“How did you trap him?” Sim asked.
“Oh it’s simple really. It’s one of the downsides of travelers. Most can do almost nothing else with the trivarial power, but the right kind of trick can hold them, or block them, I suppose you’d call it,” Quinn said.
“Well, what did you do to trap him?” Sim asked again.
“I bound his feet with earth,” Quinn answered matter of factly.
“Is that what you were trying to do, before?” Givara asked.
“Yes, my Queen. But he was ready, and he was too fast,” Quinn told her dejectedly. “As I said before, the first time my power took him by surprise, but now that he knows about me, well, it’s a bit more difficult to catch him.”
“Does it just have to be earth?” Sim asked curiously.
“No, no. Any type of magic that can hold someone would do. A solid flow of air would work just as well, I suspect,” Quinn replied.
“Good,” Sim smiled darkly, “he doesn’t know about me. I’m not letting him get away this time.”
“Can we at least get out of the city before you go enacting justice?” Farrus asked.
“I’m going to scout outside,” Givara announced, taking a step toward the door.
“No, Givara,” Enaya stopped her. “No-one leaves this room. We can’t take the chance that a passing soldier might spot you. Let’s just wait for them to get back.”
“I don’t like being trapped in this room, not knowing what’s happening on the other side of these walls,” Givara said. Farrus grunted in agreement. “Those bodies we left back there are as good as a beacon. It won’t be long before every soldier in the city is breaking down doors around here.”
“And let’s not forget why they have that beacon, Givara,” Enaya pointed out.
“Yes, yes. I know. What would you have had me do? Stand by and let some half-drunken lout grope you? How long before that encounter would have turned ugly anyway? Soldiers exist within separate laws from commoners. Those men could have raped us and left us for dead without consequence. It was a matter of time before we would have been forced to defend ourselves. Better to take the offensive and end it quickly.”
“Regardless, Givara, you will stay here. That’s an order,” Enaya commanded her firmly.
Givara made a sour face, then threw up her hands and took a seat on the floor beside Farrus and Quinn. The old guardsman did his best to suppress a sudden fit of laughter. Givara let him have his fun for all of a minute before she hit him hard in the ribs with a stiff jab. He coughed roughly and groaned. She managed to stop his laughter, but he still held a firmly amused smile even as he rubbed at his sore ribs.
The chatter died out for a time as they sat around waiting for Beck and Nehrea to reappear. Sim thought about what Enaya and Farrus had said about the exotically beautiful, dark-haired seductress. He couldn’t shake the impression he had, that she was a fragile woman who needed his help. He wondered how she had ended up as a courtesan to the Governor. Was it a conscious decision or another horrible injustice? Sim wanted to see the best in Nehrea, but wondered if his longing for her beauty had distorted the view of a darker side that dwelled deep within.
Life at the Kelmor Inn had truly left him sheltered from the stark reality of the real world. He was constantly reminded of this one simple truth. Everywhere he looked, the things he saw, the people he met, the events he witnessed, were beyond his foolishly juvenile childhood expectations of the world outside of Caramour. Simply walking among the broken citizens and collapsing buildings of the Barrio would have sufficed to shock his senses and destroy his beliefs. Such poverty and desperation. So much pain and suffering. It was a world where people were allowed to starve in the streets, cold and alone, while others enjoyed gluttonous feasts and soft feather beds, gold and satin, servants and slaves. Had it always been this way, or was it simply a bi-product of Desirmor’s brazen cruelty and disregard for human rights? How different was the world when the Alexidus family ruled with the strength of the Harven race at its back?
In the center of the room Beck and Nehrea suddenly appeared. The momentary surge of relief Sim felt when he saw that they had returned was thrust away when he saw her eyes. She had been crying. Her big, sleepy brown eyes, so intrinsically beautiful, were puffed and red. Worse still, she had the vacant, faraway look of a woman who had been broken apart.
