bad. He raised his mental shields; you never knew what they might do.
He was the most nervous about the Senashow. A boy and his brother, former servants of the queen, had joined the resistance not too long ago. The boy had delivered the queen’s dinner late, and the Senashow was there at the time. The boy had dropped the plate and was missing a tooth as a result. After that the Senashow had blinded his brother as punishment. the boy had been there when he did it, with the Senashow laughing the whole time and calling them apes.
“Focus Barnin,” he thought.
“I come bearing a message from the Pawdin Empire,” Barnin said.
“They send a dog to deliver the message?” the Senashow said coldly. Legon had given him permission to speak his mind. indeed, the Iumenta would make a lot of assumptions about Legon from this encounter. He needed to be rude. they needed to think House Evindass unstable and reckless. He was good at being rude, but he didn’t care to get killed. Still, you don’t kill the messenger, right?
“Did you think of that all on your own? Here is the message. Should I read it for you, or do you think you can handle it?” Barnin taunted.
Iumenta didn’t flush, but if they did he was sure they would have now. “What did you say to me you worthless little ape?” the Senashow asked.
“I thought I was a dog? Ok, I’ll read it to you. it’s ok.” He unrolled a scroll that had the message. he didn’t want to look at them anymore. He could feel the Senashow’s anger.
Parkas spoke. “Do not get angry, old friend. He is a messenger, and one that is terrified. No doubt he was told to be rude. Give me the message, I can read it.”
He got off Poison and walked to Parkas, handing him the message. He tried not to walk back to his horse too quickly. When he got back on he saw Parkas looking concerned.
“House Evindass has no head.”
“Yes, it does. His name is Legon,” Barnin said with pride.
“There is no heir to Evindass. He was killed in Salmont,” the Senashow responded.
“No, he wasn’t. and he wasn’t killed by any of your men over the last few months either. now which one of you was that?” he said, looking the two over and pointing a finger.
Parkas glared at the Senashow. Barnin pointed at him. Now was the time to deliver his real message.
“It was you? Tsk, that won’t go over well. could have taken out the Everser Vald before he was an Elf. That’s rough. Oh well, do you have a response?”
The Senashow started to talk but Parkas held up a hand. he could tell that Parkas was now just as mad as the Senashow, but not at Barnin.
“We will continue our campaign. tell Legon that I look forward to discussing his surrender in the gardens of Manton, if he lives that long,” Parkas said.
With that they turned and rode off. it had worked. He knew it. Parkas would not send his full force without finding out more about Legon. He relaxed and started back to the Precipice. he had just insulted two of the most powerful people in Airmelia. he didn’t drink, but he might start tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Preparations
“There are two halves to every coin, and together they make one whole that is capable of doing something. If you were to find a way to separate that coin, to take the two halves and set them on their own, you would destroy the worth of both. It is this that I need, but it is also what I fear.”
-Confessions of Love, The First Wife
Sasha followed Legon and Iselin into a room deep inside the dome that was called the preparation room. Along its walls was an assortment of weapons. there were several doorways leading from this room into practice areas, including an indoor archery range.
“Legon, now that you are an Elf, you need a new bow. Your old combat one will not do,” Iselin said.
She handed him a bow that appeared to be plain oak with a simple clear coat. No intricate leaf work ran along its length. it was a simple and uncomplicated design; indeed, it was its simplicity that made it a beautiful weapon. It oozed a refined power. Legon balanced it lightly in his hand.
They walked into the adjoining archery range. The room was a hall that didn’t seem to end, with targets placed at different distances. Each archer stood