Apparition

by Tom Liberman

  “What is it?” said Mike again.

  “Arm bone,” said Marianna and bent down to pick up another. “They’re all over.” She stood up and looked down at the crumbling well. “These people have been here for a long time doing this. They’ve been planning this for a long time. There are dozens of children out there right now who were raised just like that little girl I killed. All they know is rage. They know only what these people told them was the truth.”

  Mike stared at the bones and looked over at the well. She did not want to look down inside it. “I guess they killed a lot of them.”

  “Children are easy to make,” said Marianna. “Gnolls in particular but everywhere else as well. There are dozens of kids out there working for these people. Sunbringer is likely one of them. Children whose minds are poisoned. Children never given a chance to live at all. If they had gotten hold of me sooner I’d be one of them. Luckily I had my father for a few years at least.”

  Rhia looked over at Mike who still stared at the little bones and said nothing.

  “It’s all right,” said Rhia. “You’re with us now. You’re not one of those children.”

  “I know,” said Marianna dropping the little bone from her hand. “I’m not one of them myself but I feel as though they are all part of me. We have to save as many as we can.” She then looked back to the front yard where the body of the little girl with the knife was visible. “Bury the girl. I’m going back to the kitchen and that girl that’s chained up. Give me those keys we found.”

  Rhia gave her the keys and then turned to Mike as Marianna walked away, “We can’t stay here much longer. They could come back at any moment!”

  Mike looked over to the little body, “It won’t take long to bury her. We’ll hurry and then get out of here. Keep an eye on the hill over there. If they are going to come back it will likely be from that direction although they could go around like we did. They’ll be in a hurry though, we weren’t.”

  Rhia nodded her head and went over to the shed where she thought she remembered seeing a shovel.

  Marianna went inside the building and found the girl in the kitchen still standing there with a vacant look in her eyes. “We killed them,” said Marianna walking over to the chain that was attached to the post. “I’m going to unlock you,” she said to the girl who showed no signs of understanding the words. “If you want to run you can but if you stay we’ll take you back to Tanelorn. We’ll give you to the Gray Knights to raise. It will be a hard life but a good one. No one will treat you like this ever again.”

  With that Marianna slipped the key into the lock and unsnapped it. She then pulled the chain through and out. The girl stood and watched. “I’m going to undo the shackle on your leg now,” said Marianna walking over to the girl. “I know you can’t understand what I’m saying.”

  The girl backed away as Marianna approached but didn’t run. Marianna took the shackle in her hand, unlocked it, pulled the chain through the loop, and then pulled apart the two pieces exposing skin that looked like raw meat. The girl still stood there saying nothing. Marianna stood up and held out her hand, “Come along with me.”

  The girl looked up at Marianna with deep brown eyes and then took her hand. Together they walked out through the house and past the corpses. The girl said nothing although she watched carefully. They went out the front door and, after scanning around for a moment, Marianna spotted Rhia and Mike over by the river digging. “Come on,” said Marianna to the girl. “We’re burying one of the other girls and then we’ll leave here.”

  The girl said nothing but followed along after Marianna.

  They swam across the river after the burial and spent almost the entire day moving at the best speed they could manage, with Rhia often carrying the little girl on her back. Mike applied some healing salve she kept in her pack on the girl’s ankle but if it helped the girl was unable or unwilling to communicate as much.

  The storms that threatened the previous day came rolling in as the sun fell low into the sky, soon it was very dark, and rumbling thunder sounded in the distance along with flashes of lighting.

  “We should stop and make a defensible camp,” said Rhia looking up at the sky. “I doubt they could follow us with this weather and the rain will cover our tracks but I want to be as safe as possible. We’d be dead now if we hadn’t been cautious earlier.”

  Mike nodded her head, “Agreed. Into that little grove of trees over there and we’ll go without a fire tonight. We’ve got enough supplies to spend another night easily.”

