“Trent? Is it really you?” Beyden asked, a little stupidly. But even though their little meeting was planned, he was still having some trouble believing he was seeing his old friend again after all this time.
Trent laughed, the sound familiar to Beyden. “Yeah, man. It’s me. Long-time no-see.”
Trent’s grin was crooked and as cheeky as Beyden remembered – even if it had been eight years since he’d last seen it. But it was also a little hesitant, as if he was wary of Beyden’s response. It may have made him petty but Beyden was glad to see it. He had been worried that Trent still didn’t understand or care about the ramifications of his past, hurtful actions. If he was wary of their reunion, then he must have acknowledged all the damage that was done.
“It’s been years,” Bey pointed out, almost instantly regretting the snarky reminder. Seeing Trent squirm and shift uncomfortably really didn’t give Bey any satisfaction and he felt himself caving as he dragged his once best friend into his arms.
Trent stiffened for all of a second before leaning into the embrace and returning the affectionate thumps on the back. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Bey. You’re looking good,” Trent punched him on the arm as he pulled back.
Beyden laughed, “Thanks. You too.” And it was true, Trent had always been a good-looking guy and was a charmer to boot. Back when Beyden had first met Axel, he had thought the two were quite similar. That was, until Beyden remembered why he no longer saw his ex-best pal. After that, he knew he was doing Axel a disservice. For all of Axel’s flirting and teasing banter, he was steadfast and loyal to his core. Trent? Past circumstances had proven that wasn’t the case. Beyden could only hope Trent had done some growing up in the past eight years. Beyden sure had.
A few more minutes of stilted conversation followed as Trent introduced him to his companions. One of the men served in Trent’s Order and the other two were close friends. Beyden tried hard not to feel annoyed over the added and unexpected company. He had assumed he and Trent would have some time alone to hash things out. Giving Trent the benefit of the doubt, Bey figured Trent was uncertain of his reception and had wanted some support.
“It really is good to see you,” Beyden smiled, relaxing a little now that the initial small talk was over. “What brings you to these parts?” he asked, leaning back against a wooden beam.
“Our Orders got the call to fall in from the IDC,” Trent gestured to his three other companions, who were yet to speak other than acknowledging their names. But they did nod their heads in his direction now. Assuming they were men of few words, Bey merely nodded back.
“Fall in?” He then asked, more curious than concerned.
Trent ran a hand through his close-cropped, military cut hair, “Yeah, you know. The call went out to Orders everywhere. There’s some kind of shit storm coming and wardens are being recalled.”
“And yours is one of them,” Beyden concluded, as a small flutter of nerves began to tighten in stomach.
Trent nodded, “Yep. We were told to fall in, so here we are.” Trent flashed him a grin, “You know how it is; our liege says jump and we ask how high?”
Beyden grunted, non-committedly. His liege was nothing like that. But he had the sinking sensation that Trent wouldn’t believe that. In fact, if his suspicions were correct, he knew Trent wouldn’t believe anything he had to say about Max. His silence worked wonders and had Trent clearing his throat;
“Anyway, I heard you were maybe involved in some way. Not that I believe what they’re saying,” he hastily added. “But when I heard this was your local council and where you were stationed, I knew I had to come and talk to you.”
Beyden stayed where he was, leaning casually against the wooden hurdle, “Oh yeah? Talk about what, exactly?”
Trent shifted from foot to foot, looking sheepish and uncomfortable. “Well, if it’s true.”
Beyden narrowed his eyes, “If what is true?”
Trent blew out a breath, running a hand over his scalp, “Come on, man. They’re saying this Max chick is crazy. That she popped up out of nowhere and is hella strong. She’s trying to incite some kind of rebellion or war or something. They say you’re in her Order.”
Beyden hummed, “Well, they certainly seem to have a lot to say.”
Trent rolled his eyes, looking exasperated, “Come on, Bey. You can’t be that dense. I know you were always into using your words instead of your fists, and all that hippy bullshit in the past. But I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours. I’m trying to look out for you here.”
