by Unknown
I could see it in her eyes, how scared she was. But what child wouldn’t be scared to leave everything they knew, everyone they cared for, and go to a place she’d never even heard of? Aletha’s advice had been dead-on. I needed to give her something, some foundation that she could hold on to; otherwise I wasn’t sure if her heart could take this.
So I knelt to put us on eye level and gave her a grin. “Hey Becca, didn’t you know? I’m supposed to protect you for the rest of your life.”
She swallowed hard, eyes staring at me hopefully. “You…you’ll stay with me? Forever?”
“Yup, sure will. Now, it’s your decision what you want me to be.” I counted out the options on my fingers. “One, father. Two, crazy uncle. Three, crazier brother. Which one do you like?”
Whatever she’d expected me to say, it wasn’t that. She had the blankest expression on her face that I’d ever seen. “But…we’re not related.”
“Adoption, kiddo, adoption. Haven’t you heard of it? I’m saying, adopt me as your relative. You get to choose what kind I’ll be.”
She mulled that over before glancing at Aletha, as if wondering just how serious I was about all of this.
Aletha nodded in support. “I know it’s hard sometimes to tell when he’s joking, but right now he’s serious. He really was sent down here to rescue you, but he was also ordered to protect you and make sure that nothing ever happens to you. So you can take him at his word, Becca.”
Her eyes fell to the ground as she thought all of it through. I waited patiently, not in the least interested in trying to hurry her along. This was one decision that I wanted her to make without any outside influence.
Finally, she lifted her head and looked at me with complete soberness. “You’re too young to be my daddy.”
Well, she had me there. At the ripe old age of twenty-five, I was a bit young to have an eight-year-old daughter.
“You’re too young to be my uncle too,” she added firmly. “So, older brother.”
“Older brother it shall be, then.” Not that we looked the least bit alike, but whatever.
“Speaking of family,” Aletha interjected. “Becca, I think we should tell your parents that we have you and where you’re going. Right now, it’s dangerous to have any contact with them, but later on, you might be able to. What do you say?”
Becca perked up at this idea. “That’d be good.”
“I don’t think you should leave the cave,” Aletha continued thoughtfully. “Too risky.”
“I can’t go back,” Becca said firmly, although her eyes were sad. “I can never go back there.”
I studied her from the corner of my eye. Now, that was an interesting reaction. Most children would be looking for an excuse to go home, but she steadfastly refused.
Aletha caught it as well, eyes narrowed slightly in an expression of perplexity. “Yes, I know. But you tell me any message you want to pass along and I’ll deliver it.”
I looked at her askance. Of the two of us, I’d pass better in that village than she would. So why was she volunteering to go? “Wifey, you sure?”
Aletha gave me a reassuring nod. “It’ll be near sunset by the time I climb back up there. I’ve gotten into more fortified places with less cover than this.”
Well, granted, she had a point there. But I could tell from the expression on her face and the significant look that she gave Becca what her real reason was. She didn’t think it wise for me to leave Becca right now, and I had to agree with her. The kid didn’t openly cling to me, but the way she never got more than a foot from my side spoke volumes.
Becca thought for a moment before she gave Aletha a message for each member of her family and directions to the house. Aletha listened attentively and repeated it all back to make sure she had it. When they were both satisfied, she picked up her sword and silently exited the cave.
Watching her go, Becca asked uncertainly, “Will she be alright alone?”
“Sweetie, I feel sorry for anyone that picks a fight with her,” I chuckled. “Now, let’s get these dishes washed and you in bed. We’ve got an early start to make in the morning.”
Aletha ducked into the cave with nary a whisper of sound. I only knew she came in because I was keeping a very careful watch on the entrance. She caught me watching her and whispered, “Hey.”
“Hey,” I returned just as softly, aware of the sleeping child at my side. “So?”
“I ran her parents down,” Aletha responded without preamble. She sank next to me, curling up comfortably on her bedroll with her legs tucked up next to her. “You want the long or short version?”
“I think I need the long one.”
“Right, long it is.” Aletha’s expression became cold and smooth, like a stone carving. I immediately tensed. I’d seen that expression before. I’d never liked what happened afterwards. “So, two weeks ago, when she started showing signs of her mage ability, the Star Order Priests were immediately contacted.”
I still found it hard to swallow that parts of Chahir still clung to the old ways so ferociously. I knew that they were here, and active, but it seemed more real now that I was down here.
“Fortunately, the mother had enough love for her daughter to make up a quick plan. She put together food and supplies for Becca and ordered her to make a run for it. Disappear, don’t contact anyone, and head straight for the capital.”
My eyes nearly crossed. “She ordered an eight-year-old to run away all the way to the capital?” There were full-grown adults I didn’t trust to cross that kind of distance alone!
Aletha nodded grimly. “It gets better. After she sent her daughter off, she made up a story about how they went fishing together and an accident happened, so that the girl died and fell into the sea. The whole village believes her dead.”
Hence why Becca was so adamant that she couldn’t enter the village. Got it. If she went there, it would destroy the cover story her parents had concocted. But still, what kind of mother sent her daughter off into danger alone? “What, someone couldn’t go with her?”
