“And Nasurai Blackwolf is your Grandfather? So you are Sebastian Blackwolf’s brother? I don’t understand how you have the name Faulklin then and why you are from Arovan. Shouldn’t you be with your own house?” Shade let his full confusion show in his voice as he tried once more to draw Caleb back with conversation.
Caleb looked at him slowly and lowered his hand from his face his expression shifting from grief to bitter amusement. “Why do you think they call me the Black Bastard Shade? Sebastian is my half-brother and I live in Arovan because High Lady Blackwolf can’t bear my presence in Glis. The sight of me is a constant reminder to her that her husband was unfaithful so I was exiled. I suppose I’m grateful she didn’t have me killed as a child.” Caleb explained and then paused as he rubbed his face once more. “Lady Faulklin is my Aunt on my mother’s side, and was kind enough to give me a home as well as her name. My birth mother’s name is Blue Bess, perhaps you have heard of her. She was at Amdany and the final stand, and if you didn’t meet her there perhaps you have seen her with High Lord Blackwolf serving as his Herald.” There was pain in his voice as he spoke and Shade could tell it was an old wound that refused to heal.
“I’m sorry I pried. I was confused that’s all.” Shade offered softly and let out a sigh of his own. “We can get your daughter back you know. Once we finish in Merro we will head straight to Rivasa and you can be the hero Finn was talking about without dying.”
“Merro? Why in the hell are we going to Merro first?” Caleb demanded with an almost frantic look on his face.
“Look I know you don’t want to leave her there any longer than you have to, but I have to see Jala before we can go. I have to be healed first, Caleb. I cannot stress how important this is. My magic isn’t what it should be and I am crippled in more than the obvious ways you can see.” Shade paused and ground his teeth in frustration as he contemplated what he was about to say. Glancing over at Caleb he grimaced slightly and let out a quick breath. “My turn for confession and I’m going to pray you don’t gut me for it. I had planned on telling you before Finn’s visit, but I have to admit finding out who you truly are is giving me a bit of pause.”
Caleb’s eyes narrowed at his words and Shade felt his throat tighten at the sight. He wasn’t comfortable with sharing any secrets, but for Caleb to understand fully he needed to know everything.
“Out with it then.” Caleb pressed and Shade nodded slowly in response.
“The Morcaillo are Changelings, Caleb. Right now I can’t shift the areas that were wounded, the flesh is dead, which means my birthright is useless. If I can shift my forms this mission will be much easier, but if you are saddled with a cripple as a partner in this rescue slash assassination than I think we will both be standing on Finn’s door step awaiting a very dismal eternity as his personal bitches.” Shade explained quietly.
“A Changeling.” Caleb repeated with a note of distaste in his voice. He nodded slowly and let out a heavy sigh. “You know you are supposed to be pure unholy evil right?” he muttered sourly.
“I was supposed to be a lot of things. I’m afraid I’ve been a disappointment on every last one of them including the unholy evil part. I just didn’t turn out the way father hoped.” Shade sighed.
“Merro first then.” Caleb agreed with a faint nod as he leaned further back in his seat. “Then we both get to be heroes.” He added with a snort of disgust.
“In the stories the heroes always triumph.” Shade offered with a shrug.
“In reality they suffer more than anyone else and usually die horribly at a young age.” Caleb countered.
“Oddly enough I have always preferred fiction to reality, so I’m going to stick with my version.” Shade replied quietly. He glanced down as the goblin wrapped its scrawny arms around his leg and settled beside his chair. “Just perfect, me, a goblin, and the Bloody Huntsman of Arovan against an entire nation of bloodthirsty flame-hurling madmen. Wonderful.” He muttered.
“If you listen to the stories about me I could handle the entire nation of Rivasa with one hand tied behind my back and blindfolded.” Caleb offered dryly.
“Any truth to those stories?” Shade asked hopefully.
“My mother is a bard and writes most of the stories about me. What do you think?” Caleb replied sourly and gave a long sigh.
“I think by the time we reach Rivasa I will have a plan that keeps us both alive to see this through. It may not be conventional, but I promise it will work. My only concern is you actually following my plan.” Shade said with a smile.
Chapter 3
Sanctuary
Heavy boots rang on the marble floors behind him, but Remedy ignored the sound. It was most likely just guards making their rounds, and none of his concern. The quarry he followed was silent as she moved, and she was already slipping around another corner ahead of him. He paused long enough to fish a sprig of mint from his pocket and chewed on it as he continued down the hall. A cigarette would have been much more satisfying, but given his current life it simply wasn’t possible. The mind cloud he was using to keep himself from being detected in the palace could persuade people to ignore the smell of mint, but smoke was another thing entirely. Smoke was visible in the air, mint was not.
Faramir’s steps slowed and he paced himself to match hers. He didn’t want to get too close to her. Despite the mind cloud there was still a slight chance she might detect him, and that would destroy several weeks of spying.