soldiers came to bring me to him that last day, do you remember what I told you before I left?”
Cayl watched her, but acted as if he had no intention of speaking. Arissa rolled her eyes and tossed her head slightly back. Her voic e grew husky as she whispered, “You can talk now.” Her hand was hooked around the back of his neck, where her fingers played with his tresses of brown hair, which was longer than she remembered.
As if on cue, he recited, “You told me not to forget about you, because pretty soon I would be stuck with you.”
Pondering the moment in her memory for a moment, Arissa was surprised that she was smiling. Even when she had been minutes from possible death, her attraction to Cayl had never been more clear to her. “I was right, the General had been convinced that I knew something that he wanted. At first, he made the guards stay in the room with us while I was there. I told him that I had a deal to make with him. Of course, he acted all high and mighty, saying that he wouldn't associate with the likes of me, the very scum of the Earth, you know. But I could see in his eyes that he wanted to know. That's when he ordered the guards to leave, saying he didn't need protection from a mere criminal. He wasted no time in asking what I had to offer.
“ My deal that I offered him was simple. He and every other man in the army knew how elusive I could be when it came to tracking and hiding. His army was, and still is, made up of a bunch of juvenile idiots who could barely figure out how to ride their trained ponies. I told him I would be a valuable tool for him to have in his ranks. His new idea had been collecting criminals who had 'wronged his society' and none of his soldiers were well trained enough to start handling thieves and highwaymen. Really, I was perfect for the job.”
“ You were a bounty hunter?” Cayl nearly shouted, surprised. Arissa barely had to glance at him and he quickly added, “I didn’t say anything. Continue on.”
“ Yes, I offered to trade my freedom in exchange for working as his bounty hunter indefinitely. He would have readily accepted if I had not felt the need to tack on my last requirement. I made him promise and to sign an official pardon for you, because what is his word worth, really. He was willing to let go of your charges, but he felt the trade had become uneven and I would have to agree to fill a second position in his command.
“ Not that it’s public knowledge, but you know how the General has been supplying his armies and trying to repopulate his cities in the territory. He promises a better life to people from the lands and countries far away from here, who are struggling even more than we are. Lying to, sorting and murdering hundreds of people in cold blood would not look good on him to the public eye. The General believes that when the Earth was heavily populated, before the wars destroyed everything, it was poisoned. He wants the public to think he’s searching for equality, when really all he wants is the control of deciding what happens to the world now as it’s built back up again.
“ Everything I’ve just told you about the General are dark secrets that could cripple our nation if they were ever exposed. Have you ever wondered why all the guards and soldiers literally all look the same? Have you ever met one with coloured skin? Have you ever heard one speak with a foreign accent from a country that no longer exists or even another language? All the soldiers have dark brown or black hair. There’s never been a blonde or a man with red hair to ever step foot into these cities. There are none here, because when a person who is different tries to improve their life by coming here to serve the General, he had them killed so they don’t taint his image of a perfect world.”
“ That is completely sick,” Cayl nearly gasped in horror, his eyes looking tortured with realization.
Arissa voice suddenly turned monotone. “That was my job. To
Cayl watched her, but acted as if he had no intention of speaking. Arissa rolled her eyes and tossed her head slightly back. Her voic e grew husky as she whispered, “You can talk now.” Her hand was hooked around the back of his neck, where her fingers played with his tresses of brown hair, which was longer than she remembered.
As if on cue, he recited, “You told me not to forget about you, because pretty soon I would be stuck with you.”
Pondering the moment in her memory for a moment, Arissa was surprised that she was smiling. Even when she had been minutes from possible death, her attraction to Cayl had never been more clear to her. “I was right, the General had been convinced that I knew something that he wanted. At first, he made the guards stay in the room with us while I was there. I told him that I had a deal to make with him. Of course, he acted all high and mighty, saying that he wouldn't associate with the likes of me, the very scum of the Earth, you know. But I could see in his eyes that he wanted to know. That's when he ordered the guards to leave, saying he didn't need protection from a mere criminal. He wasted no time in asking what I had to offer.
“ My deal that I offered him was simple. He and every other man in the army knew how elusive I could be when it came to tracking and hiding. His army was, and still is, made up of a bunch of juvenile idiots who could barely figure out how to ride their trained ponies. I told him I would be a valuable tool for him to have in his ranks. His new idea had been collecting criminals who had 'wronged his society' and none of his soldiers were well trained enough to start handling thieves and highwaymen. Really, I was perfect for the job.”
“ You were a bounty hunter?” Cayl nearly shouted, surprised. Arissa barely had to glance at him and he quickly added, “I didn’t say anything. Continue on.”
“ Yes, I offered to trade my freedom in exchange for working as his bounty hunter indefinitely. He would have readily accepted if I had not felt the need to tack on my last requirement. I made him promise and to sign an official pardon for you, because what is his word worth, really. He was willing to let go of your charges, but he felt the trade had become uneven and I would have to agree to fill a second position in his command.
“ Not that it’s public knowledge, but you know how the General has been supplying his armies and trying to repopulate his cities in the territory. He promises a better life to people from the lands and countries far away from here, who are struggling even more than we are. Lying to, sorting and murdering hundreds of people in cold blood would not look good on him to the public eye. The General believes that when the Earth was heavily populated, before the wars destroyed everything, it was poisoned. He wants the public to think he’s searching for equality, when really all he wants is the control of deciding what happens to the world now as it’s built back up again.
“ Everything I’ve just told you about the General are dark secrets that could cripple our nation if they were ever exposed. Have you ever wondered why all the guards and soldiers literally all look the same? Have you ever met one with coloured skin? Have you ever heard one speak with a foreign accent from a country that no longer exists or even another language? All the soldiers have dark brown or black hair. There’s never been a blonde or a man with red hair to ever step foot into these cities. There are none here, because when a person who is different tries to improve their life by coming here to serve the General, he had them killed so they don’t taint his image of a perfect world.”
“ That is completely sick,” Cayl nearly gasped in horror, his eyes looking tortured with realization.
Arissa voice suddenly turned monotone. “That was my job. To
Similar Books
