by MJ Schutte
‘This is a bigger town, there might be Dark Ones here,’ he said to Lilian and the girls. ‘I’m going to use my sense to see if I can find out.’
He concentrated for a moment.
‘Lily!’ he exclaimed.
Lilian looked up from where she was busy cooking beans.
‘Yes, my love?’ she answered.
Brighton rushed over to her, picked her up, and spun around.
‘Lily, you’re pregnant,’ he shouted happily.
‘Pregnant? How did that happen?’ Lilian asked, frowning.
Adri looked at Michaela and said, ‘I hope we won’t have to explain that to them!’
Michaela giggled behind her hand.
Lilian laughed.
‘Actually I know exactly how it happened so don’t start explaining. What do you know about these things anyway, young lady?’ she asked Adri.
‘Oh nothing,’ Adri replied innocently.
Brighton put Lilian down.
‘Well, aren’t you happy?’ he asked excitedly.
‘Yes, of course I’m happy but how do you know this?’ she replied.
‘I felt it when I used my sense just now,’ he explained.
Lilian’s eyes widened, her jaw dropped.
‘You can feel a baby growing inside me?’ she asked softly.
With a wide smile Brighton nodded and held up two fingers.
Lilian frowned at the two fingers.
‘Did you feel it twice?’ she asked with a confused look on her face.
Adri jumped in, ‘No silly, he means two babies.’
Brighton’s smile widened as he nodded.
‘Really?’ Lilian whispered.
Brighton was still nodding. Lilian jumped into his arms screaming.
‘Bri! We’re going to be parents!’
She kissed him all over his face.
Brighton hugged and kissed her back, swirling around.
Adri said to Michaela, ‘Come, let’s go get water and look for wild beans. They’re going to be doing that until the sun comes up!’
The two young girls walked into the forest but Brighton called them back.
‘Lilian and I want to go have a bath in that stream we saw earlier. Why don’t you stay here and we’ll bring back a rabbit or fowl for dinner,’ he said to them.
Michaela pulled a face and said sarcastically, ‘Oh yes, I’m sure you two are going to have a bath.’
Brighton quickly defended, ‘That’s all we’re going to do! Nothing else.’
Michaela nodded and said, ‘Yes, I’m sure that’s all. I believe you.’
Brighton’s ears were burning.
‘No, really…’
Lilian put her finger over his lips.
‘The more you argue, the more they’re going to believe they are right,’ she said with a smile.
She hugged him tightly and added, ‘I’m actually hoping they are right and it’s not just a bath you want.’
Brighton looked around uncomfortably. The younger girls always seemed to know when Lilian and he made love and teased him endlessly about it.
‘Mischief!’ he called.
The black panther materialized out of the shadows.
‘Look after Michaela and Adri,’ he instructed the cat.
Mischief flopped down next to the girls and promptly fell asleep.
Brighton and Lilian walked off into the forest. They reached the stream quickly. Lilian started unbuttoning her dress.
Brighton said to her, ‘You bath; I’m going to get us dinner.’
Lilian seductively let the dress fall to the ground, her back towards Brighton.
‘If that’s what you want,’ she said in a husky voice and slowly pulled the camisole over her head.
Brighton stood rooted looking at her naked back. She removed her underwear very slowly and looked over her shoulder at him.
‘Well, off you go then. Go find us dinner,’ she said as she walked into the water.
The bow and arrows fell to the ground.
Lilian walked into the water waist deep, went down all the way to her neck, and turned around. Brighton came forward but Lilian shook her head.
‘You can’t bath with clothes on,’ she said.
Brighton quickly removed his shirt and then his pants.
‘May I join you now?’ he asked with a sly grin.
‘Yes, please do,’ Lillian replied breathlessly.
Lilian stood up as he approached her. His arms circled her waist, their lips pressing together. She thrust her hips towards him.
‘I want you now,’ she breathed.
