Chapter 8

This is as far as I have gotten in this project so posts will probably be more spread out now since I am actually writing the next bit as we speak. The plot thickens as Dion meets Dusdane. Also with this entry the Many Worlds Project has surpassed 100 pages.

Afternoon had stretched into evening by the time she got back to Dusdane. He lay there just as he had when she left him. He didn’t stir when she entered.

She let her eyes examine every inch of the silly man’s body. She smirked to herself. How could the Wraith’s think this blunderer was the kind of man they needed. He was a bragger. He was a philanderer, and he was a kind man. Faecon appeared to be kind, but something in his eyes betrayed his true thoughts. People were pawns to him and he was only kind when it got the best results.

Dion’s eyes had simply been cold, calculating, unfeeling. Both these men had interest in Dusdane and it worried her. She didn’t want them to change him, otherwise he wouldn’t be the person she loved.

There was the unpleasant reality that Freah didn’t know much about Dusdane. Perhaps there was something back on Elayne he wouldn’t tell her about, something that made him a perfect candidate. She knew he felt guilt for something, it was the reason he would never speak of his life back on Elayne. He mentioned his past sparingly, only ever mentioning the Garrenian invasion and his parents. She doubted anything he had done could make her hate him. She just sensed in her gut he would never be like those two. But there was always doubt, doubt never goes away. What if he had done something, murdered people, harmed innocents. If he had done that, if everything he had told her had been a lie and maybe she was a pawn of Dusdane’s.

Two soft foot steps came from a window, out of the shadows stepped Dion. He looked over Dusdane’s unconscious body and smirked, “Isn’t he darling when he is so helpless.”

Freah moved a few steps closer to the bed. She had no idea what Dion wanted but she wasn’t going to let him harm Dusdane.

Dion took a few steps laterally along the wall, smiling as he did. He stopped and looked at a bookshelf. “Fascinating collection, medicine, educational books. You do like to help people.” He pulled a book off the shelf. “Looks like this book has been opened recently.” He flipped through it. “Ah treating of head wounds, so I guess you are to thank for keeping our candidate alive.”

“What are you doing here?” Freah asked as she moved a foot under her bed nudging a length of heavy wood she kept ready for emergencies, in her direction.

Dion shoved the book back into place. He moved around the room observing everything. Everything was scrutinized in a glance, his eyes darted back and forth as if he was attributing everything to memory. “I am simply here to speak with Dusdane. Faecon thought I should get here before you to ensure he didn’t learn anything we didn’t want him too.”

“You don’t trust me?”

Dion arched his eyebrows inward incredulously. “And why should we? We know where your alliances lie, just as we know where Dusdane’s lie. We need to make sure you understand.”

She toed the bludgeon closer to herself quietly. “Understand what?”

“Your alliance isn’t with a world or any higher cause, you are looking out for yourself and those you care about.” Dion said as he took a step closer to the bed. “So in order to make you feel said alliance to a larger cause we are going to make sure that you understand. Understand that, should we fail or you go against our wishes, that harm will befall you and those you care about.” Dion’s eyes locked on Dusdane. “Do we understand each other?”

Freah nodded. “I am not a fool, I know how the Wraiths work.”

“Good, because fools make poor Arbitrators.” Dion took a step away and towards the window sitting on the sill. “I wouldn’t count on Dylan being able to help you with us. He understands our mission.” He pulled out a knife and began gently cleaning beneath his fingernails with it.

Freah stood silent for a minute before Dion looked up again.

“Well, are you going to wake him?” Dion said without looking up.

Freah moved her hand onto Dusdane’s shoulder and shook him gently. Dusdane rolled away.

Dion frowned, “Oh come on, do it properly.”

“I am not sure what you mean,” Freah responded.

“Yes, you do. Come now, I am bored.”

Freah moved closer to Dusdane and whispered into his ear and her lips brushed his forehead.

Dusdane’s eyes, opened slightly. “Apparently I am not dead, unless you are my heaven.” Dusdane said quietly a smile spreading across his lips.

Despite herself Freah smiled slightly. Then adding mockingly, “You’ve used that line before.”

Dusdane lifted himself onto his elbows and yawned, then he noticed Dion. “What the… Who…?”

Dion lowered the blade back into a sheath in his coat. His black eyes locked with Dusdane’s with an icy gaze. “I am a friend of Faecon’s”

“Then you found him,” said Dusdane to Freah.

Freah nodded, but didn’t know what else to say. So much she wished to tell him but she was unsure what could be said without endangering him.

“Faecon, speaks very highly of you Dusdane.” Said Dion standing up from the windowsill.

