Kzine Issue 6 by Graeme Hurry et al

Author:Graeme Hurry et al. [al., Graeme Hurry et]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, sf.horror, short, story, kzine, kindle
Goodreads: 21336380
Publisher: Kimota Publishing
Published: 2013-05-24T23:00:00+00:00

THE JUDGMENT OF THE PEACEKEEPER

by Diana Doherty

Verity walked down the packed dirt road. Her familiar, Spirit, walked by her side, his head held high. Trees lined the thoroughfare, their baby green leaves poking out in the springtime warmth. Despite the nice weather and the trees’ acceptance of spring, the birds were strangely quiet. She heard calls from a few bold individuals, but the relative lack of song unnerved her.

“We’ll be to Stoneford soon,” Verity said.

Spirit glanced at her. The warg didn’t see the point in announcing obvious things that they both knew, but he accepted her words without comment. Verity looked down at him, to see if he felt any of the same unease she did. His stride was so graceful as to be almost liquid, his four feet making not even a whisper on the dirt road. The sunlight made his ebony fur shine as he focused his striking blue eyes on the path ahead, his lupine ears pointed forward. The row of spines that ran down his backbone were laid flat against his back, hidden by his coat, so Verity knew he wasn’t too ill at ease.

Verity sighed. Spirit saw no reason to be worried about something they had no power over. He was wary and alert, but he always was. So far as he was concerned, his duty was to keep her safe while she traveled from village to village. Not that he didn’t think it was important for her to perform her duties as a Peacekeeper, but his focus was entirely on the present.

As they rounded a curve in the road, Stoneford came into view. A cluster of small stone houses circled a village well, while gardens and yards for livestock extended out beyond the homes. Several women and their familiars were gathered at the well, and Verity guessed they were catching up on the latest gossip.

One of the familiars, a small warg, spied Verity and Spirit and alerted his partner. The gossiping women scattered back to their homes. Spirit made a chuffing sound, almost a laugh. People in remote areas were skittish around strangers, and the warg found it amusing that the presence of a single newcomer and her familiar made everyone scurry back inside.

Verity continued toward the now seemingly deserted village, knowing that the wise woman who was in charge would soon make an appearance to speak with her and Spirit. Thamina dealt with disputes in Stoneford and administered advice to those who sought it. Anything that the wise woman couldn’t handle was Verity’s jurisdiction as the local Peacekeeper.

To her surprise, the person who stepped out into the middle of the village was a young man. He wore the robes of a wise man, though they were simple and well worn. No one out here had fine clothing, which suited Verity, since she always arrived in her travel clothes. The man looked vaguely familiar, but seeing as she hardly ever saw any of the villagers, she couldn’t place him. But there was something off…

Spirit scanned the area.

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