Kathir's Redemption (Book 6) (25 page)

Elias stepped forward to help Tallin.
“
Kathir is a changed man. Please, everyone calm down.
”

“
Calm down? Calm down? After what he has done? He doesn't deserve to live.
”
Shesha said.
“
He killed my hatchlings!
”

“
Please, Shesha,
”
Tallin said.
“
Things have changed since the war.
”

“
He
’
s a murderer!
”
  Shesha roared.
“
I don
’
t care what you say, I
’
ll kill him!
”
She spat a river of flame in Kathir
’
s direction. Tallin
’
s shield blocked it once again, but he could feel the searing heat on his face and arms. He was starting to get tired.

The other dragons were larger than Shesha, but Blacktooth and Nydeired didn
’
t seem interested in acting against her. Nagendra looked ready to pounce on Kathir herself. Either they needed to find a way to calm Shesha down, or Kathir needed to leave
—
and fast.

“
Stand down, Shesha,
”
said Sela, jumping into the fray.
“
You
’
re not going to kill Kathir. I cannot allow cold-blooded murder.
”

“
He killed my hatchlings! Will you allow this murderer to go free?
”
Shesha demanded.

Tallin and Sela exchanged nervous glances.  Tensions were getting worse.

Komu coughed.
“
In my day,
”
he said,
“
an accused man was given a proper trial, not an immediate execution.
”

“
He
’
s openly admitted it, though,
”
Delthen said.
“
Kathir was a dragon hunter.
”

“
I suppose his confession should carry some weight at trial,
”
Komu replied,
“
But that
’
s no reason not to have one. People are entitled to a fair hearing when they are accused of a crime, you know. It
’
s in the books.
”

“
But he
’
s not a citizen of Miklagard,
”
Delthen pointed out.
“
He
’
s just a mercenary, remember.
”

“
Really?
”
Komu said.
“
But you claimed him as one of ours, or have you forgotten that? I have a very good memory for these types of things, you know. Besides, he
’
s been very loyal to us.
”

“
Don
’
t be absurd,
”
said Delthen.
“
He
’
s a mercenary. What he does, he does for money.
”

Again, Komu coughed.
“
Even so, it isn
’
t fair. We could take a vote
—
there
’
s plenty of important people here, after all. Sela is the regent of Parthos. There are two clan leaders present, two elves, and the governor of Sut-Burr. We should at least discuss things, don
’
t you agree?
”

“
Komu
’
s right. We
’
re all in this together,
”
Tallin said. He turned to Shesha. 
“
Shesha, what do you remember? Tell us your side of the story first.
”

The carnelian dragon finally stopped pacing and sat back on her haunches. She glared at Kathir.
“
What is there to say? I left my nest to hunt. When I came back, I found dragon hunters slaying my clutch. There were a dozen men inside my cave. I killed two, but most of them escaped. This one
…”
she pointed a claw at Kathir,
“
this one was their leader. I
’
ll never forget that face.
”

Tallin repeated Shesha
’
s words in the common language for those who didn
’
t understand dragon tongue.

Sela nodded.
“
Thank you, Shesha. And you, Kathir? What do you have to say for yourself?
”

The mercenary stood in the middle of the camp. He hung his head and sighed.
“
There is nothing I can say. She isn
’
t lying. I did it. I served the emperor during the war. I hunted dragons, as I was ordered to do. I don
’
t know for sure if it was her hatchlings that I killed, or those of another mother elsewhere, but it doesn
’
t really matter. I am guilty either way.
”
He sat down and waited.

At first Tallin thought that the human sounded like he wanted to die, but then he realized that he was actually just so filled remorse that it almost amounted to the same thing.

“
So we have the facts of it,
”
Bolrakei said, speaking up.
“
It sounds like Skemtun
’
s little friend deserves everything he
’
s got comin
’
to him.
”
There was a strange eagerness in her voice
—
she clearly hated Kathir.

