I waved to them, and immediately several of them ran over to meet us. They were friendly and eager to introduce themselves. Once they'd gotten our names and I learned a few of theirs—more people introduced themselves to me than my memory for names could handle—they led us back through the trees the trees where they'd been hiding. A minute later, we arrived at their village, which was well-hidden behind a thick cover of trees overgrown with vines. Anyone looking from the outside—from the direction we approached—would have no idea the other side was home to numerous small huts and gardens, and myriad other small constructions.
We were surrounded as we came into the center of the village. They gave us food to eat and handed each of us a water skin to quench our thirst. I took a bite of some meat on a stick a boy handed me. After Alara and Galim dismounted, Pudding was shown a trough and a concave rock basin filled with water, which bubbled up into it from a hole in the middle of the stone.
After the excitement of our arrival faded, we were shown to a couple of huts and told we could use them to rest. I tied Pudding to a tree just outside one. I looked inside and saw only two small cots, which worked against my plan to have Alara, Nithia, and Tara spend the evening with me. I wanted to make sure we could keep an eye on each other, even though the Balinites hadn't been anything but friendly. But Nithia said she and Tara would take the hut next door, leaving Alara and me together. Though we all needed rest, I tried to determine at a glance if the two cots would sit flush beside each other, to make a proper bed. I felt disappointed when I realized they probably wouldn't accommodate both of us together.
We ate a full meal a while later, as we sat with a smaller group of the Balinites—their leaders. Galim was one of them, and his son joined us too. They prepared a table for us below candle-lit lanterns, which hung from the branches of the trees around us. We learned they'd been a nomadic people, but settled into the semi-nomadic life they now lived, when Ruja Kurg and men before him but like him, sent from across the sea, made roaming the land more dangerous. After they'd finished telling us some of what their people had been through and we'd expressed our genuine sympathies to them, Nithia and Tara excused themselves to retire to their hut. I wondered if it was the tales of suffering which had gotten to them, or more the fatigue from our journey.
After they left us, I shared the news of Ruja's death with the Balinites. They were surprised but relieved at the news. They thanked us for ridding the world of him but said more would come to take his place until such time as the darkness across the sea was conquered. I knew they had to be talking about Thautus Kurg. I glanced to Alara and slightly shook my head, signaling to her I didn't want to share my destiny with the Balinites.
"You know of the Dark One?" one of the elders asked me.
He must have noticed my insufficiently discreet signal to Alara, I thought.
I made a snap decision to go ahead and hear if he had anything useful to tell me about Kurg. Plus, I didn't want to lie to the guy, especially after they rolled out the red carpet for us. "Haven't met the guy, but…"
"But you know he is the scourge of Galderia?" the man said.
"That's what I've heard." I glanced to Alara. She raised widened her eyes and tilted her head a little, as if to say you brought it up.
The man looked down. "If only someone could stop him."
The Balinite woman next to him put her hand over his.
I looked to Alara again. I could hear the pain in the man's voice. It sounded like he knew firsthand what Kurg could do, maybe through some of his minions, like Ruja. I was struck by the way the woman looked at the man, with such sorrow and sympathy. I couldn't bring myself to ask for the details, though.
"I'm going to take him down," I said.
All the Balinites looked at me in astonishment.
I didn't fully believe what I'd just said, but it felt right. "It's my destiny…to kill…or die trying."
The Balinite woman who'd comforted the elder turned to Alara. "Is this true?"
Alara nodded. "It is. He is the Guardian of Carnera."
A few of them whispered to one another, then one spoke up. "The prophecy?"
Alara reached behind her and retrieved her staff, which she'd leaned against a tree. She stood and held it before them. "I am the Priestess of the Order. Den has answered our call. That is why he is here on Galderia."
So much for casual dinner conversation.
One of the Balinites stood and walked over to me. "Stand up," he said. I obliged him, and he studied my face, moving his head from one side to the other. Then he stepped back. "Maybe," he said.
I chuckled, but quickly stopped myself. "Well, I hope I have a better chance than that."
"This is not a joking matter," the elder Balinite said, putting his arm up to wave back the woman beside him, who was reaching for him.
"You're right," I said. "It's not. It's deadly serious." I glanced to Alara, then looked at the man again. "I didn't choose this destiny, but it is mine. Slowly, I've come to accept it, though I'd give it to another more worthy man if I could."
The elder Balinite nodded. "Good. Yes. You understand. But you must prepare yourself." He glanced to my side. "I see you have a sword, and you are clearly strong." He looked to Alara. "And you have friends who will stand by your side."
I looked at her too. "I'm very lucky."
"But you must be more than lucky," he said, "or strong. You will need great skill." He looked at my sheathed sword. "You know how to use that?"
I touched the pommel. "I've done alright so far."
"Hmm." He stared at me for a moment. "You must find a great warrior. Someone you cannot easily defeat. And you must train together."
Not the worst advice, I thought, though I wasn't a complete noob to fighting anymore.
Several of the other Balinites nodded and voiced their agreement.
Galim lifted his glass toward me, claiming the table's attention. "In Yedia. They have great warriors there. Fierce."