For the briefest of moments she looked up at Sim, but overcome by the burden of her own fractured emotions, Nehrea shut her eyes and hung her head. Sim found a wave of rage pushing away any hope of rational behavior, as his own eyes drifted to the self-contented, grinning monster that stood beside her.
Without thinking, he threw a torrent of air at the fat, loathsome man, wrapping him up, pulling him from the ground to hover over the floor, and then solidifying his force into a trap. Beck struggled and squirmed, pushed at the invisible bonds that contained him but could do nothing to free himself from Sim’s unrestrained fury. At first he looked at Quinn, but the perplexed look in the old man’s one good eye told him he was looking in the wrong place. When he saw the wrath emanating hotly from Sim’s face, he knew, and fear poured from him like rapture.
“You’re a trival?” he stuttered, still desperately testing the strength of his bindings.
“No,” Sim answered coldly.
“Then how, how is this being done?” Beck’s dark eyes were wide with fear. Nehrea moved away from him, finding a spot to stand by Enaya, who took the poor girl into a sympathetic embrace.
“I am something more than a trival,” Sim seethed. “What have you done to her?”
“Nothing,” Beck stuttered. “Only what was agreed to. I swear.”
“Did he hurt you Nehrea?” Sim asked, his eyes never leaving his prisoner.
Nehrea said nothing. She wept softly against Enaya’s shoulder.
“Easy Sim,” Farrus said, trying to diffuse the situation. He stood from his seat next to Givara and came to stand at Sim’s side. “We still need him to get us out of the city. I know he doesn’t deserve to live, but you’ve got to control yourself.”
“I don’t care Farrus!” Sim screamed. “He deserves to die!”
“And he will. But right now we still need him,” Farrus said.
“Please! Please, don’t kill me!” Beck tearfully begged. “I’ll help you. I promise. Just don’t hurt me.”
“Where do we need him to take us, Enaya?” Sim asked, fighting desperately to overcome his desire to tighten his flow of air until the man’s head popped off.
“We need to go to Jarine, a town near the Water Woods,” Enaya said, watching Sim carefully.
“I can’t take you there,” Beck choked on his cowardice.
“If you have any hope of living through this, you will take us wherever we ask,” Sim spat.
“You don’t understand,” Beck pleaded. His once dark and sinister eyes, wept pathetically. “I can only travel somewhere I’ve been before. I’ve never been to the Water Woods. I’ve never gone that far south.”
Sim cursed and looked to Enaya for help.
“How far south can you take us?” Enaya asked, begging Sim to relax with a look.
“There’s a beach, about a day’s horse ride to the south. My father took me fishing there as a boy. I can take you there,” Beck moaned.
“What if he’s lying?” Sim asked, his hard green eyes still intently fixed upon Beck.
“I’m not lying! That’s as far south as I can go. I swear it!” Beck shouted frantically.
“Sim we don’t have any more time,” Enaya said firmly. She released her hold on Nehrea and walked toward him. “We’ve wasted enough time already. We have no choice but to trust in what he says and have faith. Honestly, I don’t care if he drops us in the middle of the Kal’Treddin Ice Lands as long as we get away from this city.”
“Fine,” Sim said. He moved a few steps closer to Beck who watched him with palpable trepidation. “Take us as far south as you can, and I will let you live.”
Beck n
odded nervously, licking his lips. “You have to release me, first.”
“Not yet,” Sim answered him coldly.
“I can’t take you unless you release me.”
“Everyone, grab a hold of him,” Sim told the group. Once everyone was in place, each holding Beck by his arms, Sim stepped up and took a hold of the man by the throat. “Give me a reason to kill you. Please,” he taunted the man, with a dark smile, and murder in his eyes. Then he released the flow of air.
Their eyes locked for one tense moment, then everything changed. The room around them began to spin, though Sim was certain that he wasn’t moving. It spun into an unrecognizable dervish then stopped abruptly. Sim fell forward, fighting back a sudden onslaught of nausea. His hands immediately recognized the feeling of damp beach sand. He looked around and saw that all of his companions, save for Givara, had fallen to the ground as well. Beck was nowhere to be found. As Sim regained his equanimity, he cursed and slammed his fist against the ground in agitation. He hadn’t meant for the loathsome monster to escape. Now every woman Beck assaulted and every drop of blood the man spilled would be on his hands. More burdens to carry.
