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“So you’ve heard, have you?” Trystan asked hoarsely. “How?”
Thornden watched him warily a moment. He didn’t answer at once. He took a couple careful steps forward and bent quickly to the pick up the knife the young man had drawn, and then he retreated again. He gave himself time to study Trystan carefully and thoroughly. He didn’t understand.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Thornden finally said, in the calmest and quietest voice he could manage. Trystan was like a horse, frightened and dangerous, apparently calm and in control one moment, and snapping his teeth and rearing the next. “There’s been no crime or death. And I’m not trying to threaten you.” He glance down at the blade in his hand. “I can’t say, though, that I’m too fond of being threatened myself. What is it you’re hiding? Have you done something?”
“No!”
“Then what are you afraid of?” Thornden shot back at once. “Trystan, for heaven’s sake, I haven’t accused you of a single thing! You assume that what I ask is for your ruin, and I don’t have any such thing in mind. You keep talking as though I’m trying to prove something on you that isn’t true! There are two possibilities that might explain for your behavior – you have done something wrong and haven’t been found out yet, but think you might be on the verge of being discovered, or – you haven’t done anything wrong and someone who has the ability to get you into trouble says you have. For my part, I’d like to believe that you haven’t done any wrong, but from the way you’re acting, goodness knows!”
Trystan said nothing. He didn’t even look Thornden full in the face. His expression was hard and closed. His fake self had come back into place. But Thornden wasn’t fooled. Only annoyed.
“Speak to me!” he said sternly. “I can’t help you if you don’t say anything but lies. No one can.” Still the boy was silent. Thornden stood silently for a moment. The muscles in his jaw worked in and out. He looked again at the knife in his hand. Then he sighed a very deep sigh and looked back at Trystan. When he spoke again, his voice sounded tired. “We need to go back. You will come with me. I have to tell Eodwine and Saeryn what has passed here.”
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