Chapter 44

Emeric wiped the remaining bloodied water form his face with a dry towel. The rough fabric feeling like gravel across his sensitive skin. He took extra care when he dried the bridge of his nose. He hoped it wasn't broken. The axe wound was still sensitive and had only recently started to scab. The physician had claimed all his other wounds to be superficial and there hadn't been anything he could do besides providing a new bandage for Emeric's bleeding ankle. He had also been provided with a clean pair of jerkins, a shirt and breaches.

He pulled his soiled shirt off, exposing his scarred torso and back. He winced and his movements were slow. It felt like the recent beating had reawakened all the pain he had barried in the back of his mind.

Rayhan gazed at his sons back. His heart ached and he wanted to reach out and hold the son he had thought he had lost. He pulled back his hand that had wandered. Where had he been while his son suffered through the pain all his scars had inevitably brought? He felt unworthy to be Emeric's father, but at the same moment he felt so proud of him. He had adapted and survived and every scar testified to his growth and strength.

Rayhan could do nothing but look at the scars that decorated his son's torso and back like medals. Some were still red with irritation where scar tissue had only recently formed.

His eyes lingered on the large, tight scar tissue that stretched over Emeric's shoulder. By the look of it, it had been a horrific injury. Rayhan gave a soft sigh as he lowered his disturbed eyes to the ground. Emeric should not have had to suffer through those scars. Somehow it pointed back to him and his failures as a father.

Emeric noticed his father's expression and hastened to finish dressing. A strange sense of embarrassment washed through him. 

They stood in silence for a while before Rayhan spoke, "You know, I never trained you so that you would have to survive in a place like that." His expression flashed with heartache, "It wasn't my intensions." Emeric saw the remorse in his father's eyes and put a reassuring look on his own face, "You didn't condemn me to the Domes, Dad." He quickly said, not wanting his father to suffer any sense of guilt. "The Elites did." He finally said, his voice turning angry, almost hateful.

Rayhan nodded slowly, but he wasn't ready to shift the blame of his son's suffering to someone else. He blamed himself for their capture. He constantly accused himself for becoming docile and ignorant. He had let his guard down, and as a result, his son had been forced to endure unthinkable hardships.

"You knew you were going to get out, didn't you? That's why you told me to do what it takes to stay alive." Emeric asked as he voiced his thoughts. Rayhan let out a soft sigh, "Yes, but once I got out I realized that I wasn't going to be able to get you out on my own. Those Domes are practically impenetrable." Emeric grinned sadly at the comment, "Yeah, pretty much."

"So, that's when I decided to rescue the others." Rayhan continued. "At first my intentions were to build a small army so that we could break you out, but it took longer than I thought to track everyone down. By the time I had enough man power to risk a rescue mission, you weren't there anymore." Rayhan paused as Emeric took in each word he spoke. "I thought you were dead." Rayhan confessed, his voice cracking at the end.

"I was transferred to Scoalgeoc." Emeric said softly as he realized that his father hadn't been looking for him over the past two years. Rayhan lowered his head, ashamed of himself. "I had men stationed in each city. They sent me information of any Etreshian who was held captive. They told me that if there was an Etreshian in the Domes, they would have heard about it. It would be the talk on every street. So you know , I sort of lost hope."

Emeric realized that since he had become an Eliminator and later a Victor, he hadn't been referred to as a Rogue anymore. All the spectators knew him as the Reaper. "They called me Reaper, not a Rogue anymore." Emeric brought to light. Rayhan's face portrayed shock, "But isn't that Scoalgeoc's Victor?" He asked. Emeric nodded, "I was in the Victors rounds when I escaped."

"How many kills did you have?" Rayhan questioned almost fearfully. He remembered his son who refused to kill the smallest of animals. The thought of him killing other human beings was like a blow to the stomach. Emeric had been forced to do something he was never meant to do.