Dusdane looked at Dion, with his head slightly tilted, then looked to Freah, who remained silent with a sad look in her eyes. “I have no idea why he would speak about me like that.” Dusdane was confused, part of him wondered if he was having visions from his headwound.

“Regardless, he does.” Dion peaked out the window, it seemed more out of habit than actual paranoia. “I represent a section of the Elaynian government. I am here in an advisory position to the Arbitrators.”

“You’re a Wraith…” said Dusdane and inched away on the bed. He found himself closer to Freah who simply gripped his hand tightly.

“You can call me Dion.” Dion replied with a smirk. He seemed to genuinely revel in the terror he gave others.

“How do you know Faecon?”

“He is a regular source of info for me, caravans and rumor are very useful to us.” Lied Dion.

“And what do you want with me?”

“Faecon informs me that you are very well traveled, ever been to Icene?”

“A few times…”

“You have an acquaintance there by the name of Abbot Lot am I correct?”

“It has been a long time since I have seen him…”

“You will accompany me to Icene to Lot’s settlement, whereupon you will help me locate and introduce me to him.”

“You planning to kill him?” Asked Dusdane.

“No, but I will need to ask him things that he will not likely answer to someone he doesn’t trust. Hence I will need you to lend credibility to my story.”

“And your story is?”

“That is a state secret Dusdane.”

Dusdane looked at Freah who’s hand was coldly gripped onto his. Her eyes wanting to say so many things but her lips saying nothing. “Well, if it is all right with you, Dion, I think I will pass. I have no interest in going to Icene.” Freah’s grip relaxed for a moment.

Dion’s smile faded, his face growing deadly. “That is unfortunate.”

Freah saw Dion’s movement before she heard the rush of air as he moved. Two knives were out and he was coming at her. She grabbed the board under his bed and managed to catch Dion off guard. The board slammed into one of Dion’s hands and his knife flew into the nearby wall. Dusdane rolled out of the bed but as his feet hit the ground dizzyness over took him and he tried to balance himself on the headboard of the bed.

Dion cursed and ducked below a second swing of the board and came up with his free hand catching Freah in the throat.

Dusdane rushed Dion but soon found a foot in his gut and he stumbled backwards back onto the bed.

Dion held his knife to Freah’s throat and with his now free hand wrenched the board from her hand.

“This won’t make me help you!” Dusdane spat as the room swirled around him and he tried to get himself upright.

Freah stared defiantly at Dion, and began to struggle but she felt the blade lightly prick her skin and blood begin to flow. She stopped. Dion looked at her his lips curling back into a smile. She could tell he loved the control. At this moment no one could stop him.

“I am simply making a point, Dusdane. I tried to appeal to your love of country but that didn’t seem to do, so now I must appeal to more direct love.” Said Dion his fist quickly slammed into Freah’s stomach, she gasped despite not wanting to utter a sound.

“Stop this!” Cried Dusdane.

Dion grabbed Freah by the throat again and tossed her onto the bed. Freah grabbed a bandage from a table by the bed, the same she used to tend Dusdane the night before, and pressed it against her neck. She turned to Dion who stood there knife out, a drop of Freah’s blood fell to the ground. He took a few steps towards the bed. Dusdane tried to push himself up, but a firm hand shoved him back down. Freah backed off the bed trying to move Dion away from the hurt Dusdane. She didn’t mind the pain as much, she just wondered how she could beat the bastard. She didn’t want Dusdane to go with him, she could take the punishment.

“This is pointless Dion, if you hurt her you are not going to make me want to help you!”

“I don’t want you to want to help me.” Said Dion moving at Freah again. “I want you to know that this was not a choice you were given. You will help me or everyone you care about will suffer.”

Freah swung at Dion and caught him while he finished his speech. Dion took it and stumbled. Freah lashed out with a kick, but Dion had spun with the blow and swung out a leg sweeping her feet.

Dion pinned her to the ground, “And there are so many ways to make her suffer.”

Dusdane stood up, “Stop!”

Dion ran the knife tip down Freah’s chest for a moment then stood up keeping his foot on Freah. “Or maybe I should hit a more clandestine target,” said Dion. “I mean you have only known this women for a few years.” He said waving his knife nonchalantly. “How is your sister Dusdane?”

Dusdane froze. The words crashing onto him like ice falling from a rooftop.

“Mikea, right?”

Freah looked at Dusdane for a moment in confusion.

Dion looked at Freah, “Oh he never told you about his little sister. Darling child, no more than what, eight years?”

