Vanish (ONC Finalist)

4. Dax

(Thera – Skyber Hold – three months earlier)

Lord Dale'l'Xandro, Dax, glanced across at the pretty young man lying naked in his bed. The youth's blue eyes were raised expectantly, waiting for some acknowledgement of the hour they'd spent together.

Dax's thin lips twisted impatiently. What did the idiot expect? A proposal? He flung back the bed clothes exposing them both to the chill air.

"Go!" He gestured to the door. The lad smiled, as if he thought Dax didn't mean it.

Dax stood up and reached for his riding breeches, his mind already thinking ahead to his plans for the day.

"Shall I see you again, tonight, my lord?" dared the youth, still with a tentative smile on his lips.

"No," said Dax shortly, not bothering to explain that he would be miles away from here tonight, and far too busy for dalliance in any case. "I said, get out! Don't make me tell you again."

The youth sprang out of bed, stung by the harsh tone, and grabbed his clothes from the floor. Clutching them to his chest, he scuttled out into the dressing room beyond. A minute later he was gone.

Oblivious, Dax pulled on his leather jerkin, strapped his smallsword around his waist and strode down the corridor to the kitchens. The two men-at-arms stationed outside his door followed without speaking, their boots slapping on the stone floor.

Dax entered the large dining hall, looking around eagerly for his breakfast. Woven tapestries hung on the walls and long wooden tables lined the flagstones. He rubbed his hands in appreciation of the warmth drifting through from the kitchen ovens. A small group of guards, eating at a table in the corner, clambered hastily to their feet and waited to be noticed.

"Sit! Eat!" Dax gestured impatiently, as he seated himself, alone, at the largest wooden table.

Before his bottom had touched the seat, servants were hurrying forth from the kitchen, carrying loaves of bread, a platter of sliced meat and a jug of ale. One of the guards left the group and came to stand behind Dax. Guard Captain Lupei was a well-muscled woman with short grey hair and strong, scarred hands. Although she wore the same leather jerkin and breeches as the rest of the guards, she had an air of authority which marked her as a leader.

"Where's Marius?" Dax called over his shoulder.

"In the stables, my lord," she replied.

"Send word I'll join him there," ordered Dax indistinctly, his mouth full. "As soon as I'm finished."

"Yes, my lord." She snapped her fingers, "Huw!" A small boy came out of the kitchen at a trot, wiping his hands on his shirt, and Lupei gave him the message.

Dax wiped up the last of the meat juices with a piece of bread, and drained the ale. "I want a squad of six to accompany me to Angarth," he told Lupei as he got to his feet. "We leave in an hour."

"Yes, my lord."

Lupei watched tight-lipped as Dax strode out, on his way to the stables. An hour! Curse the man! Couldn't he have given her more notice? He was becoming more impossible to work with by the day.

She remembered him as a young boy, always eager to be the first and the best at everything, driven to succeed. To ride a horse when he was only big enough for a pony, to shoot a longbow when he should have been learning how to aim with a slingshot... All very admirable in its way, she supposed, but when had that competitive drive changed to the need to always have his own way, to win at any cost? And to hell with the consequences.

Stupid question. She knew exactly when—and why, for that matter.

Her mind drifted back to the day ten years earlier when Lord Rider, Dax's father, returned from a hunting trip. Lord Rider had been a big man, strong and fit, revelling in all the active pursuits for his class, such as hunting, riding and sword fighting. He wore his black hair long and braided, and, with his flashing dark eyes and white teeth, had caused more than a few hearts to flutter in his time. Dax had adored him.

The hunting party rode into the courtyard that day with a deer slung over the back of one horse and a strange boy on the back of another, sitting behind one of the men, his arms clasped around his waist.

"Dax? Where are you, boy?" called Rider. "I've brought you a present!"

Dax had run out with an eager smile on his face, hoping no doubt for some new arrows for his longbow or, more wonderfully, a young hawk to train, but instead, Rider had called out to the other boy.

"What are you waiting for, lad? Come and make your bow!"

The boy dismounted clumsily, as if he had never ridden a horse before, and walked forward, glancing uncertainly up at Rider. Dax stared at the stranger, already resenting the fact that he was older and worse, several inches taller. The boy bowed awkwardly in Dax's direction.

"Who is this?" demanded Dax, planting his feet and frowning.

"A companion for you. Someone your own size, more or less, to train with," said Rider, half amused, half irritated by his son's reaction. "You'll take your lessons together."

"With him? Has he ever seen a sword?"

"Not yet, but he'll learn. And he can teach you a few things about using a stave."

"I don't need anyone to teach me how to use a stave—" protested Dax, dismissively, before he saw his father frowning. Dax stopped short and changed the subject.

"Who is he? Where does he come from?"

"His name is Marius. His mother lives in a village several miles from here. I've been keeping my eye on him for a while now, waiting to see if he'd prove useful. And he's done me proud, turned into a fine strong lad, suitable to be a companion to my heir."

Watching, Lupei thought Dax might have been the only one present who hadn't immediately understood what Rider meant but wasn't saying. Marius was Rider's son, his other—bastard—son. But it wasn't long at all before Dax found out the truth.

Dax changed from that day. Instead of a playmate as his father had hoped, Dax had seen a rival. A threat.

And still did for that matter if she were any judge, thought Lupei, coming back to the present with a thump. Despite the outward face of comradeship the brothers showed to the rest of the world.

Lupei rolled her shoulders. Angarth was at least a day's ride away and she'd need supplies for both horses and riders. Her mind already working out the details, Lupei began to issue orders.