The small rowboat slowly moved across the water. Amias sulked while rowing while Lauren peppered Odi with questions about the Nites and Eddeathra. "So, why did the Nites come here in the first place?"
Odi looked at her. "Pretty much the same reason as to why any country would invade another round here: more land and Eddeathra had the most beautiful land in the world so Icas Thornton got permission from the king to take several hundred soldiers to conquer Eddeathra when Eddeathra's king and queen were away from Cardell Castle. When the king and queen returned, they were instantly slaughtered by Icas himself. Then Amias's father decided that he had to stand up to the Nites, even if that got him killed."
Lauren looked over at Amias. He turned away, but not before Lauren saw a tear slide down his cheek. She turned her attention back to Odi.
"Fallon, Amias's father, took his stand one day when Icas was making a public speech. I was in charge of protecting Icas at the time so I was standing just behind him. I noticed Fallon approaching from the side with a dagger in his hand." Odi paused and sighed. "I warned Icas and when Fallon was a few mere steps away, he grabbed his sword out of his sheath and killed him. There was no confronting or negotiating. Icas killed a civilian right then and there and that civilian became a martyr.
Amias looked back and glared at Odi. "My father is dead because of you." he seethed.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. If it wasn't for you, Icas wouldn't have found out about my father until it was too late."
"I had no idea that he would do that!" Odi said. "I thought he would have arrested him or something. Not kill him in front of hundreds of people!" Amias turned away once again and Odi looked at Lauren. "When we were still on Wakemark, I told you that the reason that I left the Nites was because Icas had crossed a line. Fallon's death was that line."
Lauren was silent. Her mind traveled back to that moment that the boy was killed in the village by Icas who could and would kill anyone at any time. She realized that not only was Ben's life at stake, but the entire population of Eddeathra and the country was also at stake.