Brendon stood before the lords, being judge by all and yet his sentence would come from only one.
Lord Durerie, to which Brendon did not know his given name, stood from his seat behind the long table the others sat at. 'And how do we suppose your tale to have any merit? It is your word only that we work under.'
'I doubt Commander Brendon took lord Arthur by surprise in the open while he was accompanied by two guards.' Lord Stephen Lundel sat with his bulk rested in a chair, arms crossed under his bearded face. 'Their fight was sure to have been that of a sporting nature, if not in lord Arthur's favor.'
'Beside the point,' said lord Durerie, 'it is a matter of highborn against lowborn, he was in the wrong and is deserving of punishment.'
Brendon saw the faces of the others agree, all but lord Lundel and Borem himself. While lord Lundel sat in relative discomfort with the situation, taking Brendon's tale for truth for some reason, Borem had a face of neutrality. He was watching over the proceedings and would have been needed to have a stance of objectivity.
'Lord Lundel is correct,' Borem began, 'though only if lord Durerie's arguments were not true.' The statement brought a smile to lord Durerie's face while the mood about lord Lundel did not change. 'Brendon will be punished as any other might, but he is a Commander and under the orders of another. This being so, his punishment will be the responsibility of his lord commander.'
It took no more than a moment for lord Durerie to understand. 'You must be joking? He has killed a High Lord of the Throne! This man cannot go unpunished!'
Borem did not so much as turn his head. He lingered a stare straight at Brendon, hammering the idea of his own servitude. 'You should think before you speak; do you even know how your family came to power?' The other lord looked as if he knew. A flush of red to his face as he sat told Brendon all he needed to know. 'My ruling will be upheld, unless any wishes to challenge either Brendon or I to combat?' There was only silence. 'I thought as much. You are all excused, though I will, of course, have a few words for the Commander.'
They trotted out of the tent; Lundel, Durerie, Ventris, and Cardin followed by several knights each were escorted by. Borem had none of his own guard in the tent, but two of the red marked men stood just outside the entrance.
When they were alone, Borem began again, though urging Brendon closer to the table. 'A bunch of fucking idiots,' he said, pouring himself a glass of wine that sat before him. 'Come sit. Drink with me.' Brendon took a chair from off to the side of the tent and placed it across the table, accepting a glass poured by Borem though not drinking. 'Idiots, truly; except for Stephen, though maybe only out of respect for my father and not for the truth of the matter. All of them have their heads far too high up their own asses.'
'Such words can travel fast in a camp,' Brendon said solemnly.
'Let them, I would rather have them know than not.' Borem sipped his wine for a moment in silence. 'Accompany me on a ride to lord Ivri's castle, I have business to discuss with the man; he has refused to answer the call of my father to battle.'
Brendon looked at him quizzically. 'That is all? There is to be no reprimand for my actions? Surely you must appease the lords under your''
'I need not do anything of the sort. Come,' he stood, 'we should hurry on our way.'
Borem led the way out, having his squire bring Brendon's mount as well as those for the two knights who would be joining them. Those two that bore the red rode well behind Brendon and Borem as they set out towards lord Ivri's home. They were silent for almost the entirety of the journey and the few words that were spoken were of little significance. Brendon thought some explanation would be given or at least a continuation of their conversation from beforehand.
The swamps between Lothren and Ivri Keep were filled in for the most part, though the ground was still loose. Roads were embankments of packed dirt and mulch that made riding possible. Even past noon a thin fog clung to the sides of the roads, rivers of grey mist.
Lord Ivri's castle sat much in the open. An island in the smoky sea that surrounded it. Their party encountered nothing through the entire journey, riding freely through open castle gates. The yard was lightly populated with servants and other workers. Young vassals drilled under the watchful eye of an armored knight bearing the crest of Ivri; a plume of blue flame upon crimson. They rode to stables off to the side of the gates, the boys there eagerly taking the mounts. By the time all four had dismounted there was a contingent of family guard coming across the yard. Six armored men led by a single unarmored one.
'Lord Thanoam,' their leader called as the contingent closed. His face was angled and aged with a speckling of white along the shadow of beard on his face. Medium length black hair fell just above his shoulders.
Borem grinned, moving to stand before the man. 'Lord Thanoam is my father, you may simply call me Borem, or lord Borem if you like.'
The man smiled, bowing slightly with the soldiers to his back. 'Whatever pleases you, milord. I am''
'Sir Joseoph Raullem, I remember you well, do not think that ten years is long enough to forget such a face as yours.'
Sir Joseoph smiled and the two embraced with hardy slaps on each other's backs. When they parted the knight looked over Borem with a hand on his shoulder. 'Has it really been ten years? Far too long Borem. And how is your father?'
Borem knocked Joseoph's hand from his shoulder and shrugged. 'Old. He holds on in hopes of seeing me do something to make him proud. If all goes well, I might make his dying wish a truth.'
'We all hope so,' said the old knight.
Borem raised a brow. 'Oh, you all do? Lord Ivri has an odd way of showing such wishes.'
'My men are eager as ever,' Joseoph turned his head to look back at the castle's keep, standing center of the castle's yard. 'But my lord has certain' reservations.'
'That is why I have come, to try and persuade him otherwise, even if he does allow us to camp at Lothren without incident; for that I am certainly thankful.' There came an odd moment of silence as the knight peered around Borem to eye Brendon and the two others. Borem took notice and shifted his stand, 'Ah, how rude of me,' putting his hand on Joseoph's shoulder he motioned to Brendon first. 'My companion here is Brendon, though you might know him as the leader of the notable Brothers of the Blade.'
The knight nodded, though Brendon saw by his face his reputation would not earn him a friend in the man. 'Certainly, I have heard quite a few tales of you and your mercenaries. Do you serve our lord Borem in his coming campaign?'
Brendon was not without courtesy and bowed slightly before speaking for the first time. 'Yes good sir, me and my company eagerly await our service to lord Borem.'
Joseoph nodded again before turning towards the two soldiers that accompanied them. 'And these two? You bring such armed men un-crested at your side? If you intend to fight a war with mercenaries then I am afraid your words will do little to sway my lord from his current stance.'
Borem laughed, 'No, these two are emissaries from an ally across the ocean. Men of the throne they are not, but their value is as great as any knight of the High Lords.'
The words seemed to disturb the old knight, though he showed little of the displeasure on his face. 'I will leave your explanations for my lord, you need not win my favor. Come, lord Ivri has no callers today and will be eager to see you, even if you come with less than joyous news.'
