Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  They travelled unhindered for a few hours, then decided to make camp. Shona was so tired Gareth was worried that she would fall off if they continued on for much longer. They found a clearing deep inside a wood, but even so, they decided that a fire was not worth the risk.

  Gareth watched Shona closely while they ate a cold meal. Despite her months in captivity, she was still a beautiful woman and her eyes had not lost their sparkle. Kwin was a lucky man to be marrying her.

  He noticed that Shona had a strange look on her face. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “I can’t believe you both came into Wayvern to rescue me. I kept praying, but it got harder and harder to keep believing as time went by.”

  “Sorry. We planned to get here sooner, but were captured. I’ll tell you all about it once we’re safely back in Tippet.”

  “Don’t say sorry. You came. That’s all that matters.”

  The three of them talked for a while, then Kwin told Shona and Gareth to get some sleep; he would take first watch.

  Gareth didn’t argue. He found as comfortable a place on the ground as he could manage, took off his cloak and laid it over himself.

  He watched Kwin give Shona his own cloak then she lay down next to him. He resisted the urge to roll over and cuddle her. Ever since he had seen her father’s memory of her in Kwin’s mind, Gareth had been enraptured with her. Now that he had met her, his feelings hadn’t changed.

  “Goodnight,” he whispered, then closed his eyes. Tonight, like many other nights, he would be dreaming of her.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  It was still dark when Kwin woke. He had swapped places with Gareth only a few hours previous, but was eager to get moving.

  He woke Shona and they ate a hasty breakfast before mounting up once more. By the time they left the wood, the sun was beginning to rise. It was going to be another bright and sunny day. Under other circumstances he would have enjoyed the ride.

  They kept away from the roads as much as possible and saw very few travellers. They were nearing the edge of a large village when Kwin heard a noise he recognised.

  “Arrows,” he cried out and threw a shield around Gareth and Shona. He didn’t have time to shield himself as well and an arrow embedded itself in his thigh. Stifling a cry of pain, he pulled his horse to a stop and nocked an arrow in his bow. Looking around, he tried to determine where the attack had come from.

  He saw dust rising in the distance behind them and could just make out three riders coming their way, fast. All had bows in their hands and were ready to fire.

  “Keep going,” Kwin yelled at Gareth, who had also halted his horse, then released an arrow in the enemy’s direction before shielding himself, trusting Gareth to do the same. This time the enemy arrows dropped to the ground before hitting their targets. Kwin’s arrow, however, found its mark and he saw one of their pursuers fall from his horse.

  He quickly released another one then looked behind him to make sure Gareth had obeyed his order. His leg was hurting, but he put it from his mind. He had two more people to kill before he would be able to pull the arrow out. Gareth wouldn’t be able to help. If he left Shona’s side, he wouldn’t be able to shield both her and himself.

  Returning his attention to their attackers, he saw that he had hit one of the horses, who fell, dragging its rider down with it. For the moment, Kwin could put him from his mind as he concentrated on the last remaining rider.

  He nocked another arrow, took aim and fired. He prayed to Hellan as he watched its flight. The god must have heard him as it hit its target directly in his heart.

  As the dead rider fell to the ground, he heard movement behind him and turned to see Gareth lower Shona to the ground before taking off after the man whose horse Kwin had killed. Kwin started swearing loudly.

  “Are you going to use that kind of language once we’re married?” Shona asked. Then she noticed the arrow sticking out of his leg and started to swear herself.

  Kwin grinned. “It looks like I’ll have some competition.” He winced. His leg was hurting a lot more than it should have been.

  Shona helped him off his horse, then took a knife from his belt and used it to cut his trousers, revealing how deep the arrow was embedded in his thigh.

  “We have to get it out,” she said. Kwin gritted his teeth to keep from giving a sarcastic reply.

  “Gareth knows what to do,” he said. “Get the bag from my horse. It contains medical supplies.”

  He had argued with Koal about bringing them, stating they would take up too much of their limited space in the bags, but now he was glad he had given in.

  Shona found bandages inside and an antiseptic lotion, as well as needle and cotton.

  When Gareth returned he had a grin on his face. “He won’t be bothering us again. Nor anyone else for that matter.”

  “I wanted to question him,” Kwin said through his still gritted teeth.

  “I thought you would, which is why I did so on your behalf. They were guards employed by a friend of Fillen’s. Apparently he has communicated with everyone he knows, providing our descriptions.”

  The news did not surprise Kwin. “Then we need to avoid civilisation as much as possible and make ourselves invisible when we can’t do so. Are you able to make your shield cover your horse as well as you and Shona?”

  Gareth nodded as he dismounted. “First we need to take care of you. Want me to take away your pain?”

  Kwin shook his head. “No. I’ll cope. I need you to concentrate on cutting the arrow out.”

  Gareth took some rope from his saddle and tied it around Kwin’s leg, just above the arrow, pulling it as tight as he could. Then he took the knife from Shona, who turned her back as he dug it into his friend’s leg.

