by Allan Joyal
I jumped forward. Two of the leader's companions retreated and I was able to reach the floor and take a position behind one of the tables. Holding the spear in my left hand, I flipped the table on its side. Everyone on the ground floor turned to look as it crashed to the floor.
"Steve, Lydia, we'll cover these guys. Everybody, it's time we were leaving," I said. The leader growled and pointed his sword at me, but the upturned table prevented him from charging me. He moved to circle the table and get between the stairs and me, but Steve casually swung the axe as Lydia walked down the stairs aiming the crossbow directly at the leader.
The man retreated. In the corner, the rest of his followers concentrated on saving James. They had a pack out and were pulling bandages out. Steve had just taken a position at the corner of the table when a piece of cloth thrown from the corner hit the leader in the shoulder. He pulled it off and then dropped it in disgust. "Don't throw your bloodstained garbage at me!" he howled, turning to look at the group.
One of the men at the table stepped away and got in the face of the leader. "It's your fault, Roy. You had to try to claim more women! Why? We have enough for now. Now James is hurt and we gained nothing! I noticed you didn't put yourself in danger. Didn't they once call that leading from behind?"
Roy's face grew angrier. The knuckles of the hand gripping the sword turned white. For a moment I thought he would take a swing, but instead he spun away and walked to the wall. There he spun to look at the room. He kept the sword in front of him, but made no moves as my friends moved down the stairs and along the wall towards the kitchen.
Kariy led the group as she had simply jumped down from her perch in front of the railing. The woman paused when she reached Galmin and pulled the knife from the wall, freeing the man. She appeared to whisper something to him, but the man said nothing. When she turned to follow the wall to the exit, he dashed back to the kitchen and closed the door.
"Coward," I heard Hencktor mutter. He was standing next to Lydia with a large knife held in his right hand. They were standing on the bottom step of the stairs.
"Are you hurting, Nat?" I heard voiced behind me. It sounded like Esme, but I was not sure and did not want to turn to look.
"Shut up and help me walk," was the strained response. "It's stiff and a bit uncomfortable, but I have the one good leg. We need to go faster. Everyone else is already heading to the door."
I accepted that as a signal and began sidestepping around the table, following the same path the rest of the group had. Steve held his position, but waved Lydia and Hencktor forward. They dashed behind the table as I got to the edge of the table and stepped out in front of it.
Roy tensed for a brief moment, and I thought he might shout or charge, but he looked past me to Lydia, who was keeping the crossbow trained on him, and he relaxed. I could hear some mutters from the others in the room, but none made a move toward the group as Steve abandoned his guard position and began to circle the table.
An unnatural silence hung over the tavern, as my friends and I made our way to the door. There were a few muttered comments and curses from the corner where the others continued to treat the injury I caused James, but no one spoke. To say the tension was thick would be understating the expressions on everyone's faces as I made my way to the door. Once there, I risked a quick look through it to check for an ambush and then backed out of the tavern.
The light outside was still rather dim. Long shadows were cast by the building. I could still see rather well into the room, and waited at the doorway as Hencktor, Steve, and finally Lydia stepped through. Each one backed through the door before turning and running a short distance away. Once Lydia was gone, I could see Roy step away from the wall and say something to one of the others.
"I've got the door covered," Lydia shouted. "Get moving, Ron!"
I turned to find that my friends had gathered about thirty yards from the door. I shouldered the spear and ran as quickly as I could, listening for any sounds of pursuit. Only silence emerged from the tavern as I caught up to the group. Eddie and William were sitting on the ground, but the others stood, packs on their back. Even Natalie was standing, although she was leaning heavily on one of the poles used to hold the litter from the day before.
"You sure you can walk?" I asked her as I glanced back at the tavern. I could see a shadow in the doorway, but nothing more.
"I can try, and when I'm too tired, I'll crawl. You shouldn't have to carry me," Natalie said.
"Those cuts were deep," Steve said dubiously.
