by Guy Antibes
“Morning, everyone.” Delia came in singing. “How nice to sleep in a bed for a change. Wonderful, wonderful. “ She looked at Fenning and then at Norra. “What’s the matter with him?”
Norra couldn’t stop her smile. “It seems that Gristan’s penchant for ale has returned and for some strange reason that bothers Fenning.”
Delia gave her a lost look as Gristan and Norra laughed.
“It’s not that, Delia. I hate mush.” Fenning still frowned at his mug of ale, idly ate another spoonful of the horrid stuff.
~
They bumped and shook their way over rough road surfaces soon after leaving the border. Norra enjoyed the patterns bare branches made on the ground. She smelled the fresh cool air of the end of winter and felt a tiny thrill of the coming of spring when two robed figures stopped them, standing in the middle of the road. The hems of their dark blue robes were rimmed with mud. One wore a puffy beret and the other a soft rimless conical hat.
“Halt. Are you Fenning?” one of the men asked the little wizard.
“And if I am?” He laid his hand on Norra’s knee.
“Then you are ours to take. We’ve been waiting along this road, hoping you came this way. Ventor’s body has been found and you were his servant. This must be his cart. The conclusions are obvious.”
“Apprentice,” Fenning said and then realized his comment claimed him to be the one they looked for. He sighed. “Master Ventor tried to kidnap these two women and died in the attempt.” He made no mention that he had killed Ventor.
Delia raised her head from the back and looked at the two men, her hair disheveled from sleep. She ducked back down and began to use her brush.
“Is this true?” the wizard with the beret turned to Norra.
“Indeed it is and we set out to flee from men such as you.”
The wizard blanched at the insult. “You are Norra of Bordon Forest?”
Norra lifted her chin. “I am.” She would put on a brave front, but if she stood, her knees would be shaking. How could they know? “Please leave us alone!”
“We’ve been to your house and your parents are upset with you.” They turned to look at Fenning. “Even if you killed Ventor in self-defense, it goes ill with you among the wizards and mages. There’s a bounty put out for Ventor’s killer by his brother, the Mage of Tower Rosrem”
“You people don’t rule in Polda. How did you find us, anyway?” Norra searched her mind for a spell should things turn ugly, but all of them were gone. Her mind was a blank. “And what if I killed Ventor since he tried to kidnap me?”
“Ah. There are a lot of us throughout Polda looking for Fenning and finding you is a bit of luck, if you’re the killer. Besides, I can see your wizard… no,” the wizard’s eyes grew wide, “your mage light. You are some powerful woman.” The man actually leered at Norra, which shocked her to no end. “If you come with us quietly, nothing may happen to you.”
His partner giggled. “Then again, perhaps something will.”
His words sent a chill down Norra’s back. She could feel her body stiffen in fear and she doubted if she could move a muscle.
Fenning whispered a three-word spell into her ear. Norra grasped the desperate nature of their situation and found the energy to act. As the wizards on horseback raised their hands, Fenning and Norra cast their own spells at the two men. Magic pulled them off of their horses and threw them to Norra’s right. They kept sliding along the ground until both slammed into trees in their path.
Norra felt awful and gasped. “How could I have done that?” She jumped from the cart and ran to the two men. Both were dead. “We can’t leave them here!”
“No, we’ll take them back into the woods a bit more and bury them.” Fenning grimly took the first and started dragging. Norra took the other and followed Fenning . He moved the earth magically and buried the wizards, while Delia ducked down again and hid in the back of the cart, visibly upset by the experience.
“And their horses?” Norra couldn’t bear to leave them to roam in the woods.
“We’ll tie them to the back and take them with us. We can sell them or give them away. I don’t care.” Fenning raised his hands in exasperation. “You decide.”
Norra put her hand on Fenning’s upper arm, which immediately calmed him. “I’m not the leader here. You are. Whatever you decide.” Despite the terror she felt, Norra kissed his cheek and grabbed the horses’ reins.
