by Amy Green
“We travel north,” Silas said slowly.
Everything in Jesse wanted to ask where they were going, what their mission was, but he forced himself to stay quiet. Rae, at least, would take the opportunity to make another harsh comment about the secrecy of the mission. Better to wait.
“The Way of Tears leads to my own home in the east, District Two,” Silas continued. “The most direct route north is the Wasteland Road….”
“If you wish to be robbed by bandits,” Jesse interjected. “Believe me, that’s not a wise choice.”
Silas nodded. “Helpful advice,” he said. “Then there is Desolation Ravine.” He pointed straight ahead of them to the wide highway.
“That’s what I would suggest,” Jesse said. “The road is safe, fairly level, and well-traveled.”
“Exactly why we must avoid it at all costs,” Rae said. “No one must identify us as Guard members, especially now that we suspect someone wants to kill us.”
Silas stared ahead at Desolation Ravine, and Jesse knew what he saw: a road scarred by the tracks and ditches formed by many years of wagons and carts cutting through. Today, of all days of the year, the road would be crowded with people. “Perhaps Rae is right,” Silas said.
“But if we can’t take any of the three roads, then what do we do?” Jesse asked in frustration. “Fly over the mountains?”
Rae looked at him in disgust. “Of course not.” She pointed to a narrow gorge a few paces off. “We go that way.”
Jesse shook his head. “That road is not marked for a reason. It’s not a road at all, just a gorge where a stream cuts through the mountain. I’ve heard of it. It goes high up into the mountains on narrow trails. I doubt the horses can manage.”
Rae crossed her arms and eyed him levelly. “They are strong horses, used to traveling. They can handle any terrain. The question is, can you?”
Jesse tried to ignore the jab. He turned to Silas, knowing he was the only one worth persuading. “It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what the high road is like.”
“It’s better than finding ourselves dead on the side of the main highway by nightfall,” Rae shot back. “We can’t be seen.”
Silas sighed and put the map back in his bag. “I must agree with Rae. We take the higher road.”
Why don’t they understand? I know this land. I know the dangers better than they do, even with all their training. Jesse gritted his teeth in frustration. Perhaps he should just go along with the others. But what if he was right? “Silas….”
But Silas had already kicked his horse, which jolted forward with a lurch. Jesse noticed that the horse needed some coaxing to keep from following the main path.
“Try to keep up,” Rae said, smirking at him as she edged her horse in front of Jesse’s. She guided her mount with pressure from her ankles, keeping her hands completely free. So that she can use her sword, Jesse knew. Well, with what we may face on this road, we may need Rae’s skill with a blade.
“Come on, Fleas,” Jesse muttered, following behind them. He was now the weakest member of the squad, and he knew it. Worse, Silas and Rae knew it. I suppose I can expect more of the same until I prove myself.
Jesse wondered if he would ever have the chance.
Slowly, the path began to slope upward, into the crags of the Suspicion Mountains. By the time the sun was highin the sky, Fleas was beginning to limp slightly. Jesse could feel it.
He was not bred to travel on jagged stone, Jesse knew. None of them were. Soon, all three horses would be worn out completely. I have to say something.
Jesse spurred Fleas on and stopped in front of Silas and Rae. “We must not continue on horseback,” he said.
Silas scowled at him, gripping the reins tightly as his horse swayed from the sudden stop. “Are you mad?”
He doesn’t know anything about horses, Jesse reminded himself, forcing himself to speak patiently. “The road will only get higher and harder. One misstep, and we’ll tumble off the cliff. These horses aren’t as sure-footed as the pack mules that normally travel the mountains. They will not survive the journey, and we may not either.”
Rae laughed disdainfully. “Some risks are necessary on a mission like this. It would take many days to make this journey on foot.”
That made Jesse’s blood boil. Unlike Silas, she did know horses. She must know he spoke the truth, yet she refused to admit it. And why? Because she stubbornly clings to her own plan, her own desire to lead.
