Eloy's Challenge

by Kara Timmins

  “And the Vaylars never said anything about what they were going to do next?” Eloy asked.

  “No,” Emil said. “I already told you that. I didn’t care to ask. Doesn’t really affect me. Now that they’ve done what they wanted to do, they can go their way, and I can go mine.”

  “Did they ever say anything about Nicanor?” Eloy asked.

  “Not to me,” Emil said, “but I heard them say his name.”

  “And you didn’t think any of this would affect you?”

  “They said they wouldn’t do anything to me, and they didn’t. Turns out they are people of their word.”

  “They left you alive today,” Eloy said, “but you couldn’t really think that their overall plan wouldn’t affect you. These aren’t people who decided to eliminate one of the most powerful forces on a whim. Think about how perfect this is for them. Nicanor and his fighters are on their knees, weakened. All this time we were suffering the battle between the two, but we didn’t realize that the fighting may have been holding off something else. Nicanor and Anso were the affliction. The Vaylars are the deadly disease.”

  “What do you think they’re going to do now?” Goodwin asked.

  “They’re going to take their prize,” Eloy said. “I imagine every place that either Nicanor or Anso reigned over is free for the taking.”

  “What does that mean for us?” Neasa asked.

  Eloy looked at Neasa. “We won’t let them.”

  “We don’t know what we’re up against,” Malatic said. “We hid from four of them; there’s no way we can take on a whole mess.”

  “We’ll have to figure it out,” Eloy said. “We don’t have a choice, but maybe Emil can help us.”

  “Not me,” Emil said.

  “Don’t you want to know what happens when we go to meet them?” Neasa asked. “Aren’t you curious?”

  Emil gave Neasa a sly sideways smirk, telling her he knew what she was trying to do.

  “Hmm,” Emil hummed. “I guess something is bound to happen. Probably to the four of you. All right, I’m in.”

  “Great,” Malatic said through his teeth.

  “What’re we going to do next?” Goodwin asked.

  “I want to get out of here and away from this camp,” Eloy said. “Tonight. Right now. Emil, do you know where they came from? Did you ever follow them when they left after delivering the erum?”

  “I followed them once or twice,” Emil said, “but they always knew I was there. They would look back and motion for me to stop around the same spot every time.”

  “That’s where we’ll go,” Eloy said. “It’s probably not close to where the rest of them are, but it’ll get us in the right direction. Let’s go.”

  “All right,” Emil said, “just let me finish going through Anso’s things. You guys want anything?” Emil swung his legs over to the side of the bed and into a seated position.

  Eloy turned and left Anso’s tent behind him.

  44

  Vaylars.

  The new word rang through Eloy’s head as he walked out of the tent. He heard three sets of familiar steps behind him. Neasa walked close at his back, and having her near helped calm him. He couldn’t understand a man like Emil. Eloy stepped over stiffening bodies. How could this not bother someone?

  Staying composed got harder when they walked through the lower area of the camp. After so many days wandering around, some of the faces were familiar. Eloy hadn’t found kindness in the fighters he had met, but that didn’t make it easier to see their faces without any animation, severed from whatever had given them life.

  Emil jogged up to catch up with them. The things he had taken from Anso’s tent jingled and clanged his approach like the song of a thief. He stopped next to Malatic.

  Neasa moved up next to Eloy. “There’s no way we can trust that man,” she said low enough for only Eloy to hear.

  “That goes without saying,” Eloy said.

  “Then what’re we doing?” Neasa asked. “Isn’t it riskier having him with us than if we go off on our own?”

  “Maybe,” Eloy said, “but he’s the only link between us and the Vaylars. We just have to keep an eye on him.”

  Emil said something to make himself laugh, and he slapped Malatic on the back.

  “Oh,” Neasa said with a sneer. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  They walked well into the night.

  “We should stop here,” Malatic said, dropping his things. “Things aren’t looking as familiar. We should go on in the morning.”

  Eloy knew there was another reason Malatic had stopped. He didn’t want to rely on Emil if they got lost.

  “Here’s fine.” Eloy dropped his bag next to Malatic’s on the flat clearing.

  Neasa stared down Emil. “I’ll be right back.”

  Emil sat down on the ground and watched her disappear into the darkness between the trees.

  “Don’t,” Malatic said.

  “What?” Emil fluttered his eyelashes.

  “I’m not joking,” Malatic said. “Don’t.” His response lacked Emil’s playfulness.

  Goodwin and Eloy had the fire built by the time Neasa returned. See-ing her back in the buttery leather top and pants with the strips of hide up the sides and the soft green fabric undershirt gave Eloy a twinge of happiness he didn’t think he would find after what he had seen that day. She lobbed the ball of clothing in an underhanded arch into the fire. The tattered clothing that once marked her as one of Anso’s fighters made a ribbon of black smoke as it crackled in the flames.

  Malatic, Goodwin, and Eloy didn’t retreat into the forest to take off their guises. Once reminded of their discomfort, they all had theirs off so quickly it almost stifled the fire. For Eloy, slipping his old, familiar cloth pullover top and wool pants over his skin felt like a part of him got to go home, a relief he didn’t realize how much he needed until he had changed.

