Gifted Stone (4 page)
“You’re sending me away?” Tears pooled in Rink’s eyes.
“I’m trusting you to undertake a very important responsibility. By being loyal to her and helping her, you will be helping me take a small step to right my own wrongs.”
Rink nodded bravely. “I’ll go, Father.”
“Thank you, my son. You make me so proud. But Rink, remember, you must not tell her about Russell and the Separatists. If you do, she’ll want to know how you came by the knowledge, and then our secret would be out.”
“You can count on me. I will protect her, and I’ll keep our secret.”
Something wet and slightly warm slowly dribbled onto his lips before making its way down his throat.
Rink groaned as his body both celebrated the relief to his parched lips and protested the throbbing in his shoulder.
“Stupid boar. Stupid, stupid boar. You would have laughed at me, I’m sure, or maybe you would have bashed the beast on the head, I’m not really sure. Regardless, I. Don’t. Like. Boars!” Jessa’s petulant ranting wafted to his ears.
He felt the spoon on his lips, and the liquid once again brought sweet relief. Rink’s eyes fluttered open, and through the sudden, bright light of a nearby fire, he saw Jessa’s blurry outline. “Boar tastes good,” he managed to croak out.
“Rink!” The spoon clattered to the ground as she cried out, and then her gentle hands were at his non-injured shoulder. “Don’t move too fast, just take it easy.”
“Water, please,” he said.
“How about the tea I fought off a boar to make for you?” Her strawberry-colored eyebrows arched as she smiled. “Are you in pain?”
The thought of Jessa fighting anything made a laugh force its way through him, jarring his shoulder. He winced as he nodded. “You fought a boar?”
A rueful smile lit up Jessa’s face. “Perhaps,” she said with a wink. “Or perhaps it simply decided I wasn’t worth the trouble after I dove into the underbrush and it got its tusks stuck in a tree. All the same, it’s gone.”
Rink shook his head and tried to push himself off the ground. The air in the cave seemed to swirl around him, and he lay back once again. Once the dizziness subsided, he asked, “What happened to the others?”
Jessa filled him in on what he’d missed. The men who’d attacked them had taken Emariya and likely Khane, as well, and Garith had gone to chase after them or to go to the castle for help. Rink slowly eased his way upright and leaned against the cave wall for support. His shoulder didn’t hurt as badly as he would have expected it to, but it was extremely stiff. Slowly, he tested moving it in circles, trying to loosen his aching muscles.
“I shoulda stopped them from taking her.” He frowned.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What else could you have done?” Jessa asked.
“I don’t know, but I was supposed to protect her.”
“Says who?”
“My father,” Rink whispered.
“Your father told you to protect Riya?” Jessa asked, her brow wrinkling.
He nodded. “Before we left, he made me promise that I’d protect her.”
“I don’t understand. Why was your father worrying about protecting Riya? I mean, we all know Khane isn’t exactly the best escort, but it was his responsibility, not yours.”
Rink abruptly changed the subject. “Do you think not telling someone something is the same as lying?”
Jessa’s expression hardened. “It can be. Especially if it is something they need to know. Honesty is always the best choice.”
“So keeping a secret, even if someone made you promise to keep it, is like lying?”
Jessa stood, brushing the dirt off her cloak. Indecision warred across her face. “I need to go check on the horses; do you want to try and see if you can walk?”
Rink wondered if she was trying to change the subject, but he nodded. It would feel good to get off the hard ground.
He leaned against Jessa as they walked. After days of lying on the ground, his legs wobbled uneasily from the impact of each step.
Just in case they should encounter the boar again, they each brandished fallen branches from the nearby trees.
The only sounds were his soft grunts until they neared the bottom of the path. Several times, Rink thought he heard Jessa open her mouth as if to say something, but she kept quiet.
Finally, when he’d almost given up on her responding to his earlier question, Jessa began to speak. “If you’ve made a promise to keep someone else’s secret, I suppose you have to weigh the cost to all involved. It’s honorable to keep your promises. I think that if keeping the secret won’t cause harm to come to another, the best thing to do is to keep the secret. You also have to consider your reasons for wanting to share the secret. If revealing it will serve no good other than easing your own conscience, it would be selfish to burden another with it.”
“Well, that’s clear as mud.” Rink frowned.
“Sorry, it’s the best I can offer you. I’m afraid that whatever is weighing on your mind is something that you’ll have to sort out in your own time. Perhaps you should have considered the consequences before agreeing to keep someone else’s secret.”
“I think it would have done good if I’d told it earlier, but now I’m not so sure that it would help anything.” A soft rustling drifted to Rink’s ears and he clutched at Jessa’s arm, stopping her. “Did you hear that?” He kept his voice low.
Jessa rolled her eyes. “It was probably the horses—we’re almost to them.”
Rink shook his head. “I know horses, and whatever that was, it wasn’t a horse.”
Jessa flinched back, cowering behind Rink. “Do you think it’s the boar?” Her voice wavered and her fingers bit into his arm.
Heavy footfalls came from the nearby brush and armor clinked. He shook his head as he angled himself in front of Jessa. His shoulder throbbed in protest. “It’s not an animal. Someone’s coming.”