This time, though, Jesse did not back down. “Either we loose the horses and let them turn back,” he said, “or we turn back ourselves.”
“We will do nothing of the kind,” Rae said. “We would lose a full day’s travel. Giana and I are just fine with this road.”
Rae nudged her horse forward toward him, and Fleas took a nervous step backward, coming uncomfortably close to the edge of the cliff. “Afraid of heights, are you, Jesse?”
Jesse refused to look down, refused to judge the distance between the road and the stream below. It was not far yet, he knew, but it would be a nasty fall just the same. Giana, responding to Rae’s command, whinnied as she took another step forward.
“Enough,” Silas commanded.
Rae pulled back. “Who made you captain?” she said spitefully.
“I am not the one acting like a child here,” Silas said. Rae glowered at him, and for a moment, Jesse was happy that her rage was directed at someone other than himself. “We will go forward,” Silas said, “but carefully.” He did not look back at Jesse.
Fine. If that’s how they want it. “On to our death,” he muttered. “All hail the Youth Guard.”
Nearly an hour later, the trail narrowed further. Silas’ entire body was stiff, and Jesse knew that he felt the fear of any inexperienced horseman on dangerous terrain. In contrast, Rae was as relaxed as if they were strolling through an open meadow.
“We should be halfway through the mountains by now,” she called back. “It will be a downhill climb from now on.”
While Rae looked back, Giana, the regal chestnut she rode, took a hesitant step forward. Jesse watched in horror as the loose stones fell away beneath her back hooves.
“Look out!”
It was too late. Rae’s sharp cry pierced the gorge as Giana lost her footing and began to tip over the edge. Rae pushed off from Giana and grabbed onto the ledge.
Jesse was off his horse in a second, and Silas, dismounting rather awkwardly, was not far behind him.
But Rae did not need their help. After a quick scramble to get her footing on the cliff wall, she pulled herself up with little more than a grunt. She crawled back onto the path and stood, dusting herself off. If Jesse had not seen a glimpse of her wide, dark eyes, he would not have guessed that she was the least bit shaken.
Giana did not fare as well. She lay at the bottom of the gorge, near the stream, crying out in pain the way only a wounded horse can.
Silas glanced at Jesse. He just shook his head. There is no way any horse could survive that fall. Silas nodded and stepped forward, reaching for an arrow from his quiver.
“No,” Rae said, her face set in determination. “You might miss. I don’t want her to be in anymore pain. I’ll do it.”
Carefully, Rae climbed down the gorge, keeping a sure footing on outcroppings and ramps formed by landslides. She pulled out her sword.
Jesse could not watch, and turned away. There was no place for him to go. He merely clutched Fleas’ bridle until the deed was done, a sick feeling in his stomach.
Rae returned with their supplies on her back. Her sword was wiped clean, and her face was tight with anger. Anger at whom? The horse? Silas? Me? She is the one who could have prevented this.
“I suppose now we’ll continue on foot,” Jesse said.
Something in Rae’s face snapped, and Jesse backed against the stone wall of the gorge to g
et away from her. She looked almost like she would punch him. Then she curled her hand into a tight fist and stormed away.
“This is not the time to congratulate yourself,” Silas scolded him. “Can’t you see that?”
Instantly, Jesse felt ashamed. Rae knew she was responsible for Giana’s death. Maybe the person she was angry at was herself. And I only made it worse.
Jesse lifted the water skin, filled with water from the Dell River, and bag of supplies from Fleas. “You were a good horse after all,” he told him, stroking his jagged mane. Fleas snorted in agreement.
Jesse slapped his flanks. “Go on,” he called. “Follow the stream back to the river.”
Of course, Fleas could hardly understand him, but he knew which way was downhill. Freed of his burdens, he loped away. He will get to Mir by morning.
Silas did the same to his horse. “We’d better catch up with Rae,” he said. “Who knows how far along she is by now.”
