Wellspring of Chaos

XXXVII

Sevenday was cool and cloudy, even at dawn, but the clouds were high. Kharl thought it was unlikely there would be rain. For that he was grateful as he sat against the stone wall and checked his wounds. Three sets of half-scabbed and oozing lines ran from the knee to just above Kharl’s boot tops on his left leg. A shorter trio of lines ran between Kharl’s elbow and shoulder, also on his left arm. The pain from the night before had faded into a dull aching in both his injured leg and arm, unless he moved suddenly, then it sharpened.

Kharl still did not understand exactly what had happened. He knew that he had fought well enough to disable the guards, but he doubted that he had struck hard enough to kill them; and he certainly had not struck the wizard hard enough to stun him-yet he had. Or was Kharl deceiving himself? Had he really used that much force? He wasn’t sure he’d ever know. What he did know was that, if he couldn’t find a friendly ship soon, he needed another way to get out of Brysta. All around him bodies continued to mount, and if Egen ever suspected that Kharl was alive in Brysta and had killed his wizard, there would be more Watchmen looking everywhere.

He glanced up to find Jeka sitting on the edge of the hidey-hole ledge, studying him. While there were dark circles under her eyes, her face was not so drawn as the day before.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“You came after me.”

Kharl nodded, not knowing exactly what to say.

“You killed the wizard.”

He nodded again. “I was lucky.”

“You were brave.”

“I’m not brave.” How could he explain that he wasn’t, that he’d just had to try, because it might have been the only chance left in his life to try to help someone who had helped him? He looked at Jeka carefully. Her face was still pale. “I’ve got a few coppers. I’m going with you to the lower market. You need to eat.”

“You shoulda taken coins from the wizard.”

“I was more interested in getting us out of there before anyone found us. Coins don’t do much good if they hang you.”

“Coulda grabbed ’em without stopping.”

“You could have,” Kharl said. “I’m not that good. Besides…” He paused and offered a grin. “Wasn’t that what got you in trouble with the wizard in the first place?”

“Yeah…” Jeka looked away slightly, then back. “But if he was dead…”

“If there were coins missing, the Watch might be looking for us a lot more. This way…the wizard’s dead. So are his guards, and there’s a rope tied to a bedpost. No wizard’s going to kidnap a ragged urchin everyone thinks is a boy. Clearly…” Kharl paused. He hoped it was clear. “The wizard kidnapped the wrong person and paid for it.”

“That’s what you hope.”

“You think Egen is going to believe that a beggar and an urchin killed two guards and a wizard-and didn’t take a thing?” countered Kharl.

“Probably not,” Jeka agreed.

“Now…let’s go get something to eat.”

“I could do it myself.”

“You aren’t going alone.”

“You got hurt. Maybe you shouldn’t walk that far.”

“We both got hurt. Besides, I can limp for real.”

Jeka smiled.

Kharl stood. He would take the staff.