The Torwyr

Author's note: This follows Fyra and Sword

Lor'kan continued to just stand over him blade still pointing close. Naythan looked up, a cold defiance creeping through him, "Do it." He knelt up and pressed his chest against the point. A small bead of blood welled up, slowly staining his cotton jerkin beneath the mail. He would not cower from his fate this time.

Lor'kan said nothing for a moment. He wasn't even breathing hard from the fight, and his face was calm and slightly pensive as he stared down at Naythan kneeling before him.

"You have rudimentary skill. You will need to improve greatly if you are to survive."

Naythan blinked, his emotions still racing, whirled with what he was seeing. "What...?

"Your skills with a sword sergeant." Lor'kan withdrew his sword from Naythan's chest and shoved it back into its scabbard and offered his hand to Naythan.

Naythan was taken aback at this sudden reversal, relief, confusion and fatigue warred for supremacy in his mind. Hadn't he just been in a fight for his life? Hadn't he lost that fight? What was going on here?"

Still dumbfounded, Naythan instinctively accepted the hand offered. Lor'kan pulled him to his feet and addressed him.

"You lack is the ability to maintain balance in a fight, you panic too easily." He turned and made his way over to Fyra's still unconscious form and bent over to lift her up easily enough slinging one arm over his shoulder as he did. He turned back to Naythan, "Look boy are you going to help me out with this one or would you prefer to stay here gawping?"

Naythan's focus snapped back into place at the Brother's words. He moved over to Lor'kan, putting Fyra's other arm over his shoulder, to help Lor'kan carry her back to the camp.

After a moment Naythan twisted his head to look at the man who, mere moments before, had had his sword at his throat. "Brother Lor'kan, what is going on here?"

"I know you must have many questions sergeant. Suffice to say I needed to see if I could trust you."

"Trust me with what Brother?

Lor'kan looked at him from over Fyra's drooping head between them.

"Fine." he said sighing slightly, "Now is probably a better time than we are ever likely to get to have this talk, but we need to make it quick, this one took a very nasty hit to her head, so we need to get her back to the surgeon as soon as possible."

Lor'kan jerked his chin next to a small stump, "Lets put her down there for a moment."

The two men shuffled over to the spot Lor'kan had indicated and carefully laid Fyra down propped up against the stump. Naythan removed his blue cloak and gently placed it behind her head. There was no blood back there, which was a good sign, but Lor'kan had been right about getting her to a healer as soon as they could.

After setting her down, Lor'kan brushed aside the snow and sat down on the cleared spot, Naythan did the same. "Now then, where to start." Lor'kan began, he looked to Naythan closely, "Have you ever heard of the Torwyr before?"

Naythan's eyes widened as shock pulsed through him, "You are Torwyr?" he gasped.

Lor'kan nodded, "That is so, though what you have no doubt heard from the Order is laden with fabrications and lies mixed with little truth. For now, know that we are a group within the Order who believe the treatment of Dryads is contrary to the divine will and Custodia's teachings"

"But they use magic, this is a clear violation of the Divine will as taught by the Church so why do you protect those who use it?" Naythan asked.

Lor'kan gave him a weary look. "The philosophy of it has not been much of my concern. Humans are hardly innocent of wrong doing, yet the enslavement of humans is considered horrific to many." Lor'kan's eyes slipped to look at the still unconscious figure of Fyra. "We are more alike than most realize."

A moment of silence fell as Naythan pondered his words. Lor'kan turned back to Naythan, "I think you have a tale of your own to tell sergeant. You have the power to bind and yet you are not being trained as a Brother of the Order?"

Naythan just shrugged, though he avoided Lor'kan's inquisitive gaze, "I had no wish to become a Brother. I was satisfied with my service as a sergeant of the Order." He stood up, "Now I think we have to get the sorceress back to camp."

"Very well." Was all Lor'kan said though as he stood up. "But we will discuss this later."

Naythan just nodded and The two men slung the unconscious Dryad's arms over their shoulders and resumed their laborious journey back to camp in silence..

To be continued in Master and Apprentice

...