There were no buildings on the shore side of the road. The great lake rose a bit during the year and anything on its banks ran the risk of being flooded. Prudently, the Dioscrians had built on higher ground. D’Molay headed uphill toward a small group of shops.
“Aavi, do you think you could ride a horse?” As soon as he asked the question, he realized it was a bad idea. Did he really want her on a horse? If it spooked and ran off, she wouldn’t know how stop it. She might just fall off.
“I don’t know. If I ever knew how to ride one, I don’t remember,” she admitted.
“All right, never mind then. We’ll either get a cart or ride together. I think we’ll have to buy a horse. I doubt we’ll be returning here any time soon, so renting is not really an option like it is in the City.”
Making their way along the main road, they stopped at a canvas covered market stall to buy fruits and vegetables for their travel across the Olympian Realm.
“Two silvers, thank you,” said an olive-skinned woman in her mid-thirties who was in charge of the stall. Her sari and bindi told D’Molay she was from the Hindu realm. D’Molay recalled the bindi mark on her forehead meant she was married.
He rummaged through the coin bag tied on his belt and pulled out a coin. “I only have a five silver piece. Can you make change?”
“Of course sir.” As she turned to get it, D’Molay decided that now would be a good time to ask a question or two.
“Is there a transport business here, like a horse trader or cart seller?”
The woman turned back and handed him the change. “The blacksmith may have horses to sell, but if not, my brother comes through here every day on his route to Helena. He delivers goods to market stalls in the area, but he does take passengers as well if there is room.”
D’Molay put the coins back in his pouch as he listened. “When he will be by here again?”
“Usually he comes by around noon, so perhaps a couple of hours.” Her voice faded off, making D’Molay think she wasn’t too certain about when he might actually arrive.
“All right. We may come back later,” he said, putting the newly bought items into their knapsack.
As all this went on, Aavi couldn’t help but stare at the woman in the market stall. She could see her inner glow. It was the warm yellow that often showed around a person with goodness in them. What really caught her attention was how much the woman reminded her of her slave friend Es-huh. She missed her and wondered if she was all right. Then she began to think about others she had come to know: Namtar, Mazu, even Kafele, whom she had counted as a friend until his betrayal. Just then, D’Molay tapped her on the shoulder.
“We’re done here. Let’s go to the blacksmith’s next.”
Aavi came out of her own thoughts and turned to follow him. “Sorry. I was just thinking about Mazu and Es-Huh.” After a few steps, she told him something else. “That woman’s inner glow seemed honest. I don’t think she had any evil intent. I thought you’d want to know.”
They continued along the street until they reached the end of the village, where they veered to the left, turning at a sign with a horseshoe and an arrow painted on it. Standing back from the road was a large wooden stable with a small house attached to one end. They walked up the path to it, passing by a horse in a fenced corral, its leg in a splint. D’Molay put his hand on Aavi’s shoulder and gave her a friendly squeeze as they heard the sound of steady hammering on metal. “It sounds like the smith’s here. Let’s hope he has a horse for sale.”
Entering the slant-roofed stable, they were engulfed in the smell of hay and horse dung, mixed with a metallic oily scent that D’Molay recognized as being from the tools of ironworking. Aavi winced a little. “It smells funny in here.”
D’Molay smiled, “You’ll get used to it.”
The hammering abruptly stopped and a strong yet somewhat feminine voice boomed out. “Sorry the smell of the horses doesn’t suit you - what do you want?” From behind the large brick hearth, a tall, dark-haired woman holding a hammer emerged. D’Molay was a bit surprised to see a female blacksmith, but in his many years traveling the realms he had met many strong, powerful women, including goddesses, valkyries, witches and Amazons. This woman wore a brown leather apron with pockets in the front over a white linen short-sleeved tunic, which went down to mid thigh and ended above buckskin leggings with matching leather boots. Despite the fact that she was probably over six feet tall, she had a stocky build, all muscle. “I’m Sophia, the smith, along with a few other things. Do you need your mount shod or your weapons fixed?” She looked past D’Molay and Aavi expecting to see a horse or a pile of armor.
