The soup was delicious, hot and filling and flavored with oregano and rosemary. As he ate, Owen gratefully gave all of his focus over to the comforting act of eating. It was a welcome reprieve to the battle that had been raging inside of him. 

He finished the bowl much more quickly than he would have liked. Without the distraction, his thoughts rushed back to everything that had just happened. 

He had killed two people. His power could kill. If he was honest with himself, some part of him had suspected this was the case all along. But he had hoped it could remain purely theoretical. 

He could kill. But he had also saved one of the three. What did that mean? Owen was dimly aware that this detail could be important, but he was more concerned with the deaths. He kept reliving the moment of the strike. It made him feel cold inside, beyond the simple chill of the storm. The soup churned uneasily in his stomach. 

How much help would he be to Kaz if he was unwilling to use his power? Would keeping hers under control be enough? Maybe they had misinterpreted the information from the sweat ceremony. 

“Owen!” By the way Kaz said his name, Owen could tell it wasn’t the first time. 

“Oh, sorry. What?” 

“I asked what you think we should do with Biltens.” 

“Oh,” said Owen. He really didn’t want to think about it, because that would force him to face what he had done, to tie it back to reality. He searched his numb mind for something useful to say. “Tie him up, maybe?”

There was a snort from behind him. “What, and just leave him here? The next messengers along will just untie him and then he could do anything.” It was the lower-voiced of the two messengers - Mattias, Owen thought, the one who had initially objected to his element. He had been too engrossed in his own conversation to notice when the other two had stopped theirs.

“Do you have a suggestion?” asked Kaz. Owen was impressed at her diplomacy. He was so thrown by the whole situation that had been preparing to meet snark with snark. 

“Not really,” said Mattias. “I just don’t really like the thought of that bastard running around free, do you?”

Owen was about to say that if he didn’t have anything constructive to add, then he could just as well keep his mouth shut, when Stan spoke up. He had moved around to beside him and Kaz.

“I might have an idea,” he said hesitantly. 

“Go on,” said Kaz. 

“Well,” said Stan, “There’s always someone here. Mattias was about to run on, or he would have remembered that. We switch off, you see. Only those men, they insisted we both stay, that they had important news for us to carry. They had to pay Mattias quite a lot to delay his message. We’re not supposed to do it, you see. And then the storm came up and - well, you know the rest.

“Anyway, we could tie this guy up and keep passing the story of what happened here to each new messenger. That way he’d be stuck here indefinitely - at least until he persuaded one of the messengers to release him. Or until someone comes looking for him.”

There was a pause.  It sounded unlikely to Owen that it would take long for the tracker to buy his freedom, and he said so. “Especially,” he added, “if it was that easy to buy Mattias’s cooperation.” Owen realized that his attitude towards the problem had changed. Thinking about this situation pulled him back into the present. Realizing this, he clung to it as though finding a solution could absolve him of his mistake. 

“What news are you supposed to be carrying anyway?” asked Kaz. Owen fell silent, curious. The messenger system, though efficient across the mountainous regions of the empire, was primarily used by the officials of the realm to recount events, proclamations, and summons. It was expensive for an individual to hire the messengers, so most came to associate them with big news of one sort or another. Orlando had been summoned twice via messenger; both times had caused a stir in their village and had added greatly to his reputation. 

“Well,” said Mattias, sounding apologetic, “I was to carry news that a new Sapan had been crowned. Sapan Vidar. That was it. The older messengers say there’s usually more detail - third son of the Sapan by his favorite wife, that sort of thing. But not this time. Now I understand why.” 

“How much would it cost for you to alter the message?” From her directness, Owen could tell that Kaz had an idea. 

“To change it - that’s against our code,” said Mattias. 

“But-” Kaz started, but Mattias interrupted. 

“But to add a new message to the old is just a question of a few coins.” 

“Oh, Vidar will regret leaving his story so simple,” said Kaz. “Can you add that he reached his throne by murdering the royal family? And - let’s see - that there will be a reward - a sizable one - for helping any survivor of the royal family to escape.” 

