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Leafblade

By: Isaac Coyote

Chapter 7: Conflict of Interests

Tarin awoke early the following morning. He felt well rested, even if he had not slept as long as he had intended. The bed must have had a good effect on him. He rolled out of bed and moved to his pack, only to discover it was gone. In a panic, he ran over to Valaren and began shaking him violently. "Valaren! Valaren, it's gone!"

Valaren sat up with a start, but spoke groggily as he responded. "What? What's gone?"

"My belongings! They're all gone!"

Valaren chuckled, "No they are not." Tarin glared angrily at Valaren, but the older canine did not give him a chance to reply. "I had the time yesterday to pick up some supplies, so I purchased a new pack for you." He indicated a small pile of things on one side of the room. There was a pack in the pile that Tarin believed was what he was indicating. "I hope the clothes I bought you fit, I had to guess."

Tarin moved slowly to the pack and began digging through it. Everything from his old pack was in there, plus several new articles of clothing. Even Liandra's letter was safely tucked in a separate pouch. "Why didn't you tell me last night?" Tarin asked, still a little upset at his belongings temporarily going missing.

"When you were late, I got concerned for your safety," Valaren explained, "everything else just didn't matter as much."

Tarin sighed. At least he still had the letter. That was the most important thing to him. "Thank you." He said quietly.

"You needed clothes that fit you, and your pack was too small to carry what you already owned. It was going to happen eventually." Valaren added at the end, "Also, be careful with the amount of coins you carry, pickpockets and cutthroats will be more than happy kill you for that much."

Tarin had completely forgotten about the coins Rayac had given him. "How much do I have?" He asked. "I'm not very good at counting."

Valaren let out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't count it, myself, but at a glance, I'd say about twenty gold."

Tarin tried counting out twenty on his paws. "Is that a lot?"

Valaren made a visible effort to not show his shock at Tarin's comment. "Twenty gold could feed more than half this city."

"If they need it so much, should we give it to them?"

Valaren's efforts failed at that comment. The older canine just stared at Tarin for what seemed like a good minute. "You want to give up twenty gold to the citizens of the city?"

"Are they going hungry?" Tarin asked, "If they need it more than we do, we should give them the coins."

Valaren crossed the room to Tarin and placed a paw on Tarin's shoulder. "You have to have the largest heart of anyone I've ever met." He shook his head slowly, smiling warmly at Tarin. "No, the city isn't going hungry. We are in wartime, but people are still making it by. Taxes aren't unbearable and food supplies are doing well this year. I do not expect you to understand all this, yet," Valaren commented on the side, "but you will soon enough." He knelt down and reached into the pack. "We'll hold onto the coins for now, we might find someone else in need along the road." He pulled out his paw holding onto a set of somewhat fancy looking clothes. "Wear these today, we do not want to appear as beggars."

Tarin looked at the shirt in mild disgust. "That looks uncomfortable."

"It is supposed to be." Valaren replied, "Lack of comfort is a sign of nobility. The more you are made to suffer by your apparel, the higher status you hold." He maintained a straight face as he said this.

Tarin took the shirt and looked it over uncertainly. "May I be of lower status, please? A status allowed to wear clothing that will not intend ill upon me?"

Valaren laughed. "It will be fine. We will be not be there long, and once we are on the road, you will need not wear this again until we reach Isaldir."

Tarin glared at the shirt, as if that was the blame for his situation. "I will do it." He turned the shirt, ready to slip it on, "I will not refrain from looking miserable." Tarin added before pulling it over his shirt.

"You will adjust, I assure you."

Tarin finished getting dressed quickly, then watched Valaren get dressed while he waited. Valaren's tunic was a bit more fancy than Tarin's had been. While Tarin's was a light green in color, Valaren's was a dark blue. Both shared an embroidered design along the sleeves of a simple thin vine with gold leaves, one roughly every finger length apart. They both wore a deep blue pair of trousers, a few shades lighter than Valaren's shirt. Wearing them wasn't as uncomfortable as Tarin had been expecting, however he still felt constricted. Moving seemed more a chore than before, and he was anxious to be rid of the clothes again.

The walk through the city was quiet. It was just after sunrise, so people were out and running around, but not enough to crowd the streets. Valaren did not stop to admire the city as they walked, keeping a quick pace that Tarin strained to keep up with.

Valaren barely acknowledged Tarin's presence the entire walk. The most response the young coyote received from him was a glance every few minutes to assure he was still there. Twice Tarin attempted to strike up a conversation, only to get ignored completely. After the second attempt, he resolved himself to watching where they were going, remaining silent.

