Chapter Two

‘To obtain the gift of the Nine Wardens a harness was needed. So, the daliwin was made. There, the power of the Wardens below was stored.’ 

 

Geth’s blood soaked through Caid’s shirt, staining his skin by the time they reached the compound. Geth had been Caid’s best friend since childhood, and having him perched, lifeless on Caid’s shoulders should have destroyed him. Yet, Caid felt numb.  

Maddog offered no assistance. Nothing. He said very little, not even asking if Geth still lived, although it was evident he didn’t.  

When they reached the compound, Maddog threw open the door and walked into the house as if nothing had happened.  

The Wardens’ base was under ‘The Wayward Inn’, in Helios. It was managed by an innkeeper who wanted for nothing, just like his family before him.  

As he made his way to the kitchen, Maddog nodded toward the old man, who sat in his rocking chair enjoying a warm fire. Caid gave a grunt as he moved across the threshold and strained to shut the door behind him.  

“What in all the names of the Nine Wardens happened?” The old man shot up surprisingly fast for his advanced age.  

Caid planned to bypass the innkeeper. He wanted to get to Rawn so he could witness what this fool’s errand had accomplished.  

“Put him down here.” The innkeeper cleared off the long kitchen table.  

Caid hesitated for a few moments.  

“Come.” The gnarled hand patted the table with an open palm.  

Caid needed a moment’s rest, maybe even a few minutes to clear his mind. Caid had no business rushing into the compound, calling out Rawn. Caid had given Rawn his blessing to become the head warden. He had to deal with the decision, even if he now saw it a different way.  

Caid squatted, sliding Geth’s limp body onto the low table. Caid observed the pale, cold corpse. It was amazing how fast life left.  

The innkeeper wasted no time, already hovering over Geth.  

“Accident?”  

Caid shrugged.  

“Never happened to a warden before.” The old man pulled Geth’s eyes open. “He’s truly dead. Wouldn’t believe it if I weren’t seeing it for myself.” The innkeeper closed Geth’s eyes, feeling his forehead. “Cold.”   

Caid had thought up hundreds of things to say to Rawn during his walk which had taken longer carrying Geth’s body. Without the Warden’s paths cut across the city, he doubted they would have made it at all.  

“Well, you better get him down to the others,” the keeper said, backing away. Caid wondered if the man had thought to save Geth, or if he had wanted to marvel at a dead warden. It was almost as if seeing one of the Nine themselves.  

Caid needed more rest, his body ached all over. He bent down anyhow, ready to lift Geth.  

“Why don’t you stay for a bite first,” the old innkeeper’s wife said as she entered the room.  

Caid shook his head. “Can’t say that I am too hungry.”  

She nodded, probably seeing the raw hurt in his eyes.  

Caid’s legs throbbed as he pushed himself to standing. Inside the other room, he saw Maddog had already slipped into the stairwell and gone down.  

Caid walked to the panel in the wall¾it was a false cover¾and he slid his finger into the release. The panel swung out, revealing a narrow set of stairs leading down.  

The Wardens didn’t share Parian’s dislike of coal, but there was only torchlight lighting the path. Caid took the first step, his knees buckling a little from the strain; Geth could have stood to lose a few pounds. Caid realized he tried to mask his feelings with silly humor like Geth would have. 

Caid half expected to be met by his fellow wardens, figuring Maddog would have mentioned the failure of the mission. He thought Maddog would have at least commented on the unheard of death. But to Caid’s surprise, he heard no shouts of panic. 

After struggling down the stairs, he found no one waiting for him. Not a single warden crowded the foot of the stairs. Most sat around tables, laughing and playing cards¾something Galmont would have never allowed. Others likely tucked away in their rooms for the night, abandoning the practice of staying awake until all wardens returned.   

Apparently, Maddog decided not to alert anyone. Caid wondered what had gotten into him. He had always been a lone wolf, but Caid had never taken him for heartless.  

When Caid stepped off the last step, the men noticed his burden. They stopped playing cards and pointed. The loud drunken banter turned into a low buzz of whispers. Whispers expressing shock to see the once obnoxious Geth quiet and lifeless.  

Caid continued forward. He was silent. What did someone say in these situations?  He had never been a part of nor seen anything like this.  

A few men from the nearest table jumped up and approached Caid with a barrage of questions.  

“Is he dead?”  

“What happened?” 

“Who is it?”  

They interrogated from every side, and it was then that it all hit hard. Geth was in his arms, blank-eyed and dead. The friend who grew up alongside him never coming back. Caid’s head swam and his stomach churned. He lost everyone’s questions and comments in his overwhelming tornado of emotions. He almost thought he could feel the earth spinning beneath his feet.  

“What is going on?” 

 Caid heard this particular voice, even over his swirling mind.  