  Kwin screamed and blood gushed everywhere, covering Gareth’s clothes as well as his hands. The arrow was deep inside the flesh, but had not penetrated the bone, so once Gareth had cut a large enough gash around it, he was able to pull it out.

  Only then did he use his magic to reduce the flow of blood so he could sew up the wound. He worked as quickly as he could, making sure he didn’t miss anything, then removed the tourniquet. He covered the wound in the antiseptic cream then bandaged it up.

  Kwin was worried. He was still in more pain than he should have been. His thigh was burning, but he said nothing. They couldn’t afford any delay and Gareth would insist on investigating if he mentioned it.

  “Can you stand?” Gareth asked. Kwin nodded and with Gareth’s help, got to his feet. He could only put weight on one leg, but that wouldn’t affect him riding.

  Shona had to assist Gareth in getting Kwin onto his horse. “Will he be alright?” she whispered to Gareth.

  “I heard that,” Kwin said. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

  “He isn’t lying,” Gareth said. “At least not about having worse. There was this one time that−”

  “We can talk about that later,” Kwin interrupted. “Right now, we need to get moving.”

  Gareth didn’t argue. He picked Shona up and put her on his horse, then got up behind her.

  A few hours later, Gareth spoke into Kwin’s mind. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “What makes you think I’m not telling you something?”

  “I know you.”

  “It’s taking all of my strength and concentration just to stay on this damn horse. I won’t be able to create an invisibility shield. You have to take Shona and get her to Luka as fast as you can.”

  “No. I won’t leave you.”

  “I’ll join you as soon as I can. Wait one day for me. If I’m not there by then, go to Tippet and I will meet you there. Don’t argue with me on this. As your commanding officer, I am ordering you to do this.”

  “You had better make it back to Luka in one piece or she is going to kick your arse,” Gareth said then kicked his horse into a gallop, leaving Kwin trailing behind.

  Kwin
watched them depart then pulled his horse to a stop. He hadn’t lied to Gareth, but he hadn’t told him the complete truth. He was beginning to burn up and the pain in his leg was excruciating. There could be only one answer. The arrow had to have been poisoned.

  He knew how to kill the poison and cleanse his blood, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to do it. He closed his eyes and let his magic flow through him. He found the poison coursing through his system and erasing it was easier than he had thought. Then he probed deeper and a sense of dread filled him. It had already infiltrated his organs. Had Gareth been with him, he would have been able to fix the damage it had already caused, but he didn’t have the strength left to do it himself. And he had sent Gareth away.

  Kwin opened his eyes. There was nothing more he could do other than hope he could make it to Luka before Gareth left.

  He urged his horse to start moving, but couldn’t handle anything more than a steady walk.

  The hours passed by and Kwin felt his strength draining. Fever was ravishing him and he was becoming delirious. He thought he was approaching a farmhouse, but couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination.

  Then the world went black and he fell, unconscious, to the ground.

  Chapter 42

  “Kwin,” Gareth suddenly cried out. He had no idea what the cause was, but he felt his telepathic connection to his friend suddenly go dull.

  “What’s wrong?” Shona asked.

  “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

  “Do you want to go back and find him?”

  Of course he wanted to go back, but he had been given his orders and he would follow them.

  “No,” he said in a tone that told her he didn’t want to discuss it.

  Saying nothing, she placed her hand over his and squeezed it.

  They rode on in silence. With each step, the longing to turn around increased until it became almost unbearable for Gareth. He kept trying to contact Kwin, but there was no reply.

  “Talk to me,” he said to Shona. “Tell me about yourself.”

  They talked for hours, both trying to distract themselves from thoughts of Kwin. They spoke of their experiences as slaves, finding it strangely therapeutic.

  The light was beginning to fade by the time they reached Luka’s estate. She ran out of the house to greet them, followed by Drake. The smile on her face fell when she saw they were alone.

  “Where’s Kwin?” she asked.

  Gareth didn’t want to answer the question, but he had to tell her the truth. “I don’t know.”

  He had been expecting Luka to react with anger, but instead she seemed confused. “What do you mean you don’t know? How could you not know?” Then her eyes fell on the blood covering Gareth’s clothes. “What’s happened to him?” He could hear the panic in her voice.

  “It’s been a long and tiring journey. Please can we bathe and eat. Then I will tell you everything.”

  Luka looked like she was going to argue, but then she glanced at Shona and nodded.

  “Lady Shona, welcome to my home. Drake will show you to the room we prepared for you.”

  Gareth translated for her, assuring her that she was safe and that Luka was a friend. She offered no resistance when Drake helped her to dismount and she followed him into the house.

  A stable boy ran out to take the horse as soon as Gareth had dismounted. As Gareth walked past her, Luka grabbed his arm. “I hope, for your sake, she’s worth it.” With that, she ran into the house.

  ‘She is,’ he thought to himself. ‘She is.’

  He quickly showered and changed into clean clothes then headed to the kitchen, where Koal provided him with some delicious smelling food. One mouthful told him that the aroma had not been misleading.

  “I’m really going to miss you.”

  Koal grunted. “Where’s Kwin?”