  “You all go to sleep,” Eloy said. “I’ll take first watch.”

  “We’re keeping watch, eh?” Emil said. “Which shift would you like me to take?” Emil raised an eyebrow.

  “You should celebrate your job well done today with a full night of sleep,” Eloy said. “We wouldn’t want to deprive you of that.”

  “Suit yourself.” Emil walked to the edge of the ring from the firelight to make his bed for the night.

  “Are you sure?” Neasa asked.

  “I’m fine,” Eloy said. “Get some rest.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Wake me when you want to sleep.”

  “I will,” Eloy said. “I promise. Sleep well.” Eloy gave her a sad and tired smile, which she returned.

  Eloy listened for the sounds he knew meant that his companions were asleep. Neasa huffed in soft, deep sighs, Goodwin made a noise like a shutter clacking open and closed at the back of his throat, and Malatic grunted like an elk. The new sound, the one unfamiliar to Eloy, was by far the loudest. Emil snored like a growl from the dark.

  Of all the things that had happened, of all the people who didn’t make it through the day, Eloy felt a wave of gratitude that they had all made it out of the camp alive. Seeing Neasa, Goodwin, and Malatic around him as they were before they got to the camp felt like a gift.

  Eloy was starting to settle into the symphony of their sounds when Malatic sat up with a jolt. He looked around the campsite before settling his eyes on Eloy.

  “I felt like I was falling,” Malatic said, his voice only half awake.

  Eloy nodded and watched as Malatic blinked away the dwindling trace of sleep.

  “I don’t know why I thought I would be able to sleep tonight anyway.” Malatic got up and sat next to Eloy.

  “Yeah,” Eloy said. “I don’t think I can. I’m not sure I want to.”

  “I swear these things didn’t bother me this much when I was younger,” M
alatic said.

  “Seeing a large amount of people killed didn’t used to bother you?”

  “Not if they were my enemies. I would rather watch a hundred die than get so much as a cut. I kind of miss the easiness of it.”

  “It makes sense,” Eloy said. “Why you would miss it, I mean. It’s easier that way, but maybe it shouldn’t be.”

  “You’re right.” Malatic looked at Neasa before looking to the darkness where Emil slept. “He’s still that way. He’s a very dangerous person.”

  “He made that pretty clear,” Eloy said.

  “No. I don’t think he did. You may get that he’s a guy you wouldn’t trust with your back, but you won’t know how dangerous he is unless you see him fight. He was one of Anso’s top fighters, the best. He would cut apart whole families, even ones who had alliances with Anso, just because he didn’t have anything else to do. I don’t know how much of that is still in him. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, but I can’t imagine something like that goes away. I may be different than I used to be, but I was never like him.”

  “Should we break off from him now? If you think it’s better to go on without him . . . ”

  “I don’t know.” Malatic brought his legs up in front of him and rested his arms over his knees. “He seems pretty satisfied after what happened today. There’s a ramp up to his madness, so you’ll be able to tell when something’s coming on. He wasn’t one for random outbursts, more like a slow-building pressure. It won’t take long before we don’t need him. We’ll figure out what to do after he shows us where to go.”

  “We’re going to need help with the Vaylars. We were acting on a foolish errand when the four of us went to take on Anso. Doing the same against a group of fighters we don’t know anything about seems to be the sign of a soft brain.”

  “What do you think we should do?” Malatic asked.

  “Go out and find people who can pick up their weapons and help us.”

  “Who? Who’s left? That’s the whole idea, right? There isn’t anyone here to stop them.”

  “There are people out there who work long and hard days who have the strength. There might be people out there who can raise a weapon for their own protection who weren’t willing to do it for either Anso or Nicanor. I know they’re out there. I’ve met them.”

  “Maybe.” Malatic looked into the dwindling fire and scratched at the thick scruff on his face. “If what Emil said is true, these people aren’t going to be able to match the skill of these Vaylars. We would be asking them to die.”

  “I’m hoping it won’t come to that,” Eloy said. “We can help them with a few techniques that can hopefully help them stay alive. Maybe I can keep us from having to fight. If we make it look like there are more fighters here than they thought, ones they didn’t prepare for, that might be enough to make them turn around.”

  “We’ve been through a lot together,” Malatic said, “and I like you more than most people I’ve traveled with, so I am going to give you the courtesy of blunt honesty. You’ve been lucky so far. This plan won’t work in your favor. Anyone who’s willing to think of and execute a plan like the one we just witnessed isn’t going to turn around because they see some traders and farmers with swords. I don’t know who these Vaylars are, but I can tell you with certainty they’ll be able to tell the difference, and they’ll blow right through us.”

  “You’re right, but don’t you think the people who’ll suffer when the Vaylars come have the right to know so they can try to do something about it? Who are we to decide for them?”

  “I guess there’s just as much of a risk of them dying in their homes as there is if they meet the Vaylars head on. I wish we had a better plan. This isn’t much, and I don’t think it’ll work.” Malatic poked at the fire with a stick.