Emeric felt his throat close. He was ashamed of what he'd done in the Domes. Admitting it to his father set his stomach roiling. He lowered his gaze with shame, "I had enough kills to earn my freedom...but Calvert said that the law was Chayran, and therefore it only counted for Chayrans. That's why I escaped. I couldn't last another day in there."

Rayhan saw the turmoil in his son as he thought of his deeds in the harsh Domes. "You did what I told you to do," Rayhan tried comforting, "I told you to survive no matter what, didn't I?"

Although the words were meant to comfort Emeric, he found no relief from his conscious. He would never escape from the lives he had taken. It was a burden he could not share nor put away from his mind. He realised that is was something he would have to live with the rest of his life.

*****

Radclyf came to a stop next to Hunter outside the cabin where the chief and his son were conferring. "How long has it been?" He asked the young man. Hunter gazed up at the sun and took note of it's position, "Eight hours..." he stated unceremoniously. Radclyf grinned, "Can you blame them? They have three years worth of catching up to do. They might even sit in there and talk till next week."

At that moment, the wooden door of the cabin swung open with a silent creak.  Rayhan strode out, and air of relief hanging around him. His steps looking almost lighter.  His son was alive, and nothing gave him more satisfaction than that reality.

Rayhan spotted Radclyf and Hunter and walked over to them with long, steady strides.  He gazed at them, the authority shining from his eyes involuntarily. 

"Where's Sarthen?" he questioned in a strict, yet conversational tone of voice.  Radclyf tilted his head towards one of the distant cabins, "He's probably hiding out in his lair, or something."  Rayhan nodded.  "Need me to go and fetch him?" Hunter questioned.  Rayhan shook his head, "No, with the news he's about to get, I'd best be the one to tell him." Rayhan contemplated his thoughts for a moment before adding, "Hunter, prepare a sack with camping provisions and food to last a few weeks.  He'll need it if he's going to make it out there."

Both men standing across from Rayhan knew what he meant.  Hunter's eyes grew slightly wide with alarm.  "You're kicking him out?" The shock was evident in the young man's voice as he stared at the chief. 

"He's gone way overboard this time.  This isn't the first time he's wrongly accused someone, and I won't tolerate such behavior."  Rayhan's words rung with finality and no one dared question his decisions.  In all honesty, the others felt the same way Rayhan did, they just didn't have the courage to take action.

Half and hour later, Emeric was met with a sight that thronged questions through his head.  Rayhan was standing by the gate that lead out of the Rebellion camp, and opposite him stood Sarthen.  The bully of a man was evidently arguing with the chief.  His voice grew so loud that his words traveled to Emeric's keen ears. 

"You'll regret this...Just you wait and see..." The threat hung with finality, but there was no hope for Sarthen left.  At a strict command from Rayhan, Sarthen hefted his camping equipment up onto a reluctant shoulder before he turned and trudged out of the rebellion camp with a severely bruised ego.

Emeric slowly started walking towards his father, painful questions streaming through his mind. 

"Did you just send him away?"  Emeric asked hesitantly as he reached his father.  "He deserved it." Rayhan simply commented.  Emeric felt his eyebrows rise slightly..."Was it because of what he did to me?" Emeric questioned as he felt the throb of his bruises.  Rayhan sighed reluctantly as he took note of the shock on his son's face.

"It was definitely the last streak.  However, I have been considering it for a few weeks.  He's always been a trouble maker and there just isn't a place for him here." Rayhan felt a strange sensation run through him.  He felt as if he had to atone himself to his son for what he'd done. 

Emeric lowered his gaze.  He didn't want anybody being put in an unfavourable position because of something he'd done.  Too many people had suffered by his hand, and he wasn't ready to let anybody else deteriorate as a result of his doing. 

Rayhan studied his son's expression carefully. He saw it in his son's eyes as they watched where Sarthen had disappeared into the forest. Something that could not be earned or given. The empathy Emeric held was something that could only be brought through immense suffering and Rayhan felt a swell of pride in his son.