by Bob Blink
“Sounded like a woman to me,” he said, but offered no further insights.
Another cry came from the room and to Jolan’s ear it sounded more like a young girl than an adult woman. Enough standing around. He walked over to the door and banged soundly on the surface causing heavy booms to echo in the hallway.
A moment of silence and then a heavy voice could be heard from inside, “Go away and mind yer own business.”
“Open up,” Jolan demanded. “We want to see what’s going on in there.”
“What’s the problem here?” asked innkeeper Aldom who had come up behind him unseen.
It took Jolan a minute to recognize the man, who was dressed in nightclothes and had only hastily thrown on a robe. “Someone screaming inside. I think it’s a young girl. Woke a lot of us up.”
Aldom looked uncertain. “We really don’t like to disturb guests. People’s private squabbles are considered their own business.”
Reluctantly he walked past Jolan and knocked a bit more quietly on the door. “This is the innkeeper,” he announced loudly enough that his voice should be intelligible through the barrier. “People have complained of some problem in there.”
“My daughter is misbehavin’,” explained the voice from inside. Its none of yer cursed business. Go away and leave us be.”
A general grumble filled the hallway and most of the watchers started making their way back to their respective rooms, apparently willing to accept the explanation even if they might not believe it.
“See,” Aldom said looking at Jolan. “It’s a family squabble. Nothing for us to get involved in.”
Jolan wasn’t that good interpreting body language, but even he could read the uneasiness in the innkeeper’s eyes. The man must know something Jolan didn’t; probably recalling the look of the man who had rented the room and suspected he wasn’t being entirely forthcoming with his true suspicions. Besides, Jolan didn’t think the scream he’d heard was that from an unruly child.
“I want to see what is going on in there,” he told the innkeeper firmly. “I think this is something else.”
“Perhaps I should get Dinal,” the innkeeper said uncertainly.
“Good idea,” Jolan agreed. “Where would he be this time of night?”
“Somewhere around the village making his rounds. It might take a while to find him.”
Jolan had moved closer to the door and had his ear up against the wood. He could tell that angry conversation was taking place, and then he heard what sounded like a sharp slap.
“That does it,” he muttered. “Open the God Damn door!” he yelled through the wood. He was only vaguely aware of the innkeeper hurrying away.
Nothing happened. Concerned, maddened, and only half wondering why he was getting involved in this matter, Jolan stepped back across the hallway and looked at the door. He knew he could never kick the door in, but he thought he knew a way in. Without having to strive very hard at all, his new skills seeming almost natural to him, he focused on the door. He could feel his mind seek the desired shaping of force, something that he still didn’t really understand or control in any conscious way, and he could actually sense himself tap the fields of force.
His skills were unpracticed and rough, and he wanted to be sure. As a result he drew far more of the power than necessary and pursued a solution that was brute force rather than finesse. One of the balls of force came to life a foot in front of him and blasted across the hallway, impacting the door and spreading instantaneously across the surface. Taking the shape of the door rather than simply blasting a foot-sized hole in it, the ball of force became a sheet that pulsed and glowed as it instantly blanketed the whole opening. Inch and a half-thick jingawood planks, interlocked and bound with stout metal bolts, and held in place with the thick wooden bar on the inside, were no match for the force Jolan unleashed. The door was blown inwards, shattering into pieces that shredded the interior wall opposite the door, and drove the remains of the door deep into the thick exterior wall of the inn on the far side of the room.
As Jolan stepped inside, he realized how careless he had been. Had anyone been behind the door, they would have been killed instantly. The shattered remains of the door would have cut them to pieces. This time, everyone had been well clear of the swath of destruction his uncontrolled bolt had unleashed. Off to the right he could see a middle-aged man, half dressed, holding onto the arm of an almost naked young girl who was struggling to break free.
