Soldier Song (The Teralin Sword Book 6) Page 4

  But why was that? Was it merely because he believed his father was a better commander or was it because he didn’t want to take the next step? It wasn’t that he feared leadership. He wouldn’t serve as Raen were that the case. It was more that he felt as if he had been preparing for this next step for so long, and if he took it, what would be next?

  More than that, taking it would pull him away from the possibility of serving the Conclave. More than anything, he wanted to be a part of what they did.

  “My father is still one of the finest swordsmen in the world.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do.”

  Pendin cocked his head, watching Endric. “Why don’t you want to challenge him?”

  “I’m not ready to be general,” Endric said.

  Pendin laughed, though there was a hint of bitterness within it. “You’re not ready? I thought everything you were doing over the last few years has been designed to ensure that you got ready. Why else have we been taking assignments outside of the city as often as we have?”

  “Those have been necessary.”

  “Those could have been taken by anyone,” Pendin said. “It didn’t have to be you leading most of those patrols. Even the last patrol didn’t have to be you.”

  Endric stared at Pendin for a moment. He was right, but there had been value in being there. It allowed him to better understand what took place on a patrol, but more than that, it gave the men a chance to see him command. Even though he had been within Vasha for the last five years, and he had been leading, it was a short period of time compared to some who served directly beneath the general. Many still saw Endric as the young soldier he once had been, immature and angry. Those were the men he needed to win over to ensure that he was able to lead when it came to it.

  “Is that all?” Endric asked.

  Pendin shook his head. “I guess it is.”

  “I’m not sure you want me to challenge Dendril quite yet,” Endric said.

  “And why is that?” Pendin asked.

  “Because when I do, you will be promoted to Raen.”

  “I’m not sure I’m the best fit. Senda has experience. She would be a better fit for it.”

  “Senda has no interest.”

  “What makes you think that I have any interest?”

  “I’m not going to give you any choice in the matter. I’m going to keep the people closest to me, those that I trust the most, in positions of leadership. Besides, I might be good at a great many things, but I don’t have the same organizational ability you have.”

  Pendin grunted. “Great. Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested that you challenge your father.”

  Endric grinned.

  “What now?”

  “I’m going to keep working with the men, but you need to go and check in with your mother.”

  Pendin looked around the barracks before his gaze returned to Endric. “Oh, no. I’m not going to visit with her again.”

  “Why? You know she wants only to make sure that you haven’t slipped.”

  “I’m sure she has her own ways of knowing.”

  Endric thought it was possible that she might. Elizabeth was well connected within the university, and with her connections, he thought she had some way of spying on the Denraen, though there would’ve been a time when he believed such a thing to be impossible.

  Without her, Pendin might have been lost. Since his return to the Denraen, and since he had resumed regular promotions, she had wanted only that he continued to check in with her. Endric had been more than happy to comply with that request, if only because he thought that it meant that Pendin might be protected. It had to be better having more people looking in on his friend.

  There was another reason why visiting with Elizabeth might be beneficial. With Senda’s concern about the silence of her spies, maybe Elizabeth knew something. She often knew things she shouldn’t, things that were tied into her knowledge of the university and the scholars who went there to study. With Senda gone, it gave Endric something to do, if nothing else.

  “Fine. I’ll go with you if that would make you feel better.”

  “It would make me feel better not going at all.”

  “Seeing as how that’s not an option, I guess we’re both going to the university.”

  3

  The two men standing guard on either side of the gate leading into the university sneered at Pendin as he approached. Endric stepped forward, flashing the signal of rank on his sleeve, his back straight and stiff as he approached. He had encountered men like this at the university often enough to know that they had a certain arrogance. Most believed that they were intellectually superior to him simply by nature of their service to the university. They viewed soldiers as beneath them.

  “I would visit with Elizabeth Thiran.”

  The two men glanced at each other before looking up at Endric. “I’m sorry, but the Denraen don’t have any authority at the university.”

  “I’m not demanding authority, but let’s get this straight. The Denraen have authority everywhere. We are tasked with ensuring peace. Even if that means peace within the university.” He glowered at each of the men, staring at them with as much intensity as he could muster.

  “You would intimidate scholars of the university?”

  “I would intimidate fools who don’t want to send word to Elizabeth Thiran that Endric has come to visit. I can assure you that she will welcome my company.”

  He wasn’t entirely sure that she would but hoped that would be the case. The last time he had seen Elizabeth had been well over a year ago, and there had been no reason for him to visit in the last year. Why would there be, especially as Pendin had settled in so well?

  The two men continued to stare at him, and Endric wondered if he was going to need to force his way in. If he did that, it would lead to difficulty, though not the same kind of difficulty it once would have created. His father would have understood, especially as he understood the role that Pendin played in Endric’s life and Elizabeth’s position in helping to ensure that Pendin got the help he needed.

  “Go send word,” the shorter of the two men said.

