Journey of the Caged by Cameron Lowe

Author:Cameron Lowe [Lowe, Cameron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

A soul-scrying.

The thought of it kept Gavrien from sleep. The few he’d been witness to were brutal, not out of any physical sense, but a mental one. All a person’s fears, insecurities, guilts, and sins were laid bare for a court. It was not something done lightly, and as such, was only performed by the High Magisters of Gran Velkin. He thought about it late into the night, about the Handar undergoing that process while he and Nao had to watch. Perhaps the man was innocent and wanted to try to prove it. Perhaps he was just trying to extend what time he had left before he was executed.

* * *

The Kunya came for Gavrien the next morning.

He slept in the Sheriff’s chair, his feet up on a bookshelf. The locksmith had been called to change the lock in the front and back doors, but he didn’t know who might be working for the Sheriff and stayed there to keep an eye on things. The lack of sleep left him irritable, and when Nao came to replace him, he stepped out into the sunshine hungry and bleary-eyed.

The Sheriff and his men sat under the awning of one of the nearby bars. A half dozen deputies by his count, and judging from the paperwork he’d riffled through the night before, there were another four out in the town somewhere. The Sheriff greeted him with cold silence.

“The blacksmith,” Gavrien grunted. “Where is he?”

The Sheriff nodded at one of his deputies, who rose up to his feet. “Uh, Ren, sir.” He reached out to shake, caught his boss’s glare, and his hand dropped down by his side, twitching. “Sheriff’s asked me to show you around town and help you get whatever you need to, uh, facilitate you better.”

“To speed me on my way, you mean.”

Calloway hawked and spat, and one of the other men snickered.

Ren folded his hands in front of his lap. “Uh. Yes, sir.”

Gavrien nodded and cracked a yawn. “Good. That’ll be helpful. Sheriff, why not take a walk with us? Looks like you could use a stretch.”

Zeb tensed, and Calloway leaned forward, but the Sheriff made a cutting motion with his hand, and rose. “And why not? I so did enjoy our chat last night.”

They began to walk, keeping a slow pace and heading towards what passed for the town square. Gavrien told Ren to hold up in the lead. Four men were coming down the highway into town from the sanctuary side, led by Greel. Gavrien grinned. Just as he’d hoped, the Sentinels had agreed to help guard Bekol.

“What is this?” the Sheriff asked, more than a little pissed.

“Well, not that I don’t trust your men and all, Sheriff,” Gavrien said, “but I figured a few of my friends might like to come sit a while with the accused.” He winked. “Teach him the ways of Elu Aratama and all that.”

The Sheriff’s mouth made about five different gestures, none of which aimed towards pleased, and finally he nodded. Greel marched right by him to Gavrien, and said, “Nao?”

“In there keeping an eye on things.

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