  The three girls quickly found a good spot and began to set up camp with efficient movements although the little mixed-race girl just sat and watched them carefully with wide eyes. The rain came as they were setting up the camp and it poured down in a massive sheet so heavy that it was difficult to spot individual drops.

  “No fire in any case,” said Rhia her dripping wet hair hanging on her muddy face. Their clothes were quickly soaked through and the temperature dropped rapidly so that they were all shivering including the little girl.

  It took them a little more time but eventually they built a small lean-to and used some of their spare clothes to make the shelter complete. It wasn’t comfortable but it was at least partially dry and shielded from the wind that howled along with the massive cracks of thunder and the blinding flashes of lightning.

  “Do you speak at all,” said Marianna to the little girl as they lay huddled near one another under the shelter.

  The girl looked at Marianna and said nothing.

  “That’s all right,” said the red-haired archer with a smile. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to talk. I know just how you feel.”

  They lay together under the shelter as the storm raged on into the night eventually blowing itself out with a final blast of lightning and thunder. An hour after that the stars came out and the sky glittered like a lake in the morning sunshine.

  The girls lay together for a while under the stars and in silence. Mike got up, stretched her legs, and looked up into the sky. “I wonder how many stars there are?”

  Rhia looked up at the stars that seemed uncountable and then to the little half-breed girl who was sleeping and curled into a little ball, “I heard somewhere that each star is a child who wasn’t given a chance in this world and they shine in the sky forever.”

  Marianna looked up at the sky and then to Rhia, “There need be more.”

  Chapter 13

  The next morning they packed up the remains of their little camp and began walking south. “We can’t go back to the tournament and find out what happened,” said Mike as they stopped for a morning break. “Borrombo might still be there and the Sunbringer fellow knows we broke into his house. They’ll want to kill us.”

  “Agreed,” said Rhia and looked to the south. “If we just head south we’ll eventually either arrive in Tanelorn or maybe if we’ve gone far enough east, the Five Nations.”

  Mike nodded her head, “I don’t see why not. South it is until we run into something we recognize. There’s no reason to take any more risks.” She felt the sheaf of parchments in the waterproof pouch at her side. She remembered her tenth birthday when her father gave the pouch and told her it might come in handy someday. She had somehow put out of her mind all the joyful times with her family and her eyes drifted toward the poor little girl they had picked up at the house.

  The walked for two days heading south as best they could. Twice they spotted smoke from a village or camp but in each case managed to avoid running into anyone. On the third day they spotted another cloud of smoke rising into the sky and they stopped to observe it for a while.

  “It’s been three days,” said Rhia looking to Mike. “I’d think we’re far enough south by now?”

  Mike nodded her head and looked over to Marianna and the little girl who had still yet to speak. “I agree, there’s no way we’re still in Grelm. It’s got to be either Tanelorn or maybe a village in the Five Nations. We should go and see but we�
�ll be careful, right?”

  The other girls nodded and they started moving to the source of the smoke. It took them another half an hour to get close enough to see that it was some sort of slow moving caravan.

  “That can’t be the circus, can it?” said Mike remembering the amazing shows she witnessed when her family came to the Gray City to see the circus. They sat in a comfortable box section with an excellent view of all the acts.

  “Not a chance,” said Rhia emphatically shaking her head. “They never stay in one place long; they’re always on the move to find the next big town so they can perform.”

  “Traders I guess,” said Mike shrugging her shoulders.

  “I suppose,” said Rhia squinting her eyes toward the wagons strung out below them. There were nearly a dozen of them and that would make it a large trading caravan. “It’s a lot of wagons though. What else could it be?”

  Mike shrugged her little shoulders, “I’m not sure.”

  Rhia looked over to Marianna, “Any thoughts?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “Ok, that’s settled, we’ll go down and see for ourselves,” said Mike. “But be prepared for anything. We still don’t know what happened in the tournament. It should be over by now I think.”