  Endric flashed a brief smile. “That’s a good decision.”

  The other man glared at him.

  “You do realize there’s no need for you to antagonize him quite this much?” Pendin asked.

  “Oh, there’s no reason, but I do have to admit to enjoying it.”

  “You’re the reason the university doesn’t care much for the Denraen.”

  “They haven’t cared for the Denraen for a long time. It has nothing to do with what I might do or say.”

  “You could make an attempt at trying to get along with them.”

  Endric only shrugged. He wasn’t confident that it made a difference, not when it came to men like this. It was almost as if the university attempted to coach their people to create an attitude with the Denraen.

  He and Pendin waited quietly for the other man to return. He wasn’t gone long, which told Endric that he likely had sprinted. He smiled to himself. At least they were concerned enough about his appearance—and the fact that he requested a visit with Elizabeth—that they would have run.

  “She will see them,” the man said.

  “She will?” the other asked, his eyes going wide.

  The man who had run off nodded. “She said she would always find time to visit with her son.”

  Endric smiled again. “I could have mentioned that.”

  They followed the man through the gates and into the university. The buildings were spaced around a central plaza. Most of the larger buildings were set up against the base of the mountain, not quite carved from the stone themselves but near enough to present the image that they were a part of it. It was impressive, even if it was nothing more than an illusion. Some of the newer buildings had been erected across from those, and they were equally impressive. Most were built from the same stone as the rest of the mountain, and they were incredib
ly ornate, the craftsmanship that had gone into their construction evident even from a distance.

  They were led away from the largest of the buildings, guided toward some of the older and more rundown structures. Endric wasn’t surprised. They approached from a different direction each time that he visited with Elizabeth. It seemed as if she preferred to keep him guessing, though it was possible she changed her location, too.

  “When was last time you visited with her?”

  Pendin shook his head. “She makes sure that I come at least once a month when I’m in the city. She knows when I’m not.”

  “You seem almost offended by that.”

  “Not offended. I know that the two of you were only looking out for me. It’s just…”

  Endric clasped his friend on the shoulder briefly. “I can understand. I lost my mother long enough ago that I barely remember her. But I know you and your mother have a complicated relationship.”

  “Complicated doesn’t really do it justice.”

  “Is it because you serve the Denraen, or is it something else?”

  “It has very little to do with my service to the Denraen,” Pendin said. “It’s more about the fact that I’m not the son she wants me to be.”

  Endric thought about what he knew of Elizabeth. She might not say it, but he had a sense that she was proud of Pendin. It seemed as if she respected the fact that he had made his own choices, and it seemed as if she respected that he had struggled but had pulled through.

  “You aren’t that same person you were years ago.”

  “She still sees me like that,” Pendin said softly.

  They reached the door of a nondescript-looking building. They had turned down an alleyway, off the main street leading through the rest of the university, and the man leading them glanced over before knocking briefly on the door. He waited, and Endric wanted to smile at his hesitation.

  “Are you scared of her?” Endric asked.

  “Scared isn’t quite the right—”

  Endric cut Pendin off, shaking his head. “Not you. You,” he said to the university scholar. “Are you scared of her?”

  “We all know that Master Thiran prefers to be left alone. Most people aren’t foolish enough to interrupt her when she’s working.”

  “Which means that you fear her.”

  There had been a time when Endric had wondered whether Elizabeth served the Conclave, and he still wasn’t entirely sure. When he’d first met with her, some of the things she said suggested that she might, but all of the times that he had spoken with Tresten and others of the Conclave had left him believing that was not the case. If she did serve the Conclave, it would be peripherally, and likely in much the same way Endric did.

  “You would be wise to fear her, too,” Pendin said.

  Endric grunted and shrugged. “I’m not sure that fearing her does either of us any good. I respect her. I recognize that she holds a position of authority. And—”

  The door opened, and Elizabeth stood in front of him. She was a small and compact woman, but no less intimidating because of it. She had a stern countenance and always seemed to be frowning, even when she looked upon Pendin. Perhaps especially then. It was only when she couldn’t be caught looking that she allowed herself to have any warmth in her gaze. It was almost as if she feared to let anyone see that she cared about her son. Pendin certainly didn’t know, but Endric could see it, and the fact that she had gone through everything she had to secure his safety all those years ago told Endric just how much she valued her son.

  “What a surprise. My son and his master.”

  “Elizabeth,” Endric said, tipping his head in a respectful nod.

  “You may go,” she said, waving off the university student. When he had disappeared, she turned her attention back to Endric. “It’s been a year since you came by. I had expected to see you sooner.”

  “We didn’t have anything the two of us needed to speak about,” Endric said.