Beyden didn’t react to being called dense – nor a hippy. Trent had always been the type to name-call. Back when they were kids, Beyden had always put it down to Trent’s personality; snarky, irreverent, and mildly rude. The jabs were always small and therefore easy enough to ignore or shrug off. But now, having lived with his Order, he knew the difference between affectionate teasing and something more deliberate – something more malicious. He wanted to be annoyed at himself for not realising it before – when it had probably mattered the most. But he had been young, so he decided to cut himself some slack.
“I’m not dense, Trent. And I assure you, there’s nothing wrong with my fists.” He stood to his full height now, satisfied when he towered over Trent and his friends by a good three inches. “As for the rumours about my liege; you know better than anyone that things are not always what they appear. Or have you forgotten what happened the last time we saw each other?”
“I haven’t forgotten anything,” Trent’s voice was low and the look on his face was a harmless mix of contrition and good humour.
Beyden wasn’t buying it. He saw Trent’s true colours now, and wondered why he had even bothered harbouring hope for a reconciliation from a person who had betrayed him so fully. “Tell me something; why didn’t you come forward and tell the truth? When you learned what the outcome was, why didn’t you step up? Put a stop to it? Admit what really happened?”
Trent shifted, his eyes turning hard and wary. He glanced at the men behind him before he replied softly, “I wanted to. The whole situation got blown way out of proportion. It all happened so fast. And then there was my parents ...” Trent’s eyes locked on his, “You know what they were like, man – what would have happened to me if I had come forward.”
Beyden snorted rudely, “You mean you would have been ostracised from society, stricken from the paladin ranks and deemed unfit to be anything other than a glorified weapons keeper? Yeah, I know what would have happened. It happened to me.”
Trent cringed and although he did look a little sorry, there was also a hard edge to his hazel eyes that had Beyden keeping a close watch on him and his silent companions.
“Is that why you’re with this Max chick? Because you have no other options? Because, man, I gotta tell you, that’s dangerous,” Trent informed him.
So, I’m not even going to get an apology, Beyden thought. The knowledge saddened him a little, but at least he finally had the closure he needed. Trent firmly belonged in his past. His new friends and his new family were his future now. Trent must have assumed Beyden was thinking about his words because he kept talking, fake empathy dripping from every word, now that Beyden knew what to look for.
“I know you must have been feeling pretty desperate, Bey. All these years, stuck in this hell-hole training centre with all those other rejects? Man, I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you. But this isn’t the solution. She’s not the solution,” Trent’s voice was earnest.
Beyden cocked his eyebrow, “She’s not?”
Trent shook his head, “No. She’s bad news, man. Trouble.”
Beyden felt his lips twitch for the first time since laying eyes on his former buddy ten minutes prior. “Trouble?” he echoed. “Oh, you have no idea.”
“See! That’s what I’m saying!” Trent smiled. “But I think I can help you.”
Beyden tried his best to look curious – he really wasn’t the best at subterfuge, “Help me, how?”
Trent placed a deceitfully gentle hand on his arm, “I’m in the Tor Order now. Terran is my liege. He’s really close to Ares on the International Domain Council. I can put in a good word for you. You know, explain how you’ve been manipulated by this woman. How you felt joining her messed-up Order was your only option, given your history.”
Beyden felt the bottom of his stomach drop out and he felt Lark stir in his mind upon hearing his birth Order named. “You’re in the Tor Order? With Terran and Isaac?”
“That’s right. I understand one of Isaac’s rejects is in that fucked-up Order of yours too. His son, Lark? Not that Isaac acknowledges him as his son anymore,” Trent informed him with relish.
Beyden felt Lark flinch as the entire Order rallied around the earth paladin. Whatever dramas had been happening at the house must have settled down with no-one worse the wear because they all felt healthy and strong.
“Get out of there. Get out of there now, Beyden,” Lark’s voice sounded a little frantic in his head.
“I’m okay. He hasn’t made a move in my direction,” Bey soothed his best friend.