His attention was focused on the only two individuals in the room and he didn’t see the third occupant who came at him from a small room to his left. The man was fitter and younger, with a variety of scars, and was coming quickly with a raised sword. Something triggered Jolan’s awareness, and he turned at the last second seeing the man rushing toward him. Seeing the danger he was in froze him momentarily, and he realized he would never be able to respond in time. An arrow appeared in the man’s sword hand just as he was about to strike, penetrating the hand and sticking into the hilt of the sword the man held. With a howl, he broke off the attack and stumbled against the remains of the inside wall holding the wounded limb.
Asari stepped into the room behind Jolan, another arrow already in place and ready. Jolan realized how close he’d come, and how stupid it had been to have proceeded without even bringing a weapon. His sword, which would have been useless to him, was lying on the floor of his room, but the Colt was hanging on the bed frame where it couldn’t do him any good either. He was used to brawls, not life and death altercations.
“Great shot,” he said to Asari, who smiled and nodded while continuing to watch the two men in the room.
“Let her go,” Jolan commanded, his voice making it abundantly clear how strongly he meant it.
The middle-aged man looked at the remains of the room and his wounded body-guard, and quickly released the hand of the girl, fearing to cross the angry wizard who confronted him. No one was foolish enough to risk the anger of one who could tap the power. The girl, realizing she was free to move, immediately ran across the room and hid behind Jolan.
Backing out of the room, the girl staying right with him, Jolan led them out into the hallway where he figured the girl would feel better, despite the lack of clothing. Asari followed, while continuing to watch the two men. Once they were across the hall where they could watch the shattered doorway against any attempt of the two men to leave, Jolan turned and looked at the girl. He’d been right. She wasn’t an adult. She was perhaps sixteen, more likely fifteen years old. Telling her to stay put, he hurried into the room, grabbed one of his shirts, and belatedly remembered the new pouch which held the pistol.
The shirt was far too big for the girl, but at least she was covered which seemed to help calm her.
“They kidnapped me,” she informed him meekly, eyes still teary and red from the abuse she’d been receiving earlier.
Before Jolan could make any response, he heard footsteps hurrying down the hall and recognized the innkeeper, Dinal, as well as another tough looking individual hurrying in their direction. Apparently Dinal had been easier to find than Innkeeper Aldom had implied.
“Dragons protect us!” the innkeeper swore seeing the damage to his inn.
Dinal’s eyes passed quickly over the damage, widening slightly as he realized the force that must have been used, but more concerned at the moment with the parties involved in the altercation. His eyes passed over Asari, Jolan and the girl, and turned to the men still inside the room. “Yours?” he asked Asari, noting the arrow through the hand of the man curled on the floor near the door.
Asari nodded, but said nothing.
“You people have no right,” the middle age man blustered. “How dare ya interfere with a man and his daughter.” It was pretty clear he was trying the argument on for effect, but Dinal turned toward the girl who quickly shook her head indicating it wasn’t so.
Dinal walked over to the man on the floor, reached down and efficiently stripped the fletching from the arrow, and
without another thought pulled it the rest of the way through freeing the man’s hand. The moan that escaped the man’s lips didn’t seem to touch Dinal at all, and he motioned for the tough looking man that had come with him to take the man away. Dinal walked over to Asari while working the arrow free of the sword handle, and handed him the bloody shaft.
“Fine shot,” he said, then hesitated. “I cannot believe you are traveling with a wizard given how you feel about them,” Dinal finally remarked. “I also cannot believe you didn’t tell me about him.”
“He’s not a wizard,” Asari explained, jumping to Jolan’s defense. “He’s a mage.”
“Huh-Uh,” Dinal disagreed. “Mages don’t go using the power for force. It’s against their code. They use it to heal, to build, and always subtly. This is not the work of a mage.”
“He’s new,” Asari explained. “He just learned he has the talent, and that’s why he needs to get to the Mage’s Council in Angon.”