“Actually, we’re looking to buy a horse. Do you have any for sale?” D’Molay asked, glancing at some other animals in a nearby pen. Sophia put the hammer down on the table in front of the forge and approached them. As she drew nearer, D’Molay noticed that she was missing her right breast, which confirmed she was an Amazon, or at least she had been when she was younger. Her warrior caste would often remove a breast to better improve their archery skills. They felt they could shoot faster and with more accuracy without their breast getting in the way. Her answer interrupted further thoughts on the subject.
“Hah - you and everyone else. I had five horses yesterday, but I sold them all to some Mayans.”
Aavi and D’Molay couldn’t help but exchange shocked looks with each other. He quickly recovered his demeanor. “Mayans, eh? Don’t see many of them in the Olympian Realm,” he said casually, hoping the Amazon might share more information.
She shrugged. “I’ve only ever seen Mayans in the City, never out this way. I suppose they have the same right to travel the realms as anyone.” She picked up a cloth from the table and wiped her brow and hands. “Look, every day or so, someone comes here to sell me a horse, so if you want to wait, one might turn up. So unless you want some armor or arrows, I should get back to my work.” She tossed the cloth back down on the table and folded her arms.
“Do you sell bows as well?”
“Sure, come into my workshop.” Sophia turned around and walked towards a wooden door that connected to the smaller building.
Aavi had said nothing while the woman talked. As soon as the Mayans had been mentioned, though, she tried to see this woman’s inner glow. But she was having no luck this time. Sometimes, it seemed the more she tried to use her power, the less it worked. Aavi gave up her effort, following D’Molay and Sophia to the door. They entered a small room with fletching equipment and other tools spread out on a large wooden table. On one wall a dozen bows of different sizes and types hung. Hundreds of arrows in leather quivers were lined up against the same wall. In a corner was an open wooden crate filled with feathers of various types and sizes. To the left was another door.
“I’m a fletcher when things are slow. In a town this size, it helps to have more than one skill to offer. How good are you with a bow? What about your companion there? Does she need one too?”
Aavi cringed a little at being pointed out. “I - I’ve never even seen one of these before,” she replied. She decided not to ask what bows were for to avoid looking even more foolish.
“Never seen a bow? How can that be?”
“She’s lived a very sheltered life until just recently.” D’Molay didn’t really want to reveal any more than necessary. He had not even told Sophia their names, and fortunately, she hadn’t bothered to ask. “As for me, I’m adequate with a bow though I’m sure you could best me.”
Much to his relief, Sophia stopped looking at Aavi and took an appraising look at D’Molay himself. She turned and took three medium sized bows from the wall and held each one up to him as if she were holding up a shirt to see if it were too long or too short. After trying all three against D’Molay, she handed him the middle-sized one. “Let’s try this one. It looks about right for you.”
He took the bow from her and held it in his open hand. It swung slightly back and forth but remained steady in his palm. “Nicely ba
lanced.”
“You’ll need to shoot a few arrows to see if it’s really right for you. This way.” Sophia tucked another bow under her arm and picked up a quiver of arrows as she made for the other door. They followed her through and stepped down to an outside shooting area that Sophia had set up for her customers. It was surrounded on three sides by an eight foot tall wooden fence which connected to the house. There was a gate in the fence to the right. Against the wall furthest from the house, about fifty feet away, were three stacks of hay about seven feet tall. Each haystack had a round, one and a half foot wooden disk mounted on it about eye level with a human head outline in the center. A few stray arrows were stuck in the fence and more lay on the ground near the barrier. All three targets had plenty of holes in them from practice shots, but those arrows had all been removed.
“This is where I test my bows, though I get most of my practice in the woods hunting venison or pheasant. Step up to the line there and see how this bow feels to you.” Sophia pointed at a mark in the moist ground.