Brighton picked her up and carried her to the shore. They lay down on a grassy patch. Lilian pushed him down flat on his back. She swung her leg over him.
Brighton’s hands glided over her wet skin down her back to her small bottom.
‘I love you,’ he said softly.
‘I love you more,’ she breathed.
Mischief stood in front of Michaela and Adri growling at the men facing them. The girls each had a small bow in their hands, arrows nocked. Brighton made the bows for them and had been teaching them how to use it. There were at least twenty men armed with knives and hunting spears. The leader spoke.
‘Where is the one called “The White Light”?’ he asked the girls in a menacing voice.
Mischief didn’t like that at all and stepped closer to the men, muscles tense. He was ready to leap at any moment.
Adri spoke in a soothing voice to the cat.
‘Mischief, don’t do it.’
The leader spoke again.
‘Best you keep that pet under control; I would hate to kill such a beautiful animal.’
Michaela pointed a finger at him and said, ‘Best you stay back. Mischief can kill all of you in a heartbeat.’
The leader chuckled a little.
‘He certainly is a magnificent panther but he does not stand a chance against twenty hunters. Now tell me where “The White Light” is before I lose my patience.’
Michaela started talking again but Adri interrupted her, ‘He will be here any moment. Why don’t you and your men stand back a little? That will calm our cat down and we can avoid bloodshed.’
‘A good suggestion,’ Brighton said as he and Lilian emerged from the forest behind the girls.
The bow was in his hand, arrow nocked. The leader spoke to Brighton.
‘Are you the one called “The White Light”?’
‘I suppose I am,’ Brighton answered. ‘What do you want with me?’
‘I am under orders to kill you on sight,’ the leader answered.
‘And whose orders would that be?’ Brighton asked calmly.
He had already used his sense and knew none of these men were talented.
‘Supreme Raina!’ the man answered.
Brighton nodded slowly.
‘And are you going to try?’ he asked the man.
All the hunters laughed at that.
‘Try?’ one of them shouted. ‘Brac is the best hunter and fighter in Brasten. If he wanted you dead you would be already.’
Brighton dropped the bow and stepped in front of Mischief.
He gestured for Lilian and the girls to stay back.
‘Ok then, you may keep your weapons, I’ll fight barehanded,’ he said to Brac.
Brac stepped forward but Brighton quickly said, ‘Wait.’
The men howled with laughter.
‘He’s scared of you, Brac,’ someone shouted.
Brighton smiled and said, ‘Actually, I was going to suggest you and five of your best men come forward.’
Brac looked confused.
‘Do you want to die? You’re built like an oak tree but you cannot fight six men,’ he said with a frown.
‘I like a fair fight. Pick your men, I’m waiting,’ Brighton answered.
Brac studied Brighton’s face. He could see that the young man was dead serious.
‘First I would like to know why Supreme Raina wants you dead so badly. She told us
not to return unless we have your head in a bag. We heard rumours of someone killing the Supremes and ending their reign. Is that true?’ he said.
‘Yes, that is true,’ Brighton answered.
‘And you did that, I have to assume,’ Brac said.
‘Yes,’ Brighton answered again.
Brac dropped his hunting spear and held out his hand to Brighton.
‘I will not kill the man who ended the Dark Ones’ rule. I’m Brac,’ he introduced himself.
Brighton stepped forward and shook the outstretched hand.
‘Brighton,’ he replied.
Although he didn’t like shaking hands he knew Brac was not a Dark One so it was safe.
He pointed to Lilian and the girls.
‘This is Lilian, Michaela and Adri.’
Touching Mischief’s head he said, ‘And Mischief.’
Before Brac could say anything one of the hunters leapt forward with a cry, spear raised. He went straight for Brighton.
Before anybody could react, Mischief leapt. His jaws closed around the man’s neck and instantly the man’s life ended.
Brac turned around and shouted at the men.
‘I will personally kill anyone that even thinks of harming these people. We are joining Brighton and his party. Anyone who disagrees had better leave now.’