“I think they’re scared of her too,” Aletha admitted, and she looked as if she had bitten into something rotten while saying the words. “The prejudices run strong and deep here, Shad. We’re lucky they had enough parental love for her to even give her a fighting chance.”
I looked down at the girl curled up around Tail, peacefully asleep, and couldn’t agree with Aletha. What kind of fighting chance does an eight-year-old have of traveling the road across the country? “This is so many levels of wrong I can’t even begin to count them all.”
She let out a long sigh. “That’s rather how I feel about it. Strange, we spent over a year in this country hunting down budding magicians and rescuing them, but I still haven’t gotten used to how cold and cruel people can be here.”
I was born in this country and I couldn’t fathom it either. But I didn’t want to.
Silence fell between us for a time. Aletha stirred, leaning forward so that she could see over my legs and look at the young mage. “So, straight back to Strae?”
“That’d be best,” I agreed. “Well, we actually need to head straight out of Chahir. We’re closer to the Hainian border than anything else right now, and I think the faster we’re off Chahiran soil, the better.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Aletha sighed. “Ye gods, I’ll be glad to leave this place behind. How do you want to go?”
“I think we should try to catch a boat going up the Elkhorn River. It’ll get us to the safe house outside of Waterford that way and it’ll be easier and faster than trying to hoof it over land.”
“Sounds fine to me. Do you want first watch or second?”
“I’ll take first.”
“I’ll turn in, then.”
Yeaoooooow!
In sheer instinct, I flailed awake and staggered to my feet in a little under a second, only to curl forward, pain throbbing in my groin. I glared murderously at the cat that had, only a moment before, landed on me
with claws extended. Tail glared right back at me, back arched with his fur standing straight up. “Must you have clawed me there?” I demanded around a sleep-clogged throat.
“Shad,” Aletha hissed from the cave entrance.
I snapped around, eyes searching for her in the dim lighting of the cave. I’d barely been able to see Tail before, only focusing on his glowing eyes. Aletha was little more than a silhouette against a starry backdrop. “What?” I demanded in a low whisper.
“I count three Star Order Priests coming towards us, fast. There might be three more behind them, I can’t be sure of the number. The rocks are blocking my sight.”
“Already?” I responded in resignation. I’d have thought that we would have at least eight hours or so of safety before we needed to leave. But, I suppose that had been wishful thinking. A white-haired man, riding a white horse, with a white cat, must have sent all sorts of alarming signals to the locals. As paranoid as they were, they’d have called the priests just because of my general strangeness.
“I’ll get the horses,” she said, racing for the back of the cave.
I shoved my feet into my boots. “I’ll get Becca.”
I didn’t bother trying to wake the sleeping mage, just grabbed her and hauled her into my arms. Of course, she woke up from being rudely jerked out of her bedroll.
“Wha—” she managed, hands grabbing my shirt in sheer reflex, finding her balance.
“We’ve got to move, sweetie.” I mentally scratched off most of our equipment as lost and steeled myself to somehow replace it later. Right now, my priority had to be getting out of this cave.
Caves are simply wonderful for giving shelter to weary and stranded travelers. But in a strategic sense, they’re equally terrible. They are the worst fatal funnels in the history of fatal funnels, as not only do they force you to fight in a narrow area, but they end at some point, leaving you no escape route. If I didn’t manage to keep the entrance clear, Aletha would be trapped back there.
I made it out of the cave, trying to stay low and in the shadows, but of course, Becca lit up like a beacon for the Star Order Priests. They didn’t need their normal vision to see her. One of them gave a shout, calling to the others that he saw her.
Growling, I set her back on her own feet, my eyes never leaving the enemy running toward us. “Becca, listen to me. When Aletha gets out here, you climb on board the horse with her and you run. Don’t look back, don’t try to help, just get out of here.”
Her hands clung to mine in a startlingly strong grip. “What about you?” she asked, voice shaking. “There’s lots of them.”
I had perhaps twenty seconds before they were on top of me. I took ten of those seconds to reassure her and gave a cocky wink. “You remember who I am? What the legend said about me?”
“Gran said you were the best soldier ever. No one could beat you.”
Did the story really say that? Should I correct her? I actually had been beaten a few times…naw, probably shouldn’t mention it. “That’s right. You don’t need to worry. I’ve fought priests a lot stronger than these before. You just go.”
Aletha chose that moment to appear, the reins of her horse in hand. She grabbed Becca around the waist without pause and threw her into the saddle before climbing quickly on board as well. “Shad?”
“Be right behind you,” I promised.
The moon was just bright enough out here that I could see her mouth curve into a frown. Then she looked at the girl sitting in front of her, at the priests, then back at me. It was reluctant, but she nodded in understanding.
I in no way underestimated Aletha’s skills. She was experienced with fighting Star Order Priests as well. The only reason why I stayed to fight them off, preventing them from staying on our trail, was this: I was faster. I had a better chance of defeating all six and not letting any one of them escape.
Aletha set her heels against her mount’s flanks and set off as quickly as she could over this rocky, slick ground. I unsheathed my sword and settled into a fighting stance.