“I don’t care! If he’s in my father’s Order, you have no idea what he’s capable of!”
Beyden swallowed thickly, an image of Lark’s ruined back flashing into his mind. Oh yes, he knew what the Order was capable of. But although the meeting was not taking the direction Beyden would have wished, it was proving to be a useful one. He already had a name of one of the council members who was clearly against Max; Ares. Who knew how much more information Trent might reveal? He said as much to his Order only to have Lark disagree with him again;
“No! Max, make him leave,” Lark pleaded.
But it was Ryker who responded, “See what else you can find out.”
Beyden released a breath, ignoring the resulting mental scuffle, and refocusing on Trent. “This help you mentioned? I guess all I would have to do to receive that help would be share everything I know about my new, dangerous liege, huh?”
Trent shrugged, looking innocent, “It certainly wouldn’t hurt. Quid pro quo, you know? You live with her, you must know some of her weaknesses. That kind of thing would go a long way in proving your loyalty to the council.”
“The council? All of the council?” Beyden pressed, hunting for more names.
Trent shifted from foot to foot, “Well, not the entire council. Some of them are soft on the woman – believing her nonsense. Something about witnessing a display of power at some water warden’s house? Has them convinced she can control all seven elements like a real custodian. But Ravyn is on Ares’s side too. That’s a good thing, huh? What with her being a Beast Warden? Imagine; you could be a beast paladin for the Beast representative on the International Domain Council if you play your cards right.”
The fake friendliness in Trent’s voice was beginning to get to him and Beyden was worried his even temperament was about to be crushed. He took a couple of deep breaths, willing his breathing to even out and his coat of arms to settle back into his skin where it had begun to writhe. The Order bond began to rise up once more and a low-level buzz sounded in his head, warning him the others were trying to break through again instead of just observing. He sent a brief thumbs-up, hoping it would be enough to assure them all he was still fine.
He knew if the others came charging to his aid, they would wipe the floor with Trent and his friends. Especially Ryker. He knew his Captain had wanted a piece of Trent for years. And Ivy ... Beyden shivered a little. If his sister got her hands on the person responsible for his downfall from society, there wouldn’t even be any pieces to send home to the knight’s mother. And now that Lark also had a vested interest after hearing his father’s name mentioned? Well, the whole situation had the potential to become a real shitstorm when they needed to keep the calm for as long as possible before the proverbial shit inevitably hit the fan.
“Oh man, I know that look,” Trent shook his head sadly.
“What look?” Beyden asked, surprised.
“That look of stubborn righteousness on your face. You get that look when you think you’re right and there’s not anything anyone can say to change your mind.”
Damn, Beyden thought. He had forgotten to school his features. Trent’s words sounded remorse-filled but Beyden wasn’t buying it. Well, considering Trent wasn’t buying Beyden’s naïve, country-boy act any more, he may as well speak his mind; “You’d know. I’m sure I had the same look on my face when I took the fall for you all those years ago.”
“I never asked you to!” Trent suddenly exploded. “You could have spoken up!”
Beyden scoffed, “Really? Only to have you then call me a liar on top of everything else?”
“It was a misunderstanding! Things got out of control, that’s all.” Trent was looking flushed – both from embarrassment and anger.
Beyden’s laugh sounded rusty even to his own ears, “A misunderstanding? Really? Because it didn’t look like a misunderstanding when you told me you loved me and tried to shove your tongue down my throat.”
Trent clenched his fists, taking a step forward. “Shut the fuck up!”
Beyden sneered, shaking his head. “What? Don’t tell me you’re still in denial. Dude, it’s been years. Step out of the closet already.”
“I’m not in any closet,” the words were spat between clenched teeth.
“Uh huh,” Beyden drawled, crossing his feet at the ankles in a seemingly casual pose.