“Is everyone here?” Enaya asked, unsteadily. A chorus of confirmations answered her question. She sat in the sand and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve never liked traveling. It always hits me the same way.”
“You mean it’s supposed to feel like your insides are trying to spill out?” Sim asked, rising to his feet.
“Every time,” Farrus grunted.
“At least we made it out of the city alive,” Givara said.
“That we did,” Farrus smiled. They held each other’s satisfied stare long enough to make it uncomfortable for everyone else.
Sim looked out at the landscape. They were on a long gray beach, dampened by a recent dusting of rain. To the east the ground rose in a mixture of dark craggily rocks and stiff yellow grass. The sky was overcast as it had been in the city and Sim was left to wonder just how far south Beck had taken them. Were they even still in Perth?
“Givara, head inland and make certain we’re clear to follow,” Enaya ordered.
“How about it old man? Want to join me?” Givara asked Farrus.
“Don’t see why not? Sim here can handle things while we’re off.”
They dashed off inland, Givara sprinting with measured ease, Farrus stiffly trying to keep up. Sim looked at Enaya. There were lines of concern in her furrowed brow as she watched her guardian run off.
“Shall we go?” Sim asked.
“Yes,” she answered quietly. As they turned to move inland, she spoke to Quinn Gracin. “Do you recognize this beach?”
“I do, my Lady,” Quinn answered with a reassuring smile.
“Then he has kept his bargain,” Enaya said softly. “How far to your father’s?”
“My best guess would be about two weeks, if we keep a good pace,” Quinn told her glumly.
Enaya sighed, impatiently. “That’s a long time with no supplies and a search party at our backs.”
“I agree, my Lady,” Quinn said.
“Two weeks!” Sim couldn’t believe it. “We have two straight weeks of walking ahead?”
“I’m afraid so,” Quinn told him.
“What are we going to eat?” Sim wondered.
“There are a few small villages along the way. Fishing communities mostly, but we should be able to find an inn here or there and gather some supplies,” Quinn replied.
“What about horses? Do you think we’ll be able to purchase any?” Enaya asked.
“Doubtful, my Lady. The horse traders keep to the inland towns around the plains. We won’t have any luck there,” Quinn answered.
“Then we’re doing this on foot,” Enaya said to herself, regretfully.
“Are you cold, Nehrea?” Sim asked, noticing that she was clutching her arms over her chest tightly. She glanced at him quickly, shamefully avoiding his gaze, before looking back down at the ground and nodding curtly. Sim took off his black coat and gently placed it over her shoulders. Though the temperature wasn’t nearly as cold as it had been when he had first come to Perth, Nehrea was scantily dressed, and he felt for her. It would be no trouble for him to create a pocket of warmth if the need arose. At least now she would have a way to ward off the chill.
“Do you think we’re in the clear, Enaya?” Sim asked.
“I doubt it, Siminus,” she answered. “If they manage to capture Beck, he’ll lead them to the same spot he left us. And when it comes to Navan Prianhe, nothing will ever surprise me. It would be wise for us to put as much distance between ourselves and this beach as we can.”
After the initial uprising of scattered dark rocks and thick yellow grass, the land leveled off. Swelling hillsides of patchy green grass led out to a forest of tall gray trees with yellow leaves running as far south as the eye could see. Well off, nearly to the forest, Sim could see Farrus and Givara standing beside a road waiting for them to catch up.
It took some time to traverse the open country, but soon they were approaching the road. It ran to the north and south, directly parallel to the forest of strange trees. From the distance they had seemed tall, but standing before them, Sim was amazed at the sheer, towering height, and thick smooth trunks.
