Quest's End: The Broken Key #3

by Brian S. Pratt

  When an hour passed and Seth still hadn’t returned, they grew worried. But Soth put them at ease. “If his job was to find horses, he wouldn’t return until he had,” he explained. “Besides, he has the other ring. If you’re worried, contact him.”

  Bart glanced to Kevik. “What do you think?” he asked.

  Kevik shrugged. “Do it at the wrong time and it may distract Seth at a bad moment, possibly fatally,” he said. “It would be best to continue on as we have until he contacts us.”

  “Fatally?” asked Riyan.

  “Yes,” answered Kevik. “Imagine you’re in the midst of a sword battle, then all of a sudden you were unable to concentrate. What’s going to happen?”

  “I’d get killed,” he replied.

  “Exactly,” confirmed Kevik. “That’s why I take the ring off if there’s a chance I’ll be disturbed at an inopportune moment, such as performing magic.”

  An hour later, riders appeared on the road behind them.

  “We’ve got trouble,” Chyfe announced as two dozen riders thundered toward them.

  Bart immediately kicked the sides of his horse and broke into a gallop.

  “We’ll never out run them,” stated Chad as he raced alongside. Riding double as they were, their horses could not maintain this speed for long.

  “Can you do anything?” Riyan asked Kevik. That’s when he realized the magic user had fallen asleep. Shaking him, Riyan hollered, “Wake up!”

  “Huh?” mumbled Kevik as he awoke.

  “Riders coming fast,” Riyan explained. “Can you do anything?”

  “I think so,” he said. “Stop the horse.”

  “But,” argued Riyan.

  “I can’t concentrate on a galloping horse,” Kevik explained. “At least not in the condition I’m in.” Though still in a fatigued fog, he felt he could manage to cast a spell or two.

  Riyan brought the horse to a halt and turned so Kevik could face the oncoming horsemen. The others brought their horses to a halt and came to stand behind Riyan and Kevik.

  Slipping from the horse, Kevik leaned upon his staff as he made ready.

  “They’re slowing down,” Chyfe stated.

  Indeed, the riders slowed when they realized their prey was no longer fleeing. Riding in the fore was the armored man from the stockade whom they believed to be the leader. As Kevik began speaking arcane words, two groups of five split off from the main force. Moving to the right and left, the leader was dividing his forces so Kevik’s magic wouldn’t affect all of them simultaneously.

  When Kevik finished speaking, a yellowish cloud appeared in the road between them and the main group containing the armored leader. He then took up his staff and cast his wind spell, blowing the sleep inducing cloud toward the leader’s group. As the cloud rolled furiously forward, he and his men turned and fled. Four weren’t quick enough and were enveloped. A horses’ brief cry was heard as the riders and their steeds succumbed to the vaporous cloud and crashed to the ground.

  “Need to take out more than that,” observed Bart. He had a single dart in hand. It was one of five still in his possession. His other hand gripped the knife found beneath the Ruins of Algoth. Dismounting, he let Chyfe have the horse for he’d be better in a fight without it.

  More words of magic issued forth as Kevik targeted the group flanking their right. Having moved at a narrower angle to their position than the group to the left, they were now the closest. When he spoke the last word, another vaporous cloud appeared dead center among the riders. Being among the vapors, they succumbed quickly.

  “Was that better?” commented Kevik with a glance to Bart.

  “Oh yeah,” he replied with a nod.

  The remaining flanking group had disappeared behind a hill to their left while the one with the leader had come to a stop. Three of the leader’s men dismounted from their horses and began stringing bows. The leader and six others remained mounted.

  “Kevik,” Chad warned.

  Glancing to the bowmen, Kevik said, “I see them.” Then his vision began to blur and his balance grew precarious. Staggering, he held onto his staff as his legs threatened to give out.

  Riyan was the first to notice. Dismounting quickly, he moved to his side and snaked an arm around his back for support. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Kevik only shook his head. While he took slow, deep breaths to relax and hopefully bring himself back to serviceable condition, the bowmen put string to bow and fired.