  Rhia nodded her head, “The schedule had the final battle scheduled for last night. But I’m not sure what could have happened in one night. The new leader would have to take some time to effect policies I would think. Actually, I have no idea what I’m talking about. Let’s go find out about those wagons. I’m sure it’s nothing more than a trading caravan.”

  They stood and started walking down toward the wagons. As they got closer it became clear that the cluster was not from a single group. The wagons were of several different styles; gnolls drove some while humans others, and orcs others yet.

  “That’s odd,” said Rhia squinting as they got closer. “Why would they be traveling together like that?”

  “I don’t know,” said Mike and her hand went to the knife at her side. “Maybe we should just go around and keep heading south.”

  Rhia looked at the wagons and nodded her head, “I wouldn’t be opposed to that. There’s something about them I don’t like.”

  Marianna shook her head, “We’ve got to find out one way or the other. They’ve banded together for a reason and they’ll likely be kind to strangers.”

  “That’s true,” said Rhia and looked over at Mike who was scratching her head. The hair was continuing to grow out and was a golden shade of blonde. The girl was a stunning beauty, of that there was no doubt.

  Mike nodded her head, “That’s a good point, Marianna. I agree. We’ve got to find out if Sunbringer won the tournament and what’s going on. It will help us to know before we go back to Lofo.”

  They looked at one another, nodded, and then walked out and toward the wagons.

  “Hail, wagons!” shouted Mike in her little voice.

  Rhia thought about giving a more boisterous shout but figured those in the wagon would see them eventually in any case, and she didn’t want to show up Mike. The girl seemed a little more relaxed about being disagreed with lately although there was still an underlying tension.

  It took a while but someone in one of the wagons eventually looked over and saw the four girls walking toward them. Someone shouted and in a moment all eleven of the wagons came to a lumbering halt. A group of gnolls, men, orcs, and half-breeds came forward with a rather short human man at their lead.

  “Who are you?” he shouted across the fifty feet between the two groups. “Come no closer!”

  “We are from Tanelorn!” shouted Mike at the top of her lungs but the wind was going the wrong way and Rhia feared the others would not hear her.

  “Tanelorn?” the man shouted back.

  “Yes,” shouted Mike even more loudly. “We come from Grelm and the tournament.”

  The man nodded and came forward with another of the rough looking fellows at his side. “Then you are refugees as well?” he said as they approached within a few feet of each other.

  Mike looked at him and glanced over to Rhia, “Why refugees?” she asked.

  “You were there,” said the man looking to his rather taller and more robust companion who in turn put his hand on his sword.

  “We left before the final combat,” said Mike. “We do not know the results.”

  The man looked at the girl and then the other three, “What were you doing there then?”

  “We had other business in Grelm,” said Mike. “That is our business; the point is that we are here. We traveled south and do not know what happened in the tournament or why anyone would be a refugee. Would you be kind enough to tell us?”

  The man nodded his head, “I’m sorry,” he said. “How a man goes about his business is something that should not concern another man. I am of Tanelorn and I apologize to you. I am Hossia and I will tell you why we are refugees, or at least why some of us here are so.”

  “Thank you,” said Mike. “I’m Mike, this is Rhia, Marianna, and …,” here she paused looking at the orphan girl. “Our fourth companion does not wish her name to be known.”

  “You are welcome to travel with us,” said Hossia his hard face relaxing into a smile, albeit a cautious one. “We are headed to the Gray City to inform the Gray Lord of events although I suspect he is already aware.”

  “Events?” prompted Mike.

  The man smiled, “Of course. It was a shocking outcome to say the least. The Sunbringer fellow emerged victorious under the most unusual of circumstances.”

  “Unusual?” asked Mike.

  “Indeed,” said Hossia. “After his victory in the second round he made a rather controversial speech about foreigners within the confines of Grelm and the tribes that supported and allowed such things. He called for the destruction of all foreigners. He wants a nation of gnolls for gnolls.”

  “I suspected as much,” said Rhia in a low whisper to Marianna who nodded her head.

