“She must be here,” he said as if seeking reassurance from him before approaching the building. But Nicholas hadn’t taken a handful of steps when the front door suddenly opened. Captain Lok stepped out into the moonlight, his clothes dripping wet from his brief swim in the sea and an arrogant smile plastered upon his face.
“You’re too late,” he told them with satisfaction, eyeing Nicholas in particular. “Your long journey has been for nothing. And I’ll bet you thought you were so clever.”
“Is she in there?” Ragus asked, seeing that Nicholas was unable to speak, his face riddled with ire and anguish.
Lok smiled again and unsheathed his dagger. “Like I said, you’re too late.”
But Nicholas felt no fear and removed Brin’s knife from his belt, his fingers tightly gripping the handle. Lok flinched ever so slightly, but whether from the cold or out of fear, Nicholas couldn’t tell. All that was on his mind was killing Lok. Ragus realized this and knew he had to do something in the next moment before he had two dead men on his hands.
“It ends now,” Nicholas said, his voice choked and hoarse as he raised the knife, preparing to lunge in Lok’s direction.
But Lok sprang first and ran toward Nicholas, wildly brandishing his dagger. Anticipating such a move, Ragus pulled Nicholas aside and spoke close to his ear.
“I’ll take care of Lok,” he said, reaching for his dagger. “Go inside to Ivy. That is where you should be.” He pushed Nicholas out of the way as Lok barreled toward them.
With the sound of metal knives clashing and tears streaming down his face, Nicholas veered away from the fight and ran to the small cabin, dreading what he might find inside. He knew that Ragus was right. He should be with Ivy now whatever her fate. He could always return later to hunt down Lok and make him pay for his crimes.
When Nicholas opened the door, dim shadows greeted him. A low fire, barely alive, flickered in the hearth. Several candles on a table, sputtering and dripping wax along their sides, added extra light to the deathly quiet. He looked about, his heart pounding as echoes of the fight outdoors lingered in the background. Then he saw it and his heart went cold. A body lay on the floor behind a table near the doorway to an adjacent room. He ran to it, dreading what he would find. As he approached, something about the figure appeared strange as it lay on its side, the face hidden.
After he pushed aside a chair and knelt by the body, Nicholas saw that it was too large to be Ivy. He exhaled deeply as relief washed over him. The body moved and he heard a slight groan. He carefully turned it over and was face to face with an Island soldier. Nicholas was startled and jumped back, thinking it was a trap until he realized that the man was drifting in and out of consciousness. His hands and feet were bound with rope. A long stick of oak wood rested on the floor close by. Nicholas thought for a moment, wondering if this was Ivy’s handiwork. Had she already escaped? Was he too late? Or had something else transpired?
He shook the body and lightly tapped the man’s cheek. “Where’s the girl? Tell me!” But the man wouldn’t open his eyes. Nicholas didn’t expect him to for some time, leaving him to wonder where on this island–or elsewhere–Ivy might have gone.
The voices of Ragus and Lok shook him back to reality as they drew nearer to the cabin. Nicholas could still hear fighting as the sharp ringing of metal blades pierced the air. He knew Ragus needed help and ran out of the cabin wielding his dagger, his emotions boiling with rage. But as he stepped into the moonlight, his heart sank. He saw Ragus being shoved face first against a tree, his knife flying out of his hand, his breath forced from his lungs. The left sleeve of Ragus’ coat was stained with blood. Lok pressed an arm against the back of his neck and clutched a dagger in his right hand, ready to drive the cold piece of metal into the man’s back.
“Wait!” Nicholas cried, causing Lok to momentarily hold back his deadly strike as Ragus struggled in pain against the tree.
Lok glared at Nicholas, his eyes filled with disdain. “You’re next!” he promised, his face contorted with rage.
Nicholas returned an icy stare, knowing he wouldn’t have time to reach his friend before Lok could kill him. “You said earlier that I was too late. But you’re the one who was too late regarding Ivy,” he taunted, hoping to buy some time as he inched another step closer. “Ivy wasn’t inside, Lok. She escaped before you could get to her. So congratulations. You lost both the girl and the Bretic–and all in one day.”
