‘I’ll have a look round,’ she said and once again handed him the reins to her horse. She didn’t have to go far but the blacker shape under blackly shadowed trees wasn’t easy to detect. ‘Here it is,’ she announced with relief. She lit a lantern she found inside and gave it to Jim. ‘It’s definitely a rough little hut.’
‘True but it is at least shelter,’ Jim said looking about them. They saw to the horses first in the lean-to stable. It was going to be a little tight for them; the space was only really designed for one horse, but they were both small. They were also tired and cold enough to welcome being out of the wind and rain.
The hut was barely ten feet square inside. There was a narrow two plank table, an equally rough hewn chair and a long plank platform. The fireplace was already considerately laid with dry kindling by the last traveller.
While Jim got a fire going then collected more wood, Amelie dusted off the bed platform and checked no creatures nested beneath it. She draped the hard wood with both bear skins before laying out the two narrow sleeping bags side by side. They consisted of a thick water repellent fur lined with a woollen blanket both folded in half and sewn on two sides to make a tube. Into this she slid the linen liner which also featured a draw string for the neck to keep anything from creeping in to join one in the night, as well as to help against draughts.
‘Let’s see what Lord Dirk’s cook has packed for us,’ Amelie said once he’d returned. She carefully upended her bag onto the table and then Jim’s bag too. ‘Wow, a feast,’ she said in appreciation.
‘Just as well, we do have weeks of hard travel ahead of us before we reach any civilisation,’ Jim commented. ‘Oh look, is that coffee? How thoughtful. I’ll put water on to boil. I just fancy a good cup.’
She unpacked a small spoon and a pair of tin mugs and set them out eagerly beside the bag of coffee. ‘Me too,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Well, since we’ve a fire, let’s have a nice hot dinner.’
‘That sounds good to me. What can I do?’ he asked and since he had a good knife he carved some slices of meat off the large roasted beef joint and together with some fresh vegetables roasted over the fire they had a satisfying hot dinner.
‘That old woman yesterday said we reeked of strong magic,’ Amelie said as they sat together after dinner with their coffee. ‘Do you know of any way to reduce our scent?’
‘No, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible,’ Jim said thoughtfully. ‘It’s something that’ll require some thought and experimentation. We should concentrate on you. No one normally cares what a junior wizard is up to, since you have to be a wizard already to detect another. But it’s not ok for them to see your true signature and thus discover just what you are.’
‘So how different do I appear? What do I look like to you?’ Amelie asked.
‘I feel someone’s power. It pulls at me and vibrates with a kind of buzz,’ he explained, but noticed her frown. ‘Daniel feels like a bee nearby. You feel like a hive of bees. Except when you’re in animal form,’ he paused considering that. ‘Then you become much fainter, perhaps because you’re fully utilising your magic to remain in a different form.’
‘So is it only an animus that buzzes, or does a wizard too?’
‘We do too, but it’s a slightly different type of buzz. It’s usually a lower tone.’
‘Can you go into me like you did Prince Casper and find the source of the buzz?’ Amelie asked.
‘I don’t know. I don’t know where to start looking,’ he said nervously.
‘I have an idea. Stand over here and close your eyes. Can you tell where I am?’ she asked moving around him. Every time she moved he did too, keeping them face to face. Staying in the same spot she turned her back and moved away a pace. He didn’t move so she stepped sideways. She managed to circle him without his moving, then as soon as she turned to face his back, he turned to meet her. ‘Interesting,’ she said. ‘You only seem able to pinpoint me precisely when I’m facing you. When I turned my back you didn’t move.’
‘Is that what you did? I could feel you close by throughout, but thought you’d stopped turning around me.’
‘Keep your eyes closed,’ she told him. ‘Where do you feel my presence most? Point,’ she said softly.
‘I can’t differentiate. You’re too strong a presence.’