They arrived at the castle just as the city was getting busy, and the streets behind him started crowding quickly. However, the castle held his attention. It was the largest building he had ever seen. Lord Aunair's manor was larger than any one building he had found in the city by at least three times, but the castle was larger than the manor by more than that.

Two wolves stood in uniforms outside the gates, perfectly rigid and almost completely unmoving, except for their eyes. The eyes were constantly moving, taking in each person that came close to the gate. Valaren approached the two guards and held out a slip of paper. "I have an audience with his Majesty today."

One of the guards took the slip of paper, glanced over it, then nodded. "Waiting room is on the right."

Valaren nodded, gently pushing Tarin ahead of him through the gates. "I am aware, thank you." He arrived at the front entrance to the castle just ahead of Tarin and opened the door, waiting for the young coyote before following.

The sight that greeted Tarin when he first entered the castle stole his breath. What he saw in size on the outside did not do justice to what he found inside. The hall was enormous, colorfully draped with tapestries and decorations in red and green. The walls were smooth and spotless. Tarin thought he recognized the walls as being made of marble, but he had only seen marble once before, and he could not be sure.

Valaren redirected to the right and Tarin followed. Their destination was a clearly marked door, but a lion in formal looking robes stopped them before they could arrive. "Valaren Leafblade, unless I am mistaken."

Valaren nodded. "Chancellor Kai, was it?"

"His Majesty wishes to speak with you now."

Tarin smiled to himself; this would be quicker than he expected. His smile faded, though, when he saw Valaren's face. He looked confused. "It is not time for our meeting. Perhaps his Majesty is too eager."

"Would you have his Majesty wait, then?" Kai asked bluntly.

Valaren's face lit up, though Tarin knew not why. "He has been waiting for me for years, friend Chancellor. This will be nothing new to him."

"Very well." Kai replied curtly. "I will inform him."

Valaren didn't reply, and he only entered the waiting room after the Chancellor was out of sight. He moved in first, motioning Tarin to follow after him.

Upon entering the Waiting Room, Tarin was startled to discover King Alshaer waiting for them. He moved over to Valaren quickly and gave him a hug. Tarin just stared in shock. "I was afraid you had forgotten." King Alshaer commented.

Valaren chuckled. "Your new Chancellor delivered the first line poorly. I was unsure as to how he wanted me to reply."

King Alshaer stepped away, placing his paws on Valaren's shoulders. It looked odd, as Valaren was a good half a head taller than the King. "I will speak to him then, but we had no need for code until recently."

"What is the concern?" Valaren inquired. "Is there any way I can assist?"

The King shook his head. "No, it is nothing I wish to burden you with. You are retired from that line of work, anyway."

Valaren chuckled. "Men of my work never retire, you know this."

"Neither do men of mine." King Alshaer replies wearily. "But I digress. To what do I owe this honor?"

Valaren smiled. "I come for three reasons. First, I simply wished to see how you were fairing. It has been several years."

King Alshaer nodded. "It has been far too long. With the exception of the war on the verge of reigniting, things have not been out of control."

Tarin fought to stay his reaction. He knew very well that was a lie, but he could not admit knowing as much. He eyed Valaren, but the older canid gave no sign of doubting him. "I see. How fairs the desert?"

Alshaer laughed, though it was completely mirthless. "We have made no progress. Most we send in return, thinking they traveled the desert, only to have turned around without realizing it. Others seem to avoid misdirection, but do not return at all. We have halted all exploration until we resolve the issue with Isaldir. It would be easier with their assistance as it is."

"I see." Valaren nodded. "You know the importance of that exploration."

"We do the best we can." King Alshaer replied.

His Majesty's reply seemed to pacify Valaren. "I understand. My second purpose was to introduce someone very close to me." He gestured to Tarin. "This is Tarin Leafblade."

King Alshaer turned to look at Tarin, who immediately began studying the carpet. "Tarin Leafblade?" There was an uncertainty to his voice. "Nephew?"

"Son."

The announcement seemed to surprise the King. "Son? But I thought you were..."

Valaren cut him off. "Sometimes things are a little beyond our control."

King Alshaer knelt down and lifted Tarin's chin, studying his face for a moment. He then nodded, as if he saw something he had not before. "I see. It makes sense now."

"He has reached the age where I feel comfortable taking him with me on my travels. He did not seem content at home."

King Alshaer nodded. "I would not blame him. The road can be tempting to one not so well traveled. So, friend, what was your third purpose."

Valaren nodded. "My third purpose." He turned to Tarin. "Why don't you walk around the castle? I'm sure you would find it a sight worth taking in."

