by Leah Putz
“Can you tell me what it was like?” I asked, eager to know as much as possible about her life, and her struggles.
“My grandmother is so outgoing, she yearns to be around people, new people especially, and of course she always helps them in whatever way she can. My parents assist her as well, gathering whatever supplies she needs and requests, and running any errands she suggests. Her son, my father, obviously didn’t inherit the magic that for some reason flows so strongly in the women of his family. His wife holds no magic in her veins either. Ironically, grandmother was worried that the magic of her line would die out. When I was born that worry died instead. Though my parents and my grandparents enjoy the stream of visitors that come through our house, and even to our village, to see us, I am not so keen on it. I do want to help them, I tell my grandmother always what they’re feeling, where their pain is, as soon as I can sense it before they arrive. She has found my way of describing their ailments is more clear to her than their own words, in many cases. But most often by the time they do arrive, I am in my room or away on an errand. I enjoy spending time with my family, with those closest to me. Being around strangers is exhausting, especially when I can feel everything they feel. I’m burdened with their pain, physical, mental, and emotional. Their fears, their struggles, everything. It’s especially difficult when I’m operating, we’re all operating, on very little rest. This day has been helpful, yes, but more time to rest would have been ideal.”
“I understand,” I said. “We’re all exhausted, me included.”
She scoffed. “And yet you’re pushing us on.”
“I’m scared,” I murmured, my voice small with my admission. “We all are. We don’t have much time. And there’s so much at stake. I can barely sleep, I’m so worried about our outcome- the possibility of failure. Each of us has something weighing us down, but it’s important not to let that halt our progress.”
She remained silent until we reached the creek. Bending, we scooped up some water with our hands and drank. I savored the cool feeling of the water trickling down my throat.
“We know where to head, what needs to be done. If it will help, you can stay behind tomorrow. You can take the time to rest.”
Standing, she shook her head. “No. I know you’ll need my guidance. Maybe you could make it without me, but it will certainly be easier with me in tow. As long as I can get a decent night of rest I should be fine by the morrow.”
“Well, then, let’s head back so we can both get a good night’s rest. Have you had your fill?” I asked, gesturing to the stream before us. Once she signalled that she had, we began the short trek back to the camp. Upon our arrival, we made ready to go our separate ways.
“I’ll send Siofra to wake you in the morning,” I said, bowing slightly as we parted. “Have a good night.”
She smiled softly, and I thought maybe it was the first time she’d really looked at me in kindness. “Thank you, Viktor. Good night.”
***
A light knocking on the side of the shelter lured me from my slumber the next morning. I had spent the night tossing and turning, my mind racing with every possible outcome the morrow would bring, until finally falling into a restless sleep. “One minute,” I called to whoever was knocking before sitting up with a groan. Digging the heels of my palms into my eye sockets, I tried to rub the sleep from them unsuccessfully before huffing in frustration. I peeled the blanket back, crawling out of bed and peeking around the makeshift shelter wall of leaves.
To my shock, it was still dark out. “What time is it?” I asked, making out Siofra’s form.
“Just before dawn. We’ve made some breakfast. It’s by the fire. We’re expecting to leave soon, but we wanted to make sure everyone has a chance to eat,” she explained.
I nodded. “Thanks. I’ll be right there.”
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“Sure. I didn’t get much sleep, but I expected as much. I’ll be right there.” She shrugged before turning and heading back in the direction of the main camp. Quickly, I grabbed my pack, my sword, and Gaisgea, and headed out after her.
Jion and Lisalya were already up and sitting beside the fire when we arrived. “Morning,” Jion said, handing me a stick with a chunk of meat speared on it. He smiled through a full mouth, causing Siofra and I to grimace.
“You’re disgusting,” Siofra scoffed, taking the stick he offered to her.
“Thank you,” he replied, grinning even larger.
“We should eat quickly, and leave soon,” I said, standing. “It’s starting to get light out, and I don’t want to waste any bit of daylight.”
Following my own advice, I ate as quickly as I could. As much as I wanted to be resting and didn’t want to feel rushed, I was engulfed with the need for speed. We had no idea how long this would take, and we couldn’t afford to risk being out after dark in enemy territory.
“I’m finished,” I said, wiping my hands on a patch of grass, which was damp with morning dew. “You said they were east, right?” I asked. “Does that stand true still? They haven’t moved?”
She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking. “I’m not sure, I think most of them must be asleep. I can sense something, but it isn’t strong. It seems to be coming from that area still, though.”
“We’ll start heading that way then. Will there be any way to know if the status or location changes?” I asked.
She bit her lip, seeming to ponder for a moment. “I’ll leave my walls down and try to keep my focus on them. If they wake or move, I should be able to sense it,” she replied.
“Thank you. Alright, let’s go.”
I handed her Giasgea and we made our start. Lisalya led the way, letting her mind pull us in the direction we needed to go. Training my eyes on my feet, I stepped carefully through the thick wilderness. Following close behind me were Jion and Siofra. We had made it about halfway in silence before anyone spoke. “Let us know if you sense any hostility nearby,” Jion said. “We need to be prepared enough to have time to draw our weapons.”
