Royal Assassin

“Wait. Now, just wait a minute,” Burrich remonstrated drunkenly. “Wait. Look. I only want to talk to him. That’s all.” The cluster of people surged down the hall, halted again. The guards were between Burrich and my door. Blade was clinging to Burrich’s arm. He still showed the marks from the brawl, and one of his arms was in a sling. He could do little to stop Burrich.

“Just get mine in before Regal gets his. That’s all. That’s all.” Burrich’s voice was deep and slurry with drink. “Come on. Just for a minute. What’s it going to matter anyway? He’s good as dead.” Another pause. “Look. I’ll make it worth your while. Look here.”

The guards were exchanging glances.

“Uh, Blade, you got any coin left?” Burrich was digging through his pouch, then snorted with disgust and upended it over his hand. Coins fell in a shower, spilling past his fingers. “Here, here.” There was the chink and rattle of coins dropped and rolling on the stone floor of the passageway and he flung his arms wide in a gesture of largesse.

“Hey, he doesn’t mean it, Burrich, you don’t bribe guards like that, you’re going to get yourself tossed in a cell, too.” Blade stooped hastily, making apologies as he hurried to gather up the spilled coins. The guards stooped alongside him and I saw a hand make a furtive trip from floor to pocket.

Suddenly Burrich’s face peered in my window. For a moment we stood eye to eye at the barred window. Grief and outrage battled in his face. His eyes were webbed red from his drinking, and his breath was strong with it. The fabric of his shirt showed ragged where the buck crest had been torn from it. He glared at me, then, as he looked at me, his eyes widened in shock. For a moment our gaze held, and I thought something of understanding and farewell passed between us. Then he leaned back and spat full in my face.

“That, for you,” he snarled. “That for my life, which you took from me. All the hours, all the days I spent upon you. Better that you had lain down and died amongst the beasts before you let this come to pass. They’re going to hang you, boy. Regal’s having the gallows built, over water, like the old wisdom says. They’ll hang you, then cut you up and burn you down to bones. Nothing left to bury. He’s probably afraid the dogs would dig you up again. You’d like that, hey, boy? Buried like a bone, for some dog to dig up later? Better to just lie down and die right where you are.”

I had recoiled from him when he spat at me. Now I stood back from my door, swaying on my feet while he gripped the bars and stared in at me, his eyes wide and bright with madness and drink.

“You’re so good with the Wit, they say. Why don’t you change into a rat and scuttle out of there? Huh?” He leaned his forehead against the bars and peered in at me. Almost pensively, he said, “Better that than to hang, whelp. Change into a beast and run off with your tail between your legs. If you can . . . I heard you can . . . they say you can turn into a wolf. Well, unless you can, you’re going to hang. Hang by your neck, choking and kicking . . .” His voice trailed off. His dark eyes locked with mine. They were teary with drink. “Better to lie down and die right there than hang.” Suddenly he seemed full of fury. “Maybe I’ll help you lie down and die!” he threatened through gritted teeth. “Better you die my way than Regal’s!” He began to wrest at the bars, shaking the door back and forth against its locks.

The guards were instantly on him, one to an arm, tugging and cursing while he ignored them. Old Blade jigged up and down behind them, saying, “Give it up, come on, Burrich, you had your say, come on, man, before there’s real trouble.”

They did not pry him loose, but he gave it up suddenly, just dropping his arms to his sides. It caught the guards by surprise and they both stumbled back. I clutched at the barred window.

“Burrich.” It was hard to make my mouth form words. “I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry.” I took a breath, tried to find some words to end some of the torment in his eyes. “No one should blame you. You did the best with me you could.”

He shook his head at me, his face contorting with grief and anger. “Lie down and die, boy. Just lie down and die.” He turned and walked away from me. Blade was walking backward, apologizing a hundred times over to the two flustered guards who followed him up the corridor. I watched them go, and then watched Burrich’s shadow go lurching off, while Blade’s stayed a bit to mollify the guards.