“We haven’t seen any sign of movement, my Lady,” Givara announced upon their arrival. “The road appears to be clear.”
“Master Gracin has informed me that we are looking at about two weeks of long travel. Let’s try to keep a good pace,” Enaya addressed the group.
They took the road in silence, Givara leading the way with Farrus watching the rear. Quinn Gracin stayed just a few paces behind Givara, studying her back in quiet introspection. Enaya and Nehrea walked together followed by Sim who watched the two women closely.
They spoke together softly, keeping the words of their conversation private. Nehrea seemed to have withdrawn inward since her return. The seductive grace of her measured strides and swaying hips had been replaced by small wounded steps, with arms held close to her body. She kept her head down, watching only the ground beneath her feet. When Enaya whispered in her ear, or rubbed her back, she seemed to squeeze her arms more tightly as if she were bracing for impact. At one point Enaya looked back at Sim, her face a portrait of glum sympathy for the former courtesan. Sim wanted to know what happened to her.
For hours they walked, until the light of day began to dwindle, and the time to make camp had come. Givara led them into the forest to find shelter among the towering trees. Gigantic roots rose from the ground, nearly as tall as Sim, some blocking their progress inward, others raised like arches with room to walk beneath. The vast canopy of fat yellow leaves wove together like a thatched roof, blocking out the light, making the forest as pitch dark as the dead of night.
Enaya floated an orb of light, and Sim followed suit. His orb was larger and brighter, and he took delight in the annoyed grimace that Enaya threw his way. Led by the floating lights, Givara found them a small clearing surrounded by thick roots.
“This will do,” she announced, then turned to Sim. “Come with me boy. I need your light to find some proper branches for the fire.”
Sim did as he was told. While the others set about clearing bramble and stones to make the spot more comfortable, Sim followed Givara around the perimeter of their camp, searching the forest floor for good wood. He didn’t need to concentrate very hard to float the light, so he was able to join Givara in the gathering, quickly amassing as much as he could carry. They brought their haul back to the camp and set out again three more times until they had a healthy pile to get them through the night.
“What are we going to do about food and water?” Sim asked when they had finished getting the camp together.
“Nothing,” Farrus answered gruffly.
“What do you mean nothing?” Sim asked. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast at the Blue Trellis, and his stomach groaned softly in protest.
“If you’re hungry enough, I suppose
you could chew on some bark. There’s plenty of that around here,” Farrus told him with a sharp laugh. Givara smiled at him and laughed loudly as well.
“So there’s nothing to eat?” Sim asked, looking around as though if he searched long enough, a plate of bacon might appear on the ground at his feet.
“We had no time to pack or prepare,” Enaya said. She was seated with her back against the wide trunk of a tree and her arm around Nehrea’s shoulders.
“Can’t we snare a couple of rabbit’s or something?” Sim still couldn’t believe he might have to go to sleep hungry. He felt as though he were an insolent child sent to bed without supper.
“Sure. Go snare us a couple of rabbits,” Givara laughed. She and Farrus were snickering like a couple of silly children as they worked together setting up a fire ring for the camp. “While you’re at it, why don’t you take down a nice deer? I’d love a good red wine as well.”
“Well you don’t have to mock me,” Sim chirped in annoyance.
“You mock yourself,” Farrus chortled.
“What about water?" Sim asked. "There’s got to be a stream or a pond around here somewhere.”
“You’re welcome to go out there and look,” Givara told him, pointing out at the dark wall that hid the rest of the forest. “Just be mindful of wolves and rovers. They love it when fools stumble along in the darkness asking to be eaten.”
“Nothing better than a free meal,” Farrus added as he and Givara continued to snicker merrily.
“Alright you two. Leave him alone,” Enaya said wearily. “He doesn’t know any better.” She turned a withering eye on Sim. “This is life on the run, Siminus. You don’t always have a full stomach, and you spend a great deal of time with a parched throat. I know you probably spent many an afternoon back at your inn dreaming of adventures. Well, you’re on one now, and this is the way it is.”
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