Page 3 (1/2)

Luthien started at Garth Rogar in shocked silence, stared at the surprised expression on the flaxen-haired barbarian&039;s rugged and bruised face Surprised even in death or, perhaps, because of his death

"Fly, Death!" Luthien wailed, throwing his sword aside and diving down to kneel beside the ! Seek an aged th to survive in this cruel world, but take not this rabbed up Garth Rogar&039;s hand in his own and propped the barbarian&039;s head with his other arar&039;s body, the sweat the barbarian had worked up in the fight beco clamue caught in his ht he say to Death, that most callous of spirits which does not care to hear? What use ords when the heat was fast leaving Garth Rogar&039;s young and strong body?

Luthien looked back helplessly to the box, his expression a e But Aubrey&039;s party, Gahris included, was already gone froht; further up the stands, Ethan, too, had fled the scene Luthien&039;s gaze darted all about Many of the spectators had departed, but so incredulously to theover hiar He saw the back tip of the crossbow quarrel protruding from the man&039;s side, be-tween two ribs, and reached for it tentatively, as if he thought that pulling it free would give Garth Rogar back his breath Luthien tried to touch the ers would not close about it

A crythe tunnel, led by Katerin She skidded to her knees before the en-tly closed his eyes Her soaze met Luthien&039;s and she slowly shook her head

Up ju, the cry torn from his heart He looked around wildly, hands clenched at his side, then found a focus to his rage He tore Avonese&039;s kerchief froround, then staar, friend and fellow," he began, "I, Luthien Bedwyr, do vow--"

"Enough," interrupted Katerin, rising beside hi his ar that she would interrupt at so soleh, he saw no apology for her unexpected action, only a pleading look

"Enough, Luthien," she said softly, in full control "Garth Rogar died as a warrior by the most ancient and hallowed rules of the arena of our people Do not dishonor him"

Horrified, Luthien pulled away frohters who had trained beside hih he was standing in a group of strangers

And then Luthien ran, across the field and into the tunnel, out into the open area near to the harbor and north along the beach

"It was unfortunate," Gahris began, trying to downplay the events

"It was murder," Ethan corrected, and his father looked about nervously, as if he expected one of Aubrey&039;s cyclopian guards to be lurking in the area

"Strong words," Gahris whispered

"Often strong is the ring of truth," Ethan said sternly and loudly, not backing off an inch

"I&039;ll have noa disdainful glare fromental son "No more, do you hear!"

Ethan snorted derisively and stared down at this er who could be so cowed He understood Gahris&039;s tentative position quite well, understood the poli-tics of the land If Gahris took any action against Aubrey, or any of Aubrey&039;s party, then the duke of Montfort would surely retaliate, probably with a fleet of warships Ethan didn&039;t care, though, and didn&039;t sys orth fighting for, worth dying for

"And what of the Lady Avonese?" Ethan asked, putting a sarcastic tone on his use of the word "lady"

Gahris sighed, see very s her behind," he adht be a positive thing for Bed-wydrin"

"A neife for Gahris," Ethan spat out sarcastically "A spy for Morkney in the house of Bedwyr" His father did not reply

"And what of this woe consorts?" Ethan asked loudly and venomously "Am I, then, to call her nited within Gahris, and before he could control the emotion, his hand snapped out and slapped the impertinent Ethan across the face

Ethan didn&039;t retaliate other than to fix a glare on his father, his striking eyes narrowed

Gahris had not wanted things to go this far, but there was a danger brewing here, for him and for all the folk of Bed-wydrin In the flash of a passing instant, the white-haired eorl reue, and remembered the free tione, and the thoughts, like the instant, were passing, stolen by an unrelenting stare that amatic elder Bedwyr knew he had to do

Luthien looked back froh bluff toward the north side of the bay as the last lights went out in the town of Dun Varna He still could not believe the events of this day, could not believe that Garth Rogar, his friend, was dead For the first tiGreensparrow and, inexperienced in any-thing beyond the arena, Luthien did not knohat to ht this be tied to Ethan&039;s perpetually sour mood? he wondered Luthien knew that Ethan held little respect for Gahris--soer Bedwyr son, who saw his father as a bold and noble warrior, could not under-stand--but he had always attributed that to a flaw in Ethan&039;s character To Luthien, Gahris was above reproach, the re-spected eorl of Bedwydrin, whose people loved him

Luthien did not know all the ancient rules of the arena, but he did understand that Gahris alone was overseer of the events Garth Rogar was dead, and his blood was certainly on the hands of Gahris Bedwyr

But why? Luthien could not understand the reason, the possible gain He iined all sorts of wild possibilities--perhaps word had co a raid upon Bedwydrin, and it had been learned that Garth Rogar had been acting as a spy Perhaps Gahris had even uncovered a report that Garth Rogar was planning to assassinate hihts He had known Garth Rogar for several years The noble fighter was no spy and certainly no assassin

Then why?

"Many in the town are worrying about you," came a quiet voice from behind Luthien didn&039;t have to turn to know that it belonged to Katerin O&039;Hale "Your father auess"

Luthien continued his silent stare across, the still waters of the harbor toward the darkening town He did not move even when Katerin came over to stand beside him and took his arm in her own, as she had done in the arena

"Will you coeance is not dishonor," Luthien replied with a growl He deliberately turned his head to stare into Katerin&039;s face, though he could barely see her in the gloo moment of silence passed before Katerin an-swered

"No," she agreed "But proclaiainst one who names the duke of Montfort as his friend and relative would be a foolish thing Would you give the man an excuse to kill you, and replace your father, for a e?"

Luthien pulled away froree

"Then I rave of ar Whatever the cost, whatever the conse-quences to me, to my father, to Bedwydrin"

Katerin could hardly believe what she had just heard, but neither could she rightly berate the man for his honorable words She, too, burned with helpless rage, feeling like a captive for the first time in her life She had been raised in Hale, on the open Avon Sea Her life was spent in danger in s the swells and the fierce whales, living on the very edge of disaster But Hale was a private place and a self-sufficient one, rarely visited Whatever the news of Bedwydrin, or of Eriador and Avon beyond that, Hale was oblivious; and so in their ignorance were the proud folk of Hale free

But now Katerin had seen the politics of the land, and the taste in her mouth was no less bitter than the taste in Luthien&039;s She turned the youngthe warust night