The Caravan Road

by Jeffrey Quyle

  “But the Lady is here, safe,” one man insisted loudly, standing to emphasize his words.

  Alec shrugged. “I’m telling you what they believe in the palace. That is what you need to contend with right now.”

  There was a noise at the door, and Salem appeared.

  Tell them to go to the first floor to find Bened’s body with four arrows in it, then go to the residences on the third floor to find Trayma’s body, Alec sent her a message.

  “We must rescue the city from chaos. I am the rightful Marchioness, and I will act as regent until my son is of age,” she stated. “General, send men into the palace to take control. Have them collect Bened’s body on the first floor, and hoist it outside the city gates for the people to see what we do with traitors. Leave the four arrows in the body, and also send men up to the ruler’s chambers on the third floor for Trayma’s body, and likewise hang it for the city to see.”

  “My lady, did you do these things?” Major Bray asked.

  “We are not here to question the Marchioness, we are here to carry out commands,” Filpon said sternly. “Bray, take a squad to the third floor, Goore, take a squad to find Bened’s body. Harrom, Loos, take squads to secure the palace itself, and sweep it clean of all people who are not ours,” he spit out orders in rapid fire, emptying the room.

  “How are you?” Salem asked Alec after everyone left except for herself, Filpon, Alec and Andi.

  “I am tired, but my part of the job is done, and now it’s in your hands. I expect you’ll do well,” he said.

  “I’m surprised to see you here Andi, but not really,” Salem spoke. “Thank you for any assistance you have given our hero.”

  “He did all of whatever he did all on his own,” Andi replied.

  “We’ll have the palace under control before sunset, my lady,” Filpon said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go begin to look into matters there. I’ll leave a guard escort here for you whenever you’re ready to come over.”

  “You’ll have a mess to clean up,” Alec warned him.

  “But the worst of the mess apparently is already dealt with,” Filpon said with a slight smile, and he left the room.

  “What are your plans now, Alec?” Salem asked.

  “I’ll rest tonight,” Alec answered. He looked over at Andi, knowing that there would be some reaction to what he would say next, “and tomorrow I plan to continue my quest to find Kriste. General Filpon said they practically gave him a map of their destinations,” Alec felt weariness begun to overcome him, and he saw Andi stifle a yawn.

  “So I will go to those cities, and try to intercept them,” he concluded.

  “You will return to the countryside for the evening?” Salem asked, and Alec nodded.

  “Come back to the palace tomorrow morning first thing, and we will give you directions on where to go. I do not remember precisely which cities the general mentioned, but we will assist you.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” Alec replied.

  Alec? Are you alright? Hope’s voice suddenly entered his head.

  Yes, I am. Is everything alright? Alec replied.

  Jasel said that you and Salem have been gone all day, and there are bodies being hung from the walls of the palace, she replied.

  Those are the former opponents of Salem’s family. She is being restored to the throne now, Alec answered.

  Is Jasel still in the city? He asked, thinking that the two horses he and Salem had ridden in the morning would be providential for taking Andi and he back to the countryside now, if they were still near the palace.

  He is, Hope answered.

  How, Alec paused, how do you know his questions?

  He and I have learned to farspeak with one another, Hope told him. But he does not know I am the grandesteur. He only thinks that it is a skill you have passed on to me, as you did to him.

  We haven’t seen Andi. She raised an awful fuss this morning after you left, Hope said.

  Alec observed the change in expression on Andi’s face.

  Hope, he quickly interrupted, Andi is with me right now, here at the palace. She can hear the communications that pass through me, so she can hear everything you are saying right now.

  How can that be? Hope asked in astonishment.

  Yes, oh great one, tell us please, how can that be? Andi chimed in.

  Her spirit and mine were joined while her body healed, and, I don’t know exactly what has happened, Alec confessed.

  Tell Jasel that we will be there shortly and will ride back to the estate, Alec told Hope. We will see all of you soon.

  “Andi, are you ready to go?” he asked aloud.

  “There’s just one thing I want to talk about before we go,” she replied.

  Alec turned to face her expectantly.

  “How could you leave me trapped up against that ceiling for so long?” she shouted angrily. “It was humiliating when everyone came walking through the room, asking if they could help, and none of them could. And then my bladder was full and hurt so bad! Bauer was seriously going to get a bucket for me after I asked him what to do.”

  “I felt that!” Alec answered. “That’s when I remembered to let you down. Why didn’t you talk to me, the way you just did now, to tell me to let you down?”

  “I didn’t understand how to do that very well until now, when we were talking with Hope,” Andi answered.

  “‘We’ weren’t talking to Hope; ‘I’ was talking to Hope,” Alec corrected. “You were listening in.”

  “I can’t help it!” Andi answered. “I felt your emotions all day long. I knew where you were; I’m practically a part of you.”

  “I know,” Alec sighed. “I felt emotions at times too. I couldn’t explain them, but they were probably yours – they were angry,” he gave a tired grin.

  “Ha, ha!” Andi replied. “This morning I was ready to sleep with you, but right now I want to kick your teeth in, you know. How long is this going to last?”