‘Don’t think, just let your feelings guide you,’ she said and turned away. She circled around him before turning. He acted just like a compass, his arm out. His arm wavered between her head and her chest before settling. ‘Open your eyes,’ she said. ‘What are you pointing at?’
‘Your heart; I saw it so clearly. It’s larger than normal and strong. No wonder you have such strength,’ he said in admiration.
‘You wavered between that and my head. Why?’
‘Someone’s mind is obviously key to who they are. It’s the home of memory and your sense of identity. Your choices in life are part of who you are. But I can see you are primarily led by your heart, rather than your head. That’s good to know.’
‘Why? Do you think I don’t use my head?’
‘No. I don’t mean that at all. What it indicates to me is that you’re not set in your ways. You still follow your heart and feelings. It means you’re still young enough and open enough to learn new skills.’
‘What kind of skills do you mean?’
‘I’m curious to see if you could learn some wizard magic. You have the power but it’s turned off from being readily accessible to that kind of use. It’s diverted to concentrate on being an animus only.’
‘How would my learning any of that help?’
‘To see if we could disguise you as an apprentice wizard. Maybe then you could come back with me to the Academy. Your strength would be far easier to hide amongst so many wizards.’
‘Oh, for a minute there I thought you wanted me to do this just so I would stay with you,’ she said.
He bit his lip nervously. ‘That was my main reason yes.’ He searched her eyes for any indication of how she felt about that. Daniel might have started their first foray into being more intimate with each other but it was all far too new and unconsummated. He had no idea how serious a relationship with her might end up. ‘Unless you have a destination of your own in mind once we get back to our own country.’
‘Not particularly. Teach me,’ she invited decisively. ‘Let’s see what our options are and decide further down the road.’
He nodded. It was premature to be making any promises to each other or forming serious plans just yet. They were still in dangerous territory and a long way from finding out whether she could turn her skills to a completely new field. He couldn’t bear the thought she might finally become his only to find they couldn’t be together. He dropped the locking bar across the door and climbed into his sleeping bag.
‘Sleep well,’ he said softly and both quickly dropped into sleep.
12
The Woodsman’s Trail
After a quick breakfast they were on their way at first light. The day was very overcast again but fortunately wasn’t actually raining. Knowing this was going to be a day of hard slog, climbing mainly on foot, they packed the horses’ burdens so they’d be as evenly balanced as possible. Then they tied the bear skins over the top of the saddles and baggage to help protect everything from the weather.
The dip beside the “pile of pebbles” as it had appeared down below was tantalisingly close, but the longer they climbed the further away it seemed. They crested brow after brow only to see it still way above and ahead of them. The trail they followed was little more than a goat track cutting through the tough woody stems of low growing heather. Eventually the heather gave way to sparse grasses as it became increasingly rocky. Loose gravel and shale were now a hazard, particularly for the horses. When they came to a slightly more level area Amelie halted them.
‘Let’s have a proper breather,’ she said to Jim and he flopped down breathlessly. ‘Was I going too fast?’ it abruptly occurred to her to as
k, eyeing how wan he was. She’d been leading and with such a narrow trail it was necessary to go single file so she hadn’t noticed him dropping back a little.
‘Just a bit; we don’t all have your strength,’ he admitted once he’d regained enough spare breath for speech.
‘You’re going to get a wet bottom sitting just there,’ she pointed out.
‘Probably.’
‘Here would be better,’ she told him and held out her hand to help lever him up. While he rested in a dryer spot she checked over the poor horses. They stood with heads drooping and blank eyes. She unhooked a small pan and put a handful of grain in it. The pan was just broad enough for a horse’s muzzle and they ate eagerly. Then she refilled the pan but with a little water to wash down the grain. It wasn’t good for them to eat or drink much during heavy exercise but this lunchtime rest and snack was enough to help revive their lagging strength and spirits. She handed Jim one of the tough dried meat sticks and watched him worry at it awkwardly. These sticks might not be quickly edible but they were concentrated food. Munching on the move also kept a mind diverted from the monotony of forcing a body to continue climbing beyond tiredness. She straightened Jim’s wind disarrayed hood, tucking his scarf back inside it and around him so his throat and chin were more protected. His wan smile and warm eyes bolstered her spirits enough to ignore the complaints of her own body and they set off again.