A murmur spread through the men.
‘But what about Supreme Raina and the Dark Ones?’ one man asked.
Brighton spoke, ‘I will take care of them.’
The man that spoke stepped out of the group.
‘I don’t believe you can. I am going back to Brasten to tell Supreme Raina about this treachery.’
He turned and started walking towards town. A throwing-knife appeared in Brac’s hand as if by magic. His arm flashed.
The man dropped, knife sticking out of the back of his neck.
‘Anyone else?’ Brac shouted.
The men remained silent until one voice shouted, ‘We’re with you Brac!’
Everybody in the group yelled their agreement.
Brac turned to Brighton and said, ‘Well, there you go. You now have Brasten’s best hunters on your side. How can we help?’
Brighton looked at the group of men.
‘Well, for a start you can tell your men to retreat a little. I would hate for Mischief to misinterpret something and kill all of them.’
Brac laughed and gestured for the men to give them some space. They disappeared into the forest soundlessly.
He turned back to Brighton.
‘That cat is big but do you really think he could take all my men?’ he asked.
Brighton answered seriously, ‘Last time Mischief got angry there were corpses everywhere within moments, all of them Dark Ones.’
Brac’s eyes went wide when he saw that Brighton was not joking.
‘And he doesn’t harm any of you?’ he asked.
‘No, he protects us,’ Brighton replied.
‘We were about to make dinner, would you like to join us,’ he invited Brac.
‘No, thank you, I’ve eaten. Would you mind if I stay and talk a little though?’ Brac replied.
‘Not at all, I need to talk to you too,’ Brighton said.
The girls had already gathered wood for a fire.
They made a small pile and Michaela said to Brighton, ‘Light that for us please.’
Brighton pointed at the wood and sent a small white bolt of energy into it. Instantly the wood was burning.
Brac’s mouth dropped open.
‘How…what…’ he stammered.
Brighton put his hand on the man’s shoulder. Brac pulled away quickly.
‘You’re a Dark One or something,’ he accused, a throwing-knife in his hand.
‘No, I’m not,’ Brighton replied calmly. ‘I do have a form of the talent but it’s not at all like the Dark Ones have. I don’t steal energy from people unless it’s for protection.’
Brac relaxed a little but did not put the knife away.
Brighton pretended not to notice. He sat down next to Lilian.
Michaela and Adri were preparing the rabbit he shot earlier. No matter how much Lilian and Brighton insisted that they could also cook, the younger girls refused to let them.
‘Sit down, relax a little,’ Lilian said to Brac.
Brac put the knife away and found a seat.
‘You were not joking earlier when you were going to fight six of us,’ he stated.
‘No, I wasn’t,’ Brighton replied.
‘But what if the rest of my men joined the fight? You would have been killed,’ Brac pressed.
‘Mischief would have ripped through your men. Alone he could take at least ten. Lilian is talented and the girls over there are pretty good with those bows. So, although it looked like you outnumbered us, we would have killed all of you,’ Brighton said honestly.
‘I can see that,’ Brac said. ‘I’m glad things didn’t go that way.’
Brighton looked Brac square in the eyes.
‘Can your men be trusted?’ he asked flatly.
‘Most of them,’ Brac answered. ‘There were five new hunters in the group, now it’s four. I don’t know them well enough to vouch for them, but the rest of the guys I trust with my life.’
Brighton nodded. It was better than he expected.
‘Be sure to tell them Lilian is my partner and the young girls are under my protection.’
Brac understood Brighton’s warning and nodded.
‘Tell me about Raina,’ Brighton asked.
‘She came into town with Richard a few days ago. They gathered all the best hunters and told us to patrol the woods around town. As I said, we were ordered to kill you on sight. Richard left almost immediately; he told Raina he was going to Avarya to gather more Dark Ones and hunters there,’ Brac told them.
‘And why did you decide not to follow their orders?’ Brighton asked.
