By the Sword - By Sara Flower Page 0,9
myself. Those Malinorian knights sound like they are from Sheol itself.”
Talya decided that she would take a break from chewing now that the topic had become interesting.
“One of ‘em nearly killed me yesterday,” said Talya. “Tanel here saved my life. My rival was a commander. We fought for nearly two hours, and I almost had him. I hope to see him on the battlefield again. Then I can finish him off.”
“A little thing like you fighting a Malinorian commander for two hours?” laughed Tasar. “I just can’t see it.”
“I guess you have a pathetic imagination,” said Talya.
The smiles were wiped off of the other knights’ faces.
“Well, there is no need to be insulting. It was a logical assumption,” said Atalsa. “Usually women are archers.”
“Not this one,” Talya muttered.
Atalsa scoffed.
Tasar laughed.
“Relax, Atalsa. They’re just pups. Not even eighteen yet, I’ll bet.”
Talya rolled her eyes.
“I’m an archer,” smiled Tanel, “and Talya’s the best sword fighter I have ever seen.”
“Is that a fact?” snorted Tasar. “If she is so great, then why did you have to rescue her?”
Talya slammed her fork down on the table and glared at the oaf. The taunting had gone on long enough.
She took a deep breath. Rage was something best left for the Malinorians, but it wouldn’t hurt to put a cocky brute in his place.
“Do you want to have a go?” Talya asked.
“You bet!” Tasar said with a grin.
Tanel rolled his eyes as Talya got up to get her sword.
*****
Jalarn beheld the splendor of Cardamon’s riches as his men loaded the army’s carts with gold, silver, and precious gems from the large mines. He had never seen so much wealth in all his life. They would have to return in a few days to gather its entirety. Ittonifer would be very pleased with him. None of the other commanders had overtaken the palace and obtained Cardamon’s hidden wealth. Waltez had come the closest to overtaking the castle, but Jalarn was always a step ahead of the older commander. Indeed, the devil was smiling upon him these days.
King Seraphim rubbed his hands together nervously. The incompetent king’s presence was starting to gnaw on Jalarn’s nerves.
“Did I please you, my lord?” Seraphim asked.
“I am very pleased with your country’s best kept secret. We had no idea that your land produced riches of such magnitude.”
The king breathed a sigh of relief.
“I will take the liberty to cart all of this back to Malinor.”
“That was not the agreement!”
“Oh. I’m sorry then,” said Jalarn, unsheathing his sword.
“Wait, stop!” cried the king. “Take it all.”
Like it really mattered what the old man said to him now.
“You are of no further use to me.”
Before the king could cry out, Jalarn slit his throat.
Seraphim fell, lying motionless at Jalarn’s feet.
Commander Waltez walked over. He stared at the portly corpse for a moment. Jalarn detected an envious glare in the man’s eyes.
“Throw him in the river and then kill the queen,” said Jalarn.
Waltez nodded and left him.
It was time to take their spoils and return home.
*****
Ittonifer stood on the balcony of his castle. Jalarn, Waltez, and their men had returned with carts upon carts of something.
“What have they been up to?”
The sight lifted his mood. Rather than rush back home like a pair of idiots, they had been shrewd enough to collect some of their enemy’s spoils.
“They must have something heavy in those carts,” said a feminine voice from behind him.
It was his daughter, Chrissa. She came to his side and they watched as the army entered into the city. The civilians quickly cleared the streets.
“Father, I’ve been training every single day. Please, allow me to join our troops in the battle against Sanctus,” she said.
“You already know my answer.”
“Why did you even bother teaching me the sword if—”
“Enough, wench!”
The girl crossed her arms. She had become much too headstrong. Now seventeen, his daughter had been eligible for marriage two years ago. The imp would be better off putting her energy into providing him with strong grandsons rather than arguing with him on a daily basis about matters that did not concern her.
It was Ittonifer’s unfortunate fate that his only child was a female. At least his nephew, Jalarn, was proving to be quite useful.
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind them.
“My lord, I hope that I’m not intruding.”
It was Naeshi – Ittonifer’s senior guard.
“What do you want?” asked Ittonifer.
“Jalarn has requested to speak with you. He says that you will like what he has to say.”
“He had better be right.”
Naeshi’s eyes wandered toward Chrissa. His gaze remained