Dinal’s eyes stared into Asari for a long time. “We both know it doesn’t work that way. A man would know of his ability when he was just a lad. There’s more here you aren’t telling me. Now’s not the place,” he said looking outside the door of the damaged room at the crowd that had started to gather. “In the morning, first thing, in my office.”
Dinal looked at Asari until he was sure his order was understood, then turned his eyes to Jolan. He held Jolan’s gaze for a moment, long enough to establish he wasn’t cowed by Jolan’s power, even though anyone who could harness such power and wasn’t above using it would be hard to constrain. Finally, Dinal walked into the room, boots crunching on pieces of the destroyed door and grabbed the middle-aged man’s shoulder and directed him out into the hall.
“You too missy,” he said to the girl who was still trying to hide behind Jolan.
She shook her head, but Dinal was adamant. “These men won’t be bothering you. I have some questions for you. We will figure out what to do with you in the morning.”
Reluctantly, she broke free of Jolan’s shielding body, and looking at Jolan who nodded encouragingly, made her way over to the constable.
Dinal gave the two men another quick look. “First thing,” he said, then turned and marched his prisoner down the hall, the girl following meekly behind.
“You destroyed my inn,” Aldom said, now that the danger had passed.
Jolan felt he was being unfairly blamed, but was smart enough to know there was only one way this was going to end up.
“How much?” he asked reluctantly.
Surprised that he wasn’t going to have to argue about responsibility, Aldom mellowed a bit. After walking through the room briefly and considering the damage, he named a figure.
“Six silvers,” Jolan raged after he and Asari had returned to their room. “The man took advantage of the situation.”
“Split, fitted, and hand smoothed jingawood doesn’t come cheap, Asari tried to console him.
Jolan looked at his friend as if he would accuse him of taking the wrong side. Before he could comment Asari observed.
“That was not wise Jolan. What in the name of the Dragons possessed you to unleash such power. I didn’t even realize your ability was near so great.”
“I didn’t know it would do that. I was really mad, and was only thinking of getting through the door. What’s the big deal. The man is a kidnapper and rapist. Why’s everyone so upset,” he finished confused, realizing that essentially everyone was upset with him.
“Trailways is uncomfortably close to Ale’ald, and more than a few wizards pass through here, most openly. With the increased tension between Ale’ald and Kimleln, people are anticipating another war. Besides, Dinal is right. Only wizards use the power in such a way. The true mages have forbidden such use of the power. People will hear of this and they will wonder who you serve.”
“Nuts!” observed Jolan.
“It would have been far better if we could have quietly slipped away without anyone being aware of your abilities. I don’t know what this might mean for us.”
Jolan realized that far more was at stake than the fate of a single young girl. Gaea was a far harsher place than his home in Boulder, especially here in the wilderness. Still, how could he be expected to ignore such a thing? Despite any problems, he knew he’d do the same thing again, but perhaps with a bit less force?
“Where’s your girl?” Jolan asked his friend, belatedly realizing the boy was supposed to be off in the throes of passion.
“I was on the way back when this happened. I needed to get away if you want me able to leave in the morning.”
Jolan was about to tease the boy about failing stamina when he changed his mind. He’d been stupid, and if Asari hadn’t happened along when he had, the second man could well have killed him. He needed to start paying attention and realize where he was. From now on, as inept as he might be with them, some weapon would be at his side at all times. He wasn’t skilled enough in the power to be able to count on it, despite the impressive show he’d just put on.
“I haven’t thanked you,” Jolan said belatedly. “Once again you saved my ass.”
Asari nodded as he set down the bow and rubbing his eyes made his way to the bed. “Dinal will be expecting us right after breakfast. Don’t count on an early start tomorrow.”
* * * *
Dinal was still uncomfortable with Jolan, but had mellowed a bit and had clearly spent the night interrogating his prisoners as well as talking to the girl, who was sleeping soundly at the moment in one of the cells off to the side.
