Page 56 of Cage of Destiny
“You told me there would bea dozen men with her!”
“There were twelve men withher. At no time did I specifically say how many of the twelve wouldbe my men. You made assumptions.”
Darmik swung and punchedKerdan in the stomach. Allyssa was certain Kerdan could haveblocked the strike but chose not to. Darmik grabbed Kerdan’sshoulders, bringing their faces close together. Darmik whisperedsomething so softly that no one else could hear.
Kerdan’s face turned white.“I understand,” he replied. “But I would like to saysomething.”
Darmik released him andmotioned for Nathenek, who stepped forward, returning her father’sweapons. Darmik sheathed his sword and dagger. “What do you feelyou need to say to me?” he said, his voice clipped withanger.
Allyssa wasn’t sure the two of themshould be standing so close together. Her father had punchedKerdan. She’d never seen him do that before outside the trainingroom. And now he was armed.
“While I understand you’reupset,” Kerdan said, not even fazed by her father’s barelycontrolled fury, “I think you do not give your daughter enoughcredit.”
Shock rolled throughAllyssa. Darmik froze, his hand on the hilt of his dagger. “Whatdid you say?” he whispered.
Neco chuckled but quicklymasked it with a pathetic cough.
“Allyssa is a strong,competent woman,” Kerdan replied. “I saw what she went through andendured in Clovek. I had no doubt she could take care of herself.It didn’t matter whether I had one, two, or twenty men. She isclever, resourceful, and an excellent fighter.”
Darmik pinched the bridge of his nose.“Don’t you understand? She is my only daughter. I love her morethan life itself. And you put her in danger. It doesn’t matter howcompetent she is if she’s dead.”
“Did you really have noreservations about my safety?” she asked Kerdan. She’d spent somuch of her life protected, shielded, not allowed to do anything.That was one of the reasons she snuck out of the castle atnight—for a sense of freedom.
Kerdan quickly glanced atDarmik before answering. “The moment I saw you fight my men infront of my father, the way you wielded that sword that was almostas big as you, I knew nothing could stop you.”
No one spoke as Kerdan’s wordsregistered with each of them.
Darmik blinked.
Odar abruptly turned away,his back to them.
“Thankyou,” Allyssa replied. So often she only heard what she couldn’tdo, that it was nice to hear what shecoulddo. And a compliment fromKerdan, a ruthless military man used to battle, was something tocherish.
“We don’t have time tostand around here arguing,” Kerdan said. “For this plan to work, Ineed Hurit and Larek to join seven of my soldiers who are waitingfor us with a man and woman matching Odar and Allyssa’sdescriptions. They will go to the duke’s house where Jana isexpecting them. When they get there, Hurit and Larek will take thedecoys into the house. Then we attack. I have two hundred and fiftymen getting into position as we speak.”
Allyssa realized no one hadsaid a word since Kerdan’s declaration. Well then. She rubbed herlower back. “Are we walking or are there horses nearby?” She lookedaround hopefully, not seeing any.
“My men have horses for us.We only need to travel about five miles due west.”
She groaned. Five moremiles. But at least there would be horses. And Kerdan thought shewas an excellent fighter.
***
Allyssa pulled her horse toa halt, observing the lush valley before her. A river ran betweentwo hills covered with wildflowers. She breathed in the sweet,fragrant scent. “It’s beautiful.” Until now, she hadn’t thoughtRussek capable of being beautiful.
Kerdan came alongside her,leaning forward on his horse and gazing at the scenery below. “Youknow, not everything in Russek is bleak, dirty, or smelly.” Heturned to face her. “I’ve told you before, we used to be aprosperous kingdom. I will see it returned to its former glory.” Hespoke with such conviction that Allyssa knew he would make ithappen.
She patted her horse’sneck. Her father and the rest of their group had dismounted thirtyfeet behind them under the cover of some colossal oak trees. “Whyis your army so vicious?”
“What exactly do you meanby vicious?” Kerdan asked.
She tried to block theimages of her mutilated soldiers in the cave, the heads on spikesat the Russek border, the fires burning entire villages. “It seemsthat killing is the first option, not negotiation or imprisonment.”And not a clean kill either, but killing in the most brutal,inhumane way imaginable.
“I can see how you wouldthink that.” His horse nickered, probably wanting to join theothers and drink from the nearby stream. “In Russek, we do try tonegotiate. Our talks are usually short and to the point, though. Wehave found that if we strike hard and fast, not only is there ahigher success rate, but we also lose less men.”
She shook her head. “It’sthe individual soldier’s viciousness that I’m referring to. I’veheard Russek soldiers take things too far by raping women andkilling children. I saw what they did to my own men. Instead ofkilling them, they tortured and dismembered them. There is no needfor that.”
“I agree.” It felt as ifhis eyes were scanning every inch of her face, assessing her. “Youmet my father; he was not a kind man. I think that the armyreflects him.” He shifted on the saddle, no longer watchingher.