Tarin recognized this as a dismissal. Lady Aunair was very fond of politely telling Tarin to leave, making it sound more like his idea than hers. This was similar enough to her method that he didn't need to be told twice. "Perhaps I will, father." He replied quietly.

"Young Tarin, perhaps you will find better sights outside the castle. Inside you can only find stone and overpriced cloth. In the gardens, natural beauty waits."

Tarin froze in his tracks. Up to that point, he was convinced the King honestly didn't recognize him. Could this be a hint that he knew? Or was he just imagining things. "Perhaps I will, your Majesty. I thank you for your suggestion."

Tarin wasted no time leaving the castle. He did not know anything of how the castle was structured, or how it was ran, but all he knew was that the Council of Nine was somewhere nearby, and he did not want to be seen by them. Once he was outside, he let his mind wander.

Valaren knew the King, and it seemed like on a rather personal level. Old friends, or perhaps met from the war. He didn't know very much about Valaren. In his own attempts at hiding his past, he did not feel right to pry into Valaren's. It was time he considered seeing what he could learn.

"Can I help you?"

Tarin froze in place. He did not know who was speaking to him. Could it be a council member? What would he say? He slowly spun around and saw a wolf in noble looking clothing, darker fur color, and at least twice Tarin's height. He felt his neck getting sore just looking at him. "I don't believe so." Tarin replied uncertainly.

"Are you hear with someone?" He asked. "Are you lost?"

Tarin shook his head. "No, I am not lost. I was here with my father, but his Majesty told me to see the garden."

"He did, did he?" The wolf didn't directly look at Tarin while he spoke. "What's your name?"

"Tarin."

"Well met, Tarin." The wolf replied. "My name is Kendrick."

Tarin wanted to reply, but he did not know what to say. He knew immediately that this was Liandra's uncle, and a prince. He could not, however, remember if Liandra had ever mentioned him as being trustworthy. "Well met." Tarin replied, deciding to take it no further.

"If his Majesty has asked you to walk the gardens, I will not stop you." Kendrick glanced to the castle. "If you would like company..."

"With all due respect, your Highness," Tarin replied, "I would rather be alone."

Kendrick smiled. "So you know who I am."

"By name," Tarin admitted.

Kendrick shook his head, "It is not a surprise. Very well, if you wish to be alone, I won't argue. Just try not to get in trouble. The guards here aren't very forgiving of coyotes." With that, he turned and walked towards the castle.

That was an odd meeting. Prince Kendrick didn't seem that bad, but he got the impression that the purpose of that conversation was more than to see if he needed help. Was he sizing him up? Could he be with the Council? Now he was a little more concerned.

He wandered through the garden in silence, though he saw not the garden. He was engrossed in his thoughts, oblivious to his surroundings. So it was a complete surprise when a stray paw grabbed him from a doorway and threw him into the darkened room.

He landed face down on the floor, catching himself with his paws before actually connecting. The impact sent a sharp pain through his right paw, but he kept quiet. He quickly rolled over, sitting on the ground, but ready to move, while he scanned the room as rapidly as he could. The shift from dark to light took some time to adjust to. Before he could adjust a very familiar voice began speaking, rather angrily, at Tarin. "What are you doing here? This is too dangerous!"

"My apologies, your Highness." Tarin told Liandra. "I got lost, and a traveler helped me along the way. He agreed to help me get to Isaldir, but he had business here first."

"I can understand coming to the city." Liandra commented. "It is not wise, but the Council does not look to the city often, and you would not stand out to them if they did. Coming inside the very castle, however, is an act of complete idiocy! If even one Council member sees you, they will not forget you. We cannot afford to let the Council know you exist."

"I didn't want to come here," Tarin defended himself. "Valaren made me come."

Something in his statement caught Liandra's attention, and whatever it was, it was very effective. "Tarin, what did you say?"

"I didn't want to come inside the castle, but Valaren..."

"Why are you traveling with Valaren?" Liandra snapped.

Tarin winced back. "What is wrong with Valaren? His Majesty is friends with him."

"Valaren is dangerous, and very manipulative. Do not trust him. My father never has."

Tarin was suddenly very confused. "Who is Valaren?"

"That is not important. You need to leave the castle now, before you are seen. Hide out in the city for a few days, get away from Valaren. You will be safer without him."

Tarin stood up. "He is not that bad."

"What happened?" Liandra half shouted. The sudden change threw Tarin, and it took him a moment to realize she was staring at his bandaged paw. "Who did this?"

"Bandits." Tarin explained. "Valaren saved me."

Liandra stared at the paw for a moment. "Perhaps I should rethink my stance." She took a deep breath. "Valaren is dangerous, and you should be rid of him. However, the Council is more dangerous. You should travel with Valaren until you are safely away from the castle, then be rid of him. It is better that way."

