by Trudi Jaye
“What was the real story?”
“She’d killed him, but only because he’d been beating her with a fireside poker. She’d been trying to defend herself from him. And she hadn’t even done it on purpose.”
“What happened?”
“She was put in jail, and hauled before a Flame Justice.”
“Was she...? Did they find her guilty?”
He nodded. “She was hanged. Because of me.”
***
As they came into sight of the spring, the delicious smell of cooking made Jena’s mouth water. They’d declined a meal with the blacksmith, and now she was starving.
Bree and Argus had set up a small lean-to near the spring, and a fire was burning under a large pot of stew.
“How’d you know when we’d be back?” asked Jena as she dismounted from her horse.
“We were hoping it wouldn’t take you long.” Bree said with a smile. She glanced at Argus and then away again.
“It smells delicious. I can’t wait,” said Jena. She noticed a slight blush up Bree’s cheeks. What had gone on while they were away? “How are you feeling, Argus?”
“I’m fine,” replied Argus, his face impassive. No blushes and certainly no information to be gleaned from the big man.
Nate and Jena took care of the horses, making sure they were all fed and watered before joining Bree and Argus around the fire. Jena sat and warmed her hands and wondered about the strange mood between Bree and Argus.
Bree served up generous portions of meat and vegetable stew, handing the plates around to Jena and Nate. Eating in silence for the first few mouthfuls, Jena sighed with relief as the warm food slid down into her stomach. “Where did you get the meat?” she asked.
Bree grinned. “Turns out, this spring is a popular spot. Argus managed to catch us rabbits for the pot.”
Taking another bite, Jena smiled. “It’s delicious,” she said, lifting her spoon in salute to the cooks. Bree smiled her sweet smile, but Argus just grunted, his attention held by his meal.
“Definitely just what I needed,” agreed Nate.
Throughout the rest of the evening by the campfire, Jena watched Argus. The big man was even more quiet and grim than usual. Was Argus still unwell after his relapse? The mage ghost had said he’d recover after the Riders were killed, but Argus definitely looked pale and unhappy. More so than usual, at least.
If the mercenary weren’t able to travel, they’d be in trouble. As it was, they’d have to race across country for the next two weeks if they were going to make it in the time Argus’s master had set them.
Why it mattered, Jena didn’t know. Perhaps it would save Nate from the wrath of Lothar. Perhaps not.
On the opposite side of the fire, Argus was spooning up stew as though he hadn’t eaten in a year. Bree leaned over and gave Argus more bread, and he hesitated before taking the second helping.
Jena frowned slightly. That was one of the few times she’d ever seen the mercenary hesitate. Not only the hesitation; Argus was generally scrupulous about maintaining rations and not having more than the correct share.
“We better get an early night,” said Nate, standing up. “Argus, will you be ready to ride in the morning?”
Jena had been trying to work out that question since they arrived back.
Bree answered before Argus could open his mouth. “He’s still weak. I was able to do some healing while you were gone, but he’ll have to take it slowly.”
“I’ll go the speed we need,” said Argus, ignoring Bree’s words. “I’ve been worse than this and survived. And I didn’t have a healer on tap last time.”
Nate nodded and silently began gathering his gear together for the night. He had been given new blankets and travel gear from the grateful villagers. “Fine. We should leave at first light.”
“Agreed,” said Argus in a tight voice.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
It felt like his brown stallion had somehow been painfully attached to his rear end. He hadn’t been off it for more than a few hours in the last five days, and both he and the animal were sick of it.
They were trotting along yet another almost invisible track in the shadow of the Ember Volcanoes. On either side, cliffs towered over the trail, thick vegetation at the top creating a dark and narrow tunnel. A spotlight of sun came through the gap.
Occasionally a dark red glow would create an artificial blush of color along their path, and the hiss and roar of lava spouting out of the nearby volcanoes would break the silence. It was a strange and dangerous landscape.