Skemtun cleared his throat and stood up.
“
I will speak for Kathir. I did not know him when he committed these crimes, but I know him now. He came to Mount Velik as a mercenary, but he
’
s done many good things since then. He
’
s saved countless lives. He
’
s tried to help solve the crisis between the clans, and I know he wasn
’
t being paid to do that. He
’
s a different man today. A better man. A man that I
’
m proud to call my friend.
”

Delthen snorted.
“
But that doesn
’
t change the past now, does it?
”

“
No, it doesn
’
t,
”
Elias said. He moved to stand beside Kathir.
“
But I
’
ve seen the way people treat Kathir. Everywhere he goes, he is despised because of the markings on his face
—
the markings of a former slave. Employers throw his coins in the dirt. People sneer behind his back or even openly to his face.
”
He fixed Druknor and Bolrakei with a level stare.
“
I know this man. He was never cruel to me, not even when he held me captive years ago. He is not an evil man, and I have had the chance to see him do some good things to help the dwarves. He protected them, and they are not even his people.
”

“
Oh, yes
…
he
’
s a true paragon of virtue,
”
Druknor said, rolling his eyes.  His voice dripped with sarcasm.

“
There can be no doubt that what Kathir did in the past was terribly wrong,
”
said Elias.
“
But he is a good man now, and if we give him the chance, I believe that he will be a better man still.
”

Tallin could only wonder what it must have been like to live in slavery
…
and then he realized that Kathir and his sister Skera-Kina had a lot in common. It was a disconcerting thought.

He spoke quietly,
“
Would you rob Kathir of the chance to change. Despite what he
’
s done, I think Kathir deserves a second chance. He
’
s obviously a changed man. What good would come of killing him now?
”

“
This is all very touching,
”
Druknor said,
“
but I vote that the mercenary dies for his crimes.
”

“
So do I,
”
Bolrakei said.

Delthen nodded.
“
I agree. The dragon hunter must be punished.
”

“
I vote against,
”
Elias said.

Sela nodded.
“
As do I.
”

“
Obviously, I do too,
”
Skemtun said.

Amandila tentatively raised her hand in Kathir
’
s favor.

F
ë
anor shook his head.
“
I believe the dragon killer should die for his crimes.
”

Kathir shook his head.
“
I
’
m sorry,
”
he said,
“
but this isn
’
t about any of you. You don
’
t get to decide.
”
Kathir walked to stand in front of Shesha, who growled menacingly as he approached. 

Kathir dropped to his knees and looked up at her.
“
I know that you can understand my words,
”
he said.
“
You
’
re the one I
’
ve wronged. I
’
m sorry. I wish I could take back the past, but I can
’
t. I did many things that I
’
m ashamed of, but I can
’
t change that now. If you want to kill me, I won
’
t try to stop you. My life is yours. All I can say is
…
that if you allow me to live, I
’
ll spend the rest of my life trying to make amends for what I
’
ve done.
”

He knelt there, staring up at Shesha. She reared above him, and for a moment, it looked like the dragon would bite him in half. Shesha stood there, poised to strike, breath going in and out in hot waves. Finally, she whirled away, turning her back on Kathir in disgust.

“
Do you need this fleshling for your fight against the orcs
”
? She asked Tallin.

“
Yes,
”
Tallin said, amazed that the dragon would seek his opinion. Shesha had always been clear that she only tolerated him for Duskeye
’
s sake.

“
Let the fleshling live,
”
she snarled.
“
He can do his penance fighting the greenskins.
”

The return journey to Mount Velik dragged on, and the weather grew increasingly colder. There was snow on the ground in many places, and it rained often. The horses strained to push ahead, but the terrain became so difficult that it was  slow-going all the same.

The group eventually made it to the village of Ironport, a city on the west side of the Orvasse River. There was a bridge outside the city, which the wagons would use to cross the vast river. It was late afternoon when they arrived inside the city. Sela found an inn and they all stopped to rest for the night. The dragons and the elves chose to stay outside the city walls and sleep in the surrounding forest.

When they entered the inn, the owner
’
s eyes widened until they were as large as saucers; the innkeeper was ecstatic to have so many nobles inside his tiny establishment.

They rested, ate the inn
’
s simple food, and quietly discussed their plans. At sunset, the majority of the party retired to their rooms to sleep, but Kathir left the inn to acquire more provisions and to explore the city.

Tallin also left the inn; he headed toward the city center but did not bother to explain the purpose of his errand. He was gone for several hours, and when he returned to the inn, he found the place almost entirely empty. Kathir was enjoying a mug of hot cider by himself. Kathir noticed Tallin standing in the doorway and waved him over.
“
Pull up a chair and sit for a while, dragon rider.
”