Tarin nodded slowly. "I will do as you command, your Highness."

Liandra smirked. "The letter?"

"Safe." Tarin commented. "And not in the castle."

Liandra smiled warmly at Tarin. "Thank you, for the assurance, and for the forethought to not bring the letter with you."

Tarin shrugged. "I dare not take credit for such forethought."

"If you insist." The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. "I would like to ask you a question." Liandra offered.

"If Your Highness wishes to."

Liandra growled a little at Tarin's comment. It didn't sound right coming from the princess. "Why did you accept my request? I was certain you were going to burn the letter."

"If I can stop the war, your Highness, I can save Rayac."

Liandra smirked, nodding as she turned her back on Tarin. "He told you he was enlisting in the military because the war is restarting. You want to end it, so he doesn't have to fight."

"Your Highness?"

Liandra turned to face Tarin. "You should not remain. Every moment you are here gives the Council chance to discover you." She motioned for him to go to the door. "Go straight to your room at whatever inn you are staying. If Valaren does not find you on your way out, I will make sure father informs him that you left."

Tarin nodded, "I will deliver your letter, your Highness. I will save your father."

All the formalities and properness seemed to vanish with those words. Liandra threw herself on Tarin in a rather aggressive hug. "Thank you, Tarin. Thank you." Tarin let her hold on for a moment before slipping out of her grip and heading outside.

* * *

Liandra waited a count of thirty before following Tarin. She wanted to be able to see him leave without drawing suspicion if she was seen. She needed to make sure he didn't get any ideas of staying.

Following Tarin was not that difficult; he was not trying to hide. She followed him right up to the gates, where Valaren was waiting for him. She glared at Valaren as soon as he came into sight, and when he noticed her, she did not stop glaring. Valaren waved to her before taking Tarin back into the city, and this simple gesture enraged her further.

How dare he? How dare he come back into her life after what he did? Especially entangling himself so deep into the plot against the throne. He was technically on her side, but that only enraged her further. In her anger, she stormed up to her room.

No one dared stop the princess when she was angry, so she made it to her room without any interference. She immediately started throwing things around the room. She tried to stick to things that would not break easily, but she got carried away a few times and didn't pay attention to what she threw. Liandra did not like throwing tantrums when she was angry. It felt so childish, and she felt she was beyond that. However, the Liandra she created was expected to throw a tantrum when she was angry, and too many people had seen her angry to just pretend it didn't happen. There was also the fact that throwing things did help her calm down.

When she felt like she could not throw another thing, she moved to her bed to collapse, however, a dress was lying on the bed, preventing her from following through. There was a ball tonight. She had forgotten about it. This was to be her dress for the ball. She inspected it, to see what sort of material and design it was made with, when her eyes caught the tip of her bow sticking out from under her bed.

She pulled it out. It was unstrung, but she had the string tucked away in a drawer by her bed. She had them wrapped in a pair of pants she had stolen from Rayac years ago. Rayac was younger and smaller then, but they fit Liandra perfectly at her current age. They were more suited for travel then a dress.

In that moment the princess had an idea. She set the bow down on the bed, studying it. While she admitted it was not a good idea, she could not disregard it. She could pack up and be out of the palace at nightfall. If she left just before the ball, no one would notice her flight. She could trust her father to explain her absence. She could leave, and go with Tarin to ensure his safety.

There on the bed rested her two options. She knew she was supposed to choose the dress, but the bow tempted her. She should stay and work on keeping the Council in check, yet if she left, she could take control of Tarin's, and the letter's, safety. She had to decide, and quickly. Whichever decision she chose, she did not have much time to prepare, and she needed to be ready before the ball.

She let out a small sigh. There was no option, she knew what she was going to choose before she knew there was a choice. She reached out to the bed and finalized her decision.

* * *

Tarin's mind was racing when they returned to their room. King Alshaer had treated Valaren like an old lost friend, yet Liandra thought of him as a villain. Which should be trusted? Valaren had not done anything to break Tarin's trust at this point, so he had no reason to suspect him, but Liandra was his friend. He couldn't just ignore her warning.

Valaren set to work immediately on packing his things. Tarin studied him while he worked. There was no way this carefree old canine could be dangerous. His mind went back to the road, when the bandits attacked. He nearly killed one, but that was only to save Tarin. He was certainly skilled, but that did not make him dangerous.

Tarin was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts. He was sure he heard someone speak. "I'm sorry?"

Valaren shook his head. "You're awfully distracted. Perhaps you'd care to share what is on your mind?"