  “Arrows!” Soth cried and everyone looked skyward at the oncoming missiles.

  “Watch it,” warned Bart. Then as the arrows came to land, they easily dodged out of their way. No sooner had the first three hit the ground, than a second volley was on its way. Again, they looked to the sky to make sure the deadly projectiles would not find an easy mark.

  Chad swung down from his horse and came to Riyan’s side. “Use your sling,” he said to his friend. “As long as Kevik isn’t able to function, your sling is the only missile weapon we have!”

  Nodding, Riyan relinquished Kevik into Chad’s care and removed the sling from his pack. Just as he was picking three suitable stones off the ground, the flanking group from the left reappeared from around a copse of trees at their rear. They’d been flanked! Racing at breakneck speed, they charged.

  With stone in the sling’s cup, Riyan whirled it over his head and released. The stone flew true and struck the lead horse in the chest, knocking it to the ground. As it fell, it entangled two others, bringing them down as well.

  Riyan quickly put another stone to sling and launched it at the first of the remaining two. This time, the stone grazed the side of the lead horse causing it to stumble, but it didn’t go down.

  “Yeah!” cried Chyfe as he drew his sword to meet the oncoming riders. With reins in one hand and sword in the other, he kicked his horse and charged.

  Bart threw his dart and struck the lead rider in the shoulder just as Chad yelled, “Arrows!”

  Another flight had just finished topping its arc in the air above and was headed straight for them. Bart saw one coming for him and narrowly dodged in time to avoid it.

  “Come on Kevik!” Riyan urged the magic user. He loosed another stone in a rush and the missile flew wide.

  “I got nothing left,” Kevik said as he tried to hold onto consciousness.

  “Can you stand?” Riyan asked. When Kevik nodded, he swung back into the saddle and drew his sword. To Chad he hollered, “Watch him!” then raced to join Chyfe.

  Only one rider was left of the five that had flanked them. The one struck by Bart’s dart had already fallen from his horse, the dart’s poison having incapacitated him. When the remaining rider realized he was alone, he turned and fled.

  “No you don’t!” screamed Chyfe. Flying across the ground, he closed the distance fast with the fleeing rider. Before the rider had a chance to get back up to speed, Chyfe was upon him.

  Caught up in the thrill of battle, Chyfe yelled inarticulately as he attacked with his sword. The rider tried to avoid the blow but was caught in the shoulder. Such was the force of Chyfe’s blow that it severed the man’s arm from his body. Shrieking in pain, the man was unable to stay ahorse and fell.

  Chyfe took hold of the reins and brought the charging, riderless horse under control. “Easy boy,” he said as he reduced speed.

  Riyan, having seen Chyfe take out the rider, turned his attention to the leader and his men. Still ten altogether, and with three bearing bows, they had the superior force. But so far, the leader had been content to remain at a distance and rain arrows down upon them. Riyan knew however, that if the leader were to learn of Kevik’s inability to perform magic, he would charge.

  “Arrows!” Chad yelled, alerting the others to another incoming flight. With only three to avoid, it was easy to move out of their way. They were more of an annoyance than any real threat, unless Bart and the others grew careless.

  Riyan came to where Chad stood with Kevik. “Is he alright?” he asked
his life long friend.

  Chad shook his head. “He’s worn out,” he explained.

  Kevik glanced to Riyan and said apologetically, “Sorry.”

  Giving a reassuring grin and pat on the back to the magic user, Riyan said, “You’ve done more than I would have thought possible. You are a great magic user.”

  Returning his smile, Kevik nodded.

  Chyfe joined the group with the additional horse. The horse of the rider felled by Bart’s dart had run off much to Chyfe’s annoyance. They could have used that horse!

  Bart was back where Riyan’s stone had ultimately caused three horses to fall. One of the men had been mobile, but now lay dead with a dart puncturing his leg. The other two riders were also out of commission. One had a broken leg while the other had been crushed beneath the weight of a horse. Bart had used his knife to silence the man with the broken leg.

  After collecting his darts and cleaning them off, he returned to the others. Glancing down the road where the leader still sat, he said, “Wonder what he plans to do?”