  “Andi, I don’t know,” Alec replied. “Let’s go find Jarel and ride back to the estate and rest. I hope that maybe in the morning we’ll understand, or maybe the bond will lessen with time.” He held the door open for Andi to leave the room ahead of him.

  “And I felt your interest when I mentioned sleeping together,” she added with a grin.

  And I feel yours, he retorted.

  And I know you think you’re too old for me, but let’s face it, you’re too old for everyone else in the world too! Andi laughed.

  Alec grinned, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and they walked out of the palace grounds together, and found Jasel faithfully waiting with the horses.

  “I’m glad to see you!” he said loudly, thumping Alec’s back. “I saw those bodies,” he motioned to the grisly evidence of the violence in the palace, “and I knew it couldn’t be you, but I couldn’t imagine what had happened.”

  “Let’s start riding home, and I’ll tell you all about it,” Alec replied, and he briefly provided a sketchy summary of some of the events in the palace as they rode out of the city, while glossing over his own role as the impostor who portrayed Salem.

  By the time they arrived back at the estate, all the rest of their companions from the trip through the mountains were waiting for them.

  “Mother’s really back in control of the palace?” Kane asked triumphantly. “I should be there with her,” he declared importantly.

  “You should be, but not tonight,” Alec told the boy as he walked away from the stables. “Tonight is cleaning up and organizing; tomorrow will be time enough for you and Jody to return to the palace. I’ll take you there in the morning myself,” he promised.

  “You look tired, my lord,” Alfred said.

  “I feel tired, my friend,” Alec answered. “I’ll bid my good nights, even though the sun is barely set.” He waved to the group and trooped off to his room, where he pulled off his boots and lay back on the mattress. With his eyes closed he easily drifted into a state of half sleep, until he felt a
growing sense of complacency as Andi drew nearer, then he felt the bed shake, and he knew Andi was coming to bed to sleep with him.

  “I feel like a dog that just keeps following its master around,” she complained, her hand gently stroking the back of his head. “I have to stay near you, even when I don’t want to.” He sensed the multiple meanings of her words. She felt, and now he realized they both felt, a sense of unity when the two of them were together. She also felt passion for him, a passion that predated their merging of souls. And she wanted to consummate that passion, while he struggled. Alec, at least a small part of him, a part that he could feel diminishing, was still holding himself back from acting on that same passion. The passion was not just the physical element, the coupling, but it was the longing to feel that they were reunited, attempting to recreate the wholeness they had experienced when they were two souls in a single body. He could feel his passion growing; he knew more about her now, obviously more, much more, and he considered her as a person, not just a caricature as a person, a Black Crag guard. And yet, so confusingly, he still saw her as too young for him to begin a physical relationship with, as though that made any sense at this point.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he murmured, reaching to hold her hand, and he fell into a sound sleep, feeling whole and complete, a comfort that lasted throughout the night.

  Chapter 21 – Andi Saves Kane

  When Alec awoke, Andi was already gone from the bed. He left the bedroom in search of her, and found her in the kitchen, eating a warm pastry.

  “Who were we dreaming about last night, that boy, Evin?” Alec asked.

  “He would have been my husband if I had stayed in my village,” Andi answered evenly.

  “You seem to have liked him. Why didn’t you marry him?” Alec followed up.

  “Evin was the best-looking boy in our little village – Riberte, and he knew it. He cared for me, but he liked a lot of other girls too. He was seeing other girls even while we were supposed to be engaged,” Andi answered. “He wasn’t like you, who only gets married once every hundred years.

  “So I left the village one night and ran away to Black Crag. I took the money that was supposed to be my dowry, and now here I am, as far away from Evin and Riberte as possible,” she finished her story and popped the last bite of the pastry in her mouth.

  “I think you’re wrong,” Alec told her. She looked at him with interest. “I think you’re going to get at least a little further from your past before this journey is over. I don’t know how far the trip to set Kriste free will take me, but that’s how far I’m going to go, and I want you to go with me. We both feel this need to be with one another and I have a sense that it is something that’s not going to go away easily.

  “I’m going to go start talking to the others, to let them know I’m leaving, and unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll tell them you are traveling with me,” he looked at her with one raised eyebrows.

  “Of course, Alec,” she reached for another pastry. “I’ll go saddle horses for us, and then meet everyone in the common room.”

  “Saddle four horses,” Alec said. “We’ll take Kane and Jody to the palace with us.”

  “Of course,” the girl answered as she stood, the pastry in her hand. And before you talk to anyone, I’d advise you take a bath! We may not have another opportunity for a while, and you definitely need one!

  Thanks, Alec said drily.

  You know, he said suddenly, compelled to want to leave no misunderstanding between them, I do think you are attractive; I thought that the whole time we were traveling. I am struggling, struggling mightily, with what this relationship is doing. I don’t know how long I can resist the temptation you create, Andi. And I want you to know that I had no idea this would result, this shared awareness, whatever it is, when I brought you within me – I just wanted to save your life. I didn’t ever intend to seduce you.

