Jemriah
Two weeks passed. Nothing happened. No one attacked our home.
There was not a single soul upon whom I could rest my suspicions, not one shadow that lingered long enough to invite doubt.
I still searched every face and every silence, yet found not a single person worthy of my shadow of doubts.
As for jorath, I could not find him anywhere, searched for him everywhere I could. I found nothing.
Was aravan lying to me? I had lost my respect for him after what he did.
I prayed to him ever since to free me from this sword. He ignored me.
I prayed to him for jorath, to ask...if he was safe or not. He ignored me.
I prayed , to ask him who will try to attack my family and, he ignored me.
And... My conclusion was that this so called "god" was lying. About everything.
That made me worry about jorath more.
I had sent Fronn to the Red Frost Kingdom to inquire discreetly about their king. A full week had slipped by without word from him. Perhaps today he would return,at least, I hoped he would.
My son was eyeing me from time to time, not saying a word. He was still upset about what happened at that night of feast.
"What you thinking bout?"
Startled, I looked over and found iken standing in doorway.
He is a long, stout, powerfully built man, crowned with a thick black beard and long black hair that fell heavily about his shoulders.
"Jorath got you worried again?", iken said with his thick muronese accent.
"Yes but It's my son that I am more worried about", jemriah said. "Just want him to stay here. Captial is not a good place for him or anyone".
"Should tell him", iken said. "Stop going in circles and tell him everything".
"I want to, i really do. Unfortunately he is not the one with understanding", jemriah said. "To be fair, it's a lot we are asking from him".
"Lad will understand", iken said smiling. "Not dense like me".
"Not strong like u either", jemriah said, small smile curving. "Should I do it iken? Irene does not think he is ready... Yet, I feel that I am harming him... hiding so much from him".
"Necessary for him. Even fronn knows, cause we had trust in him, so we told him", iken said. His voice hoarse. "Should trust sonavr too. Don't you think so?"
"Irene? Think she'll agree? It's her secret that I am more worried about after all".
"I will convince my sister. Worry about her later", iken said. "Tell him before anyone else does".
Sonavr
"Careful now", said brumen. "Your swings have become better".
"You think so? I feel I need some work", sonavr said.
"Yes but that's the beauty of being a knight", brumen said smiling. "No matter how striking a knight may be, perfection forever lies just beyond reach".
Sonavr nodded. "One more?"
"Gladly".
Both trained with dull steel blades, blunt enough not to wound, yet sharp enough to teach.
Brumen struck first, hard. His weight drove the swing down. Sonavr spun, steel clashing as he turned it aside. They collided again at once, blades flashing, feet pounding, breath sharp and fast. Power met precision, neither giving, the outcome still hanging in the air.
Both of them smiled at each other.
They broke apart. Sonavr dipped low, trying to slip his blade beneath Brumen's guard but Brumen leapt, swinging midair. Sonavr barely dodged, the strike cutting through empty air where he had stood a heartbeat before.
"Clever", said brumen.
"Dodging and rolling seems only option with you", sonavr revealed.
"Come now don't lose focus".
Brumen swung again, his strikes were fast, ruthless. If the blade were real steel, I would have been cut down a dozen times already. Sonavr caught the next strike on his own blade, steel ringing as he parried once more.
Steel rang again and again, like a hammer on hot iron, as neither of them slowed.
"Having fun?", brumen said.
"Not really".
Brumen swung with everything he had. The blow crashed through Sonavr's guard and hurled him backward, boots skidding as he hit the ground hard. His sword flew from his grip, spinning away across the dirt. In the same breath, Brumen was on him, kneeling over Sonavr, his blade pressed beneath his chin, steel cold and final.
"I yield. I do", sonavr said.
Brumen frowned. "No sonavr. When that happens, use a clever trick to deceive your enemy. Just make him think that you are yielding".
"Yes, i will do that", sonavr said looking towards his fallen sword.
Brumen smiled. "A good duel. I Enjoyed that, one of the best ones we had this past few weeks".
"Yes, although I do not enjoy losing but with you, everything seems quite fun".
Brumen smiled and threw his sword on ground.
Just as Brumen brought his sword down, Sonavr spun and drove a kick into him. Brumen crashed to the ground with a dull thud. In a heartbeat, Sonavr had his fallen sword back in hand and was atop him, blade poised at his throat. The tables had turned, for good.
"Your advice was good. Too good", sonavr smirked.
Brumen sighed and narrowed his eyes. "Clever".
"You boys having fun?"
Sonavr and Brumen glanced over and found jemriah coming towards them.
"Father, what are you doing here?", sonavr asked.
"Here to watch you practice and talk", jemriah said. A regretful smile on his face.
"Brumen can you give us a moment?", jemriah said. "Need to talk about something with my son".
Brumen nodded. "Yes of course. We were done anyways. He is all yours".
Brumen gave a small slap on sonavr's shoulder and left towards his own village.
"Yes, father?"
"You might have questions after that night. So... I thought I might answer them".
With widened eyes, sonavr looked at his father, Who was standing tall, not afraid to answer anything.
"Anything?"
"Yes... anything".
"Are we really herdsman? Merchants?"
"For now we are. In past i was not".
"What were you in past?"
Jemriah sighed. "I am third son of king kaisran. You may have heard of him. He is called "The Ascendant King". Jorath is his second, and kaisran is also... The king of capital".
The world of sumaka through eyes of king kaisran -
My sons are my greatest strength. Well, some of them anyways. Some of them are liability, especially jemriah. I had loved him dearly all my life. Gave him everything. I even wanted to give him oath of aegis but he denied. Now it seems like it was the right thing to do... A help from gods seems like...
Oath of Aegis looks better on haldren and jorath. Both of them are an asset for me. They will do as I order them to. That's how much they love me. Everyone does except that fool who fell in love with an elf. I will never forgive him. Never.