Soon they were on their way. Both horses could detect Gristan when he went back to look at the steeds. Their eyes rolled with fear and their hooves stomped the ground. However, Gristan just shrugged his shoulders.
“Be careful around the horses, Gristan,” Norra said, and then she realized that the horses’ stomping wasn’t a danger to the ghost.
“Not much here, I’m afraid. I was a rather good judge of horseflesh back in the day.” He paused then gave a little laugh. “Way back in the day. Way, way back. Perhaps I’ll ride closer to the front.”
Fenning leaned over to Norra as they got underway. “Thank you for helping me back there. I couldn’t take them all on my own.” Fenning looked tired.
“Did that wear you out?”
He nodded and took the reins back from Norra. “It did. Aren’t you worn out?” He shook the reins to make their carthorse go a little faster. Norra nodded because he expected her to be tired. As she thought more about it, Norra did feel a bit tired, but not as worn out as Fenning. He really did look as if he used up most of his energy. She looked back at the horses and then at the trees as they retreated from them. None had dared go through any of their saddlebags. She didn’t want to feel like a robber, but she had just killed a man.
“If wizards are looking for a cart, maybe we’ll buy a larger wagon or even a carriage for two horses. Then we’ll have a spare,” Fenning said.
Norra couldn’t catch her breath. She waved her hand in front of her flushed face.
“Are you in distress, my dear?” Gristan said in her ear.
“I do believe I am. What did I just do?” She felt the heat of her emotions flow from her stomach to her forehead. Tears welled up. “I killed a man—perhaps two men. Now they share an unmarked forest grave. What kind of a monster have I become?” She put her hands to her face.
“Not one at all. You had to act to save the lives of Fenning and Delia. Perhaps your life and your virtue dropped into the bargain. As for me? I’m already dead.” A few tears dropped to her cheeks. “I’d present you with a handkerchief if I could. Ah, that got a ghost of a smile.”
Norra gave him a weary laugh. “I do appreciate your efforts to comfort me, but I still feel awful.”
“I’ve killed a few men in duels in my time, but this was no duel. Feel awful, but you must temper that with the understanding that true self-defense is not a party. When a person wants you dead, your killing of them may be justified. Today’s encounter certainly met that test, my dear.”
Norra felt the barest brush across her cheek, like the faintest puff of wind. She put her hand to her face. “You just touched me.”
“Indeed I did, Norra. You need comfort and I doubt Fenning would accept it.”
She looked over at Fenning driving the cart with a determined look on his face. She could see the wheels turning around in his head. Norra wouldn’t be surprised if the two men’s deaths, and perhaps even his Master’s, bothered him every bit as much as they did her.
“Perhaps Fenning’s dealing with the encounter in his own way. He’s thinking about Ventor and those two men together. Antagonists. He has no love for them.” Gristan said.
“But I…” Norra said.
“But you don’t really think of those men in the same terms. He looks at the threat to him. You look at them as people. You might try at least mixing the two up a bit.”
Norra clutched her hands, put them in her lap and paused. “I should.” She insisted that they had as much a right to life as she did, but admitted that she didn’t know how to think about them as enem
ies.
“Perhaps they are the only ones with the knowledge of your name and where your parents live.” Gristan still spoke quietly into her ear. “Perhaps you have saved lives by taking two who wished you ill.”
“I don’t know.” Norra could only feel confusion, but thoughts of her parents at the hands of those magical ruffians got her to wondering if they were all right. “I’m going to tuck my thoughts back into my head for awhile. You make some good points, however, that won’t make them alive again.”
“No. What’s done is done. Perhaps you should look to the future, for we all follow your lead, no matter what you think.” Gristan paused for a second. “I’ve said enough.”
Norra felt the lack of his presence close by. Now what? Would she risk asking Fenning to turn around? But the wizard said teams of wizards were out looking for Fenning. She looked at him and wondered how she could save him. The ruby was still safely in her doll. They still needed to go towards danger in order to eliminate it.