  “Good question,” replied Chyfe. “Even with the extra horse, we’d still be unable to outrun them.”

  “Why aren’t they attacking?” asked Soth.

  Bart gestured to Kevik. “As long as they believe we have a combat ready magic user, they aren’t likely to risk a confrontation.” Glancing to Chad, he added, “No matter what, don’t let him collapse.”

  “Don’t worry,” replied Kevik, “I don’t think I will.”

  Another flight of arrows was launched then the bowmen quit. “You know,” Chad said after that last flight of arrows hit the ground, “they could be waiting for reinforcements to arrive.”

  “From where?” asked Soth.

  Chad shrugged. “Who knows? But it’s a possibility.”

  “Yes,” agreed Bart, “it is.” After another glance to the leader and his men, Bart said, “Mount up.”

  “But we can’t outrun them,” argued Soth.

  “True,” replied Bart as he turned toward Soth. “But the longer we can hold off a confrontation, the more likely we’ll have Kevik’s aid when it happens.” Then he pointed off toward where the five riders were still enveloped by the yellow cloud. “Once that wears off, they may try something. Hopefully they won’t follow as long as their comrades are incapacitated.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that,” argued Riyan.

  “Either way, staying here won’t improve our situation,” Bart said. Taking hold of the saddle’s pommel, he swung himself up. “Riyan, you take Kevik again. Chad, you and Soth double up.”

  He glanced back at the leader, and it didn’t look as if he was planning to follow. When Bart got underway, the leader remained where he was. His men edged forward, but the leader didn’t move. When the road finally curved around a hill and the leader fell out of sight, Bart wondered just what his game was going to be? Assuredly he wouldn’t simply allow them to get away?

  Moving fast, they put as much distance between them and the leader’s force as they could. After a half hour’s travel, Bart had Chyfe ride to the top of a tall nearby hill to see what may be developing behind them.

  On his return, he said, “Couldn’t see them.”

  “Maybe they’re not following,” suggested Soth hopefully.

  “I wouldn’t bet on that,” argued Bart. “He may be seeing to his men first. But rest assured, he’ll be coming.”

  As they rode, each kept glancing over their shoulder, fully expecting to see pursuit developing. But so far, they were alone on the rutted path. Some time during the mid afternoon, Seth reappeared.

  “Found some horses,” he said. Glancing to the others, his gaze finally came to rest on the additional mount. “Something happen?” he asked.

  “You could say that,” his brother said.

  Bart waved away the question. “We may have upwards to a dozen men following and could be attacked at any time,” he explained. “Where did you find the horses?”

  Gesturing to where the path wound through the hills behind him, he said, “There’s a small community not more than a couple miles down the road. Just three farmsteads within visual distance of each other. One had a corral with two horses. I’m sure there could be more at the other farmsteads.”

  “Two are all we need,” said Bart.

  “How do you plan to get them?” asked Riyan. “It’s broad daylight.”

  “Simple,” he replied. “We go and take them.”

  “But that’s stealing!” objected Soth.

  “So it is,” agreed Bart. “But it’s that or take the chance we might be overtaken and die. With Kevik out of commission, they have us woefully outnumbered.”

  Soth didn’t like being a horse thief, but he understood Bart’s point.

  Riyan rode up beside Soth and said, “We still have some coins. Perhaps we could try to buy them first.”

  “Yes,” agreed Soth. “Let’s do that.”

  Bart rolled his eyes, an indication of his annoyance that wasn’t lost on Riyan. “Come on,” he said. “The quicker we get there, the better” Then to Seth he said, “You take the lead.”

  “You got it,” replied Seth. Turning his horse about, he led them back the way he came. A mile further down, the path crested a hill and they saw the three farmsteads laid out in a small valley. The path they were following passed within a hundred yards of the nearest. And it was that one which had the horses.

  Two men were in separate fields plowing, readying the ground for the spring’s sowing. Kids were seen working at various chores at two of the farmsteads. The third one looked vacant.