“I’m convinced it’s just as the girl said. The two of ‘em kidnapped her from her folk’s caravan a few days back. The old one is a small time merchant and checked into the inn alone. Aldom admitted he wondered why the man wanted a suite with a couple of rooms, but the coin had been good so why question. The tough looking one is his guard, and he snuck the girl up to the room where the merchant raped her. They had drugged her to keep her docile, but apparently screwed that up as well, and the girl recovered enough to go ballistic when the old one was going to give her over to the guard.”
“What happens now?” Jolan asked.
“I’ll need to talk to some of the other folks at the inn, but it’s clear what I’ll learn. That means these two will get the usual punishment, and that’ll settle it.”
“What’s the ‘usual’ punishment?”
“Don’t worry. It’ll ensure neither of them will be bothering young girls anymore.”
“What about the girl?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I haven’t time to watch over her, and this isn’t a fit place for her, especially with those two in residence to remind her. The sooner she can get back with kin, the better off she’ll be. They are supposed to be only a few days down the road toward Angon, headed this way. Since you two are headed that way anyway, I was thinking you could take her along and when you meet up with her kin you could explain what happened. It would take a load off their minds that much sooner as well, seeing their girl was still alive. They must think her raped and killed by now.”
Jolan had been about to object when he noticed a pair of sorrowful eyes looking his way over the top of a blanket from the small room across the way. Well, they’d told Dinal they were headed that way, and now probably wasn’t the time to correct the misrepresentation.
“One good thing in all this,” Dinal observed dryly.
“What’s that?” Jolan asked, his mind still on how they were going to manage the girl.
“Soon as this story gets out, and it will, the fact you damn near destroyed the inn with a bit of the power will be discouraging to any of those who might be thinking about all that gold you could have.”
* * * *
It had taken a while to get everything in order so they could start out on time. The girl really needed a bath, and then some clothes. She promised her dad would pay Jolan back, but how could he even think of asking the man for a few paltry cerns at a time like this? Then s
he needed transportation. Dinal had an old pony he lent them, telling her she could return it when she came back with her family. This was fortunate because their pack horse would have been severely challenged to haul their baggage and her as well.
Yashy, as she was called, was finally equipped and ready to go shortly after noon. She still looked a bit depressed and forlorn, but the thought of heading back up the road towards her family had brightened her spirits considerably. She also seemed to be far more reassured with Jolan close at hand.
With Asari in the lead, followed by Yashy on her pony, and then Jolan with the pack horse, the small group headed out of town as a number of people watched and pointed. No quiet exit as planned, and who knew how far they would have to back track after handing over the girl to pick up Asari’s back trail over to the road to Seret.
Less than a half mile out of the village, any sign that civilization was nearby quickly vanished. Despite the fact they were still deep in the rugged mountains, the trail this direction was fairly smooth, although before long rugged peaks closed in from either side as they made their way down a narrow patch of ground between the adjacent ranges. Large slabs of gray rock peeked through the ground reminding Jolan of ice-bergs, with their far greater mass hidden below the surface. The pine-like trees were thin here, the way being framed mostly by grasses and smaller bushes, with lots of colorful birds hopping from bush to bush as they passed. The afternoon sun was quite hot, and Jolan was glad for the wide brimmed hat Asari had insisted on, no matter how silly he felt he looked wearing it.
Chapter 18
They’d passed Asari’s secret turn-off, which had looked to Jolan like nothing more than a dried up section of the small creek that had paralleled their path for the past couple of miles. They continued on toward Angon, each step reminding them they were headed away from their true goal. The trail finally opened up as the two ranges of mountains split further apart, and now he could see where the path broke out into the open a mile or so ahead and stayed visible for many miles. Jolan guessed he could see at least ten miles, the cut between the mountains almost arrow straight. The road from their current location was mostly downward, sometimes dropping swiftly and other times shedding elevation slowly as the path snaked through the valleys and ravines. In the middle distance, he could see specks of movement, small groups moving toward or away from them as other travelers continued their own journeys through the wilderness.