“Hey, you gormless pillocks!” I greeted cheerfully.
“You scrubber!” the nearest priest yelled back. His face was in shadow, so I couldn’t see much of him except for a tall, lanky frame, but his voice sounded fairly young. “You have no right to insult us!”
“You lot of wazzocks just came to kill my little sister, and you think I won’t hurtle a few insults at you?” I threw my head back and laughed.
“She doesn’t have an older brother!”
My grin became feral. “She does now. I am Riicshaden of Jarrell. Fight with me, you manky skivers.”
All my taunting worked on most of them. Of the six approaching, four came directly at me, their staffs held at the ready. But two were either wise enough or just experienced enough to realize I was only taunting them to keep everyone away from pursuing Becca. They didn’t rush, but tried to get closer to the waterline, bypassing me and heading for the narrow trail that led back toward the top of the cliffs.
Of course, I couldn’t let them do that.
In a burst of speed, I sprinted to the side and cut them off sharply, my sword coming up even as I planted my feet, snapping the staff aimed at me up and away. I was close enough to see his eyes, how they widened in surprise at the suddenness and fury of the attack, but I gave him no time to collect himself. I slammed my knee up toward his chest, and more importantly, toward the staff angled in front of it. The metal guard that I had over my shin and knee gave me enough strength to snap the staff in half.
With a soundless sigh, his eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he slowly slumped to the ground. I recognized the reaction instantly—the priests at the Hapt-den-War Pool had reacted the same way when I’d broken their weapons, as they had magically linked to them in order to gain a fighting edge. Pity that didn’t work on me.
But if they were all linked to their weapons like this, then the fight just got a whole lot easier.
I couldn’t spin on my toes like I wanted, or do the quick bursts and side-steps that I was used to doing, because this uneven ground made it hard to keep my balance. But even still, I managed to twist and catch the next priest that was rushing toward me with a quick jab. He dodged it, narrowly avoiding a foot of steel in his gut, but I hadn’t planned for that attack to do anything anyway. Instead, I went for his feet, dropping low and kicking his knees out from underneath him. He tried to use the staff in his hands to keep himself upright, but that just meant I had the perfect leverage and angle I needed to kick it and break it neatly in half.
It snapped with a very satisfying crack.
Two down. A smile lit up my face as the blood started pumping and that old, familiar surge of adrenaline really started coursing through my veins. Nothing was quite like this moment, when everything seemed crystal clear and somehow in slow motion at the same time.
In that moment, I heard something that I shouldn’t have. The low, rumbling growl of a massive storm coming in fast. I dared a peek over my shoulder toward the sky. Strange, I’d never seen a storm move in that fast and furious before. In fact, it was very unnatural how the whole thing seemed to come out of nowhere.
At that moment, I remembered something, a trivial detail that I hadn’t focused on before: Becca’s magic was active.
In other words, I had a child mage on my hands.
Shrieking hinges!
Cursing myself aloud for forgetting, I went for the next priest with more energy and fury than was probably necessary. Even as I fought, spun, parried, and retaliated, I was mentally castigating myself for being three types of fool. If I had just thought to ask, I wouldn’t have come down here without at least one magician and a few sealing amulets. As it was, I was going to have to travel through dangerous country with a nervous and upset child Weather Mage.
I chopped the next staff cleanly in half and sent another priest sprawling.
The storm arrived overhead and instantly let out sheets of rain. In seconds all of us were drenche
d right down to the skin. Rivulets of water streamed from my bangs and into my eyes, which pretty much blurred my vision. If that wasn’t bad enough, strong winds came with the storm, whipping everything around us and throwing rain into our faces. I went from being able to sort of see in the dim lighting to not being able to see my hand in front of my face.
Never mind fighting, I wouldn’t be able to walk straight in this mess!
Blowing out a breath, I mentally shrugged in resignation. Well, this should prove to be an interesting fight.
In this storm-swept beach, I didn’t have a prayer of finding my opponents, much less fighting them. I could only hope that they were just as lost and confused in this as I was. I felt my way along, one hand up to shield my eyes (a more or less useless gesture on my part) as I moved back toward the cave. Cloud should be around here somewhere, unless he’d gotten confused and followed along behind Aletha. I really hoped he hadn’t, but that horse couldn’t be described as the sharpest tool in the drawer.
As I slowly put one foot in front of the other, one hand outstretched in front of me, I had to wonder how the girls were faring in this mess. They had Tail with them, so supposedly he could guide them through safely. If they could see him. I was certainly banking on Cloud’s superior ears and nose to get me to them, as I couldn’t see a single thing here. I felt like a blinded bat.
My hand slammed into something slick and unyielding. Cliff face? No, wait, it felt warm. I put both hands against the surface, brushing sideways, and felt the distinct sensation of wet fur. Whoo-hoo! Found Cloud.
“Cloud!” I yelled over the fury of the storm. “Track the girls! Understand? Take us to the girls!”
I felt his neck tense and relax as he bobbed his head, signaling he understood. He stood patiently and still as I used my hands to find the saddle, and the stirrup. With a practiced heave, I relied on muscle memory to swing aboard him. Of course, I failed to consider what might be on the other side.