"They are healed enough that I can stand," Natalie said. "Maybe they weren't as deep as you think."
Steve and I exchanged a glance, but Esme was waving frantically from behind Natalie. Her hand flashed across her neck several times, and I thought she was mouthing, "cut it." Deciding that this was no place or time to argue, I pointed to Hencktor.
"Henck, you know the route to Linktrum, or at least I hope you do. Lead us. Steve and I will go last. I don't think anyone will follow, but I can't take a chance on it."
Elizabeth giggled as Henck started forward, followed by the co-eds. "Oh, I don't think Roy or his little minion pack will move quickly. Didn't you notice the bundles by the tavern?"
"What bundles?' I asked as Steve and I started following the rest of the group. Elisabeth fell into step just to my right.
"Ah, you didn't see them," Elizabeth said. "I shouldn't be surprised; you were concentrating on Roy and protecting us. Just outside the tavern door against the wall there were several bundles. They appeared to be metal, and I saw some strange runes on them."
Steve and I glanced at each other. "He must have scavenged the armor from the dwarves!" I snapped.
"So?" Elizabeth said. "Why would that matter? Didn't we scavenge the same battlefield?"
I held the spear out so that Elizabeth could look at it closely. "Do you see any markings that indicate this spear is special in any way?"
She looked at it carefully, even holding it near the blade and pressuring me to spin the shaft. I could see her examining the blade and the strapping carefully. Finally, she released it with a shrug. "No, there is nothing special about the spear. But that doesn't explain why the dwarf armor surprises you."
"It's covered in runes," Steve said. "It might be a lot like the samurai swords that were sometimes captured off Japanese officers in World War Two. The swords were family treasures, and Japanese families sometimes paid very high prices to purchase them back."
"So you are saying that Roy and his friends are rich because they did that?" Elizabeth said.
"Japan lost the war and was never in a position to demand the swords back. I bet that the dwarves will be a little less understanding of the idea of their family armors being common battlefield loot," I said.
Elizabeth looked puzzled. Ahead of us, Hencktor was walking us back down the trail we had used to approach the village the day before. I could hear Heather asking some questions about the area and route as we shuffled along.
"I want to eat," Eddie moaned. "Why can't we eat before moving?"
"You want to end up dead or working for that madman back there?" Steve snapped. "We stop to eat once we are far enough away to be safe."
I was going to add something, but someone appeared at the door to the tavern and began running towards us. A flash of light reflected off a knife in his hand. "Incoming!" I shouted as I swung the spear down into a defensive position.
The group sped up slightly as the man continued to charge at us. He was angrily shouting something, but I was unable to make it out over the noise of shifting packs and running feet. He was about one hundred yards or so away when I heard Lydia's crossbow thrum.
As if a bell had just tolled in the village, the man charging at us stopped and then dropped into a crouch. He was too far away for anyone to see exactly what happened, but his body gave a surprised jerk. Then he turned to look over his shoulder as his left hand reached up to cover his scalp. Whatever he felt had him fall over for a moment. We
continued our retreat, and when I finally risked a glance back the man was rushing back towards the tavern, his left hand on his head.
"I think I scratched him," Lydia said. She was carrying the unloaded crossbow at shoulder arms like a rifle. "Unfortunately, I can't shoot it again for a while."
"Let's worry about that later," I said. I turned away from the tavern and looked ahead at the group.
Hencktor was setting a rather fast pace. He looked to be about fifty yards ahead of Lydia, Steve and I. Heather and Kariy were right behind him. Natalie was struggling to keep up, but the rest of the co-eds were hovering nearby helping her every time she stumbled. Her pale and bandaged legs were clearly visible. I looked over at Lydia.
"Where's Natalie's skirt?" I asked.
"We packed it," Lydia said as we sped up and moved to catch up with the rest of the group. "Esme was a bit worried that the cuts would tear open and wanted to be able to see the bandages and watch for blood. Kariy told us that it would be three days of travel to reach Linktrum, so we decided to risk showing her legs to the world."
