Tere Huel sighed, squinting from the light, it was early morning and the angle of the sun was blinding. The dew was beginning to evaporate and he could tell already that it was going to be a hot day. They'd camped on the outskirts of Neberan late last night and been careful to conceal their presence from the road. It wasn't necessary, what were the chances that Adar would be in this backwoods town anyway? Still, old habits die hard. While they were on a retrieval mission, it had been his mission for the last fifteen years. The feeling of urgency had long since dissipated.
They'd awoken before first light and broken camp. Tere took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of the gravel crunching underneath the hooves of their horses. He froze. Had it really been more than fifteen years since the night that he found Adar beside Nelion as her life ebbed away? It was a night that continued to haunt Tere’s dreams.
Adar’s pristine white clothes had been spoiled with Nelion’s blood and his cold emotionless face had stood in contrast to the dreadful pleas of the man dying beside Nelion. If Tere had known how that night would change his life, he would have run from Rarbon and never looked back. So many things would have been different. Tere pushed away the memory with a prayer to Vicael.
“You want to go in alone?” Tarner Neatel asked as he wiped his brow, it was easy to forget when they were riding that Tarner was a good foot shorter. Tere had always supposed that was the reason Tarner was always so determined to get what he wanted. Today Tere couldn’t tell if Tarner wanted to come or not.
“I don’t know.” Tere touched his fingers to his lips completing the prayer, if the others noticed, they didn’t comment. He slowed his horse to a stop and looked down the hill at the town. “Neberan is small. Three armed men will be noticed right away, where one might avoid attention.”
Larae would like this morning, Tere thought as he closed his eyes imagining he was back home, sitting on the porch eating eggs and toast with Larae cuddled beside him as Sharu played nearby, having showed no interest in her breakfast. After several long seconds, he reminded himself Sharu hadn’t been that small for almost two decades.
There had been a time when that memory warmed him, but now it was just an empty husk. The years of watching Sharu grow to a woman were past and even though he had made regular return visits to Rarbon, it was never long after arriving before Rahar Abel insisted that Tere leave again to chase some other rumor of Adar.
At first, every day Tere had spent away from his family was a bit heavier than the last, but that had changed. The gulf between Larae and him had grown until Sharu was the only connection they had remaining.
These days it was better for him to be away because Larae had taken a lover. Tere didn’t have proof but at times there were words that his wife and daughter exchanged that left him puzzled. He’d refused to ask questions or give much thought to the matter. What was the point? He couldn’t blame her because duty had become his mistress.
Melyah take the Rahar! Rahar Abel claimed that his grandson Jorad must be found to protect Rarbon, but he said many things that Tere had long since stopped believing, it was mere duty that caused him to continue the search. He had, after all, his oath to obey.
“If you find Adar you’ll want us with you,” Tarner said. “You can’t kill him alone.” Perhaps Tarner did want to come.
“I should go,” Lous Liup said, startling Tere. The man spoke so infrequently that Tere was never sure if Lous knew what went on around him. “Adar doesn’t know me.”
Tarner snorted. “I’d give you ten minutes before you forgot why you were there.”
Lous just shook his head and didn’t answer as Tere closed his eyes again and wished the sun would melt away the pain. It didn’t matter why they were still looking for Jorad. What mattered was that Abel still believed Jorad could be found.
“I’ll go alone.” Tere noticed Tarner hide a smile and realized that must have been what he’d wanted from the beginning. Tere almost changed his mind just because he didn’t want Tarner to think he could be controlled, but he relented. Tarner and Lous could both use the extra rest and it would be better for Tere to scout out the city alone. If by some remote chance Adar was here, they didn’t need to announce their presence.