“I’ll show you!” he cried out, brandishing his dagger behind Ragus.
But as they were talking, Nicholas noted that Ragus had slowly raised his right boot between Lok’s legs, anticipating a defensive move on his part. In order to buy a few more precious seconds, Nicholas called out to Lok in a more conciliatory tone. “Maybe we can reach an agreement,” he suggested. To Lok’s utter surprise, Nicholas casually tossed his knife aside where it landed in the dirt with a dull thud. “Let Ragus go and take me as your prisoner instead. He’s done nothing to you.”
“He’s a traitor!” Lok sputtered. “I want no prisoners. If I have my way, you’ll both be dead soon. So don’t try to–”
Suddenly Ragus made his move. He kicked his boot forcefully sideways into Lok’s right shin and threw his captor off balance. As Lok staggered sideways, Ragus slammed an elbow into the man’s sternum, dropping Lok backward into the dirt as he gasped painfully for air. But he quickly got to his feet and lunged back with a vengeance, though this time Ragus was ready, having spun around as Lok barreled toward him. He grabbed Lok’s right wrist with both hands, preventing him from maneuvering his dagger. Lok fought back, pushing his left palm against Ragus’ face. But despite his injury, Ragus summoned up his remaining strength and pulled down hard on Lok’s right arm like a lever, plunging the blade squarely into the man’s gut and backing away against the tree. Lok froze for a moment as he stared down at the knife handle protruding from his body, unable to take a full breath amid his paralyzing pain. He took an awkward step backward and looked up at Ragus, lightheaded, his lips forming a thin line as a trickle of blood streamed out of the corner of his mouth. Lok then collapsed to the ground like a heavy rock and lay sprawled out upon his back, unmoving, his vacant eyes staring lifelessly at the cold stars above.
Nicholas hurried over and knelt by Ragus’ side as the man slowly slid down against the tree truck until he was sitting on the ground and clutching his left arm. He looked at Nicholas and smiled.
“I guess I won,” he said, nearly out of breath.
“I guess so,” Nicholas said with a nervous smile, staring at Ragus’ bloody sleeve. “I need to get you help right away.”
“I’ll be all right, Nicholas. It’s not a deep wound and looks worse than it really is,” he said. “I’ll tend to it shortly. I’m just worried about how the others made out.” He struggled to turn his head and looked through the trees toward the ships. The Bretic was fully engulfed in flames. Distant shouts filled the air, some sounding closer than others.
“Do you think Ovek’s men will come here?”
“No doubt, so maybe we ought to think about hiding,” Ragus recommended, noting the sadness on Nicholas’ face. “What’d you find inside?”
Nicholas told him, briefly smiling when he informed him that Ivy had already escaped or that someone had helped her to do so. “But when? And where could she have gone to?” he helplessly asked, staring at the ground in utter bewilderment before looking up at his friend. “What am I going to do now? How shall I find her?”
“Well, I’d first suggest that–” But Ragus cut short his reply as his eyes opened wide with wonder, now fully awake and staring straight ahead over Nicholas’ shoulder toward the edge of the nearby woods. Nicholas looked curiously at him, puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.
“What’s the matter, Ragus? Are you hurt worse than you’re letting on?”
He shook his head, unable to conceal a delighted smile. “No, not hurt, my friend. And as for finding Ivy, I don’t think you’ll have to do anything
, Nicholas, except turn around.”
He shrugged with bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”
Ragus chuckled. “Turn around,” he repeated with a drunken smile. “Behind you.”
Nicholas glanced over his shoulder, casting his gaze among the trees awash in moonlight when he noticed a young woman standing there wearing a dark blue cloak. She had light brown hair down to her shoulders and a sweet yet astonished smile upon her face. Nicholas beamed with disbelief as he slowly got to his feet, astounded at the sight of Ivy who stood only a few steps away.
“Is it really you?” he softly asked as he gazed at her in stunned silence.
Ivy nodded, on the verge of tears. Nicholas ran to her and they hugged, holding each other tightly while weeping and laughing with unimaginable joy. He looked at Ivy, gently touching her face with trembling hands and losing himself in her soft eyes and moonlit tears.