"No." Tarin replies slowly, then changed his mind. "What did you do before? The King said you were retired, but retired from what?"

"Peacemaker." Valaren replied matter-of-factly. "I go from place to place where there is conflict and try to bring an end to it peacefully."

"So you are here for the war?"

Valaren laughed. "You heard the King. I'm retired."

Tarin frowned. Valaren was a peacemaker? That didn't make sense. Something wasn't setting right in his head. "Men of your work never retire. Isn't that what you said?"

"I'll explain when you're older." Valaren offered. "Now, is that all that is on your mind?" Tarin nodded slowly. "Good, I have something for you."

Valaren reached to the side of the bed and picked up a cloth wrapping. There was something clearly inside it, but what drew Tarin's attention the most was that it had not been there before going to the castle. "Where did you get that?"

"I had it with me after meeting with the King."

Tarin felt his face grow hotter. He had been so distracted, he never even noticed. "Oh."

Valaren reached into the wrapping and pulled out a pair of swords. They were both sheathed. They seemed identical in every way. Valaren placed one on the bed and handed Tarin the other. "You will carry this with you, but you will not draw it until I tell you to. Understand?"

Tarin had been about to pull the sword out of the scabbard when Valaren finished his comment. He quickly let go of the hilt and nodded. "Yes, father."

"This is not solely because of your abysmal swordsmanship. That is a special blade, and it tends to draw attention, but you will need it."

Valaren took the second sword and strapped it to his back. He did not attach it in any way Tarin had seen before. The blade was pointed upward towards his right shoulder, and the hilt was resting around his left hip. Tarin took a moment to attempt to imitate the fastening, and once he had it correct, he was surprised at how comfortable it was. The sword rested just low enough to not hinder his shoulder movements. With the blade not on his hip, the hilt was not in position to hinder paw movements. He attempted to reach for the hilt, and discovered that he couldn't reach across his body for it. The only way he could draw it was with his left paw. He wrestled with it for a few moments longer and flipped it around.

"Getting a feel for it?" Valaren asked while he was wrestling with it.

"I don't know what to feel for." Tarin admitted.

"You will, given time." Valaren offered politely. "Now, once you are ready we need to be off. Your important task can wait no longer, or am I mistaken?"

Tarin hesitated. Valaren was right, this couldn't wait, but he hadn't figured out if he was going to trust Valaren or not. He had to decide quickly. "No, you are right. It can't wait." He let out a small sigh. He could trust him for the moment. Maybe he could reach a decision on the road.

They were packed and ready to leave by midday. The road out looked different than the previous morning. It seemed more inviting than it had the day prior. Tarin had never wanted to travel here, and now he was happy to leave. He glanced up at Valaren as they walked out of the city walls. There was an odd sort of grin on his face. "You seem happy."

Valaren placed an arm around Tarin's shoulder. "There is something to be said about a warm bed and a nice meal, but it never truly compares to life on the road."

Tarin's features wrinkled in confusion. "I don't understand."

"There is still much I must teach you." Valaren replied calmly. "We have a long road ahead of us, so there will be plenty of time."

* * *

His Majesty King Edmond Alshaer walked the halls quietly. It had been an interesting few days already. First with the surprise late night visit with Rayac and the note for Liandra, then a return of an old friend. Everything seemed way to much a coincidence. He would have suspected Liandra to be behind it all, though he knew better when Valaren was involved. He sighed to himself.

Then there was young Tarin. He had never suspected that he would have turned up here in the castle. He doubted the pup was really Valaren's son. It just wasn't possible, though he did see a resemblance there. He could be mistaken, but it did not make sense. Valaren was not like that.

King Alshaer was certain that his daughter had some connection to it, and he was determined to find out. He had searched her more favorite hiding places in the castle, and turned up nothing. It wasn't until he remembered that she should be preparing for the ball that he decided to search her room. He was a little concerned about Liandra, especially if she learned Valaren was in the castle. However, he was even more concerned by the fact that there were no servants in the hallway outside Liandra's room.

The door was partially open, so the King poked his head in slowly. "Liandra, it is your father." The room was a disaster. Shelves and cabinets were turned over, all except the heavier ones. Books, clothes, and other articles were spread all over the room. A few of her more fragile decorations were shattered in one corner or another. It seemed Liandra had discovered Valaren's presence, but this didn't feel right. It was a bit overdone, even for Liandra. She wouldn't have gone this far just to pretend a temper tantrum.

He pushed farther into the room and noticed her bed, completely untouched. He moved over to the bed and saw that her dress remained, undisturbed, on the bed, with a small note left for him. On it were written only five small words.

'You know what to do.'