Tegwaret laid the knife down, sitting back and picking a piece of meat off the roast. "I just don't want to worry you, that's all. You see..."
Biting a bit off his portion, he chewed for a moment, putting the events in order. Swallowing, he continued, "This older man, Estroir, his child was killed, a young one. Someone had kidnapped him from the house one night, most likely a case for ransom, we never found out. Two days later, the child's body was found in a river outside of town. Throat slashed from ear to ear. So...of course, they hired a Rancelman to find the murderer. They hired me, and I hunted for him. For two months, I tracked this man down, leaving small fires everywhere as I searched for him. I think he was a minor reader or something, it was difficult, and he kept moving. Well...I eventually found him, a dark, evil man, wily...and he wasn't coming in without a fight. But...I backed him up to a cliff...and he ran right off the cliff. Insane. I don't know."
Tegwaret paused, taking another bite. "And so I brought the body back with me...but...Estroir wanted him alive and I...I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't bring him back to life. It was sick, Leland." Tegwaret's actions grew a little more frantic, anxious. "He wanted to torture the man, he wanted him alive just to slowly kill him. It's sick. But I wouldn't do it. You die, you're dead, that's how it is. And it was an accident, I didn't think the man would run right off a cliff. So, Estroir gathered all of his money and ordered my death. He claimed I killed the man unjustly and...well, that doesn't matter, some Rancelmen will work without morals. Some."