“Forward to Magia,” she said aloud.
Her words broke Fenning out of his own reverie and he looked at her. “Of course, that’s where we’re headed.”
She nodded, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him shaking his head, just like she remembered her mother doing. Exasperated. Forward, onward, whatever. Then it dawned on her how stupid she must look, talking to no one. Telling Fenning to go forward when he was going forward. Look to the future, Gristan said. Maybe the time to start was now. Norra smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she found it a bit easier to tuck the ugly clash with the wizards behind her.
~
Namen
More traces of magical power prompted Namen to pull up. Bloggo, trailing by some hundred paces, slowed, yelled and came to a stop.
The mage turned around, rode to his brother’s side, and dismounted. He closed his eyes and looked off into the woods.
“Drag marks,” Bloggo said.
Namen gave his servant a withering stare. “You saw me look into the woods in that direction.”
“I did. That’s why I spotted the drag marks.” Bloggo gave Namen one of his little smiles of triumph. Sibling rivalry still played its role in the two men’s relationship and Namen, regardless of his mighty status, still lost out to his older brother from time to time. It appeared that this was one of those times.
The mage pursed his lips and waved the comment away as he stalked into the woods. Bloggo held on to his horse, standing in the middle of the road.
With a mutter of the lips and a flick of Namen’s wrist, dirt flew everywhere until the robed bodies of the two wizards lay half-uncovered. Namen put out his hands and closed his eyes. They popped open as he realized that the traces of magic had the same signature as the mage he sought.
“Hmmm.” He stroked his brown forked beard as he looked down at the men. He recited a poem and concentrated. Another surprise. These men didn’t die from magic but their cloaks were coated with it. What an unorthodox way to end men’s lives. Who were these people that he followed?
As he walked back, he looked closely at the trees and found tiny fragments from their robes in the bark. More questions than answers here, except the most important answer, brought a smile to his face. His quarry still ran to the south and this was becoming most interesting.
~
Norra
With two horses pulling a carriage, Fenning felt he could speed their pace considerably. Delia certainly felt more comfortable with a sprung coach and Gristan could enjoy the view from the rooftop. At least that’s what they all told Norra as they continued south.
Norra continued to think about the two wizards, two weeks after the conflict. Her thoughts drifted to the awful might of her power. The feeling wouldn’t go away and she vowed not to ever use it on another human. She didn’t know if she could keep that promise, but she closed that venue for now. The carriage had such a good ride that she felt herself drift asleep atop the driver’s seat.
The carriage stopped abruptly, waking up Norra from a dream about Gristan and Miss Poddy.
A figure jumped on top of a log across the road. “Your money or your life!” A female voice spoke behind a mask of feathers. The woman’s short auburn hair stuck out in all directions. She was of a decent height, taller than Norra but the way she swung her sword around, the woman was definitely more fit.
“And why do you think that, fair maid?” Fenning said. Could he really be trying to provoke her? He threw his fingers at her and she crumpled to the ground.
“Why did you do that?” Norra said as she climbed down to examine the highwaywoman. “She’s still alive,” she said with relief.
“Of course she’s alive. It’s much easier to make a person faint than virtually anything else.” Fenning said a bit more casually than Norra thought prudent.
“I suggest you bind her, Norra.” Gristan appeared at her side. “She just might be the strongest here. I was quite a swordsman in my day, but,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Delia would you bring us some of that rope that came with the carriage?”
Fenning walked up after setting the brake. “See, just knocked out.”
“How long?” Norra looked up at him, feeling angry at his manner. “Do you know how to tie knots?
He shook his head. Gristan merely folded his arms and looked on when Delia brought the rope. Norra looked at the rope and measured out six or more feet and used the woman’s sword to cut the rope to length. She then used what knots would work to tie off her embroidery at Miss Poddy’s.