She stopped short, turning to look back at us as she reached for her sword. “Should I just have mine drawn now?”
Shaking my head, I replied. “No, I don’t think we should approach with our weapons drawn unless we have to. That may set the tone for this meeting in a negative way and could lead to violence. We want to avoid that at all costs.”
She signalled her understanding with a brief okay and continued forward. We didn’t move far before she stopped again, this time so abruptly that I nearly ran into her from behind. “We’re getting close,” she murmured, her eyes shut. “And people are waking up.”
“Now that we’re closer, can you sense how many there are?” Siofra asked.
“Not quite,” she replied. “I can tell it’s not many. A small village, perhaps? But I cannot discern the exact number.”
“They’re just beyond those trees.” She pointed straight ahead, passed a patch of trees so thick we couldn’t see beyond it.
I took a deep breath and struggled to calm my nerves. “Are you sure?” I asked, speaking softly. I’m not sure even Siofra or Jion heard me.
“Positive.”
“Okay.” I faced them all and they gathered around me, forming a circle. “Here’s the plan. One of us should go out first.”
Siofra cut in. “I’ll do it. I’m a woman. It will be less threatening to see a lone woman entering your village than a strong, armed man. If they attack, you know I can handle myself.”
“Alright, Siofra will go out first. Remember, don’t draw your blade unless you absolutely have to. Introduce yourself, and say you’re with an envoy from Doctsland. I don’t want to let them know my true identity until we know without a doubt we have their loyalty. Once you feel it’s safe, and Lisalya confirms, give a signal and the rest of us will come out.”
I gave Siofra a look of encouragement and a small smile. She returned it before turning and heading out into the clearing. Taking a deep breath,
I closed my eyes and prayed to the Kelps for success.
I heard the low timbre of Siofra’s voice, but it was too far and too muffled by the brambles between us to make out what she was saying. A few agonizing minutes of uncertainty passed before I heard the telltale sign and spoke. “She’s giving us the signal.” Lisalya opened her eyes and looked at me questioningly.
“She tapped three times on her armor. It was muffled, but I heard it. It’s a distinct pattern we use between the three of us. Lisalya, is it safe for us to go out?”
“Yes. I sensed confusion and a bit of nervousness, but nothing aggressive. We’re safe.”
After a swift moment of attempting to calm my nerves, I followed Siofra’s steps out through the hedges and into the clearing. We moved rather slowly, trying to ensure that we didn’t appear too threatening. As soon as we stepped out we found Siofra, standing close by and speaking to a small group of men and women. I glance around taking in the village before me. I thought Loch was a small town, but this paled in comparison. There were around ten buildings, all bungalows colored the same light brown shade, with thatched roofing. Between them was the clearing Siofra and the others occupied. As we approached, Siofra began our introductions as instructed. She must have found someone who spoke the common tongue, for she continued in the language we all understood. “These are my comrades. Viktor, a peaceful envoy from Capital City in Doctsland, Jion, his bodyguard, and Lisalya, a healer from a small town quite like yours.”
We bowed, and I spoke. “Thank you for your willingness to hear what we have to say.”
One of the women, tall and fierce in appearance, returned my bow. “I am Ailee, the chieftain of this village. Siofra mentioned you may have a plan to halt this tyrant that is currently ruling Bushand. We would like to hear more. But first, we will give you a proper welcome to our village. Connor.” She addressed a young man standing beside her. “Please lead them to the feast hall.”
Nodding, Connor turned and began to walk towards the largest of the buildings, gesturing for us to follow. The hall he brought us to was taller than the other buildings, and once we stepped inside I could easily see why. Large, ornate, pillars held up a vaulted ceiling. The intricate reliefs that decorated each pillar took my breath away, and I paused to examine one as we walked inside. The images of soldiers marched upwards towards the ceiling. “Bushand has always been a military nation. Our soldiers are our pride,” Connor explained, watching as I traced my fingers over the sculptures.
Placed in the center of the hall was a roaring fire, and seating was arranged around it. “Please take a seat. The leaders of our village will hear what you have to say, and then we will discuss amongst ourselves our course of action.”
I bowed, thanking him, and Connor left to fetch the others. While we waited, we aligned ourselves on some of the logs closest to the fire, sitting in the order of myself, Lisalya, Jion, and Siofra. I huddled close, holding out my hands towards the flame. The damp morning air had a chill to it that even our march was not able to dissipate.
We didn’t have to wait long, only a few minutes before about five people, that I assumed were the village leaders after Connor’s statement, began to file in following Ailee. They took seats directly across the fire from our party, and Ailee began to speak. “We are all very curious as to why we have an envoy from Doctsland in our village, especially considering the recent declarations from our king. Please, enlighten us.”
I opened my mouth, beginning the long spiel I had given to Lisalya and her family previously, as well as answering a few questions the villagers had, with Jion and Siofra chiming in every so often.
“So you have only one envoy, a few guards, and a healer to challenge the might of Bushand?” Ailee asked.