He wasn’t antagonistic by nature but he had been living with some of the biggest shit-stirrers on the planet for years now and he had learned a thing or two. A few subtle – or not so subtle – verbal jabs and Trent would crack. For once, Beyden was hoping he would be given the opportunity to put his fighting skills to the test. He tried to feel even a modicum of regret over that but couldn’t. The brief flash of pleasure he had felt upon seeing his childhood friend had simply been a memory. Nothing more than an echo of things long past and long lost. He had allowed this man to humiliate and manipulate him in the past but he would not allow it to happen again.
“Enough of this, Beyden! I won’t let you distract me. Damn it! You’re really on her side, aren’t you?” Trent shook his head in disbelief. “I really thought you were just desperate. The guys tried to tell me,” he pointed to his silent companions. “But I told them I knew you. Knew you were too smart to be fooled by a pretty face and a pretty pair of tits. But I was wrong. You’re a believer.”
Beyden didn’t bother denying it, “I’m a believer.”
“Fuck it, Beyden!” Trent’s hazel eyes held true regret for a moment, “I was trying to do you a favour – for old time’s sake.”
Beyden managed a sad smile at his old friend, “I don’t need any favours.
Especially your kind of favours.” He then watched impassively as the four men began fanning out around him, apparently trying to box him in. His heraldry sparked to life and the Order bond roared with power.
“We’re on our way,” Max informed him.
“Dammit, no!” Beyden cursed at his liege for the first time. “Deal with whatever is going on back at the house. I got this, I promise. I can handle Trent and his three twerp friends. Besides,” he interrupted Max before she could speak, “I don’t want Lark anywhere near Trent and his Order.”
He felt Lark snarl in his mind, “That’s bullshit! You shouldn’t have to deal with my baggage!”
“Trent is my baggage, remember?” Beyden reminded them all. “I got this.” Silence met his statement for a second before Max spoke once more;
“Fine. We’ll stay put. But I’m still sending back-up. No arguments. We’re a team – you’ll fight your battles as a part of one.”
He couldn’t very well argue with that. Besides, Max’s back-up consisted of a sudden deluge of animals and birds converging on the obstacle course. A shocked gasp forced Beyden’s attention where it should have been all along – on Trent and his companions.
“What the fuck?! Does that kangaroo have a six-pack?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Beyden felt his lips twitch when Trent’s eyes bulged in horror as he took in the six-foot tall eastern grey kangaroo with the bulging biceps, ripped abs, and two-inch claws standing just metres away. Although joeys were cute little things when they were babies, adult roos could be lethal – especially the adult males. And especially when they were abiding the wishes of a Beast Warden.
Beyden watched covertly as Fawn and her four paladins stepped outside, though she didn’t attempt to come any closer. Beyden was pretty sure her paladins wouldn’t allow her to and there really wasn’t any need when she could call upon the abundance of animals in the area anyway. Looks like Max had also called in one of her ‘squirrels’ to help him out too.
Despite being confident he could kick all four paladin’s butts with one hand, he still felt grateful and humbled for the help. Trent and his friends looked unsettled but still set on their course and Beyden couldn’t help giving them all one last chance;
“Do you really want to do this, Trent? I am a member of the most powerful Order on the planet. My liege is a true Custodian and the daughter of Mother Nature herself. You won’t be able to beat me. And you won’t be able to beat her. Why don’t you run off and tell your friends that, hmm? You. Will. Not. Win.” Beyden reiterated, carefully enunciating each word in case Trent was hard of hearing. One of the other men finally deigned to speak, but his words were such bullshit that Beyden wished he hadn’t bothered;
“We’ll kill you first and your bitch liege second.”
“Good luck with that,” was Beyden’s bored comment right before they all sprang into action.
They came at him as a unit and Beyden had to admit, it was a good approach. Four against one probably seemed like the most expedient option. Too bad for them, Beyden had been training six against one within his Order. And more recently? He had been battling up to a dozen chades at a time. Well, reformed chades but they were just as skilled and just as deadly – even if they were on his side.