Fenning leaned over and muttered a few words and extended his forefinger. “That should secure it.”
“And a mighty fine job you all have done.” A man walked out of the forest with a crossbow pointed at Fenning. “Put your hands on your head, little man, and keep them there if you don’t want your chest ventilated.” He turned to Delia. “You’re a pretty thing. Would you like to come along to my castle over the next ridge?”
Delia’s eyes widened, “I?”
Norra overcame the first shock of fear and took a good, hard look at the man. “She won’t go with you,” Norra said. “Don’t pay any attention to him. Look how he dresses with worn boots, worn clothes and a rusty crossbow. Probably doesn’t even work.”
The highwayman’s eyes flashed with anger as he threw the crossbow aside and pulled out his sword.
“Nicked sword.” Norra looked into the man’s eyes and realized she had gone more than far enough. Fenning was too far away to give her a spell.
“Grrr, I want your money,” he said. Norra couldn’t believe the ‘grrr’ and realized his anger was a front.
“Okay. We’ll give you money and you two can help us remove the tree and we will be on our way.” Norra thought her offer was quite reasonable.
The man gave her a sinister grin and walked to the carriage. He pulled whatever he could out of the boot in the back of the carriage and rummaged around with his foot. Then he pulled up the seats in the carriage itself, finding a purse.
“Here is your money. You’re not crafty enough to fool me,” he said. He opened the purse with some difficulty and looked inside seeing the shimmer of silver. “Thank you very much. Keep your arms up wizard, my men lurk in the forest with crossbows that work.” He disappeared into the forest and through a gap in the woods they saw him fleeing on his steed, leading a riderless horse through the pine straw, their hooves sounding like muffled drums fading into the distance.
“And what about her?” Delia said, looking down at the highwaywoman. “We can’t leave her here.” She shivered as she looked at the thick forest on either side of the road.
“We take her with us,” Gristan said. There’s certainly enough room in the carriage. Why, I take hardly any room at all.” That made the whole party laugh.
“All right,” Fenning said. “You two help me put her on the floor of the carriage until she comes to. That should be in an hour or so.” He picked her up by the shoulders and Norra took her legs with Delia daintily holding on to the bandit�
�s feet. The little wizard walked over to the boot and lifted the false bottom, revealing his money chest nestled in its own little section.
“It certainly was worth the extra cost,” Gristan said. “By the way, I do believe that our friendly highwayman also absconded with the lady’s horse.
Norra nodded. “Suits her right. Well, he’ll be in for a surprise when he realizes that most of the coins were iron below the layer of silver coin. Excellent idea, Gristan.”
Fenning returned to the log with Norra. Delia was too tired to leave the carriage and Gristan appeared on the log’s other side.
“Give me a spell,” Norra said.
“Use the one for the beam.” Fenning had to give it to her again.
Norra repeated it back to him. She raised her hands as she said the spell and the log rose into the air and then Fenning used his power to position it. It slowly descended along the side of the road.
“Now why didn’t you attack the robber?” Fenning said as they got underway again.
“I’ve decided not to use my power on people, and I forgot the spell anyway. I can’t forget the two wizards. I can’t let their deaths not mean something to me. I passed a test today.” Although, as Norra said it, her words didn’t quite convince even herself. With attacks by wizards and highwaymen and women, Norra couldn’t sit by and let Fenning defend them when she had the power, even if the little wizard had to whisper the spell. It didn’t mean she had to feel great about it. She saw a trace of skepticism on Fenning’s face.
“Well thanks for tying the woman up. We made a good team back there.” Fenning smiled at her. The look contained a bit of ardor and Norra was uncertain how to react.
~
A town could be seen on the other side of a long stretch of farmland. Piles of hay littered the fields and the farmer who worked at loading up a wagon with the stuff, reminded her of home and riding out with her father’s tenants watching them do the same things. She felt her old life slipping away, like a haystack being dismantled and carted away from its place in the field.