This bleak, windswept mountainside was not a good place to linger. She kept an eye on the heavy clouds ahead of them wondering just what kind of nasty weather they contained and when it would reach them. It was now late in the afternoon and she was worried. Firstly, they still hadn’t reached the summit. It looked like they were going to have to camp at altitude tonight, somewhere very unlikely to be a good or safe camp site. And secondly, their luck had been relatively good so far regarding the weather. Two storm systems had swept past to drop on the higher peaks to the North without actually hitting them, for which they were very glad.
‘You know, I think we’ve reached the pass,’ Jim said joining her where she’d halted.
‘I thought we’d got to go on up there,’ Amelie said pointing at the craggy cliffs above them. ‘That was what I was looking at,’ she laughed in relief. They’d topped yet another rise and now saw a cleft in the rock before them. ‘This must be the gully Daniel said to beware of in heavy rain,’ Amelie added.
‘You can see why. The run-off from both those peaks probably comes down just here.’ He took her spare hand and they walked gladly on a level area for the first time that day.
‘We’re going to have to hurry to get down very far before night fall,’ she said anxiously.
‘I know. Let’s ride,’ he suggested. They mounted their horses and trotted briskly until the gully narrowed and began descending steeply. But that short time at a better speed did help. They could tell this gully had been awash very recently; mud and loose gravel coated it making it slippery. But there wasn’t a better path. Amelie walked at her horse’s head helping him choose the safest course and bolstering his confidence. Jim’s mare was more nimble and followed behind without drama.
‘Steady Nugget,’ Amelie said reassuringly to the bay as he slipped yet again. She was walking now with a hand on the saddle. That at least she could grab without yanking on his poor mouth every time he needed assistance.
‘Are you holding that horse from falling?’ Jim asked suddenly seeing the bay’s scrabbling hooves and Amelie’s grimly set stance gripping the saddle.
‘Yes,’ she admitted with gritted teeth.
‘For goodness sake,’ Jim muttered in shock. ‘Push him across to that higher bit and let go,’ Jim urged and watched her take his advice immediately. Nugget’s scrabbling hooves found purchase on the solid stone and he stood, feet splayed, head down and gasping. Amelie looked in much the same condition. Jim hastily tied his own mare’s reins up high on her neck so they were not going to interfere with her head or flap loose around her feet and left her. He hurried over to Amelie, put his arms about her waist and pulled her free of the ankle deep mud she’d been pushed into. He helped her down to where her horse stood and they sat.
Jim’s horse, having been abandoned higher up the path, was slowly and carefully making her way down to them. She paused by the other horse but there wasn’t space for her to rest on firm footing so she slowly carried on down. Nugget seemed to take heart from her success and probably not wanting to be left behind gingerly began walking or rather hopping and sliding his way after her.
‘They’re not daft. They know better than us what they can manage when they have to,’ Jim said and helped Amelie to her feet. ‘You ok now?’
‘Better, thank you,’ she said softly. The genuine concern in his voice and eyes warmed her. ‘They’ll be leaving us behind at this rate,’ she said ruefully. ‘I’m glad they’ve got past that nasty steep bit ok.’
‘Yes. Hope there aren’t any more sections like that,’ he added.
About an hour later they came to a wider and more level area where they could get out of the mud. ‘Rest here,’ she told Jim. ‘The light’s fading fast. I’d better go ahead and see if I can find somewhere for us to stop for the night.’
‘Ok, but be careful,’ he said and watched her jog away. Where she found the strength he didn’t know, but he was unhappy at the thought of being too far behind to help should she need it. So after only five minutes rest he continued on, leading both horses but at a slower pace. She was right about the light fading and with it the temperature was dropping too. They had to keep moving to stay warm. Time passed and he became very worried. She had not returned and it was now fully dark.