  “If you believe that, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

  She turned away from him and guided them into the building. The times he had visited before, he had been forced to descend deep below the ground to get to her office. Even then, he didn’t know if it was the only place she had or if she had guided him the easiest way. This time, she led them into the building, but not downstairs. The main room was something of a library, with rows of shelving around the walls. A single lantern provided light, though somewhat dimly. She didn’t pause as she made her way through the room, and when they reached a door at the back, she fished a key out of her pocket before twisting and opening it.

  Elizabeth stepped off to the side to allow them to enter. Endric glanced over at her as he passed into the next chamber.

  This room was smaller. It consisted of mostly a desk, and there was a door along the far wall, making Endric suspect that behind that door was the true place of her power. He stood in front of the desk, waiting until Elizabeth took a seat on the far side.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visits today?” she asked as she took a seat.

  “I thought you would be pleased to see your son,” Endric said.

  She paused and looked up at Endric. “Pleased. Yes. That’s exactly how I would describe it.” She flicked her gaze over to Pendin, and he shifted his feet uncomfortably. He was a man who commanded other men and yet standing before his mother, he struggled to have the same confidence he usually possessed.

  Endric understood the discomfort around her but needed for Pendin to get over it. He needed the confident soldier.

  “Would you rather have us not visit?” Endric asked.

  Elizabeth glared at him. “You know that’s not the case.”

  “I’m not sure I know anything when it comes to you.”

  Elizabeth clasped her hands in front of her on the table. The desk was made of simple oak and looked to be heavy. Stacks of paper along one corner intrigued Endric, if only because he knew that Elizabeth had some strange role in the university. It wasn’t the same as what Pendin’s father had. His father was more of an instructor, and had been a master of the mines, a man who had once navigated all throughout the tunnels burrowing through the mountain. Since the mines were shuttered, his father had taken on more of the role of instructor, and as far as Endric knew, he enjoyed that responsibility.

  “Yes. I am such a difficult one for you to analyze. Is it difficult because I don’t attempt to attack you?”

  Endric smiled. “Not openly.”

  Elizabeth arched a brow.

  Endric only shrugged. “You might not attack in the same as a soldier, but my experience with you has shown me that you have a different way of attacking. It’s no less effective.”

  She stared at him for a moment before smiling. It was a predatory sort of grin, one that reminded him of the laca that prowled on the plains and within the northern mountains near the Antrilii lands. He had more than his share of experience with laca.

  “Sometimes you surprise me, Endric.” She studied him for another few moments before shifting her gaze to Pendin. The intensity in her eyes softened, if only a little. “Are you well?”

  Pendin blinked. “Endric makes sure that I’m well.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking.”

  “I am well.” Pendin turned to Endric. “Are we done?”

  Endric blinked. That wasn’t what he expected of Pendin. He knew that he and his mother didn’t necessarily get along but didn’t realize that it had continued to be such a contentious relationship. Could he still be so hurt by the fact that she had sent him to Salvat? He knew that she had done so to help him, not to punish him, but maybe he blamed her regardless.

  “If that’s all that you need,” Endric said.

  Pendin nodded and turned away, heading back to the door.

  Endric lingered behind, and he turned his attention back to Elizabeth. She sat watching the doorway, and the disappointment on her face was evident.

  “Is this what normal
ly transpires?” Endric asked Elizabeth.

  “I don’t know that there is a normal for the two of us. Not anymore.”

  “Is it because you sent him away?” Endric asked.

  “I’m not sure if it’s because I sent him away or because he feels as if I gave up on him.” She looked up at Endric. “And yet, he doesn’t feel as if you gave up on him. He credits you with saving him.”

  “I’m the one who brought him to you because it didn’t seem as if there was anything else I could do for him.”

  “That’s not the way he credits you with saving him. I think it has more to do with what happened when you were in Salvat. He doesn’t talk about it with me…”

  Endric forced a smile. The experience in Salvat was not something Endric wanted to talk about with anyone. It had been a difficult journey, and there had been a time when he thought that he would lose not only Tresten but Senda, someone who was incredibly important to him, even if he wasn’t able to admit it at the time. That had changed for him, though they still hadn’t returned to a full sense of normalcy.

  “I can see you have no intention of talking about it with me, either.”

  “What happened in Salvat is not something I can share with someone not of the Denraen.”

  “So you were there on behalf of the Denraen?”

  Endric smiled again. “Was I?”

  “There’s no reason for you to be so difficult with me.”

  “I didn’t realize I was being difficult.”

  She studied him for a few moments more. “Tell me, Endric, when is it that you will assume command?”

  “You should ask my father.”

  “I have asked your father. He tells me he’s no longer interested in leading the Denraen, but the man he intends to assume command isn’t quite ready. I think we all have assumed you are the heir apparent to the Denraen.”

  It surprised Endric that Dendril might have shared with Elizabeth his hesitancy. Then again, Dendril might have done so as a way of forcing Endric’s hand. Elizabeth could be persuasive, and it wouldn’t surprise Endric to learn that Dendril had wanted to use her to ensure that he did as Dendril wanted.