“You wouldn’t dare…”

“Oh come now, I brutalize this woman in front of you and you presume to tell me what I dare not do.” Dion openly laughed and removed his foot from Freah. She stood up and squared for a fight. Dion waved her off and sat down in a nearby chair sheathing his knife. Freah thought about attacking again, but she knew she wouldn’t win. Tomorrow, she thought to herself, tomorrow she went to Dylan, he promised to train her.

Dion folded his hands. “She lives with your uncle, since you never stay on Elayne very long. She asks about you often you know that? It makes one wonder why you don’t see her that much.” Dion smirked to himself, “but who am I to moralize.”

Dusdane grit his teeth and sat down. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

Dion stood up and dusted himself off. “Good, we leave in three days, that should give you plenty of time to heal up, at least enough to travel.” He walked towards the stairway down to the bar. “And you know what will happen if you run.”

Dion left without a sound. Dusdane stood warily and moved to Freah. He brought fresh bandages to her and tried to apply them. He worked silently, and did a poor job. Freah grabbed his hand as he worked and stopped him. “I’ll take care of it, I appreciate the thought, but I am better at this,” she said.

She helped him to the bed and lay him down. She quickly adjusted the bandage Dusdane had put on her. She then went over and checked on his wounds. Then she lay down next to him; so many things she wanted to say and no way to say them.

“Mikea?” She finally uttered after several long quiet moments.

Dusdane was laying facing away from her and she saw his back rise with a deep inhalation of breath. “Yes, my sister back on Elayne.”

“Looks like I was right about you having another woman back there,” replied Freah.

It was a poor joke and Dusdane didn’t reply.

“Why didn’t you tell me about her?”

“Because I am not proud of…” Dusdane went silent again, “I am not proud of how I have taken care of her.”

“I can imagine,” Freah said propping herself up on one elbow. “Considering how often you are here, there is no way you could be taking care of her.”

“My uncle watches out for her when I am away.”

“Which is often,” Freah said somewhat bitingly. She didn’t like the idea of Dusdane abandoning his sister. Abandonment hit too close to home.

Dusdane rolled onto his back. “I know, I know.” He said sighing again and then looking at Freah. “I want to be there for her, but I want my own life too.”

“It looks like that desire has now put her in danger.” Freah replied. “You could have found work on Elayne.”

Dusdane rolled onto his side and stroked Freah’s face. “Then I would have never have met you.” Freah didn’t respond to the touch. Dusdane rolled away. “Besides, I would have gone nuts staying on Elayne, and had I been forced to stay by my sister I would have grown to hate her.”

“I can understand that Dusdane, but you should realize that you are lucky to have some family left.”

“I thought I was doing what was best for her.” Dusdane sighed, “Guess I was foolish.”

Freah but her hand on Dusdane’s shoulder and moved closer to him. “Don’t worry, it will be okay.”

Dusdane reached across his chest and held her hand. “Who are you reassuring?”

Freah didn’t answer just pulled Dusdane close. She finally said, “You have to be careful out there.”

Dusdane reached around and grabbed a hold of Freah looking her in the eye. “I don’t think he will harm me, he needs me too much.”

“I don’t trust him,” said Freah, then she squeezed Dusdane. “Don’t worry though, when you get back… if you get back. I’ll be ready for him.”

“We could just run away tonight, go back to Elayne and get ready for him there.” Dusdane wondered out loud.

Freah shook her head, “No, he is a Wraith, if we run it will just be worse.”

“How do we even know?”

“I know…” Freah cut him off.

“Something happened when you found Faecon?”

Freah nodded, “I can’t tell you about it. Better for both of us this way.”

The two entwined from head to toe. “We are way out of our depths.”

Freah nodded.

“What do we do?” asked Dusdane.

“We try and stay afloat, any way we can,” replied Freah.

The two lay and held each other till sleep overtook them.

Outside Dion stood on a corner cleaning his nails with the tip of his knife.

Faecon approached, “So he agreed?”

Dion nodded.

“Looks like you got clipped,” Faecon said nodded to the bruise forming on the side of Dion’s jaw.

“The bitch can swing,” was all Dion said in reply.

“I see they took some convincing, I hope you didn’t go far enough to make Dusdane angry at you. We need him cooperative.”

“I went as far as necessary Faecon, and I won’t have you second guessing me.” Dion said with a gesture towards him with the knife.

Faecon only smiled, “Very well, but if you damage him, make him unusable, you and I will have issues Dion.”

“Is that a threat?”

Faecon just kept smiling. “Come on we have business.”

The two Wraiths walked off into the night.