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"At twelve?"
"Aye. He told me I'd kill or be killed, and in the doing of that, I'd be dead or I'd take my first steps toward becoming his son."
"Lathander's mercy," the paladin whispered.
"I stayed up most of the night," Jherek continued. "I knew I couldn't be part of that boarding party."
"Because you knew it was the wrong thing to do."
His throat hurting too much to speak right away, Jherek shook his head. "No. I only knew I was afraid," he said hoarsely. "I was afraid I would be killed, but mostly I was afraid of what my father would do to me if I froze and could not move, could not make it onto that other ship. I was certain he would kill me himself. So I walked out onto the deck when no one was looking, threw the cutlass into the sea, and jumped in after it. Bunyip sailed on, leaving me in the ocean. I wanted to die, but I started to swim, not even knowing where I was heading. I don't know how long I swam, but I know it was well into the next day before I washed up on Velen's shores."
They were silent for a time and Jherek struggled to ease his thoughts back into the dark places of his mind where he kept them.
"Why are you telling me this?" Glawi
"Because you seem to see something good in me," Jherek said, "and I wanted you to know it was false. I ran from my father's ship that night."
"You didn't want to kill i
Anger stirred in the coldness that filled Jherek. "Am I any better now? I took a man prisoner tonight only so he could be tortured."
"It's not what you think."
"Isn't it?" Jherek demanded. "I am my father's son. When it came time to take Fre
"No, young warrior, you judge yourself too harshly. You did only what you had to do. You are meant for more than being a pirate's son, Jherek."
"How can you believe that?"
"That's the wrong question." A small, sad smile twisted Glawi
"I just want out," Jherek said tiredly. "I don't want any more false hope, no more dreams, and I'm sick of the fear that has filled me all my life."
"A way will be made," Glawi
Jherek couldn't, and he knew it. He looked out over the black water, taking in all the emptiness that made up the Sea of Fallen Stars.
•
"It's done."
Almost asleep, Jherek blinked and looked up at Azla as she strode across the deck.
More than an hour had passed since Azla had gone below with Fre
"And Fre
"Relax," Azla told him. "Fre
Images of how the man must have been tortured ran rampant through Jherek's mind. The instruments the pirate captain had laid out with such familiarity looked vicious enough to come straight from Cyric's darkest hells.
"Nor have I harmed him," Azla went on, "so your precious honor and integrity yet remain whole."
Jherek shook his head. "I don't understand."
"Glawi
"Glawi
"No, nor did he want you to know until it was over."
Jherek grew angry but pushed it away. That lack of knowledge was something he intended to deal with the paladin about. He should have been told instead of spending time worrying over it.
"Pirates are a superstitious lot," Azla commented. "Despite all his blustering and bravado, Fre
Two of the ship's crew marched Fre
"Where is the disk?" the young sailor asked.
"Vurgrom has it."
"Does Fre
Azla shook her head. But he did know that Vurgrom used a diviner to learn what he could of the disk."
Jherek's heart sped up. "What did he learn?"
"Fre
"If we are not sailing there," Jherek said, "I need to know so I can make other arrangements."
Azla looked at him, her dark eyes flashing, and asked, "You would, wouldn't you?"
"Aye, Captain. I've no choice."
"You won't have to walk," she replied. "We're going to weigh anchor in a short while."
"Enter, young warrior."
Jherek slipped the lock on the door and let himself into the room.
Glawi
"You lied to me."
"No." Glawi
Shame burned Jherek's cheeks and ears. "My apologies." He tried to maintain his level gaze but had to drop it to the floor. "You didn't tell me that they weren't torturing Fre
"No."
"You let me believe they were."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"You were comparing yourself to the wretches and scoundrels that populate that island like that was your destiny. Suddenly you were seeing yourself as no better than they are, doomed somehow to follow in your father's footsteps."
"They say the apple never falls far from the tree."
Then looking forward to a life as a pirate or a thief is something you deserve?"
"I never said that."
"Yes you did. You were pulling penance for Fre
"Aye," Jherek said, his voice tight, "but I also see the difference between you and me."
"Do you believe that difference to be so great, young warrior?" Glawi
"You're a paladin, chosen by a god to represent the covenants of his faith."
"Was I anything before I became a warrior for Lathander? Or was it Lathander who made me the man I am today?"
"I don't know."
"Tell me what is in your heart, young warrior," Glawi
"You were a good man."
After a moment, Glawi
Jherek stared into the paladin's eyes, wondering for just a heartbeat if Glawi
"I was born one of twins," Glawi