  “This did not go over well with the tribes that were in power and in the third round a substitute warrior candidate was allowed to fight against Sunbringer based upon a supposed illness of the primary warrior. This fellow was quite powerful and Sunbringer did not show up for the combat and his opponent was awarded the victory. It was thought that was the end of it but in the final round the two combatants mortally wounded one another! Sunbringer then appeared in the center of the ring and gave a speech about divine intervention, his manifest destiny to rule all of Grelm, and his duty to subjugate the nations around Grelm.”

  “They killed each other?” said Rhia interjecting herself into the discussion. “I thought it was rare for one gnoll to die in such a ritual combat.”

  “I have my suspicions,” said the plump man shaking his head. “It was all too neat. I wasn’t close to the ring but I would not be surprised to learn magic was at play, or more likely poison. It doesn’t matter. Sunbringer’s speech was apparently powerful and the gnolls rallied to his cause by the thousand. There was nothing to be done but leave. Anyone who wasn’t a gnoll fled immediately before they started rounding us up. A lot of gnolls ran too because this Sunbringer fellow didn’t seem kindly disposed toward many of his own race.”

  Rhia looked at Mike whose jaw was firmly set, “It will be war then?”

  “I don’t see any other way,” said the man. “And the damn Gray Lord sits in his house eating! Eating. This is a crisis. We need a leader who takes charge. The gnolls will attack. There is no doubt. It’s just a matter of when they attack. If we don’t take aggressive action Tanelorn is doomed. I only hope that Jon Gray takes over. He’ll lead the armies in an attack against those bastard gnolls.”

  “Or someone else with guts will do it for him,” said the tough looking man beside Hossia with a grin on his face. “I wouldn’t mind killing me some gnolls. They look tough but they don’t stand together. I’ve fought ‘em before.”

  “If that’s the case …,” Rhia but then thought bett
er of it and stopped.

  The man looked over at Rhia and lowered his gaze to her breasts and then to the sword at her side, “Go on,” he said.

  “Nothing,” said Rhia and shook her head. “It is what it is. The Gray Lord rules Tanelorn and his decisions guide our nation. Not Jon Gray and not anyone else.”

  “For now,” said the man. “We are a free people but don’t think that your freedom came at no cost!”

  “Freedom is free,” said Marianna in a calm voice. “Nothing is more free.”

  The man snorted, “That’s the talk of a silly girl.” He looked at her pretty face and bright red hair. “You leave the waging of war to those of us who understand the real world.”

  “No,” said Marianna. “I’ll not leave it to you. If there is a war to be fought I’ll stand up and do what needs to be done because I’m free.”

  “You’re only free because of all the people that died to let you be free!” said the man with another snort. “Freedom isn’t free and it never will be.”

  “Come on, Marianna,” said Mike taking the girl by the arm. “We know what happened now. Thank you for the useful information, Hossia. I’m afraid I cannot take you up on your kind offer. We must head back to the Gray City as quickly as possible.”

  The man nodded his head, “Be careful, Mike. It’s quite possible advanced gnoll patrols and fighters are already across the border. Tanelorn is completely unprepared for such an attack. We hide in our villas and wait to be conquered.”

  Mike nodded her head, “Thank you again. We’ll be on our way.” Turning around to face the others Mike shook her head ever so slightly and then began to walk around the wagons. It took them a few minutes to get far enough ahead of the wagon train that they were comfortable talking.

  “That’s not good,” said Rhia looking back at the group now behind them. “If everyone thinks that way Tanelorn is in trouble and not from the gnolls.”

  Mike looked over at the girl and stopped walking, “What do you mean?”

  “I mean Tanelorn could easily be overthrown internally by a revolution. Pillswar could come into power. It makes sense. He wouldn’t want the gnolls to conquer Tanelorn, I wouldn’t think. He wants to come into power so he creates a dangerous situation in which the people of the nation become afraid. Then they are willing to do whatever he wants them to do in order to save themselves from the danger.”