  “Maybe not,” Eloy said, “but maybe we can think of something better in the meantime.”

  “What do we do tomorrow?”

  “Can you go to the surrounding towns and gather those who would be willing to come and fight?” Eloy asked.

  “There aren’t many towns close to Anso’s camp. You saw that when we made our way here. It’ll take me days to get to the closest ones. What would I say?”

  “Tell them what’s coming. Tell them Anso is dead.”

  “No one will believe that. I don’t even believe it, and I was there.”

  “We’ll check with Emil in the morning. He might have something he took that will prove it’s true.”

  “Should I go alone?” Malatic looked at Neasa.

  “I think you should take Goodwin. He doesn’t have enough mistrust of Emil, and I don’t want Emil to take advantage of it.”

  “You want me to leave just the two of you with him?” Malatic said, his voice rising.

  “Keeping with blunt honesty,” Eloy said, “I think you’re forgetting how capable she is of taking care of herself. She doesn’t need you here to protect her, and I imagine she knew the color of Emil’s character before he even opened his mouth.”

  “I don’t like it,” Malatic said, now looking at the fire like he hated it.

  “I don’t like it either, but we can’t all go back to collect people. How long will it take?”

  “A couple days, probably,” Malatic said.

  “Let’s hope the Vaylars take longer than that to come and claim their rewards. Will you go?”

  “I’ll go,” Malatic said, “but I can’t promise I’ll be able to get very many people to come back with me.”

  “I think you underestimate how persuasive you can be,” Eloy said.

  “If it wasn’t so cold out, I would blush.”

  “There will be people who come. I know it. They have to.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Malatic looked back at Neasa and sighed. “I’m going to try to go back to sleep. Apparently, I have a long trip ahead of me in the morning. You sure you’re okay staying up? You look pretty rough.”

  “I’m sure. You go get that beauty sleep.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Malatic got up and walked back to his bed.

  Eloy put more wood on the fire and heard the rumble that meant Malatic had found sleep again. Eloy listened for the rattling that came from Emil to make sure he was genuinely asleep and not feigning for the sake of eavesdropping or some other, more insidious, reason. Eloy listened until he was convinced that no man could maintain such a grind to the nasal passages consciously. When he was sure, he reached up to his neck and pulled the stone out from under his shirt.

  He rested the stone on top of his bent knee and rotated it back and forth so that the ember light shone on its surface. He felt the warmth that went through his pant leg and touched the skin of his kneecap. A sense of guilt snagged in his chest like a hook as he looked at the object, as if he had neglected something precious. But he hadn’t neglected it. Even if he hadn’t looked at it, the stone was at the heart of everything he did.

  This small thing was the reason he was sitting at the precipice of defeat, looking down at the scrambling horde of the unknown that bore down on him with death on their breath. The stone was what guided him like a child by the hand through the life he lived. The realization caused heat to bloom in his cheeks and neck. He welcomed the anger, a pressure release from the emotions that were churning inside him, but the feeling rushed away just as quickly as it had come. He wasn’t where he wanted to be, but he knew he was where he was supposed to be.

  He felt tired, a deep tired—the kind of fatigue he had seen in men much older than he was. After everything that had happened at Anso’s camp, looking at the stone made him feel better. He needed to know the promise was still there, pressing against him, the physical confirmation that his effort would mean something in the end, that there would be a time for rest.

  Emil snorted louder than he had been snoring, a noteworthy feat, and rolled onto his back. Eloy tuc
ked the stone back under his shirt. Even though Emil didn’t wake up, Eloy didn’t take the stone back out again. Having looked at it gave him a sense of closeness to Amicus that hung around like a perfume. Eloy had a silent hope that the feeling was a part of his intuition, perhaps even a magic of his own, that meant he was doing the right thing and making the right choices. He looked again at his three sleeping companions and hoped that he was doing the best thing for them and the many others in the lands behind him too.

  45

  Neasa woke up just before the morning sun, and she sat with Eloy against the base of a tree as they watched the new day take shape. The forest looked similar to the one next to Anso’s camp. The fallen leaves had the same muted colors of light greens and grays, the trees still had the same smooth bark covering trunks the width you could wrap your arms around, and the mountain still rose sharp and jagged on their right, but this part of the forest was different. The absence of abandoned campsites and mounds of the dead made it like a new world.

  As Goodwin, Malatic, and Emil slept in front of them, Eloy told Neasa about the plans he and Malatic had made the night before. She stared at him for a long time, seemingly without blinking, until she stood up and went off into the trees without a word. He knew she wouldn’t like the idea, but her reaction was more than he had prepared himself for.

  He didn’t follow her.

  Malatic woke not long after and noticed she wasn’t in the camp.

  “Did you tell her?” Malatic asked.

  “I told her,” Eloy said.

  “How did she take it?”

  “Not well.”

  Eloy shook his head at Malatic’s unabashed smile. All traces of merriment fled from Malatic when he heard Emil groan through a stretch.

  “What’re we eating?” Emil asked.

  “You’re eating whatever you can find,” Malatic said. “Food service was a luxury you gave up when you helped a band of faceless spear-wielders kill all of your people.”