“Oh, that’s good,” said Mattias. 

“And how far can you spread it?” asked Kaz.

“As far as you like.” said Mattias, sounding more cheerful than Owen had heard him so far. “An addendum is far less costly than a full message, which has already been paid for. So all I’d need to do is pass it on to the messenger hub in Alkantay and head back here so Stan can start it back in the other direction.”

“Brilliant!” said Kaz. “Stan, do you think it’s likely another message will come along before Mattias gets back?”

“With everything that’s going on? Unlikely. It usually takes a day or two before people get themselves together enough to actually contract a messenger.” 

“Ok. So even if you can keep our friend here tied up until then, that should give us enough of a head start to avoid him when he starts again.” 

“You want them to let him go?” asked Owen. 

“In a few days, yes. We’ll be long gone by then. And that gives these gentleman an excuse for keeping him here that won’t get them killed. They’ll be in enough trouble when the full message gets back to Vidar. They can say they sent for the nearest shaman after a near deadly mage attack and he said he wasn’t to move for at least two days after waking up. They met Orlando. He’ll believe that.” 

Owen nodded. “I like that. Only - Stan, when you go back through my village, can you stop by and tell my father in case they decide to verify?”

“Your father’s the shaman?” said Stan. “I’ve met Orlando. He saved my sister’s life several months back during a difficult childbirth. I’ll gladly do that for free.”

“Thank you,” said Owen. Another idea had surfaced while he listened to Kaz and the messengers plan. “And one more thing. Can you pass messages off as rumors? Only I know how fast rumors spread, and that people often pay more attention to them than the official messages. I think it might be smart to start the rumor that one of the princesses escaped.”

“And she’s beautiful and intelligent, a gifted mage, and is accompanied by powerful friends.” There was a laugh in Mattias’s voice, but Owen liked where he was going this time.

“Oh come on,” said Kaz. “No one’s going to believe that.”

“Yes they will,” said Stan. “It’s just far-fetched enough to be true. Owen’s right; rumor is one of the most powerful tools we have, though few know how to use it. People will wonder about such a contradictory official message. Adding the rumor will make people put two and two together. They’ll realize you somehow outsmarted Vidar’s men to make an addendum to the message. It’ll make people like you and be on the lookout to help you far more than the promise of a reward.”

“Really?” said Kaz. “But don’t most people want money?”

“Well yes, Kaz,” said Owen. “But when it comes in an official announcement, most people will expect someone with more influence or connections to actually get the reward. It doesn’t hurt, certainly. But everyone wants to help a sympathetic underdog. And adding the rumor makes you just that. You can start rumors then, I take it?” he added. 

“Oh yes,” said Mattias. “I just wish more people knew we can do that. It’s much more fun than making official announcements.” 

“Alright,” said Kaz. “Well if you’re sure it’ll work, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“How long should we wait before letting this asshole go?” asked Mattias.

“Let’s say...three days, just to be safe.”

“Starting when?”

“Well, if we leave when the rain stops-”

“Hang on,” said Owen. “Why do we have to do that? The trackers aren’t exactly after us anymore. If we stay the night, then the trail won’t be as muddy tomorrow. We’ll make better time. And start fresh.”

“Well,” said Kaz, clearly reluctant.

“Come on, Kaz,” said Owen. “When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep without worrying about them finding you?” he gestured towards the door, hoping that was where the messengers had laid the bodies. Then he waited, not wanting to voice the real reason he didn’t want to continue. Beyond the difficulty of the trail and the need for rest, he was still so shaken by what had happened that he doubted he could focus on the trail.  

“Actually, that’s smart,” said Mattias. “If I leave when the rain stops, I’ll get there well ahead of you, and both news and rumor will have time to spread before you get there. People won’t know what you look like, but they’ll want to keep an eye out for you all the same.” 

Despite his earlier misgivings about the man, Owen forgave him completely in that instant, especially when Kaz said,” Oh, all right. But we leave early in the morning.” 

“Agreed,” said Owen. He heaved a grateful sigh. “Is there any more soup?”

Next Chapter: 27: Kaz - Apologies