Read King Callie: Callie's Saga, Book One for Free Online Page B

demanded, as he threatened the child with the sword. With a free hand, he gestured to the flower, and again to himself. “Give it to me, and we’ll leave. Give me the flower.” But the child held on. No sooner had Valric brought the blade to the child’s throat than he heard the second whistle; two long whistles, and a short whistle. “Give it to me, now!” he said. He felt the sword dig slightly, as he turned.
    But Valric’s attention was drawn by a sudden noise - a crossbow bolt whistled through the air, and lodged itself in a soldier’s neck. Valric turned to find the source, but saw nothing; only a rustling in the grass. Then, another bolt whistled past his face, and cut his ear. Shocked by the pain, Valric’s hand flew to his ear to cover it; he looked about again, and saw the glint of wood, steel, and crossbow bolts in the fading afternoon light - a dozen of them, braced against the shoulders of men and women, with Valric and his men in their sights. Valric’s pain and anger mixed with sickening dread in his stomach: now it was he who was surrounded.
    A woman’s voice called from the distance. The children glared at the soldiers, and though Valric could see the fear in their eyes, the child with the flower - who held his other hand over his neck - cautiously walked around the blade. He looked at Valric, then at Kells, and then, made his way past their swords, to the greater Erimeni group that surrounded them all. The other children followed suit. Valric grit his teeth, and seethed at the circumstances. He was so close, and it hurt - it hurt so damned much that he had failed. A familiar voice spoke, from the side. Kells. “Do you want me to reason with them, Your Highness?” he asked.
    “A lot of good it’ll do now,” Valric said. “They’ll kill us. They meant to ambush us from the beginning. What are you waiting for?” He demanded of the Erimeni crossbowmen and crossbow-women. “End my life! Do it, you cowards!”
    “Your Highness,” Kells said, gently. “I could bargain with them. I think I might be able to save us.”
    “Then do it,” Valric replied, hostile.
    “First, lay down your sword,” Kells said. “Just the sword, only yours, no other weapons.” Valric expected some chiding remark, but Kells said nothing of the sort. Kells spoke calmly, and waited while Valric lowered his sword to the ground, slowly as he could. “Now, unhorse, and walk with me. Face your palms up to the sky. And let me talk. Say nothing.”
    Valric chafed the most at this last command; he was not one who should be ordered around, nor should he be silent. He obeyed it with bitterness, and grimaced as he walked towards the Erimeni, palms-up, horseless. Kells was at his side, and began to address the crossbowmen loudly in Erimeni. Valric didn’t understand Kells’ words in the least. A woman, middle-aged at least, stepped forward; she spoke back to Kells, and the debate began. They argued for long minutes, and Valric could only pray that the tension would soon be relieved. Dead or alive, it didn’t matter; the only thing worse was not knowing which they’d be.
    Kells had said two words, multiple times, and Valric could not understand why. Badahra kawat. There was a gesture that accompanied the words, which he made with his hands as he said them; a quick slice, a dragging of rigid fingers across each empty palm in turn. The woman considered Kells’ proposal, for a time, until finally, she nodded.
    “Well?” Valric asked.
    “I’ve explained to them our circumstances,” Kells said. “And that your father’s condition has made you short-tempered from worry. They forgive that. And they will give us the flower, but…”
    “But what?” Valric demanded.
    “Your sword drew the child’s blood. For them, this is unforgivable,” Kells said. “They would have killed all of us for it, for harming their child.”
    “Impossible,” Valric huffed. “The sword barely touched him. Bring the child out!” he