However, the people of my old world, who did not ascribe to the line of thinking that all human life was equal, had no such excuse. They were all just as savage and backward as the people I had encountered in these lands. For what of the handicapped, the weak, the flawed, and the vulnerable? Do their lives hold no value? And by what right would we assign value to each individual? Once you start believing that one group of people is more valuable than another, the logical progression is the eradication of those deemed 'lesser.' History is awash with instances of such dehumanization, the narratives written in the blood and tears of humankind.
Throughout this long exchange, I could not help but notice that Elwin had slipped off somewhere.
“...so as you can see, I will entrust Larynda to your care. I see the girl has taken quite a liking to you,” I finished flatly, resisting an urge to ruffle Larynda’s mop of hair as she sidled up next to me.
“Yay! I get to learn how to use a sword an’ all!” the small child exuded, drawing a beatific smile from Cordelia.
"It will be as you command, Your Holiness. I mean, Gil," Cordelia replied, flustered at using a less-formal tone. "Come now, Larynda, tomorrow is a long day, and it's well past your bedtime!" she commanded, dragging the little girl by the arm into the wagon.
The other women smiled at this, curtsying to me like a brood of hens before retiring to attend to their evening business. As they were about to leave, I stopped them, taking off my robe and asking if it could be mended. Catalina volunteered to handle the task herself, refusing payment and insisting that it was the least she could do.
Just as I finished wishing them a good evening, Elwin appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. An insouciant grin was his only greeting as he took a place by my side. The man truly was slippery as an eel. With my business settled, we returned to our own wagon.
*****
The next few days were spent at rest. Laes had decided to wait for Gelgor’s caravan to catch up, deciding it would be best to travel together for mutual protection. My companions and I felt it to be a wise decision, and all were glad to have a little respite from near-constant travel.
Larynda spent this time with Ankhset and her burly children, studying the ways of water during the day, and in the evenings Kidu threw her into a relentless training routine. He was a harsh and exacting teacher, giving only minimal praise and acknowledgment, but punishing repeated mistakes of footwork or position with merciless strikes that would leave the girl near tears.
To her credit, she shed no tears in front of us. It also afforded me the opportunity to practice my Heal and Drain spell combination. Unlike the old Beastmaster Abas Yar, the young girl was positively brimming with delicious life force and Mana, which allowed me to get back most of my own Mana.
One afternoon, the boy Dumuzi returned my mended garments, bowing low as he did so. I was alone at the time, seeing to the maintenance of my armor, and my companions were busy with various things around the camp. Looking closer at the boy's features, I realized that I had seen him before at Catalina’s side. He had been the son who had been clutching at his mother’s hand.
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“How is your mother, Catalina?” I probed as offhandedly as I could, wishing to confirm the truth of the memory.
Smiling at me, the young lad replied, “She is well, Honored One. I thank you for saving her.” He paused for a moment, his expression growing a little dark, “She is my only family now.”
"You'll forgive me if this is a sensitive subject, but your father?" I inquired.
"He crossed the Shallow River, defending my mother and me from the attack, Honored One," he shared, his voice trembling slightly from suppressed emotion.
Taken aback, I responded awkwardly, "I am sorry for your loss." In the back of my mind, I wondered if his mother might appreciate some comfort later. “If there is anything I can do, do not hesitate to ask,” I added casually.
“Apologies again, Honored One. This one is foolish for troubling you with his own matters. You have already given us so much. You and the child sage Larynda have already given me my vengeance…now there is…” He could not finish the last as he started bawling his eyes out.
That was the final straw, as all of my pent-up irritation and negative emotions needed a vent. The swiftness of my hand surprised even me as my backhanded slap connected with his face, silencing his pathetic mewling and knocking him to the ground.
"Cease your womanly weeping," I snarled, looking down disdainfully at his crumpled figure.
He stared up at me, a mix of shock and pain warring with his anger. And fear. Fear of me.
"Your father surely did not spawn such a weak child. You dishonor his memory. I shall overlook this deplorable display. Existence is rife with adversity and loss. To expose vulnerability is to beckon that which would be your downfall. Tell me, are you weak, child?" I inquired in the measured tone of a teacher.
He sniffed for a moment before gaining control. "No, Honored One. Please forgive me for disappointing you," he stammered, prostrating himself on the ground, dreading further provocation of my fury.
I knelt down beside the young innocent boy and laid a gloved hand on his head, causing him to reflexively wince. I cast Drain on his unresisting form and energy filled me, delicious, like sweet nectar.
Take more, the voices insisted. It would be so easy. With an effort of will and great regret, I stopped the spell. I paused for a moment as a few images from the boy’s life filled my mind.
Days filled with taking care of the giant Ruar, the stern smile of a proud father, and the gentleness of a young mother. Forcing these memories out of my mind, I cast Heal on the boy to restore some of the damage I had inflicted. Now energy flowed from me to the boy causing the evidence of my violence to disappear from his face.
I raised him to his feet and looked him firmly in the eye. Now I could see that the fear in his eyes had changed to an altogether different emotion. Something I found much more tolerable. Respect.
Once he had gone, I heard a snarky comment from behind me in Elwin’s voice.
“Well, I guess that’s one form of tough love,” the voice said.
I refused to give Elwin the satisfaction of seeing me surprised and firmly resisted the urge to turn around.
“Better that he learns of the true nature of the world now. This land is an unforgiving place. I would be doing the boy no favors, and a hard truth is worth a thousand soft lies…” I muttered a little irritably.
“Not saying what you did was bad, Gil. Perhaps, you’re looking to fill in his father’s shoes? Either way, he’s probably got to grow up fast now. Dark Lady knows, I could have done with more of a slap when I was younger,” added the voice in an infuriatingly knowing tone.
I turned around, taking in the Rogue, looking him firmly in the eye, noticing that they still had a hollowness to them. “You know, it is never too late,” I smiled back darkly, and wondered if a similar method of instilling respect would work with Elwin.