The woman beside him shook her head. "They don't take to strangers there. That's a dangerous place to go." She turned to Galim. "Don't you think?"
"But that's exactly where they are headed," he said.
"Oh." She looked up at me. "I didn't know. But I guess you already knew then."
No.
"We have business there," I said, not wanting to get into our scavenger hunt rescues.
The standing Balinites sat down again, and so did Alara and I.
The elder looked to me once more, holding his glass up. "Hone your skills while your there. They are among the greatest warriors in Galderia."
I nodded to him. "Thank you for your advice. I will."
"So," Alara said. "Tell us more about your people."
Thank you. I was glad she changed the subject.
The mood lightened as they took turns offering up portions of their history and customs, and where they'd lived before settling where we now were.
After hearing more about their people, I asked them what they knew about the tower. Galim said it had only recently appeared.
"So, it was just built?" I said.
"No," he said. "I mean it appeared. I've traveled near there many times over the past several moons. It wasn't there. No one built it. It just appeared."
Alara turned to me. "He just brought it there. Like that."
If he can do that, I thought, he can move it again. And they found Victoria. They'll find the woman in Yedia.
"We need to get to Yedia," I said to her.
"My son will take you to Hyrin," Galim said. "You can leave at dawn." He looked up. The night sky was filled with stars. There was still no sign of the coming daylight. "Not long now. You should rest. We can give you enough food and water for the trip."
Horses?
"It's a day and a half on foot," he said, answering my question.
I extended my hand to him. He looked at it, apparently confused.
"My people clasp hands to show respect." He took my hand and I gave his a li
ttle shake. "And friendship," I said.
"I owe you at least that," he said. "Our people are your people, should you ever need us again."
We finished our drinks over another minute of casual conversation and then retired to our huts, whereupon Alara promptly fell asleep on one of the cots before I had a chance to move it over next to the other. I took another glance outside to see that Pudding was still secured to the tree, then I got onto my cot and went to sleep.
Chapter 23
Morning came way too early for me. By the time I awoke, Alara, Nithia, and Tara were outside with supplies from the Balinites loaded on Pudding's back. As I stood in the doorway rubbing the sleepy from my eyes, Tara checked the straps tying everything in place on my horse. Nithia and Alara were talking with one of the Balinite women but finished their conversation when they saw me. They hugged one another before meeting me halfway over to them.
"Glad you decided to get out of bed," Tara said.
"Forgot to set my alarm." I rubbed my palm down across my face to bring myself to life a little more.
Alara and Tara glanced to each other and shared a smirk. They'd gotten used to me saying what they thought were weird things.
Behind them, Gulny stood close to Pudding. The young Balinite looked eager to be our guide. He'd thanked us several times on the journey from the tower, and I think he relished the opportunity to repay us in some small way.
With most of the Balinites gathered to see us off, we followed Gulny out of their hidden village, going deeper into the forest. Once we'd left the other Balinites behind, he assured us there was little chance of danger on the way to Hyrin.
"How do you know?" Tara asked. I knew going deeper into the woods must have brought to mind the first time we encountered the giant spiders.
Gulny glanced to each of us as if he was about to let us in on some mischievous secret. "I've been there many times."
I didn't understand why he seemed to think this was a tantalizing detail. His father sent him with us to show us the way, I thought. Clearly, he knew his son had been to Hyrin.
"That's good," Tara said, looking off to one side, into the thick forest. "I wouldn't want to get lost out here."
Nithia was walking between me and Gulny. "What do you do in Hyrin?"
He grinned, then ran his gaze up and down Nithia.
"Oh," she said.
I laughed. No wonder he wants to take us.
His libidinous pursuits served us well. The walk was tiresome, but the next day, before the sun had reached its zenith, we arrived in Hyrin.
We'd climbed in altitude considerably since leaving the Balinite village. Hyrin was situated at the base of a mountain. The forest had thinned as we neared the town, and the oaks and maples—those sort of trees—had all but disappeared. Pines and spruce surrounded the town, but in small clusters. Most of the landscape was an even mix of grasses, rock, and dirt.
"Oh, thank you!" Alara said, her arms wrapped in front of her against her body. "It's gotten colder. Tell me we're heading indoors soon."
I felt chilly, but my clothes and heavy cloak made it tolerable. The girls had on theirs too, but we'd been walking a long time. I knew running low on energy could make it harder to stay warm. I worried Alara might be getting unusually drained, like before.
Surely Ms. Thompson couldn't be responsible for that, especially so far away.
I dismissed the notion, remembering Alara had told me before we ever got near the tower that it had to do with our connection from the summoning.
I looked at her. She walked with her shoulders curled inward and her head down a little. I could see from her steps, she was running on fumes.
She needs me.
"I'll take you to the town hall," Gulny said. "Best place to meet a merchant for the trip to Yedia."
"Yes," I said. "That's sounds good." I hoped there'd be some food and drink there too, maybe something to warm all of us up, especially Alara.