“How did you ever find me?” she asked, hugging Nicholas again before he could answer. They kissed among the trees and shadows, and for a short time were unaware of their surroundings and the distant turmoil upon the sea. Nicholas stepped back and reached into his coat pocket.
“I have something for you,” he said with childlike excitement.
“What?” she asked.
Nicholas removed the scarf he had given her on a sunny day in Boros that seemed so long ago. “I found this above the grasslands. I never had a chance to return it after I freed you from the tent.”
Ivy smiled in wonderment and disbelief. “I released it to the wind with a prayer, hoping against hope that it would lead you back to me.” She took the scarf and caressed it softly against her cheek. “I can’t believe you found it, Nicholas.”
“And I can’t believe that I finally found you,” he replied, neither ever wanting to leave the other’s side as they embraced in a cool breeze rolling off the tumultuous sea.
CHAPTER 63
Friends and Foes
Nicholas and Ivy held each other tightly, never wanting to let go. For a time they were in a world of their own, feeling each other’s heart beating as they exchanged tender whispered words, wondering if this moment was merely a dream. Ragus’ words scattered inaudibly past them in the moonlight as if they were statues.
“I said I think we should be going now,” he repeated, clearing his throat for emphasis as he sat against the tree.
Nicholas looked back at him sheepishly. “Oh, sorry, Ragus. I forgot you were still here,” he joked. He took Ivy’s hand and walked to his injured friend. “Ivy, this is Ragus. He’s from the Northern Isles but isn’t like the others you’ve met.”
“So I’ve noticed,” she said, glancing warily at Lok’s dead body nearby as if her captor might reawaken. “It’s nice to meet you, Ragus. Thank you for helping to rescue me.”
“I was just along for laughs,” he replied as he slowly stood. Nicholas stepped forward to give him a hand. “This was all Nicholas’ idea–finding his way to Karg Island to save you.”
She looked at Nicholas and smiled gratefully, falling more in love with him. “To be rescued once is one thing. But twice? Now that makes a woman feel special.”
Nicholas smiled playfully. “That first attempt along the grasslands wasn’t my finest effort, I’ll admit,” he said. “But I’ll pretend otherwise if you will.”
“Agreed,” she said, noticing Ragus’ injured arm. “There’s a basin of water inside my cabin. We should wash and bandage that arm. There must be some medicinal balm in the storehouse.”
“First we should move deeper into the woods,” Ragus replied. “Sounds like others have landed on shore. They’ll be here soon.”
“Who?” Ivy asked with apprehension.
“Some of Ovek’s men,” Nicholas answered as he took her hand again and hurried into the woods with Ragus close behind.
The trio rushed past Ivy’s cabin and went deeper into the trees, halting near a large boulder to listen for signs of troops from the Hara Nor. A short time later the voices grew louder. Nicholas guessed that the men had arrived at the three buildings. It wouldn’t be long before they spotted Ivy’s cabin and revived the unconscious soldier inside and conducted a thorough search of the island.
“We should get as far away as possible,” Nicholas whispered. “Perhaps there’s a small boat along shore we can take back to the mainland.”
They started to move farther into the island just as a group of men approached the last building. Time was fast running out. But Nicholas and Ivy hadn’t taken another step when Ragus tapped their shoulders and indicated for them to stop. He listened closely to the scattered conversations and began to smile.
“We can turn around,” he said. “That’s Arteen speaking. It sounds like he’s giving the orders.” Nicholas listened closely and confirmed Ragus’ observation. Their friends had made it safely to Karg Island.
A short time later, Ragus was reunited with his fellow soldiers. Also among them were Captain Kellig and a handful of officers loyal to him. Arteen explained how they had escaped to the island on the remaining raft and a few row boats lowered from the Bretic. Some of the men had jumped to escape the flames and swam to one of the boats, but all had steered clear of the Hara Nor. In the ensuing commotion, Vice-Commander Ovek and his men were too busy saving their own lives to worry about the escaped prisoners and chose to let them go.