‘Before Raina and Richard arrived, some other people came into town. Mostly young girls like these two,’ he said gesturing towards Michaela and Adri. ‘They told us of “The White Light” that ended the rule of the Supremes. It’s time for a change; they’ve ruled for long enough. I will support anyone who can oppose them.’
‘Thank you. We will need that support to free Brasten from the Dark Ones,’ Brighton said.
He told Brac about the People’s Council and how things would work in future.
Brac whistled and his men all came out of the woods. Two of the new men were missing.
Brac briefly told them what Brighton had said and then turned to one of the men.
‘Joshua, take five men and hunt down the two that fled. They must not reach Brasten.’
Joshua nodded, picked five hunters, and jogged into the woods.
‘He is very young,’ Brighton commented.
‘Seventeen next summer. One of the best hunters and trackers I’ve ever seen,’ Brac replied.
Brighton and Brac spoke for a while longer until Adri told them dinner was ready.
Brac got up and said, ‘Enjoy your dinner. We will set up a perimeter around the campsite so you can have a good night’s sleep. Sounds like you have a big day tomorrow.’
Brighton thanked him and sat down for dinner.
‘Do you trust him?’ Lilian asked as soon as Brac was gone.
‘I don’t know,’ Brighton answered. ‘He seems honest. I’ll tell Mischief to stay close and I’ll stand watch just to be sure.’
All three women quickly volunteered for guard duty. Brighton suggested that Lilian should not have to since she is pregnant. Lilian protested but Brighton, Adri and Michaela quickly took a vote and the matter was settled.
Michaela and Adri stood watch until midnight when Brighton relieved them. Mischief stayed in the camp all night.
Just before sunrise Brighton heard some shouts. He used his sense to find out what was happening. Some distance towards Brasten there was some fighting going on. Mischief was staring intently in that direction. Lilian
got up and came to stand next to Brighton, her hand stroking Mischief’s head.
‘Sounds like there are some people who want us dead,’ she commented.
‘Yes. Also sounds like Brac was as good as his word,’ Brighton answered.
He turned to Lilian and said, ‘Remember not to use your sense, the Dark Ones will pick that up. I’ll keep scouting the area with mine since they can’t feel it.’
Lilian nodded.
The sounds of fighting died down. A short time later Brac jogged into the camp breathing heavily. Lilian quickly fetched a water skin and handed it to him. He took a few big gulps and then washed some blood off his arms.
Brighton couldn’t wait any longer.
‘So, what happened?’ he asked impatiently.
Brac caught his breath and said, ‘It seems one of those two traitors made it back and told Raina where you were. She sent more men to come kill you.’
‘How many?’ Brighton asked.
‘I stopped counting at thirty,’ Brac answered. ‘Possibly fifty or more in total. They were bakers and farmers, no match for my men.’
‘How many did you lose?’ Brighton asked.
‘Two,’ Brac replied.
‘I’m sorry,’ Brighton said.
‘I made it clear that we could all lose our lives protecting you. They knew the risk and stayed,’ Brac replied.
Lilian touched his arm lightly.
‘Thank you,’ she said softly.
The sun was just starting to show itself.
Joshua jogged into the camp and spoke briefly to Brac.
‘It seems we got all the attackers,’ Brac announced.
Adri and Michaela woke up and told Brighton they were going to the river to clean up.
‘Take Mischief,’ Brighton said to them.
Michaela called Mischief and the three headed for the river.
‘Also take your bows. See if you can get a deer or a few rabbits,’ Brighton called after them.
Lilian understood immediately that Brighton wanted to make the men some breakfast to thank them for their service. She packed some wood together and asked Brighton to light it. Joshua’s eyes went wide when he saw how Brighton did it but kept quiet. Brac shared some of the details of what happened earlier with Brighton and Lilian while Joshua went off to bring the men back to the camp.
Brighton was just getting worried about the girls when Michaela rushed into the camp.
‘I did it!’ she screamed as she danced around.