“So far, yes. The key to our mission so far has been stealth, and the hope that there are many within Bushand willing to join our cause, and raise arms against King Siglind. I know he has not been a kind leader thus far,” I said, thinking of the woman that lost her son.
“And what happens after? Let’s say that this works, and Siglind is overthrown. Do we then become a part of Doctsland?”
“I can assure you that the current ruler in Doctsland does not have any interest in conquering Bushand. His plan is to work with the King’s sister, Lura, in the hopes that she will take over rule of Bushand once he is deposed.”
Ailee seemed to mull over my words before glancing at the other leaders near her. “We will need some time to discuss. Give us a few moments. Food will be brought to you and we will return momentarily.”
I stood and bowed. “Thank you for your consideration. I do have one question before you leave.” Ailee paused on her way out to look back questioningly. “Can you tell us where exactly we are in Bushand? Our ship sank, and we washed up on a beach nearby. We aren’t entirely sure of our whereabouts.”
“Of course!” she replied. “I will have a map sent with the meal.”
Shortly after the leaders left, a group came in with plates of hot meals they gave to each of us. I picked through the dish, wondering at the difference in cuisine. In Doctsland we ate mostly stew, bread, and meat. This plate was full of rice, which I had only ever had before at my stepmother’s coronation, and chunks of beef. We ate, a cloud of silent tension hanging over our heads.
“Can you tell what they’re thinking? What they’re going to do?” Jion asked Lisalya earnestly.
She shook her head. “No, I can’t tell what they’re thinking, it doesn’t work that way. I can only tell what they’re feeling, and even then it’s not always clear. I feel uncertainty rolling off them, but that cannot tell me what course of action they may decide to take.”
“We just have to wait,” I said.
“Hopefully not for long. The suspense is killing me,” Jion said, fidgeting anxiously. The level of stress and anticipation swirling within me had taken my appetite completely, but I made an effort to eat as much as I could stomach so as not to offend our hosts. Once I was finished, I examined the map with Jion. The village was too small to have its name on the map, but a hand-drawn ‘X’ marked its location a mile and a half inland. We were able to identify our arrival site, and the location of our current camp, which placed us closer to Nul than we had expected. I sighed. We could operate from our current camp location. We wouldn’t have to waste time moving it.
Thankfully, Jion’s wishes came true and we didn’t have to wait for long. We had barely finished eating when Ailee and the other village leaders came back into the hall.
“We have taken a vote, and decided to assist you in your quest.” I immediately felt a wave of relief and joy wash over me as Ailee continued. “We are a very small village, as you can see, so we aren’t able to contribute many soldiers to your cause. We also don’t wish to send anyone who is unwilling. We have relayed the information and the plan to the rest of the village, and there have been fifteen volunteers to join you. We will send with them some of our secret store of weapons. They are forbidden, but we keep some in the village center to protect ourselves if needed.”
I bowed. “We are honored to accept your assistance, and we deeply appreciate it. We have a camp set up nearby, the volunteers are welcome to join us there. It is small, but we plan to expand it as needed as we grow.”
After I gave Ailee a detailed description of the camp’s location, she assured us that the volunteer soldiers would meet us there the following morning, to give them one last evening with their families and friends before joining our cause. Graciously thanking them once more, we took our leave, heading back to the camp before sundown, pleased with our small victory.
Chapter Ten
Lisalya
The journey back to camp was much different than our journey that morning. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off our shoulders, and we laughed and were merry all through the short walk. We arrived an hour or two before sundown, and split up to try to make the best use of the remaining daylight. The members of our troupe we had left behind had made a fair s
hare of progress building the camp as well as hunting. Jion went back to work making the replacement water skins, Viktor went into the shelter to begin planning what tomorrow would look like, and Siofra and I did some more fight training.
“You’ve gotten much better!” Jion commented, watching as he worked.
I grinned back. “Thank you.” Over the course of the time onboard I had grown more comfortable handling Gaisgea, and was growing confidence in my abilities with each sparing session. Though I still hoped to never have to put them to the test.
After a short while Viktor emerged and beckoned us to join him as he took a seat next to the fire.
“Today went well,” he began after we all got comfortable near the flames. “But I don’t want us to get over confident or hopeful. We’ve gained members, but only a small number. Fifteen more people are not going to help in the fight against Bushand, especially fifteen soldiers from such a small village. Surely they are not as skilled as the soldiers from Bushand’s capital, those loyal to Siglind. Hopefully Ailee was correct, and they will join us on the morrow. I think it is imperative that we take the day to get to know them. We need to know how practiced they are in fighting. Who needs tutoring, who is able to assist with what tasks, and so on. Lisalya, as soon as they arrive, can you please do your best to get a read on each of them and report to me?” he said. I nodded and he continued. “Jion and Siofra, you work on assessing each of their fighting abilities. Once that’s done, interview them. What kind of work do they do at home? With that knowledge, Siofra can assign them tasks to do throughout the camp. Once you’ve each had time with each person, send them to me one by one. I would still like to operate under the guise of an envoy, but I would like to get to know each and every one of them, and to thank them face to face for joining our cause.”