A Templar's Apprentice by Kat Black

Author:Kat Black [Black, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-545-31195-3
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2009-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

FRIEND OR FOE

The man was a terrifying sight. He was swathed in many dark and flowing robes, from his veiled head to his sandaled feet. The skin of his face was a deep brown, as if the sun had shone on him for years and toasted him crisply. His fingers were long and thin, and flowed gracefully as he touched his forehead, then chest in greeting. “Salaam, my brother. It is good to see you yet alive.”

The Templar breathed out heavily, and I felt the release of tension from his body. He took his hand from my mouth with barely leashed violence. “Tormod, there are times when ye tempt my sword an’ my peace o’ mind mightily.”

I was shaken. I’d done it again. I’d done something stupid, something dangerous, and made him angry.

“Ahram,” said the Templar, grasping forearms with the man. “Ye don’t know how glad I am to find ye here an’ no’ another.” His glance passed over me, and I ducked my head and moved away from them both.

“We have had a watch set for many a night in hopes of your arrival,” said the other. His voice had a melodic ring.

“What news have ye?” asked the Templar.

“Mercenaries scout the bays seeking a Knight Templar traveling from the north. They are most persistent in their inquiry. You cannot linger here.”

My head snapped up at his words. Mercenaries? Hired killers?

“Tell me all,” he said quietly.

“They landed two days past, and small parties have been going out at regular intervals. They’ve men positioned all along the road, and one contingent has moved on inland.” His hand found and rested on the haft of his sword, perhaps out of habit. I stepped back a pace in case there was another reason, but he paid me no heed. “I sent men to follow the ones who went on and have not heard back from them yet.”

“What direction did they take?”

“East.”

The Templar’s mouth was tight and furrows stood on either side. He moved to a table near the back wall and lit several tapers. I stood beyond the edge of the light, watching the stranger and wondering at the easy relationship between the two. I had always thought that Arab and Christian hated one another. Clearly these two didn’t.

The Templar drew a rolled parchment from beneath his vestments and placed it on the table.

“Tormod, come here.” I crossed the space slowly, looking down on what he held. It was the map I’d drawn, but set in a much larger tract of land.

The Templar spread the parchment and bade me hold two corners. He held the others and began tracing a path with his finger. “We must travel here,” he said.

The dark man moved closer into the light to look, and I sucked in a breath. A series of strange runes were inscribed in the skin of his cheek. He felt my stare and turned to me. I was startled by the near total blackness of his eyes.

A white mantle stirred. The sound of battling swords cut the air.

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