It seemed that most other travelers had never heard of this particular trail—or perhaps were too smart to use it—because the only people they had passed in the last couple of days were ghosts.
“We rest here,” said Argus from the front. His injury and illness of a few days ago were seemingly forgotten. Nate glanced at Bree. She looked tired, dark rings under her eyes, pale skin. He was sure her tiredness was related to Argus’s miraculous recovery.
But he wasn’t going to argue with a rest break; there had been few enough of those in the last five days. Nate dismounted from the horse, almost losing his balance when he put his weight on his own legs. He clung to his saddle, pretending to be talking to the horse, while he orientated himself to standing again. If they didn’t arrive at their destination soon, he wasn’t going to be able to walk at all.
Argus had chosen a place near an old tree that provided curling roots and some shade. The highest branches climbed up to the top of the cliffs, and out into the sunshine beyond, making the tree a tall, narrow shape. The sulfurous smell of the volcanoes hung in the air.
Pulling a couple of ration bars out of his pack, Nate handed one to Jena and one to Bree, before sitting down on a rock and chewing on his own. Argus had already expressed a vivid hatred of the hard grain and honey lumps, preferring his own store of dried meat.
“I swear they’re harder today,” said Jena as she chewed on her portion.
Nate grunted. “They’ll only get more like rocks as the days pass. I don’t blame Argus for refusing them.”
“He’s normally so practical about things like that. Rations and such.” Bree was thoughtful as she looked over to where the mercenary was patting down his horse.
“He’s got some quirks all right. It’s probably the Utugani in him. They like to be ornery.” Nate looked over to Jena. Her face gave nothing away. He tried again. “I mean they’re all so unpredictable, right?”
Jena flicked her gaze toward him, then away. “A child is better at getting a rise out of someone, Nate,” she said.
He grinned. “I have to practice.”
“If you have to practice, you’re in trouble.”
Nate shook his head. He was about to disagree when an object shot past his head, the sudden rush of air stirring his hair. Nate jumped back and looked behind him to see an arrow juddering on the tree trunk. He dived for Jena and Bree, pulling them both down beside him.
“Get behind that rock. Stay low!” Argus was already moving around the rocks toward the point on the cliffs above them where the arrow had come from.
“Drop all yer weapons and stan’ back from th’ rock. Do as we says, and we may let yer live,” a rough voice yelled from above.
Argus swore loudly. “You can shove your ambush up your arse!” His voice boomed loud in the enclosed space.
“That’s the right attitude if yer wanta die, traveler!” the voice boomed again.
“Well, Eldrin, you should pick your targets more carefully in the future!” Argus roared back.
“By the Flames—” said the voice. A man emerged from behind the rocks, and looked down. “Sparks, it is you! Argus, what are you doing here?”
“Trying to avoid being ambushed, you imbecile. What are you doing? Surely times aren’t that tough?”
“Ah, well that’s where you’d be wrong. Times are tough. And if you thought a good mercenary could always get a job, you haven’t tried lately.”
T
heir would-be attacker worked his way down through the rocks, to land on his feet near Argus. He was just as tall as Argus, but less broad, and wearing only a sword and knives. “You’ll appreciate the shyness of my fellows. They don’t know you as I do and fear a trap.” Eldrin looked up into the rocks, pointing vaguely to a couple of different spots.
“Always the trickster, eh, Eldrin?”
“What makes you think I would lie to you?” Eldrin swiped his hand through his scraggly brown hair, looking at Argus with a cheeky grin.
“Perhaps the time you said you weren’t lying about the twins in Herchey? Or the time you said you had just been out in the alleyway in Ormach?” Argus had his hand casually resting on his sword hilt, but he looked more relaxed than Nate had ever seen him.
“Well, those were desperate times. You can’t always expect me to tell the truth. It’s unnatural.” The newcomer punched Argus on the arm.