  A couple farmers were all they had to deal with, which made Bart happy. With Seth still in the lead, they followed the path until it neared the farmstead with the horses. There, they turned off the path and headed for the horses.

  Kevik awoke about that time, still feeling greatly fatigued, but at least no longer was in imminent danger of passing out. Riyan apprised him of their intention to acquire two more horses.

  As they approached, two boys quickly took notice of them and one began yelling as he raced toward the nearest man plowing his field. It didn’t take long before the man was made aware of the approaching riders. Disengaging from the plow, he met the boy racing toward him. A second later, the boy took off across the field to where the other man was plowing.

  Seth kept his horse at a normal gait while they approached the farmer’s home, as he didn’t want to alarm them. By the time he neared the front of the house, a woman stood in the doorway with the other boy standing next to her. A moment later, the farmer arrived.

  “Greetings, good farmer,” Seth said in his most genial manner.

  “Greetings,” replied the farmer, uncertainty and a touch a fear in his voice. The fact that he and his family faced six armed men and a magic user was not lost on him. “How can we be of help to you sirs?”

  “We need the two horses you have in your corral,” Seth stated.

  “No!” cried the boy by his mother. “You can’t have them!”

  “Silence!” the farmer yelled. Turning to the boy’s mother, he said, “Take him inside.” When she hesitated, he shouted, “Now!”

  With fear and worry for her man etched across her face, the woman took hold of the boy’s arm and dragged him inside. The boy’s objections could be heard even after the door closed behind them.

  Turning back to the men before him, the farmer said, “But sirs, we need those horses to survive.”

  “Irregardless,” Seth said. “Our need is greater.”

  Riyan could see the strength to object leave the man as he knew it wasn’t in his power to oppose them. Reaching into his money pouch, he removed two gold coins. Riding forward, he said, “Here.” Holding out the coins, he crossed to the farmer. “For your trouble.”

  The farmer’s eyes lit up at the sight of the gold in Riyan’s hand. “Thank you sir,” he said. Soth added another which did much to assuage his guilt at taking the horses. Three golds were nowhere near a
n even exchange, but it was better than leaving the man with nothing.

  Bart, Chad, and Soth dismounted and went to the corral. “I trust you have saddles for the horses?” Bart asked the farmer.

  Nodding, he said, “They’re in the barn.”

  Bart indicated for Soth and Chad to retrieve the saddles. From the corner of his eye, he saw a small, tear stained face peering at him from one of the home’s windows. Never had he felt such misgivings about stealing as he did right now.

  Once Chad and Soth returned with the saddles and had secured them to the horses, Bart turned to the farmer. “I hope you will not find yourself in too great a need because of us,” he stated.

  With nothing else he could say, the farmer replied, “We’ll get by.”

  Bart returned to his horse and mounted. Riyan mounted one of the farmer’s horses as did Chad. With everyone now having their own horse, and Kevik having had sufficient rest to be able to remain awake while they rode, Bart turned his horse back to the path and quickly left the farmer behind.

  After they had returned to the road and moved down it a ways, Chad asked, “Does it always feel this way?”

  “What?” asked Bart.

  “Stealing,” he explained. “Does it always make you feel dirty and wrong?”

  Bart shook his head. “No. How you feel about taking from others depends in part on who you steal from. A rich merchant or a lord would hardly notice the theft of a few coins and valuables. But to people like that farmer, losing two horses could mean years of hardship before recovering.”

  “Of course,” continued Bart, “there are some out there who have no conscious of any kind. They’re the ones who give thieves a bad name.”

  “Stealing is wrong,” Soth stated. “No matter how you rationalize it.”

  “Is feeding a baby on the verge of starving to death wrong?” asked Bart. “That’s how most people get started, out of necessity. Unfortunately, once you’re in it, there’s a certain allure to easy money and the excitement of fleecing the mark that’s hard to shake.”

  “Was that how you got started?” Seth asked.

  Bart laughed. “Hardly.” How could he explain that he was raised by a thief, and that everyone he knew growing up was a thief? No, it wasn’t necessity that had brought him into this life.