The trail ahead suddenly led to a small flat plateau. This side of the mountain was very steep, rising high above and below him. Stepping forward gingerly in the poor moonlight he realised two things. Firstly there was a massive drop-off directly in front of him where the cliff continued down into a valley. And secondly there was a path turning left off the plateau to edge along a narrow shelf scoring the otherwise virtually sheer cliff face. He halted. That was not a trail to take in the dark, especially trying to lead two exhausted and therefore clumsy horses. Where was Amelie?
His constantly searching senses noticed something rapidly approaching and at the same moment he heard the beat of heavy wings. He grabbed a tighter hold of the horses and backed them up to the cliff wall so the horses knew they couldn’t go anywhere. But he doubted that was going to be enough to prevent disaster. Horses were understandably naturally terrified of dragons. So he dropped a shield around them which would contain and also remove sight and sound as Amelie the dragon landed just a few feet away and sat down.
‘What happened?’ he asked.
‘There are people about a mile down the trail. They could be bandits but I suspect it’s an official guard post to defend the border. Either way, there’s a substantial blockade set up with lookout posts just where you cannot go around. It’s taken me this long to creep back out of sight. I’ll have to carry us all down.’
‘You’re not contemplating carrying the horses, surely?’
‘We need them. Besides, if we release them here they’re most likely to walk this way to get off the mountain and that will alert the sentries to our presence as surely as shouting. I think I can probably glide with one at a time,’ she said. ‘At the foot of this cliff is a river. If I can get us all down there we’ll have avoided those people and their path comes out on the other side of a ridge.’
‘Where’s that town with the garrison that Daniel was warning us about? I thought he said we should bear left. This way we’ll be far on the right. We could be walking directly for that town,’ he said anxiously.
‘I think it’s on the other side too. I didn’t see any lights. Very well, I’d better go and look before I commit us,’ she said in resignation. She was already tired.
‘Can you be small like an owl?’ Jim asked. ‘Surely your dragon stretches you unnecessarily.’ He watched in fascination as
her dragon shrank down to the size of a medium sized dog. Her scaly wings became softly feathered and her two front legs disappeared and her stance changed to become more upright. Then her elongated dragon face changed into a flat round owl face. ‘Perfect,’ he congratulated.
Jim watched the beautifully graceful form for as long as he could see her. She glided silently barely flapping her wings as she descended down the rock face to the forested valley below them. His heart went out to her as he watched her laboriously flapping her way back up the steep cliffs to rejoin them. She headed for him and he caught her. He gathered the owl tenderly to him only to find the form in his arms alter and Amelie the woman was now in his arms. She burrowed into his jacket shivering and he held her close sharing his warmth until she’d recovered a little. Then he passed over a thick chunk of the roast meat he’d got out ready. She almost pounced on the meat.
‘Chew,’ he chided gently. ‘It’s not going anywhere.’ She glanced at him slightly sheepishly and did slow down but the single minded way she concentrated on eating told him just what a toll on her body today had already forced on her. ‘Are there any people down there?’
‘No, or rather I couldn’t see any lights or smell any camp fires,’ she said.
‘You still think you can carry a horse down?’ he asked doubtfully.
‘It may be difficult not to crash land. There’s not much open ground to land in.’
‘You’re sure the weight won’t make you drop them or even snap your wings?’
‘Just be ready with more food,’ she told him. ‘I’ll start with your horse. Then you and then mine if I’ve still got the energy.’
‘I suggest you don’t try and land,’ he advised and she nodded considering that.
She turned into her dragon but this time adjusted the strength of her wing muscles and four legs. ‘Damn thing tried to bite me,’ she exclaimed eyeing Jim’s horse’s terrified and aggressive behaviour.
Amelie: Wizards of White Haven Page 17