The clearing we'd come to as we left the woods stretched out before us, eventually turning into the town's central intersection. The ground had been worn into clearly defined paths of an intersection. Single story wooden buildings lined the roads—the paths were wide enough to be considered such.
A few people ambled about outside, but paid us no attention. Smoke rising from small clay chimneys on most of the buildings eased my concern for Alara. We'd be inside the town hall soon, no doubt enjoying the warmth of its fire.
In the distance, beyond the main part of town, modest thatched-roof houses dotted the ascending slope of the mountain. I could see livestock of some kind near the homes. Goats, I thought, though they were too distant to be sure.
"It's this way." Gulny took us down a path which much further comforted me, as I smelled the aroma of meat over a flame and a honey-scented sweetness riding the breeze. He waved at a man sitting on a stump outside one of the buildings, but all Gulny got in return was a tilted glance. The man sniffed whatever was in the steaming mug he held, then took a slow sip and watched us as we passed.
Shortly after, as we continued up the road, I heard faint music. I thought of Jan's tavern and Cormac's inn and wondered what such a place in Hyrin would be like.
"You hear that?" Nithia said. She smiled, and I noticed her walk becoming more energetic.
"That's the place," Gulny said.
Half a minute later, I tied Pudding to a post under a covered area beside the town hall. She immediately began eating from a pile of hay beside her.
"She'll be fine there," Gulny said.
I gave Pudding a pat on her neck, then stepped out from the horse parking area and joined the others, who were waiting for me in front of the entrance.
"This is it," Gulny said, gesturing to the door.
"You're not going in with us?" Alara asked.
"No." He grinned and tipped his head toward the buildings farther down the road. "There's a place down there I prefer."
"Right," I said. "Well, thanks again for getting us here."
He cleared the grin from his face and extended his hand to me, evidently remembering what he'd seen me do with his father. "Thanks for helping me save my father." He glanced to Alara, Nithia, and Tara too. "All of you."
I shook his hand. "You're welcome, Gulny."
He nodded to me and smiled at Alara while taking a few long steps backward then turning and jogging down the road toward his evening of debauchery.
"Hey, kid," I said, though he surely was really a young man, just still with a boyish face and a gangly body.
He stopped and looked back.
I glanced to my women, then turned back to him. "You treat them right. Okay?"
He nodded and started back peddling again. "I always do!" Then he swung around and made his way down the road.
When I faced Alara, Nithia, and Tara again Alara and Nithia were rolling their eyes at me, but I could tell by their smirks it was in good fun.
I tipped an imaginary hat and slightly bowed toward the door. "Ladies." Then a slid sideways, pretending to be Fred Astaire and grabbed the door handle. "After you." I opened the door and they walked by—one more eye roll, a wink, and Tara paused as she passed, planting a kiss on my cheek before going inside.
I followed her, slapping her ass as I shut the door behind me. The smack sounded louder than I expected. She jolted forward slightly, bumping into Nithia. I hoped I hadn't put too much into it.
"Hey," Nithia said after Tara collided with her.
Tara looked back over her shoulder at me. "You want to do that again?"
Yes, please.
"Just say when," I said.
She glanced around the room as we all moved in, away from the door. A moment later she leaned back and said, "Maybe a little music and a drink first, then I'm yours."
Ten tables were spread out across the room, half of them in the lower area, two steps down from the perimeter area. The bar, as usual, was at the far side of the room. The place was packed and lively. The musicians I'd heard from outside
were set up on a small stage on the right side of the room. A scruffy older man played a pan pipe. A heavyset much younger man was blowing across the tops of several bottles, taking sips from one of them when the tune didn't call for his contribution. And an Ella Fitzgerald look-alike belted out some sort of Galderian jazz. She seemed to be riffing, mixing words in with an intoxicating dance of nonsense sounds. I loved it, but it was loud.
A young boy walked up to us. "Need a table?"
"Yes, please," Nithia said.
"I've got just the one for you," he said. "It's one of our best." He walked us toward the stage, waving his arm over his head for us to follow him. "You can hear the music better over here."
"You can hear it pretty good anywhere in the room," I said under my breath.
Alara elbowed me in my ribs. "Be nice."
I made a quick study of several of the faces as the boy took us across the room. Past experience taught me to be on the lookout for who might be trouble. Everyone appeared to be having a good time, and though the room had a lot of energy, nothing I saw or heard raised the hairs on my neck. I didn't entirely let my guard down, but the more I looked around the more I began to relax.
We took our seats. The boy was right. You could hear the music much better where he'd put us. I could feel and smell the heavyset man's breath each time he blew across the top of one of his bottles to make a tone. Alara, Nithia, and Tara weren't quite as lucky as me—my chair actually touched the side of the stage.
The one good thing about where we sat was that I could lay Alara's staff down on the floor behind my chair, up against the side of the stage. I knew it would be safe there and out of everyone's way, which is what I told her when I asked her to hand it to me. I did the same with Tara's bow. She kept her quiver slung across her back, but pushed it to one side before leaning back against her chair.
Swing and Thrust: A Harem Fantasy (Sword and Sorority Book 2) Page 17