here. If I can help, even if it’s just to listen, then I will.”
Verona smiled. “Thank you, my friend. I know we have bigger things to be concerned about than my boyish crush on our beautiful, fair, and exotic traveling companion.”
“Is that all it is then, a boyish crush?” Aaron asked.
Verona was silent for moment, and Roselyn glanced in their direction to be sure they were still following. “No,” Verona answered, “it’s not.”
“Good,” Aaron said, “because if it were, I’d thrash you for wasting my time,” he said, giving Verona a playful shove.
Verona laughed. “What do I do?”
“You could try talking to her,” Aaron quipped.
“What would I say?”
Aaron swallowed a chuckle, because Verona was completely serious and he didn’t want to offend. “I suggest being honest and listen. Listening to what a woman has to say is good place to start.”
“What if … ” Verona started to say, “what if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
“There is only one way to find out, but I would suggest picking your moment and taking small steps with a word here and there,” Aaron grinned, and Verona shoved him back. That was good. Verona must have it bad if he was asking him these questions. What did he know about women?
Roselyn waved them over. They had come to Main Street East. The sounds of a crowd grew steadily louder, beyond the normal rabble of city life, and they quickened their pace. A large crowd gathered at the intersecting streets, and the closer they got, Aaron could hear the sharp crack of several whips and screams of pain. He pushed his way through the crowd to get a better look. Roughly fifteen men dressed in filthy rags stumbled through the street. Blood stained their backs. He counted twenty guards forming a circle to keep the crowd at bay, while three guards carried long leather whips dripping with blood. They were followed by a grim-faced captain who looked as if he were about to be sick. The grisly group was still a block away from where Aaron stood and approached rapidly. Aaron’s hands drifted to his swords as he glanced across the street and saw children interspersed amid the angry crowd.
Aaron noticed the captain glance behind him at the two cloaked figures that followed. Elitesmen, he thought, utterly disgusted with the display. Aaron was about to step out into the street when Verona pulled him back.
“Look at them,” Verona said. “The guards.”
Aaron turned back and studied the guards. They all appeared grim faced and frightened despite the horrendous actions of which they were a part.
“They are afraid,” Aaron said. It hadn’t occurred to him until this moment that the guards themselves would feel powerless against the Elitesmen. He underestimated the hold that the Elitesmen had upon these people. His first encounter was in a small town remote from any cities; he had assumed the awe of the townsfolk had been exaggerated when he took down the Elitesmen. Now he witnessed a mob of people in a city cowed by merely two Elitesmen. He couldn’t absolve the guards entirely in his mind. How could anyone do that to another human being?
“I can’t walk away from this,” Aaron said to Verona and Roselyn. The latter looking as if she were about to protest, but stopped when Verona gently put his hand upon her shoulder and shook his head slightly.
“I’ll be right back,” Aaron said, pulling up the hood of his cloak. Then he grabbed a swath of black cloth and tied it so that only his eyes showed and disappeared into the crowd.
“What will he do?” Roselyn asked.
Verona guided her to the outskirts of the crowd so they had a clear view. “I’m not sure. Remind me to tell you about how Aaron and I met at a small town called Duncan’s Port. In the meantime, let's watch and help if we can.”
Roselyn nodded, and they waited while the poor men under the whips were driven forward.
Crack!
The harsh sound of the whip struck the miner’s back, sending
Verona smiled. “Thank you, my friend. I know we have bigger things to be concerned about than my boyish crush on our beautiful, fair, and exotic traveling companion.”
“Is that all it is then, a boyish crush?” Aaron asked.
Verona was silent for moment, and Roselyn glanced in their direction to be sure they were still following. “No,” Verona answered, “it’s not.”
“Good,” Aaron said, “because if it were, I’d thrash you for wasting my time,” he said, giving Verona a playful shove.
Verona laughed. “What do I do?”
“You could try talking to her,” Aaron quipped.
“What would I say?”
Aaron swallowed a chuckle, because Verona was completely serious and he didn’t want to offend. “I suggest being honest and listen. Listening to what a woman has to say is good place to start.”
“What if … ” Verona started to say, “what if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
“There is only one way to find out, but I would suggest picking your moment and taking small steps with a word here and there,” Aaron grinned, and Verona shoved him back. That was good. Verona must have it bad if he was asking him these questions. What did he know about women?
Roselyn waved them over. They had come to Main Street East. The sounds of a crowd grew steadily louder, beyond the normal rabble of city life, and they quickened their pace. A large crowd gathered at the intersecting streets, and the closer they got, Aaron could hear the sharp crack of several whips and screams of pain. He pushed his way through the crowd to get a better look. Roughly fifteen men dressed in filthy rags stumbled through the street. Blood stained their backs. He counted twenty guards forming a circle to keep the crowd at bay, while three guards carried long leather whips dripping with blood. They were followed by a grim-faced captain who looked as if he were about to be sick. The grisly group was still a block away from where Aaron stood and approached rapidly. Aaron’s hands drifted to his swords as he glanced across the street and saw children interspersed amid the angry crowd.
Aaron noticed the captain glance behind him at the two cloaked figures that followed. Elitesmen, he thought, utterly disgusted with the display. Aaron was about to step out into the street when Verona pulled him back.
“Look at them,” Verona said. “The guards.”
Aaron turned back and studied the guards. They all appeared grim faced and frightened despite the horrendous actions of which they were a part.
“They are afraid,” Aaron said. It hadn’t occurred to him until this moment that the guards themselves would feel powerless against the Elitesmen. He underestimated the hold that the Elitesmen had upon these people. His first encounter was in a small town remote from any cities; he had assumed the awe of the townsfolk had been exaggerated when he took down the Elitesmen. Now he witnessed a mob of people in a city cowed by merely two Elitesmen. He couldn’t absolve the guards entirely in his mind. How could anyone do that to another human being?
“I can’t walk away from this,” Aaron said to Verona and Roselyn. The latter looking as if she were about to protest, but stopped when Verona gently put his hand upon her shoulder and shook his head slightly.
“I’ll be right back,” Aaron said, pulling up the hood of his cloak. Then he grabbed a swath of black cloth and tied it so that only his eyes showed and disappeared into the crowd.
“What will he do?” Roselyn asked.
Verona guided her to the outskirts of the crowd so they had a clear view. “I’m not sure. Remind me to tell you about how Aaron and I met at a small town called Duncan’s Port. In the meantime, let's watch and help if we can.”
Roselyn nodded, and they waited while the poor men under the whips were driven forward.
Crack!
The harsh sound of the whip struck the miner’s back, sending
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