Chapter 52: Grounded

Don’t object to punishment. Don’t snivel and whine. Just take it. That’s your best option.

-Athanaric

Wrend had learned about poisoned sage in one of his many classes. The further south one went, the more common the plant became. Its potent venom made a person’s flesh bloat and veins constrict. It killed in a few seconds. Instead of the silvery blue of regular sagebrush, poisoned sage bore a yellow tint.

And, as he scrambled out of the brush, he realized that the sage he’d fallen into was silvery blue. That meant the burning on his arms and legs wouldn’t kill him. Yet, as he found his feet, he rubbed his arms and shivered against what could have been a fatal mistake. It could yet prove fatal, of course, depending on how the Master reacted.

Surely if the Master knew about Leenda coming out of the camp, he also knew that Wrend was with her. So Wrend decided to wait right where he was, and get the confrontation over with. He sat on a nearby rock and applied Thew to his face, to heal the wounds.

The paladins reached him soon, and told him to get up and go with them back to camp. He ignored them, and they trained their bows on him. They persisted in the stoic way paladins did everything, and he explained that he would wait for the Master.

And for punishment.

That seemed to satisfy them, and they fell silent, although they didn’t lower their bows. He watched as, one-by-one, the tents in the camp below lit up as people returned to them, and went dark as the people went to sleep.

Eventually the Master came, walking over the ridge and around the forest. He strode past the paladins, straight to Wrend, who stood to face his fate. It occurred to him that maybe he should kneel and proffer his sacrificial knife, but a thrill of defiance rushed through him, and he stayed on his feet. The Master looked at him with an unreadable expression, not speaking for nearly a minute. His clothes were torn.

Wrend wanted to ask if Leenda was still alive.

Eventually, the Master spoke. “Go straight to your tent. Until further notice, you’re under strict watch.”

Wrend obeyed without speaking. After all, what excuse could he possibly give?