The crowd spread out, and Caid felt a little relief without so many people in close proximity. Rawn stood before him in his nightclothes¾a long pair of loose pants, a plain white shirt, and no shoes. Directly behind Rawn stood Maddog. Caid was sure he had run straight to Rawn divulging information. He could see it spread across Maddog’s face. Whatever he told Rawn, Caid would bet he left out the part where he disappeared. What was Maddog’s play on this situation? 

“The mission failed, Geth is dead, Pog is missing.” Caid felt each word stick in his throat.  

He heard the gasps and groans of all those gathered. Rawn stepped forward. Caid could see the heat blazing in his eyes.  

“My rooms, now,” he whispered so only Caid could hear.  

Rawn turned and held up his hands to the crowd. The murmur hushed.  

“Burn the body.” 

Instantly, Caid felt the hands of several men¾men who voted Rawn into his seat of power¾relieve him of Geth’s limp form. Caid shook his head. Now was no time to be resentful; he had given up his own chance.  

Caid followed Rawn through the common area. Hands slapped Caid on the back, showing support. Others who followed Rawn turned away from Caid in disgust. He doubted one of them cared a lick about Geth or Pog. They followed the path they thought Rawn would respect most.  

Judging by the look on Rawn’s face, Caid figured they would gain favor by not showing him any support. Whatever Maddog told Rawn, he painted a gruesome picture, and maybe reasonably so. Geth was dead, and for all he knew, Pog shared that same fate.  

Rawn opened the doors to his rooms and walked straight to his cabinet, pulling down a decanter full of whiskey. Without offering Caid a glass, he filled one for himself and passed the bottle to Maddog, not offering him a glass either.  

Rawn swirled the liquid for a moment, seemingly thinking about what to say next. Caid started for him.  

“Something went totally wrong…”  

Rawn interrupted. “You’re damn right something went wrong!”  

Rawn threw back the whiskey and held out the empty glass. Maddog refilled it. Rawn swirled this one around too, saying nothing more.  

“Someone knew the job would happen tonight.”  

Rawn nodded, clearly harboring a lot of anger.  

“Where was Creft?”  

There was no way of knowing where Creft was. Since he hadn’t been in the middle carriage as expected, he was obviously off somewhere safe and sound. He should have been easy pickings on his return from a council meeting. The face of Creaton flashed before Caid’s eyes, sitting where Creft should have been.  

“Someone informed him not to be there.”  

Rawn threw back another glass. He waved off Maddog as he looked to fill him up a third time.  

“Pog must be dead. How did you let two of our men fall?”  

Rawn’s eyes pierced Caid. To any other man, they may have been nerve-racking. Caid refused to be cowed.  

“I told you before the mission was a bad idea.”  

Rawn unexpectedly threw the glass at the wall, sending scattered shards across the room. He took two steps toward Caid, bringing them an inch apart, face to face.  

“You let two of our men die, and you blame it on me?”  

Caid could feel the hot air of Rawn’s breath on his face. Caid stood his ground and stuck to his morals.  

“I don’t know what happened out there, but the whole plan went to pieces. I won’t explain away what happened. I won’t pretend two men didn’t die, but I won’t cater to your ego and pretend there was nothing wrong with the plan.”  

Rawn stared quietly into Caid’s unblinking eyes for a few more moments, before turning away. 

“I want some time to think this over,” he said, dismissing Caid with a wave.  

Caid let his eyes wander to Maddog, whose smirk made Caid feel uneasy. Two of his fellow wardens had just given their lives, and he smiled as if he had won a prize at the carnival.  

Caid turned, not waiting for a second dismissal.  

Outside of Rawn’s rooms, Caid leaned against the door, taking some time to think on his thoughts. Even though the plan was faulty, and he had no choice seeing it through, he still felt Geth’s death was his fault. How had he not heard it happen? Where were Pog and Maddog when the envoys came from behind him? Why had Creaton not bothered to pursue them? Caid reached down to his side, remembering his injury. He would need to get that stitched up to heal properly.  

First, he wanted to say goodbye to Geth. He pushed forward, walking with his head down.  

The makeshift funeral pyre sat on the far side, near the ventilation systems. Geth’s body was already on it.  

“He was a good man.” 

Caid didn’t bother looking up to see who talked. It was of no consequence. Now, nothing mattered, except saying goodbye to his friend. After that, he would allow himself time to process everything.  

Caid heard the words of the sermon rise over the crackling of the newly lit fire. They were the common words of the Nine Wardens. 

 “Geth ‘The Still-Heart’ is given to the Nine Wardens. Let him be judged fairly. May the Warden he is judged by treat him with proper care. May his eternal resting place be forever rewarding.”  

Caid didn’t know how Geth would be judged in the afterlife. He had been a good man in Caid’s eyes, but Caid was no one to be judging character. He would leave that¾like the rest of the world¾to the Nine Wardens.  

Caid looked deeply into the fire. He could see the remains being charred black by the tongue of the flames. Soon there would be nothing but ashes on a heap, but for Caid, the world would still go on.