Steve laughed as he shouldered the axe. "Makes sense. We shouldn't encounter anyone new today, so there is little chance of any misunderstanding."
Elizabeth snorted. "What, Roy and his band weren't new?"
"After leaving the village," Steve said with aplomb as we caught up with the rest of the group. I risked a final glance behind, but could see no one following us. The sun was just finishing its rise over the mountains, and we set foot back on the road and left behind the first civilization we had encountered on Jord.
Chapter 7 – Back to the Wilderness
Hencktor led the group onward for the next hour. To my surprise, we were retracing our steps from the day before, following the trail we had used to find the village. The pace was quick, and no one seemed to have the energy to speak. At one point Eddie stepped off to the side and stood in front of a large stone, demanding that the group stop.
We ignored his entreaties and continued. Finally, Hencktor stumbled and fell to his knees while navigating a dip in the trail. Lydia ran up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "That's enough," she said quietly. "We need to rest and eat."
Hencktor shook his head, but as he tried to stand he collapsed again. With a groan he rolled over so he was sitting on the ground. "We should keep moving and get away from those others," he muttered.
"I don't think they gave chase," Steve said as he stepped off the trail and sat down under a tree. "I have not heard anything behind us since we rounded the first bend just below the town."
"Roy wouldn't give chase," William said scornfully as he found a spot to sit down. "Not unless he could get all the others to follow him and then charge in."
"You know him?" I asked.
"He's a credit to all lawyers. Shifty, underhanded, double-dealing coward. I'm not surprised he's currently in charge. Just don't expect him to take many risks, and after you wounded two guys while in the inn and Lydia parted the hair of the one who pursued us, he'll be very cautious," William spat.
"Hey! I'm not like that!" Elizabeth shouted, climbing to her feet.
William just looked up at Elizabeth. "Oh, sit back down you feminist harpy. I know you bragged about caring for your clients and doing all you could to help them. You're a bloody corporate takeover lawyer. Most of the time you are involved just with the money and some regulators so no one notices your lovely bedside manner."
"I think that man has been sued a few too many times," Steve said quietly.
William turned his body to glare at Steve, but my friend was now rummaging through a pack. Martha was sitting next to him and rubbing her shoulders. She seemed to be trying to help him find a specific package.
I was taking a moment to scan the trees around the road, looking for movement, when I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. Turning, I found Kariy standing there holding some cheese out to me. I dropped the butt of the spear to the ground and used my free hand to take the cheese.
The slice was a creamy color, but of a rather firm texture. It was slightly wedge shaped and I remembered Smolyth putting several wheels of cheese onto the table the day before. Kariy smiled as I took it and then she reached down to lift up a large slab of dried meat and a canteen.
I took a bite from the cheese and found it sharp and spicy. Unlike our modern cheeses that tend to crumble, this one broke cleanly. The taste was strong, but not overly bitter. I chewed it happily as I accepted the additional offerings from Kariy.
After the first bite, I realized just how hungry and thirsty I was, so the next several minutes were spent eating the small but filling repast Kariy offered. I was licking my fingers to extract the last crumbs of cheese when Martha groaned.
"Those poor women. I can't believe we just left and didn't try to take them with us," she moaned.
Hencktor staggered to his feet. "They could have followed us. We were between them and that man Roy. Not one made a move to leave the wall. I even tried to encourage one to move."
Kariy nodded. "You couldn't have gotten them to move. Not then. They are still too afraid, and yet not afraid enough."
"What the fuck kind of line is that? How can you be both too afraid and not afraid!" William spat. The man was drinking deeply from a canteen. He threw it towards Kariy with another snort of disgust.
I bent down to pick up the canteen and looked around. Hencktor shook his head. "We have another hour of walking before we reach a stream. But we should be fine until then."
