The Bargain

Someone was selling secrets to Cyprian, and he resolved to find out who. The soft breeze whispered softly through the falling branches of the willow, and its ends tickled his face. He shook his head to send away the unwelcome interruption. His spies followed Cyprian closely and nothing turned out yet. The wind shrilled louder and the branches whipped him with force. He startled; however, it was too late to fend the pointed arrow heading to his chest. His eyes rounded in both horror and outrage when he spied Cyprian's red hair and signature tunic behind the thick trunk of an old tree.

There was a moment of sharp pain, then he let an incredulous gasp and fell to the ground. He was dead, no doubt, how could he otherwise hear the voice softly carried by the wind? The spindly branches of the willow gathered around him in a protective move, and he opened his eyes.

The voice held a tone of reproach.
"I tried to warn you; however, you were never one to take a subtle hint."

"I bet you'd want to know who is behind this."

He nodded and tried to take a deep breath, but his chest didn't move.

"You have two choices. You either let everything go and leave to your resting place, or you stay and serve me. I promise you would have your revenge."

Resentment swelled in his chest; he couldn't let Cyprian get away so easily.

"What do I have to do?" he asked while he struggled to rise.

Surprise washed over him when he could lift himself up and stand. He stretched his hands, and the moonlight covered them with a soft glow.

"That is forbidden. You must forget the way you looked before. You're now my servant.' he heard the soft whisper.

"For your first task you must go to the council room, listen carefully and apprise me of what they discussed. Then you'd relay my decisions to him."

The branches opened to allow in a red-headed man wearing Cyprian's signature black and red tunic.

The man looked from him to the willow tree and grinned.
"I gather you got yourself a new gah'rein. I hope he'll fare better than the last one. I thank you for placing him more advantageously in the arrow's path."

"Yes, gah'rein, that would be his name from this day forwards. He would bring you news and orders."

The man eyed him closely, and it was then when gah'rein noticed that unlike Cyprian's, his eyes were dark, with gray smoke swirling in them.

Gah'rein wanted to yell and recant on the deal, but found out he couldn't. He wanted to rebel and step into the moonlight, and discovered that he couldn't do that either.

"When you entered our bargain, you surrendered your will to me, to do with as I please."
The voice grew in intensity with the wind, and the willow branches passed through him and stung like thousand cuts.

The gray-eyed man winced and covered his face at the onslaught of the leaves.

"Calm yourself! Send your gah'rein with the news this afternoon" he hissed and left.

Gah'rein then felt an overwhelming urge to go to the council's meeting. Try as he might, he could not stop himself. He found that he had only to will himself hidden, and he'd take to the shadows, concealed from everyone's eyes.

To his dismay, he found himself listening with heightened attention to the council's proceedings. When it finished, he felt compelled to head back to the willow tree. He didn't want to and summoned the last shred of will left. He gasped in amazement that he could wait until everyone else left the room. The effort exhausted him, and he leaned into the wall.

A well-known voice startled him.

"I am sorry for what happened to you. I tried to prevent it, but I was... distracted."

He tried to talk, but his lips wouldn't move, and he slouched in defeat into the wall.

"You're exhausted. Otherwise you would go right though that wall." Cyprian said ruefully.

He remembered the game he and Cyprian used to play as kids. They would read each other's lips to pass secret messages.

"How come you could see me?" he tried.

"I can see a gah'rein. A gift, some are saying." He shrugged.

"Can you help me?" It took all his energy to utter these words, to Cyprian of all people, and he slouched again.

"I never was your enemy, nor did I do any of the deeds that people are talking about."

Gah'rein nodded. After the meeting under the willow tree, he could well see how everyone was duped.

"We must help each other. I know now who is responsible."

Cyprian's eyes rounded.

"There is someone who looks exactly like you. Almost. He resembles you close enough for less perceptive people to confuse him with you. He serves my master. Or my master serves him. I wouldn't know. My master uses his gah'rein to spy on the council..." he mouthed. Too exhausted to continue, he slouched against the wall.

"I can help you. If I am not mistaken, your master must be a willow tree. Take me to it and I will take it down." Cyprian pulled his ax off his back, and his fingers curled tight around its handle.

"It is a holy tree, Cyprian; the council would hunt you for the rest of your life."

"The council already hunts me. I ask a boon of you, when you're free."

Gah'rein smiled with self-deprecation.
"What do I have to do?"

"You must escort someone over the plains. You must make sure she is unharmed. She carries some...thing important."

Gah'rein nodded and suddenly rose. He must have rested too much, as his master's grip found enough strength to latch on.

"Consider it done!" he mouthed before breaking into a run.

He smiled as he found no resentment in his decision. His master was right; he would have his revenge.