Ties of Blood

by D. W. Jackson

  “Report now or I will make you clean the stables with a fork.” Eloen said in no mood for Alden’s antics.

  “Yes captain. It seems that since the war seems to be over the general has allowed the stores of ale to be raided for a night of entertainment. The guard has been reduced to a skeleton crew and the few left it seem are more than willing to help us leave unnoticed. Right now your horses are being saddled as we speak. If I didn’t know better I would think the general was intentional making this easy for us.”

  Eloen jumped up throwing her arms around Alden and planted a big kiss on his check. “That’s great. Now all that’s left is for get on our way.”

  Alden held up his hand stopping Eloen from walking past him. “Not just yet. The reason it took so long for me to come back wasn’t because I was simply trying to garner information. Every soldier here knows that its thanks in a large part to Thad, that they’re still alive.” Alden said holding out a fairly large coin purse. “Almost everyone pitched in a silver or two, it’s not a fortune but it will go a long way to helping out if you find yourself in need.”

  Eloen opened the sack to find it filled to the top with silver and even a few gold coins poking through. She had her own funds too, but it wasn’t a very large amount but combined together it was more than enough to live rather nicely for a year in the capital.

  After giving Alden one last hug, she turned to her two traveling companions. “Shall we make haste before the general has time to reconsider his lapse in the fort’s current level of security?”

  Outside the moon was just barely peeking out from the clouds, casting a slight pale glow on the mountains. It was a strangely beautifully sight, it also allowed them to see slightly but wasn’t bright enough to give them away over a long distance. Just as Alden had told them they found their horses already saddled and ready for travel. After taking a moment to secure their personal gear and the magical spheres they mounted up and made their way toward the main gate.

  As soon as they reached the gate Alden gave a low whistle and the soldiers guarding it began to get the large winding arm that would allow them to lift the massive wooden bar that held the gate closed. During the battle it had held up far better than anyone would have expected they hadn’t even been forced to lower the portcullis. Its strength was due in a large part to Thad, who had spent days making sure the wood was magically strengthened. Considering everything else Thad had done she was sure the wood could now withstand the largest of battering rams.

  Eloen had to fight the urge to yell at the soldiers to move faster. In her mind she knew that they couldn’t move any faster but she couldn’t help but feel nervous this close to the Ablaian border. She could feel her hands trembling and her breath was beginning to catch in her throat. She had been in many battles over the past few years as a captain in her aunt’s army. Most of them had been against untrained bandits and some of the more evil creatures that roamed the land, but this time she knew that death was only one mistake away. There was a chance that even if they did everything right they still wouldn’t live to see their homes again.

  With all that in mind she still couldn’t make herself turn back. She had promised to keep Thad safe and had failed at that mission. She would see him back home, and then force him to the altar, even if she had to do it at sword point. There was no way she was going to walk through the fires of hell to be pushed aside by that snooty princess.

  “Are you ok? One moment it looks like you’re ready to go dancing in the moonlight the next I could swear you want to rip someone’s head off.” Darryl said keeping his voice low barely above a whisper.

  Eloen punched him playfully in the arm. “I’m fine, just thinking of what I’m going to do to that idiot once I get my hands on him. I still can’t believe he let himself get captured of all the wool headed things to do.”

  “Just make sure you get him behind closed doors first. There are some things in this world I just prefer not to have burned into my memory.” Darryl said giving her a wink, earning him another punch in the arm from Eloen.

  “Clean up your mind or when we get back you will be cleaning the latrines for the foreseeable future.” Eloen said trying to keep herself from blushing. The fact that when Thad was mentioned she was so unguarded bothered her. She was used to the men making crude jokes and had thought that nothing could make her blush. Eloen made a mental note to punish Thad for that as well.

  As she watched the bar being raised and pushed out of the way she started thinking of the first time she had met Thad. He had been so young and innocent, though it wasn’t like that had changed much over the past year. It had been his blue eyes that had really gotten to her, they were so much like one of the large dogs that her aunt kept for hunting.

  At the time he had been injured bringing news of an impending attack on a small village she had been tasked with protecting. She had done her best to shore up the defenses, but when the attack finally came they were being overrun by the sheer numbers of enemy soldiers. Thad had come out and saved her and many of the soldiers’ lives that had been placed under her command.

  In all of her life she had never met anyone who was so selfless. He hadn’t done it for duty, honor, or as a job to support his family. He had done it because of his own sense of justice, even though he knew that it could cost him his freedom. Later Eloen had helped him escape before the queen’s army could come and collect him. Ever since that day the mage had been in her thoughts.

  “You ready.” Ballard said giving Eloen’s arm a slight shake.

  Snapping out of her reverie she noticed that the gate had been fully opened and they were waiting on them to go through. “Sorry my mind was elsewhere.” She said more than a little embarrassed.

  Spurring her horse into a gallop she rushed through the gate with Ballard and Darryl following close behind. After the fort was a few hundred yards behind her she reigned in her horse and let the other two catch up with her.

  The Ablaian army may have been routed but the army was still camped only a few miles away from the fort. If they wanted to get by unnoticed they would have to rely on stealth and a good deal of luck.