  “He got injured. We had to leave him behind.” He quickly raised his hand as Koal came toward him with a knife. “His idea, not mine. He ordered me to get Shona here without delay. He’ll be meeting us here as soon as he can.”

  He tried to sound convincing, but his words sounded hollow even to his own ears.

  “What happened?” Luka asked as she entered the kitchen. Gareth had been hoping to at least finish his meal before having to face this conversation, but he couldn’t put Luka off any longer.

  He told her everything, all that had happened and why, including the fact that he could no longer mentally contact Kwin.

  “He’s not dead. It’s like he’s there, but he isn’t, if that makes any sense. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

  “My father told me about this. It means either he’s unconscious or something is blocking his mind.” Neither option sounded good.

  “Luka if there was anything−” Gareth started to say, but Luka stopped him.

  “You were following his orders. This is not your fault.”

  “I know but−” Once again Luka stopped him.

  “This is what he wanted. Now, it’s getting late. I suggest you try to get some sleep. You should leave before sunrise.”

  Gareth shook his head. “I’m going to give Kwin another day, at least.”

  “No, you’re not. It isn’t safe for any of us for you to stay here. You need to get into Tippet as soon as possible. You and Shona will be leaving first thing in the morning.”

  Before he could argue further, Luka left the room. Gareth ate the rest of his meal in silence, until Shona arrived. She looked a completely different person, having bathed and dressed in clean clothes, which Gareth recognised as Luka’s. They were a little large for Shona, but Gareth thought she still looked good.

  Koal welcomed her to his domain then put a steaming plate in front of her.

  “Eat then get some sleep. Luka said we have to leave before sunrise,” Gareth said.

  Shona nodded. “I don’t think she likes me very much.”

  Gareth sighed. “It’s not you. It’s the fact that I brought you back, but not Kwin. They have grown close. They’ve become good friends.” Gareth knew they had become more than that, but left it unsaid. That was between Luka and Kwin and was nobody else’s business.

  Shona looked shocked. “Friends? But she owned him.”

  Gareth laughed, both at the comment and the look on Shona’s face. “There is a lot you need to know about Luka. But that can wait until tomorrow. It will give us something to talk about on the journey to Tippet.”

  Shona stared at her food, moving it around the plate but not eating any of it. When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. “Are we really going home?”

  Gareth leaned across the table and took her hands in his own. “Yes. We are.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  It was still dark when Gareth rose, his body telling him it was time to get up. Luka was already in the kitchen. While they ate, they talked about the arrangements that had been made. Drake had prepared a new travel document, providing Shona and Gareth with a reason for being on the road without their owner, should they be stopped and questioned. Horses had been prepared and provisions packed for them.

  Luka assured him that he would have no problems crossing the border. It wasn’t patrolled, at least not on the Wayvern side. She reminded him about the flowers and he assured her that he would be able to shield himself and Shona from the pollen.

  He then asked for his shackles to be returned. Luka didn’t seem surprised by the request and went to retrieve them. He wanted to hand them over to their elite magic users in the hope they could come up with a way to counteract them.

  Luka not only gave him the shackles, but a controller, which she taught him how to program.

  When Shona entered the room, Gareth expected there to be some hostility between the two women, but Luka just asked her, in Tippetian, if she had slept well.

  All too soon it was time to leave. Luka hugged Gareth tight and made him promise to take care of hi
mself. Then she hugged Shona and assured her that Kwin would find a way home and that their planned wedding would take place. She didn’t speak perfect Tippetian, but both Gareth and Shona understood what she was trying to say.

  She didn’t wave them goodbye, but Koal and Drake did.

  They rode slowly when they followed the roads, not wishing to draw attention to themselves, but urged their horses into a fast gallop whenever they went cross country.

  As soon as he spotted the flowers which signified the border was close, Gareth made Shona share his horse so he could shield them both. If anyone questioned them, he would say he thought the other horse was going lame so wanted to spare it until they reached the nearest city.

  He picked one of the flowers, putting a shield around himself before touching it. If the Tippetian magic users could find a way to counteract the effect of its pollen, there might be a way to rescue all of the slaves. He placed a shield around it and put it in one of the bags.

  The crossing into Tippet was uneventful. It would have gone unnoticed if the flowers, which were growing abundantly on the Wayvern side, hadn’t suddenly disappeared.

  They travelled for another hour before being accosted by soldiers. Gareth identified himself and introduced Lady Shona. A number of the soldiers recognised Gareth and all knew his name and reputation. One asked where Kwin was and Gareth told him the truth.

  Fresh horses were provided and some of the troop escorted Shona to her home, while others rode with Gareth to the king.

  The king’s guards strongly suggested that Gareth bathe as soon as they saw him, but upon hearing who he was and why he was there, they allowed him an audience with the king.

  Gareth bowed low as soon as he entered the suite the king was staying in. He was thankful that his Majesty had been visiting close to the border instead of being in the capital; Gareth had done enough travelling.

  Instead of telling him to rise, the king walked over to him, helped him to his feet and hugged him.

  “It is so good to see you Gareth. As the months passed, we began to give up hope. Did you complete your mission?”