“Nice set up you have here,” D’Molay said as he approached the line, which was in fact a thin flat piece of wood that had been pushed level into the mud. Sophia handed him an arrow as he took a shooting stance and pulled on the bow string to see how tight it was.
Aavi stood in the open doorway, her hands poised on either side of the doorframe. She was still uncertain what they were about to do. The arrows with their feathers and sharp points looked like little knives. She wondered if they were going to throw them. Reflexively, she gripped the doorframe tighter as the vision of D’Molay throwing a knife at the Mayan flashed through her mind.
“C-can I go inside?”
“No, girl. I don’t want you alone in my workshop. Just sit down on the step and close that door,” Sophia ordered before D’Molay could even get a word out of his mouth. He nodded his encouragement to Aavi, watching as she did what Sophia had asked.
D’Molay and Sophia paid Aavi scant attention once they began the testing. “Aim for the center head.” She pointed at the middle target.
He drew the bowstring back and brought the bow close to his face as he aligned his view with the length of the arrow. He took aim and let loose the arrow which whizzed across the short distance, almost instantly appearing in the center haystack. Aavi let out a gasp. It had happened so fast that she hadn’t even seen the arrow move through the air. One second, D’Molay was holding it in the bow, and the next, it was sticking out of the hay. “How did you do that?” she exclaimed, greatly impressed by what she had just seen.
He looked over his shoulder at Aavi as he smiled. “I’ll show you how it works later.”
Sophia scoffed a little. “You missed. Here, try this one.” She held out the other bow which was a bit smaller then the first.
He passed her the first bow and took the other. “All right, but I am a bit rusty. That first bow actually felt pretty good. But I’ll give this one a try.” He notched another arrow into the new bow and took aim. Like the first, this arrow zipped across the distance, but this time it struck the target.
“Better. At least you hit the target. How did it feel?” Sophia asked him.
“Pretty good, but a little constricted. Let me try the first one again.” Sophia handed the original bow back to D’Molay. This time he concentrated and slowed his breathing before pulling back on the bowstring and letting loose. The arrow struck the target near the center.
“That was much better. You still didn’t get dead center, but you did well. For a male,” Sophia added with a slight smile.
“Thanks, this one has a good feel. I’ll take it. How much will it be for the bow and a quiver full of arrows?”
“250 silver for the set. By the way, I think you put too much weight on your front foot. Try to keep your weight balanced. It will make your aim true. Men always have trouble balancing,” Sophia instructed as she started to walk back to the door that led into the workroom.
Seeing her approaching, Aavi quickly stood up. Her hood came off and her golden hair spilled out around her shoulders. As Sophia drew near, she got her first chance to really take a good look at Aavi.
“My. You are a lovely lass. Like a young deer in a forest glade, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Aavi blushed, more from the fact that she had let her hood fall off than from anything Sophia had said. “No. . . thank you. I don’t mind, I guess.” Then for just a second, Aavi thought she saw something in Sophia’s face that reminded her of the odd way that the men in the slave den had looked at her.
Sophia put her large hands on each side of Aavi’s upper arms and then gently moved her aside. “We’re going in now, Pretty.” Sophia winked at her, then opened the door and walked through.
Aavi stood by the side of the door, slightly taken aback. D’Molay came up and saw that she had an odd look on her face. “You all right?”
“Umm, yes. I . . . yes.” she stammered.
D’Molay patted her on the shoulder. “Sorry, I should have warned you about the arrows. They move very fast. Come on.” He entered the workshop carrying the bow he had chosen and the half empty quiver of arrows. Aavi followed closely behind and closed the door, not certain what had just transpired.
Inside, Sophia had already grabbed a full quiver and presented it to D’Molay. “At least thirty arrows in there. That should do you.”
As he got his coin bag out, he remembered to ask Sophia another question. “By the way, do you know anything about the Sorceress Circe? Someone told me she lives around here.”