  Once the fires of the enemy camp came into view the three companions dismounted their steeds and moved over to the far canyon wall. “Doesn’t look like we will be able to get through on this side.” Darryl said looking at the row of tents spread out in front of them.

  “We don’t really have a choice. If we try to circle back and go to the other side of the canyon the sun will be up.” Ballard said his voice not happy at all.

  “Should we try and sneak through or just ride and hope they don’t follow too far?” Eloen asked more to herself than the others.

  “I think it would be best if we tried to go as far as we can without getting noticed. It doesn’t look as if they have many guards posted. I doubt we will get through the whole camp but the longer we can make it the easier it will be to get through to the other side.” Ballard said in a low whisper.

  Without another word the three carefully made their way toward the first row of tents. It would have been easier had the tents been set up in a uniform pattern but it looked as if they had been thrown up without any regard to uniformity. Considering the Ablaian’s natural love to order she had expected to find a meticulously formed camp. She didn’t know why but seeing something so haphazard annoyed her.

  After they passed the first group of tents a soldier who was sitting near a small fire looked over at them. The soldier jumped from his seat startled at their appearance. Two daggers flew from Darryl’s hand one catching the soldier in the chest and the other cutting deep into the man’s throat. The Ablaian grabbed his throat trying to stem the flow of blood that poured from the wound like a fountain. He staggered backwards tripping over the log he had been sitting on and tumbled into the fire.

  The soldier tried to roll out of the fire but his struggles were in vain and short lived as the fire quickly consumed his body filling the air with a repugnant aroma. Whether it was
the noise or the scent of burnt skin and hair that now filled the air people starting piling out of their tents to see what was going on.

  “Time to ride.” Darryl said as he swung up into his saddle.

  Eloen mounted her own horse and took the shortest route to the end of the canyon. It didn’t take long before she could hear the cries of alarm going up throughout the camp. She looked over her shoulder and was glad to see that Ballard and Darryl were still behind her.

  The ride through the camp was short and they could see the end of the tents. A few arrows whistled by her but none of them had been close enough to make her jump. Once she was out the other side and the noise quieted down she could hear pursuers but it sounded as if they were a good deal behind them and falling behind more every second. Luckily they had caught the Ablaians sleeping and ill prepared.

  Eloen didn’t slow down but kept her horse at a full gallop until she was sure they enemy camp was far behind them. It was her steed that finally decided it had enough and came to an almost dead stop breathing hard. She knew the poor horse needed a rest but the area was too open and she was afraid to rest in the open. So she nudged the horse to continue on as she began to scan for a suitable place to rest.

  Ballard and Darryl came up behind her a short time later their horses complaining loudly about having to continue on. She felt bad about forcing the poor animals to run themselves to near death but in the end it had been a needed sacrifice.

  “We need to find a place to rest?” Darryl said his voice pained.

  Eloen turned to see Darryl trying to dig an arrow from his arm. The wound didn’t look as if it had hit any veins but she knew that they had to get the arrow out soon or they risked him getting an infection. “Quit playing with it. If a piece of the arrowhead comes off we will have to cut you to the bone to get it out.” Eloen scolded him.

  “Yes mother.” Darryl said back jokingly.

  They followed the mountain until they found an out of the way passage. It wasn’t perfect but it would hide them from a distance and if forced they could hold the tight corridor easily. As soon as they dismounted Ballard went to Darryl and made some small cuts around the arrow to allow the arrowhead to slide out easily.

  Eloen was still to edgy to sleep so she volunteered to take the first watch. She had expected to hear some complaints but neither of the men seemed to have the energy for it. As the two men settled down for some much needed rest Eloen found a nice seat and watched as the sun began to crest on the horizon. Her mind was still on Thad, as she wondered if he was watching the same sunrise as her.

  CHAPTER III

  Eloen covered her mouth as she yawned. She was tired from getting only a few hours of sleep the night before. Ballard seemed to share in her misery but Darryl seemed to still have plenty of bounce in his step. She felt jealous of his seemingly boundless energy. They had left camp only a few hours before midday, and had only been traveling for a short while but it felt like it had been much longer.

  None of them had been to Abla before but from maps, she knew that the capital lay in the southeastern corner of the Kingdom. They didn’t have any leads so that’s where they were headed. Hopefully in the first town they could find out something. She knew it wasn’t the best of plans but it was all she had at the moment.

  They continued to press on as the sun moved along its route in the sky. A high overcast began to move in, and the clouds began to thicken. It was easy to tell that an early spring storm was brewing. The only question was how bad was it going to be? A little rain was one thing but Abla was famous from some large storms with winds strong enough to rip houses apart.

  “We need to find shelter.” Eloen yelled over the mounting winds.

  “Where do you expect us to find shelter out in the middle of nowhere?” Darryl yelled back.

  She tried to answer him but the winds began to howl as a light rain started to pour down. Eloen spurred her horse to go a bit faster as the rain and wind began to pick up to the point where she was sure she would be left with a few bruises from the pelting rain.