Jesse nodded and gripped his walking stick. It was now time to test Kayne’s handiwork. They had a long way to go before dark, and he doubted either Silas or Rae would want to wait for him.
This is not how I expected the mission to begin. Suddenly, a hundred pictures flashed in his mind; Aunt Dara baking bread for the inn patrons, he and Eli pulling a prank on the pompous village priest, Kayne playing checkers with him, the butcher calling out for customers, the beggar on the corner who always called Jesse “son.” Each one of them would be going to bed tonight safe and secure. It was all Jesse could do not to run after Fleas and go back home.
You’re not one of them anymore, he reminded himself. You are one of the Guard. He remembered all the tales he had heard of the adventures of the Youth Guard. They were all so brave, so strong. He was not.
“Jesse!” Silas’ voice cut into his thoughts. “Come on!”
Sighing, Jesse followed after him, planting his staff in front of him with each step. He had made a promise. Somehow, he would have to keep going.
Chapter 8
Hours later, each member of the group had fallen into a predictable role. Silas led the way, keeping a steady pace and occasionally checking the map for landmarks. Behind him, Rae followed in silence, which she broke only to ask how far they had traveled or to complain about the constant tapping of Jesse’s staff against the rock. Jesse just plodded on, trying to ignore his aching body.
Silas’ voice interrupted his thoughts. “It’s getting late,” he observed, stopping to take a drink out of his water skin.
Jesse looked up at the sinking sun. He had been awake since before dawn, but he had been afraid to slow down, since Rae and Silas showed no signs of tiring. “At least now that the trail is sloping downward, the travel is easier.”
“True,” Silas agreed. “A good day’s journey. Wouldn’t you agree, Rae?”
Rae just grunted and scrambled up the wall of the gorge, finding small crags and footholds Jesse would never have known existed.
Jesse and Silas didn’t bother asking where she was going. From time to time, Rae would scale the wall of the gorge and look over into the nearby Desolation Ravine.
“I can’t see what value it has,” Silas said, “but it keeps her occupied.”
“And the more time she spends scouting out the territory, the less time she has to be angry with us,” Jesse finished.
For the first time that Jesse could remember, Silas smiled. “Exactly.” They walked on in silence.
With a swirl of dust, Rae jumped down from a nearby boulder. Jesse jerked slightly, still not used to how she could sneak up on them without being seen or heard. “I saw some travelers by a signpost,” she said. “We have a few more hours before we reach the end of the mountains.”
“Good,” Silas said, stopping on the trail. “We will stop here for the night, then.” They had reached a place where the trail widened briefly, giving them enough room to comfortably set up camp. “It will be dark soon.”
Darkness would not fall for nearly an hour, Jesse knew. He wondered if Silas was stopping early for his benefit, noticing his lagging pace as the day wore on.
He expected Rae to protest that they should continue on as long as there was light to see by. She just nodded. “I’ll find some firewood.” She had hardly said a word since they had abandoned the horses at noon.
It had been a long day. While he walked, Jesse had imagined himself slaying dragons, daringly attacking a foreign citadel, smuggling secret messages to the troops on the Northern Waste, and defeating powerful sorcerers. It was something to pass the time, and, besides, it was a way to keep his mind off his aching body.
His left arm, not used to the work of supporting his weight for so long, ached with every movement of the staff. He tried not to wince as he sat down on the rocky ground.
Rae was gone a long time, and Jesse felt uncomfortable in the silence. “Where are you from?” he asked Silas finally.
“Davior,” he said, “a major city in District Two, near the Deep Mines. My mother is a weaver there.”
“And your father?” Jesse asked politely.
“A priest.”
“Oh.” Jesse stared past him at the mountain. “So you’re with Parvel, then? A believer in God?”
“My father died,” Silas said shortly. “Any belief I had in God died with him.”