Nate looked at Jena and Bree, raising his eyebrows. Eldrin seemed to know Argus very well. They hadn’t seen this side of him before.
“What’s unnatural is that a fully trained and highly competent mercenary is in the Wild Pass trying to ambush travelers.” Argus’s voice had taken on a lecturing tone. “Aside from anything else, no one uses this pass but the high country folk, and they’d as soon rip their own tongues out as give in to an ambush.”
Eldrin raised his eyebrows. “Now surely they’re not that proud? I’ll have to remember that.” He looked around as if expecting a high country villager to emerge from behind a boulder. He sighed. “It doesn’t matter anyway, I wasn’t planning an ambush; it was just that you halted directly below me, and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. I’ve got nothing but the clothes on my back and my horse to travel with since I left my last posting.”
“And where was that?” Argus asked.
“Outlier. Keeping the border at Long Arm. We were all kicked out about a month ago. No one’s looking to hire either. Lothar’s promising them protection of another sort.” Eldrin gave Argus a long look.
Argus nodded. “Come, sit down, and take a bite with us. We’re moving quickly, but you’re welcome to travel with us.”
Nate had never seen Argus so talkative. He glanced at Bree; she was frowning, but her face cleared when she saw him watching her. At least he wasn’t the only one who thought it was out of character.
“I might just take you up on that offer.” Eldrin looked over at the sisters and Nate, who by this time had emerged from behind their solid protection. “And who are your companions?” he asked.
Bree put a hand out in welcome to Eldrin. “I’m Bree and this is my sister, Jena. This is Nate.” Nate felt Jena tense beside him. He knew she wouldn’t have given their names so easily to a stranger.
“It’s a pleasure to meet such beautiful ladies on the trail. And so unexpected.”
“So unexpected you decided to rob us?” said Nate. Just because Argus knew him, didn’t mean he couldn’t hold a grudge.
“Ah, well that was an accident.” Eldrin shrugged, still grinning. “If I’d realized who you were traveling with, I wouldn’t have bothered you.”
Nate shook his head, unwilling to begin to argue against his reasoning.
“We’ve only got trail rations, but you’re welcome to share.” Bree handed her rock-hard snack to Eldrin. She smiled at the sandy-haired man, and he twinkled back with his blue eyes, laugh lines showing up around the corners.
He looked at the bar a moment, sniffing cautiously, then took a bite. “Just as I remember travel rations. Awful.” He took another bite.
Nate wondered how Argus knew Eldrin. They’d obviously met up soldiering somewhere; he just hoped Argus knew what he was doing allowing the man into their campsite.
“Don’t worry about Eldrin,” said Argus, seeming to read Nate’s thoughts. “He’s as slippery as an eel, but it’s impossible to take offence.”
Nate thought he might just be able to, considering how close that arrow had come to his head. Every sense Nate had was screaming that something was very wrong.
“Where’s your horse?” Argus asked Eldrin.
“Just up the trail.” Eldrin gestured up. “I’ll go get it, if we’re to travel together.”
“Be quick, we’re in a hurry.”
“Some things don’t change. Still ordering everyone around.” Eldrin loped off up the rocks on one side, climbing as if he was born in the mountains. Nate looked over at Argus.
“What—” Nate started to ask Argus, but the big man shook his head sharply, putting one finger to his lips, and giving Nate a stern look. Nate blinked.
When Eldrin returned with a large black and white horse, they reluctantly climbed back on their horses and continued their journey. Nate’s stallion picked its way slowly through the rolling rocks and uneven surfaces. He was at the rear of the group, watching everyone’s back.
He could feel more about his surroundings than he ever had in the past, and his senses felt widened, more opened up. Using the flames inside him changed the way he viewed things. He could feel the heat in everything around him, including flowing through his own veins.
Differing levels of red were visible to him in the rocks, the trees, and even the people around him. Jena was a glowing scarlet beacon compared to the others, although Bree was a strong cherry color. Argus and Eldrin were both a weaker hue, more like a pale pink, but in both men, it seemed out of kilter, off somehow.