I looped the canteen over my shoulder. Kariy stood staring at William. She reached out and gently stroked my arm as she watched him get to his feet. "You understand nothing," she said softly. "I've been where those girls are. Just yesterday, Ron offered me a bit of hope, and I nearly didn't take it. I knew what I had with Galmin. Yes, it was a pitiless and pitiful existence, but I knew what it was. Leaving that terrified me. I knew Galmin wanted me, but I didn't know Ron. Would he be gentle? Or was his plan to get me out of the town and ravish me? It filled me with fear. Then there was the fear I already had. I did fear Galmin's anger. When I was younger he beat me regularly. He was careful to make sure the villagers never saw the bruises, but I learned to fear his strength and his right hand. The women back there are in the same position. They probably are terrified of Roy. Too terrified to attempt to escape when they aren't sure what will happen to them."
"I'd kill myself before allowing that to happen to me," Jennifer said sharply. "I don't mind sex with a willing partner, but to be forced like those women clearly are. Ron, are you sure we can't do something about it?"
I shook my head. "Not against the numbers he has. Every man following him had a weapon. Most were just knives, but you saw his sword. I might be able to hurt one or two, but they would overwhelm Steve and me, and all we'd accomplish is adding you to his harem."
Jennifer looked unhappy, but nodded. "I know. I just hate that those women are in that situation. It's unfair."
"Why would life be fair?" Hencktor asked. "Meanwhile, we should get moving again. We've rested enough."
I nodded and moved back onto the trail. Looking back, I saw the trail curving back up the slope and finally disappearing into the distance. There was no sign of movement. I turned back to find that Hencktor was already heading off, although at a slightly slower pace than before. After a quick scan to ensure everyone was moving, I sped up and started walking at the back of the group.
Heather noticed and drifted back to join me. She was carrying one of the group's two knives. "Lydia went and returned the crossbow to the relaxed setup it was found in. She wanted someone to ask if you had any concerns."
"Not really," I said as I looked over the group. I could see Al carrying the crossbow over his right shoulder. Lydia was assisting Natalie. Natalie was trying to walk with the support of one of the shafts we had used to make a litter. She could take confident steps when her good leg was on the ground, but even leaning on the staff she seemed to skip when her injured leg touched the ground.
I nodded toward her. "How is Natalie? I forgot to ask while we rested."
Heather smiled and wrapped her left arm around my right. "She's doing fairly well. Esme has her drinking plenty of water. She checked the bandages when we stopped and didn't find any sign of bleeding. The leg is weak and doesn't want to bend sometimes, but Natalie can walk. She could probably run if she had to, but you'd have to scare her into it."
"So I don't have to worry about her?"
Heather laughed and gave my arm a gentle squeeze. "Esme is doing plenty of that. She even refused to allow Natalie to carry anything and is carrying extra weight to make up for it. It's driving Natalie a bit crazy."
"That's between them," I said firmly. "At least we seem to be together as a group for the moment. Even Eddie is trying to keep up and staying mostly silent."
I used the spear to point out Eddie, who was walking to the right of Hencktor, but otherwise near the front of the group. Even from a distance, it was clear that the exercise was tiring Eddie, but he was keeping up with the group without complaint. William occasionally cursed out a request to slow, but otherwise the group moved steadily along the trail.
The walk continued until the sun was a handspan or so above the trees. The shadows had shrunk to about half their length and the trail was often bathed in sunlight for stretches. Hencktor slowed the group a bit more. I noticed that he waved Steve forward. The two engaged in a whispered conversation, and then Steve stepped forward as Hencktor stepped off the trail and stopped.
The co-eds paused, but Hencktor waved them on, signaling that they were to follow Steve. Martha and Lydia both stopped to say something, but he merely shook his head and pointed down the trail. Finally, I approached with Heather at my side. He smiled and stepped out to walk on my left side.
"We're almost to the split. Steve says you rested there yesterday," Hencktor said. "I thought it would be a good place to stop and eat."
"More cheese and dried meat," Heather moaned. "I want a pizza."