  The stormed continued to grow in intensity until the rain was so thick she could barely see her horse’s head. To keep from getting separated from the others they rode close together holding a long rope. It was slow and inconvenient but it was better than having to search for them later.

  By sheer luck they came across a small farm. Dismounting her horse Eloen stowed her sword and battle harness in her travel pack. Abla didn’t allow females to carry weapons or join the army like Farlan. In fact from what she had heard Abla was the complete opposite of Farlan in almost every regard. She knew that she would have to allow Ballard or Darryl to take the lead when they dealt with the locals.

  Before they could reach the house the door swung open revealing a rather large man. “What in the blazes are you doing out in this weather?” He bellowed from the doorway.

  “We were traveling and got lost in the storm.” Ballard yelled in reply.

  The large man shook his head. “Well hurry up and get yourselves inside, I’ll have one of the boys see to your horses.”

  As soon as they were inside the house a young boy no more than twelve rushed out the door. Eloen watched the boy slightly worried that something might happen to him out in the storm.

  The large man catching her look gave her a warm smile. “Not to worry Tim may be young but nothing is going to happen to him out here on the farm.”

  Eloen simply nodded her head and followed Ballard and Darryl into the main room of the house. The house was simple, with only a few wicker chairs and a table set in the middle of the room. It wasn’t spacious by any means, but there was a large fire going and the second the warmth hit her, the small house might as well been a mansion.

  “Do we have visitors dear?”

  Eloen turned to see a petite woman coming down the stairs. She wore a simple homemade pale peach dress with flowers embroidered all over it. She wasn’t a great beauty but she was far from homely. She had a simple beauty, with long dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes. Eloen was sure she had a fair number of suitors when she was younger.

  “Oh my!” The lady said rushing over to Eloen. “You’re soaked to the bone. Joshua where are your manners we can’t let the young lady stand around in wet clothes. What if she catches a chill?” She said scolding her husband.

  The woman turned toward Eloen giving smiling brightly. “Come with me dear, we need to get you out those clothes. You can have one of my old dresses, I have plenty that just don’t suit my tastes anymore.” She said grabbing Eloen securely by the arm and dragging her up the stairs.

  Once in the room alone the woman turned to her and gave her another one of her brilliant smiles. “I am Rene. What can I call you dear?”

  “Eloen.”

  “Nice to meet you dear, now get out of those wet things so we can hand them over their fireplace before they sour.” Rene said holding out her hand. Eloen obeyed and quickly shimmied out of her wet dress and short clothes.

  The woman wanted her to wear some of the more feminine dresses but Eloen wanted something that wouldn’t draw attention. After trying on a few they both finally agreed on a plain gray dress. The young woman’s dresses were a bit tight and slightly shorter than she felt comfortable wearing but it was better than prancing around in the nude.

  Back in the common room of the house they found only the small boy hanging up his soaked cloak to dry above the fire pit. Rene followed suit handing her clothes up on one of the small pegs to dry. Eloen pulled one of the wicker chairs up to the fire and took a seat and started to thaw her numb fingers.

  “May I ask what has you out this way?” Rene said pulling up a chair to sit beside her.

  “Were we on our way to the capital, and lost our way during the storm.” Eloen said repeating what Ballard had told the woman’s husband.

  “Well you’re lucky, it doesn’t seem like the storm will let up before the morning.”

  The three men returned with Ballard and Darryl hav
ing changed clothes. Unlike her they could wear their other changes of cloths. She was used to wearing dresses when she was at home but she felt more comfortable in a pair of leather pants than a dress. She knew that she was going to have to make sacrifices but it was slightly annoying not to have her weapons with her.

  “Your brother tells me you are headed to the capital to meet up with your betrothed, who has got himself stationed at the prison. Don’t know whose bad side he got on to get that posting, but I’m sure that with such a lovely lady such as yourself on his arm he’s bound to be the envy of everyone.” The large farmer said giving her a sly wink.

  “Glenn you behave yourself or I’ll cook nothing but greens for your supper for the next fortnight.” Rene said slapping her husband playfully on the arm, then turned to Eloen her face brightening in the space of a heartbeat. “You’re getting married? You have to tell me all about it. I was just about to start dinner, if you don’t mind helping we can chat while the men see who can tell the most outrageous stories.”

  Eloen laughed and followed Rene into the small kitchen. While they prepared the meal Eloen told her everything about Thad without trying to blow their cover story. The woman seemed to be genuinely interested in her stories and asked countless questions. She wanted to know everything from how the two had met, to their first kiss. It was going well until Rene asked about her father’s thoughts about the marriage.

  “I don’t know. I never knew which of my mother’s lovers my father was. He could have been any number of her slaves.” Eloen blurted out before she knew what she was saying.

  Rene and Eloen stared at each other for a long moment then the woman turned to the young boy who was tending the fire of the stove. “Timothy, would you please go clean that pigsty you call a room.” The boy huffed but obeyed shuffling off mumbling out of the kitchen. As soon as he was well out of sight Rene turned to Eloen and gave her a scrutinizing look. “Now a few things you said didn’t seem to match up. I don’t enjoy being jerked around, so why don’t you start telling the truth before I call for my husband.”