dark neatly trimmed hair and a waxed goatee. The healer could tell he was powerfully built under his heavy cloak. He wore a red robe with a chain of gold around his neck, on the end of the chain was a golden eye. Rhys knew the symbol the priest was with the inquisition, the investigators for the Church the Eyes of God. He had to stay calm. Rhys knew he wasn’t a very good liar, but he would have to do his best.
The man in the robes spoke first. “Good day, travelers. I’m Lord Justice Dracen Milara, and this is Sir Oliver Deverall Commander of the Knights of Deliverance.”
Rhys knew there were many members in the order, but only one Lord Justice and one grand inquisitor, the two true Eyes of God, and one of them sat on a horse right in front of him. This Lord Milara was one of the most powerful men in the Church and his job was getting the truth out of people. Rhys could feel his palms beginning to sweat inside his gloves. “May I ask who you are?” the Lord Justice asked.
Rhys answered quickly. “Rhys Morgan, a healer from Turill, and this is my sister Rachel, we are checking on some of my patients that live outside the city. Now that the storm has passed, I was trying to make my rounds.”
The Lord Justice raised his right hand. “You must have patients all over Bandara, my good man. You’re a very long way from Turill.”
Rhys swallowed hard and tried to answer. “Yes … well I treated them in the city and they moved out here. I just wanted to make sure they were still doing well.”
“Bless you, Physician Morgan, for all the good you do. This world needs more men like you and of course women like your sister, I take it she helps with the sick?”
Rhys shifted in his saddle, he didn’t want to say too much. “Yes, Lord Milara, she is of great help to me.” The holy man’s eyes looked Endra over. “Odd that a healer’s assistant should be so well armed.”
“Well, my lord, she also protects me on our journeys. She is far more skilled than I with a sword.” That was at least the truth Rhys thought.
The Justice gestured with his finger. “Pull you scarf down good woman, and let me see you.”
Endra glanced at Rhys and pull the scarf down but not her hood. Rhys saw the desire flash into the Lord Justice’s eyes when she revealed her face. Sometimes Endra’s looks were a disadvantage to her. “My God, man, your sister has been blessed by God, now the hood, please,” the holy man requested.
Endra slowly pulled her hood down and shook her wavy black hair free. The Eye of God said nothing, he only stared like so many men did at the woman from Sorrack. Rhys had seen it before, the Eye of God just fell in love with the young huntress.
“My lord, we should be going, the light is fading,” the knight commander said without taking his eyes off Endra.
“You’re right, Commander, we have pressing business.” He looked at Rhys. “Be assured, Physician Morgan, that I will look in on you and your sister when I come to Turill.”
Rhys bowed his head slightly. “You honor us, my lord.”
The Lord Justice rode his horse over close to Endra’s mare and grasped her gloved hand. “Till we meet again, my dear Rachel.” He bent and kissed the back of her glove.
The Commander of the Knights motioned his hand forward and the column moved on, the Lord Justice lingered a moment then followed.
Rhys looked at Endra as she pulled her cloak back up. “I mean no offence, but sometimes I wish you were ugly.” Endra guiltily nodded back.
“Did you see that woman, Deverall? She was divine. I must find out who she really is.”
Oliver looked at the Lord Justice. “I thought her name was Rachel Morgan?”
Milara snickered. “They were both lying through their teeth. We will ride ahead and then turn and follow them, perhaps they are the ones who will lead us to where God wants us to be.”
The Commander shrugged. “As you wish Lord, and you are right the woman was beautiful, but I thought priests could not partake of a woman’s flesh?”
The inquisitor looked at Oliver with the eyes that had ordered the torture and death of hundreds of men and women. The holy man’s gaze was unsettling. “Sometime God rewards the devout.”
***
Night was falling