Beyden took out one of Trent’s companions with a quick jab to the temple. He didn’t even bother to watch him crumple to the ground, instead he blocked the twin punches delivered to both sides of his head with his raised arms. The blows had enough power behind them to have his forearms singing and he quickly took a step back, smiling when a flock of seagulls launched an attack. Beyden was able to knock another one of his opponents out with an elbow to the man’s throat, followed by a heavy knee to the face. The amount of blood streaming from the guy’s nose indicated it was broken.
Trent and the other paladin had been kept busy by the birds but Trent broke away now, running and diving at Beyden in an attempt to take him down. Beyden could understand why he would go for such a move, it was what Lark tended to do too – get him on the mats. Lark succeeded more often than not, but then again, he was ten times the knight Trent was. Trent merely bounced off Beyden’s back as he turned, putting all his weight behind him.
“Stay down,” Beyden told him.
“Fuck you!” Trent spat.
Beyden smirked, “I wouldn’t fuck you eight years ago. I’m certainly not going to do it now.”
As expected, Trent lost control of his temper, his kicks and punches becoming sloppy and uncoordinated. Still, he managed to land a glancing blow to Beyden’s cheek, hard enough to leave an ache in its wake. Annoyed with himself for allowing the blow to land, Beyden decided to stop playing around. He whipped out his scythe and hurled it at Trent, seeing it embed in the tip of Trent’s boot. The man released a thin scream but Beyden didn’t know why – he had deliberately not hit any flesh. His aim was always true and he knew the sharp blade had slid harmlessly between the man’s first and second toes. It did anchor Trent in place though and Beyden found he had one more thing to say to his old friend;
“You chose the wrong side,” he declared, before kicking him in the sternum.
Air rushed from Trent’s lungs as he landed heavily on the ground. Beyden winced when he heard the loud thump of Trent’s head making contact with the hard ground. He didn’t move after that but Bey could see the rise and fall of the man’s chest and knew he hadn’t killed him.
As for the remaining paladin who hadn’t said so much as one word during the entire encounter, he was now screaming like a banshee under the assault of multiple animals; birds, kangaroos, insects, and even a wombat. Beyden would have laughed but even he could admit, the scenario was rather terrifying. Still, Beyden waded between his furry, feathery rescuers. They parted like the red sea did for Moses and Beyden reached down to give the man a hand up. The second he felt a palm against his own, he delivered a swift uppercut, knocking the man out. It wasn’t really the move of a gentlemen but Beyden had run out of patience.
“Are you okay?” Fawn suddenly yelled, hurrying to his side, now that all four men were incapacitated.
Beyden couldn’t stop himself from bowing in her direction when she approached, even though she had long since asked him to stop. After Ryker, Fawn had been the first person he had met at the training centre. He had been looking for a glass to drink from in the kitchen when a soft, feminine voice had spoken behind him. Turning quickly, he had been struck dumb, not only because a warden had been talking to him, but also because she was stunningly beautiful. With her long, caramel-coloured hair, matching eyes, and tall, slender body, the beast warden could have graced any catwalk in the world. They had become good, if casual, friends since then and Beyden also really liked her four paladins – two of whom were also female.
“I’m fine,” he assured Fawn and her Order. “Thank you for the assistance.”
Fawn smiled at the menagerie who were all returning to their homes once more. “It was my pleasure. I must admit, I was a wee bit surprised when I suddenly heard Max’s voice in my head. I didn’t know she could do that.”
“She can do all kinds of things,” Beyden hedged. He trusted Fawn, he truly did, but his bond with Max demanded he remain circumspect. Fawn didn’t appear offended in any way and simply smiled at him, waving an elegant hand in the direction of the four unconscious knights.
“We’ll take care of them.”
“Are you sure?” Beyden asked, feeling responsible for the mess on the ground in front of them. But the buzzing in his head was now impossible to ignore, as was the writhing, itching brand on his arm.
“Your liege?” Fawn asked, grinning at him.
Beyden winced, Max’s worried voice was drowned out by Ryker’s scolding one. He sighed, “Time to go home.”