In Argus, it must be the result of whatever was binding him to his master. In Eldrin, it just confirmed his negative reaction to the man.
Pulling back into the normal world, everything lost the red glow, and Nate shook his head to ward off a disorientating dizziness. He tried to clear his thoughts and concentrate on what was happening around him.
Up ahead he could hear Argus and Eldrin chatting. Literally chatting. It was clear that Argus was up to something, but he seemed so friendly with this man, it was hard to understand what it could be. Why would he encourage Eldrin to come with them if he thought he was dangerous? Perhaps he thought the man could help them?
Previously Argus had been a known quantity, someone Nate felt he knew and could count on to act a certain way. Now he wondered if he really did know Argus.
Jena slowed up, and edged her horse in beside Nate. “How long now?”
“Only slightly less than last time you asked.”
Jena glowered at him.
He gestured with his head up to where Argus and Eldrin were discussing a battle in a foreign land. “What do you think that is about?”
Jena shrugged. “I don’t know. Bree thinks he’s up to something. She’s got her suspicions, but she’s being cagey.”
“Won’t she tell you?”
“She’s not used to telling me everything yet.”
“It’s a strange thing, to find you have family you didn’t know you had.” Nate thought of Argus’s stories about Lothar, and his parents.
“But in your case, your family is crazy.”
He shook his head. “He’s been killing off every relative I had, if Argus is right. I’m losing people I never even had the chance to know.” Nate felt an ache in his chest. His life could have been so different. He could have had someone other than an old pride-filled and stiff grandfather who had seen him as a disgrace to be hidden from the world.
“I’m sorry, Nate.” Jena reached out a hand, and touched his arm quickly. “I’m sure there will still be people who can claim family ties.”
“What happens if I have to kill him? What if the prophecy is right?” Nate said quietly.
“We’ll help you. That’s what we’re here for, right? You can enlist Argus. He’ll protect us. Just listen to those tales he’s sharing with Eldrin.”
Nate paused to listen a moment and then laughed. “They’re both pretty bloodthirsty. I just can’t believe it’s the same person.”
“He’ll be back, once he has what he wants.”
“You think?”
“Yes.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
“We stop here for the night,” said Argus, halting in front of a small rocky clearing. “Eldrin says it’s the best place along this track.” Beside him, Eldrin nodded in agreement.
Jena slid from her horse, landing on shaky legs. There were aches and pains in places on her body she hadn’t known existed. She had blisters on her hands, and there were others emerging in places she didn’t even want to think about. They’d been riding all day, and she knew she wasn’t the only one suffering.
She stood with her head leaning against the saddle for a moment, getting her bearings. When she lifted her head, Bree was standing beside her. Silently Bree touched Jena’s hands where they still grasped the saddle ridge. She felt a familiar cooling through her fingers straight away.
Jena sighed. “Thank you.”
“I’m not finished yet. Just stay still.” Bree put her hand on Jena’s heart, holding it there and closing her eyes.
Jena felt a cooling breeze flow from Bree’s hands through her body. The hurts from the day seemed to slide into the distance, leaving behind a calm and easy feeling.
“If this is what you do for Argus, no wonder he’s feeling so much better.”
“He’s not better. I mean he’s getting better, but slowly. He’s just really good at hiding his pain.”
“But—”
“Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”
“What about him?” Jena jerked her head in the direction of Eldrin, who was entering the nearby cave, ducking his head as he went through the low entrance.
“Argus won’t thank us for discussing it. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous.”
Jena raised her eyebrows.
“I’m not being dramatic.”
“I wish I knew what you were talking about.”
“I don’t know what he’s doing; I just know he’s up to something.” Bree leaned forward and gave Jena a kiss on her cheek. “Watch yourself. Don’t give anything away,” she whispered into her sister’s ear and then strode off to where Argus was starting a fire.