sometimes may be a matter of needed fixation on my part for blaming you so strongly for what occurred all those years ago. I will make you strong, son.’ Muriel watched from the corner, but left in a moment. Keran guided his son out. They all stepped into the carriages.

‘WE’VE GOT ALL, COME ON NOW!’ Said the lead guardsmen in front of the carriages. He gave a clear pass, and the carriages began to move.

***

In about a twelve and twenty fourth’s time, the carriages arrived outside a small hut in Jutei. The hooves of the horses beat against the slick mud, and Rothrin cocked his head back to look at his father’s carriage. He slid open his carriage door and stepped down. His feet untidily squished against the wettish mud, and he looked down in disgust. He walked over to his father’s carriage and guided him out. 

Keran signalled a hand to a paige, who ran and got a flask of wine. Rothrin grabbed the flask before his father could.

‘Father… not now.’ He said sternly. Keran stared at him—frowning—but accepted it and began to walk through the narrow path to this wooden hut. Keran and Rothrin walked first, Muriel and Lothar went next and were followed by a large number of Crocodiles. Keran swung the door open hard, which made a swift squeaking noise. They walked through a small room with a few chairs and a table, and Keran swung another door open.

Rothrin peered over his father’s shoulder, and there stood a slender man with his dark blue hair styled back. There was a mace, which was wired at the actual striker, and had wires and metallic looking ropes inside it. Rothrin tried to get a closer look, and there was another… a woman, and a man at the side. ‘THEREN!’ Keran screamed. His sons both in disbelief. They still stood at the doorway, but Keran entered, and his guards rushed in. Who was the man standing with Theren? It seemed as if they were almost interrogating Altheas. 

‘You bastard! What are you doing here!’ Keran screamed at Altheas. Theren seemed taken aback, Isolde the same. Altheas stood blankly, not answering Keran’s question, and so Keran looked at Theren.

‘Get out, go back to the carriage.’ He said looking disappointedly. Theren rushed out as told, yet the man besides her stayed in place.

‘Who the fekh are you?’ Keran asked the man.

‘My Lord, you needn’t worry about him, he’s a servant of mine.’ Altheas answered. Isolde seemed too shocked to say anything.

‘Kill him.’ Keran said. Three guards surrounded him with their spears pointed, and one took—

‘FATHER NO!’ Theren shouted. The spearmen stopped and Keran turned around to look at Theren. 

‘He is with me. Come Isolde, come on now!’ She pleaded him, but Isolde hesitated.

‘Go on. Make sure they don’t leave.’ Keran said to the guard. Isolde walked out accompanying Theren. Keran seemed terribly displeased at Altheas, and ordered his guards to surround him.

‘You may have known my family son, but you do not know me.’ Keran said to Altheas.

Isolde walked out of the hut and saw Muriel. Why did Muriel arrive with—The answer was right there. He was a secret coverlord for Keran, an easy position to reach as a knight, of course. He showed him a cruel glance.

‘Hasta.’ He whispered to Muriel. A cruel word in Corr.

‘Oh by Krilin I swear. Tie him and get him to the carriages.’ Keran said, grimacing at Altheas, who simply smiled back.