Ignoring the pain, Rink held his branch out in front of him, ready, although not at all steady.
“Rink, put that down. They might be friendly,” Jessa hissed from behind him.
“And when I decide they are, I’ll put it down.” He wasn’t going to let someone carry Jessa off, as well.
Two armored guards clad in black and silver stepped through the brush, their eyes narrowing as they glanced at the wood in Rink’s hand.
The one in the back relaxed his face and pointed. “I think that’s them!”
Great, so they’d come for them specifically. Rink’s suspicions that they weren’t friendly were confirmed. “We don’t want no trouble. Go on and leave us be so I don’t have to hurt you.” Rink gritted his teeth.
“Are you the handmaiden and the lad from Eltar who were traveling with Lady Warren?”
“Maybe,” Rink answered, and behind him, Jessa said, “Yes, do you know where she is?”
The guard in front laughed. “So which is it—yes or no?”
“I’m betting on yes,” said the guard in back.
“I’m betting that you should tell us who you are right now.” Rink could see the situation quickly slipping out of his control. For all he knew, these men were the ones who’d taken Lady Warren.
“You look injured, son. Put that down and come with us. I’ll not be threatened by a stable rat.”
Anger burned in Rink’s ears. “I am not a stable rat!” He darted forward without thinking, his makeshift club raised above his head with his good arm.
Rink swung at the guard in front, blinded by his anger. The front guard ducked and the branch made a
thump
against the armor of the guard in back, accomplishing nothing but making him angry.
“Why, you little heathen! Give me that.”
Armor-clad hands tried to snatch him up, but Rink dropped to the ground and whacked the first pair of knees he found.
With a yelp, the guard dropped to the ground beside him amid clattering armor, clutching at his knee. “That hurt!”
Scrambling to his feet, Rink was just about to charge the second guard when someone clobbered him over the head.
Borrowing the words of the guard before him, Rink cried, “That hurt!” Dizziness rushed up through his head, and his shoulder begged him to halt the scuffle.
Turning on unsteady feet, Rink expected to find the other guard. Instead, Jessa stood grinning, holding out her branch. “I guess I could have gotten the boar after all.” She grinned and raised the branch higher.
Rink dropped his own branch and held up his hand, while the other hung painfully at his side. “All right, all right. I give. I give. Ow, Jessa, what’d you have to go and do that for?”
“Because you were acting like a child.” She glared at him, making the two guards laugh. She turned her hard gaze toward them. “And you let that child knock you down.” Their giggles quickly quieted.
“I just wanted to protect you,” Rink said, hurt making his voice come out as a whine.
Jessa’s expression softened. “I know, and I am grateful, really. But I think maybe we should handle this without big sticks, all right?”
Rink nodded.
One of the guards cleared his throat. “We are from the Royal Army. We were escorting Prince Ahlen to find Lady Warren when we encountered your companion, Garith. Prince Ahlen asked that we bring you to the castle to meet up with them.”
“Did you find Lady Warren?” Rink asked, trying to keep himself from hoping too hard.
“I am sure they will soon. They were tracking them toward Witch’s Falls. Whoever took her knew the area. With any luck, they will reach Castle Ahlen before we do.”
“We’d better hurry, then. We might make it sooner if the three of you refrain from any further brawls.” Jessa fixed Rink with a scolding look.
Rink knew he shouldn’t goad them, but he couldn’t help himself. “I wonder if the prince knows his guards can be bested by a ‘stable rat’ like me.”
The guards looked at each other and grinned. “Tell him if you like, but the penalty for assaulting a Royal Guard is being thrown in the dungeon…”
The dungeon?
“But I didn’t know who you were! Or that you were on our side!”
The guard who Rink had knocked down nodded, his grin growing wider. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Rink looked at Jessa.
She sighed. “Some things are better left unsaid.”
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Look for the next exciting installment:
Second Stone
Souls of the Stones Book 2 – February 2013
With her prince by her side, Emariya Warren begins the journey to Sheas to confront her uncle and bring her father home.
Only days after leaving the castle, the devastating news of her brother’s continued treachery threatens to tear Torian and Emariya apart. But before Emariya can try to repair the rift between her and her prince, she must first answer one important question: why can’t she wake up?
Also by Kelly Walker
Cornerstone
- Souls of the Stones Book 1
Upcoming books
Second Stone –
Souls of the Stones Book 2
Expected Release Date- February 2013
Broken Stone –
Souls of the Stones Book 3
Expected Release Date – April 2013
Uncertain Fate
Summer 2013
Acknowledgments:
It is impossible to thank everyone who has been a gift in my life, as there are so many.
Once upon a time, a druid named Kayeri told me that her characters talked, too. Since then, my life has been doubly blessed. Shez and Guy - Regardless of the avatar, you are both blessings in my life.
Ashley Davis - Thank you for not letting my characters do stupid, impossible things.
Elle Casey - Thank you for inspiring me. When I grow up, I want to be you.
And to the readers, who have begun to let Riya and Torian into their hearts and minds: I can never say thank you enough times.
For the book bloggers who have given me their time, and consideration - You all are my heroes. I hope over the years to have the chance to interact with many more bloggers, but in my heart I will always remember the first few who gave Riya, Torian, and myself a chance.