“Circe? I haven’t heard her name in years. Her father is Helios. He still rules over this region. He has a palace in Lake Perse on the other side of the mountains. If anyone has heard about Circe, it’ll be someone in those parts.” Sophia gave D’Molay a word of warning. “I’d be very careful about who you ask. They protect their kin well.”
“Thanks for the information. Here’s two hundred and seventy silver. The extra twenty is for your trouble.” He smiled at Sophia.
“You needn’t have done that, but things have been slow, at least until yesterday.” She took the money. “So, will I ever know your names?” she asked.
D’Molay paused a second, weighing the risk. “For now, Sophia, no. I hope you’ll understand.” He was sorely tempted to tell her, but resisted the urge as he picked up the quiver and handed the bow to Aavi to carry.
“Well then, take care of the pretty one and remember what I told you about staying balanced.” She returned to her table and picked up her hammer.
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll try to remember.” D’Molay waved a hand over his shoulder as they walked out of the stable. Before they had gotten too far, D’Molay stopped by an old wooden barrel and bent down to pick something up.
“What’s that?” Aavi asked as he held up the metal object.
“It’s a horseshoe that’s never been used. See the crack in the metal?” He pointed to a crack that ran down one side of the ‘U’ shaped object, right through the holes that had been placed there.
“Oh, I see. Is that important?” Aavi didn’t really see at all, and had no idea why a shoe for a horse would be of any interest to either of them, since they didn’t even have a horse to ride, let alone to put shoes on.
“Sophia made this shoe. The round edges at the ends make it look different from many other horseshoes. She also sold five horses to the Mayans. Odds are at least some of those horses are wearing shoes just like this one. We might be able to track them by looking for the hoof prints, if we can find their trail.” D’Molay took the shoe and put it in their knapsack.
“Now I understand! That’s clever, D’Molay.” She smiled at him with admiration. Then worry passed over her as she thought about why the horseshoe was important. “The Mayans are here to get us, aren’t they?”
D’Molay started walking again and Aavi stayed even with him as he spoke. “I’m not sure. I don’t see how they could have known we were going to be here, unless a deity they worship can see th
e future. But if they knew we would be here, where are they? Why didn’t they just ambush us as soon as we got off the Hektor? Instead, they got some horses and left town. None of it makes sense. For now, we’ll just have to keep an eye out for Mayans and do what we need to do - get you to the beast.”
“Do you really think that creature is the companion that the Oracle told me about?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it’s the only thing we have to go on. I’m certain that had we stayed in the City it would have been just a matter of time before Set’s followers tracked us down. They’ll have a tougher time of it since we’ve been on the move.”
The two of them walked back along the little road that followed the shoreline. As they came around a bend, they had a clear view of the dock where the Hektor had arrived, but something was wrong. Aavi noticed it first.
“What is that? What’s happening to the ship?” Aavi cried out in a bit of a panic.
D’Molay squinted at the dock. He could see the Hektor, but it was engulfed in a black, swirling cloud. “I don’t know. Come on, let’s get a closer look.” He ran on ahead, Aavi at his heels. They passed by the large stone workings by the shore, but paid them little notice. Seconds later, D’Molay could see that it wasn’t a cloud at all, but a swarm of large birds swooping and flying around the ship. He could see a few townsfolk running for cover and others watching the odd spectacle. As they reached the dock, D’Molay got behind a pile of crates about two hundred feet from the ship. Aavi scooted in next to him. They could see that the birds were a large as men. However, their shapes were vague silhouettes due to the low position of the morning sun.
They watched as the flapping creatures attacked members of the crew, but Aavi realized it was something else they were interested in.
“The urns! They’re taking the urns!” She shot up and started running toward the ship.
“Aavi, no!” D’Molay cried out, but she was halfway to the dock by the time he scrambled up to rush after her. Some of the birds were starting to fly away, each carrying one urn. One of them flew right over him and finally he could see what they were. “Harpies!”
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