“I think Ovek will have enough problems explaining to his superiors about the destruction of the Bretic and the disappearance of Captain Lok,” Arteen said, having already directed a few of his men to remove Lok’s body and bury it.
“But that doesn’t mean he won’t return to these parts,” Captain Kellig warned. “More ships may sail back here in the spring to feed Kargoth’s appetite. And it’s still possible that Ovek might order another ship here sooner to pursue us.”
The men agreed, but for the moment their victory was enough to keep them in high spirits throughout the night. Fires were built in the four buildings and spare uniforms were found to clothe those who had jumped or fallen into the Trillium Sea, but not before Ivy was asked how she had overwhelmed the soldier tied up in her cabin.
“Don’t be too harsh with him,” she pleaded. “He was the youngest of Lok’s men and his heart wasn’t really in this mission. I had befriended him when he was on guard duty near my cabin or escorting me when I was allowed to walk around parts of the island. I found my best opportunity to escape when Lok and his men rowed over to the Bretic to stop your attack. The young soldier stayed behind to watch me.”
“He apparently didn’t to a good job,” Ragus said.
“I invited him inside for some stew I was cooking. When I had my chance, well–let’s just say that a certain piece of oak wood came in handy,” she said with an apologetic grin. “I had hoped to escape if I could find a boat. Later, I saw the ship on fire and wondered what was happening. When I heard someone approach, I hid in the woods, though if I had known it was Lok all by himself, I may have confronted him,” she added in all seriousness. “Soon after, I heard Nicholas call my name and was nearly in shock, almost not believing it was you.”
“I was never going to stop looking for you, Ivy,” he said. “I was prepared to go to the Isles themselves.”
“That’s true,” Arteen confirmed, delighted that she was safe. “But now you don’t have to worry about a thing. We’ll get you back to the mainland in the morning.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “But again, promise me you won’t be too harsh with the man I clobbered with that stick. My guess is that he’ll be more than happy to join your cause after observing Lok’s authority up close.”
“Captain Kellig and I will talk with him before we make a decision,” Arteen said. “But for now, we have some hungry and wet men to take care of, and Ragus’ arm needs tending to. Let’s inspect Lok’s quarters and storehouse and see how well he’s been living here. It’s high time he paid us back for all the trouble he caused.”
Arteen divided up his men to search each b
uilding while he and Captain Kellig planned their next move. Nicholas and Ivy, in the meantime, patched up Ragus’ wound which wasn’t as deep as they had feared, and then later enjoyed some of Ivy’s stew and hot tea near a roaring fire. As they sat in front of the warm hearth, Nicholas glanced at Ivy and smiled, silently recalling their time in Aunt Castella’s kitchen when they built a fire before dawn had peeked through the windows. Ivy smiled back and Nicholas couldn’t help but believe that she was remembering that same moment with equal fondness. He couldn’t wait to create more of them with her in the days and years ahead.
Nicholas and Ivy prepared to leave the island late the next morning, standing on the shoreline where the three rafts and a few rowboats from the Bretic were lying upon the sand like beached animals. They held hands and gazed silently out upon the sea where the blackened remains of the Bretic smoldered under an overcast sky. The vessel had collapsed upon itself and a few of its blackened timbers protruded through the water’s surface.
“Certain people on the Isles will not be happy to learn of that ship’s fate,” Arteen said as he walked up to the couple from behind. “There will be questions and a formal inquiry, something I’m sure Vice-Commander Ovek will not particularly enjoy.”
“But I suppose you will,” Nicholas replied.
Arteen smiled. “I’ll have to be content only imagining how it will unfold. Still, she was a good ship. Captain Kellig doesn’t yet have the heart to stand here and look upon his once great vessel.”
“I can’t blame him,” Ivy softly said.
Arteen handed a piece of folded parchment to Nicholas that had been sealed with blue wax. “Please deliver this message to Arch Boland when you return to Illingboc. It explains what transpired here. The villages along the Crescent can rest easy now that the Islanders are no longer in the vicinity–a least in the short term. We’ll have to wait to see what springtime produces and how the battles in the south and east play out.”
Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy) Page 100