Instantly, Jesse felt sympathy for Silas. In some way, at least, I know what that feels like. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” Silas leaned against the gorge wall. “So, I suppose you know why these are called the Suspicion Mountains.”
Jesse nodded. “Before the king conquered what is now District Four, the mountains were the only thing that separated us from the hostile desert tribes.”
“I thought District Four was a part of Amarias since the beginning.”
Jesse shrugged. “Most people don’t know much history, other than what happened in their own district a generation or so back. Travelers from all over the kingdom come to the inn, and I hear their stories.”
“What do you know about the Abaktan Desert?”
It was Rae, who had somehow managed to climb up the cliff without making a sound. She unceremoniously dropped a few dry sticks and twigs on the path. “It’s not much, but there aren’t many trees in these mountains.”
Silas rummaged around in his pack and pulled out the flint stone. Rae didn’t seem concerned with the fire. She fixed her eyes on Jesse. “The Abaktan Desert,” she repeated. “Have you heard about it?”
“So that’s where we’re going,” Jesse said thoughtfully. That was not good news, but at least he knew. Then a thought occurred to him. He laughed. “And you expected to ride into the desert on horses?”
Rae glared at him. “During training, they didn’t waste time with information about geography. Most of the time was spent on skills like sword fighting.”
Incredulous, Jesse shook his head. “Don’t they know that for any mission, knowledge is the most important weapon?”
Now it became clear why so many Youth Guard members died on their missions. Inexperienced young people blundered into unknown parts of the kingdom, facing countless dangers along the way.
“I agree,” Silas said. He had managed to create a meager fire, just enough to keep them warm as the sun began to sink in the sky. “I myself wondered why we weren’t told more.”
“If we survive,” Jesse said firmly, “I will make sure that King Selen adjusts this training period. It’s foolish to plan missions like this, without proper training.”
“I, for one, plan to survive,” Rae said. “And then collect my reward.”
“Ah,” Silas grunted. He savagely cracked a larger stick in two and threw it on the fire. “You’re one of those.”
Rae shot him a piercing glance. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“You are one who accepted the call to jo
in the Youth Guard merely for the spectacular reward that is promised for those who complete the mission.”
Jesse remembered again that Silas and Rae hardly knew each other. They had gone through three months of training together at the capital, of course, but from what he had heard, it was hardly a time to make friends.
“I see,” Rae said coldly. “And what is your noble reason for joining the Guard, Silas?”
Silas gave a low laugh. “That is none of your concern. But, I can assure you, it’s hardly noble.”
Jesse moved closer to the fire. Somehow, he felt even less safe than before. He had always thought Youth Guard members were heroes who wanted to save the land from its troubles, or at least daring young men and women who joined the Guard for the adventure. Now he was beginning to doubt the truth of that ideal.
“The desert,” he said, anxious to break the tension, “is one place in the kingdom that I know very little about. The few travelers I have met from District Four keep to themselves. I’ve heard of wandering tribes, very fierce and war-like, and of strange creatures, but only from those who have heard from others. I’ve never talked to anyone who has actually been there.”
“Perhaps because there’s little reason for anyone to journey into a desert,” Silas said.
“Or because those who do never survive,” Rae said darkly.
That comment cut off the rest of the conversation, and the three travelers ate their rations, some bread and salted meat from Kayne’s storeroom, in silence. “We’ll need to get some rest,” Silas said when they had finished. “Tomorrow will be more of the same.”
That gives us a lot to look forward to. Jesse bit back his complaint. He did not want to show any sign of weakness.
Silas glanced up at the clear, cloudless sky. “No rain on the way,” he observed. “There would be little use in setting up the tents.” He took out the blanket from his pack and used the rest as a pillow. Jesse followed his lead.
“I’ll take the first watch,” Rae said, standing.
“We’re still a day’s travel from the desert,” Silas pointed out, not even opening his eyes. “There is no danger here. Go to sleep.”