  Andi’s eyes teared up. I know. I know. I know it all. I’d know most of that about you even if I didn’t feel your spirit, she told him. And now that I know more about you, I’m not sure that it would be good for me, or you. I’ll try not to make you feel uncomfortable, but I may still, she paused, I don’t know. She turned and walked away hurriedly.

  Alec felt his own eyes grow moist, whether from his own sadness or from Andi’s he couldn’t tell. They were treading on uncertain ground, and neither of them knew exactly where they were going. He left the kitchen and went to take a quick, cold, but thorough bath, recollecting the days when he had had the luxury of hot water for baths. In an estate like the one he was in, he was sure there was hot water available, but he didn’t want to waste time hunting down the servants and troubling them.

  Afterwards he knocked on doors and rounded up all his traveling companions, telling them to meet in the common room they shared, and telling Kane and Jody to prepare to return to the palace.

  Alec went to the room and waited by the door, then Andi walked into the room and took a seat at the opposite end. Slowly, the others entered the room in ones and twos, and soon they all were gathered together.

  “Today, Andi and I are going to escort Kane and Jody back to the palace of Woven, where they will rejoin their mother and prepare to rule the city once again,” Alec began, followed by grins from the youths as the others heartily cheered. He also told Alfred about the girl, Kate, who he asked Alfred to hire as a seamstress and move into a safe home with her sister.

  “After we make sure they are safe and reunited with Lady Salem, we are going to leave the city and carry out the pursuit of those who have taken Kriste, Jarel’s sister,” Alec announced, looking directly at Jarel.

  The boy began to protest, but Alec held up his hand to forestall the comments. “The two of us will travel faster alone, and this is now a simple race.

  “Through our abilities, we will be able to remain in communication until we get too far away, so we will let you know of our success,” he promised. “We could find Kriste soon, if we are fortunate. The ingenairii we are chasing seem to leave easy clues to where they are going, and they clearly do not expect to be effectively pursued.”

  “I understand that three or four would be slower than two travelers Lord Alec,” Jasel said, “but I do not know why you are taking Andi instead of me.”

  Alec looked across the room at Andi, then back at Jasel. “I have to take her. I do not think I could stand to be apart from her,” he said, knowing his words were open to misinterpretation, but hoping the implied reason was one that Jasel could accept.

  Stacha gently placed her hand on Jasel’s shoulder with a slight smile. “I’m sure he understands that, my lord,” the young widow said.

  “Alec, we didn’t realize this parting would come so quickly,” Bauer said.

  “Neither did I,” Alec answered. “But I know that you all will be well taken care of here in Woven. Stacha and Alfred have made arrangements for purchase of a home that will let them start their business as well as provide a home for all of you, and you have good friends within the palace now,” he gestured to Kane and Jody.

  “We want to see you all come to the palace, often,” Kane asserted, looking at Hope momentarily, before his eyes moved elsewhere.

  “I hope that Andi and I will return soon, with a new companion, so that we all can celebrate together in the palace,” Alec commented.

  “We had a long and tough journey together, and we lost some good companions along the way,” Alec told them. “But we made it through, and none of you complained. You have been the best team of travelers I could have asked for.”

  “None of us would be alive today if not for you, my lord,” Alfred said. “And we are all better people for having known you. I wish you and your lovely friend good luck and early success in your next journey. I think I speak for us all when I say that I hope we will see you again very soon.”

  Everyone in the room stood, and gathered around Alec and Andi, shaking hands and hugging, making promises for several minutes, until they all began to
move towards the stableyard and the horses that waited there.

  They all climbed on their horses except for Alec, who stood and hugged both Hope and Bauer for a long time. You’ve come a long way from Warm Springs, Hope, Alec spoke among them. I want you to be safe and find happiness among the mortals, and learn the lessons you need to learn.

  You speak as if you think we’ll never meet again, Hope answered.

  Sometimes reunions are long delayed, aren’t they Bauer? Alec told her.

  But they are all the sweeter when they happen, my friend, the former sorcerer agreed.

  It may be a long time; it may be here, or Warm Springs, or someplace else, Alec told them both, but I look forward to when we do meet again. And as a word of advice, next time you travel through the mountains, travel in the summer!

  They all burst into laughter, then Alec climbed into his saddle, and the four of them left the estate, and began the ride across the country lanes that led towards the city.

  You do not think you will see them again, do you? Andi asked.

  I do not know, my friend, Alec answered introspectively. I once was young, about your age, and was the king of my nation, when I had to go on a trip to try to save the ingenairii from a disease. I became trapped in a battle with a demon, and the fight lasted fifty years. When I came home after the fight, my friends were almost all gone, my nation was at war, my society was crippled, and I… he stopped the story, saddened by the memories.

  “Why are you crying Andi?” Jody asked, seeing tears running down the guard’s cheek.

  Andi brushed the tears away and smiled at the young princess. “I was just thinking about a sad story, which was silly of me.” She looked over at Alec. “Today you are going home to a palace! Today is a happy day for all of us.”

  “Yes it is,” Alec agreed, as they entered the portion of the road that had buildings on either side, a sign of their nearness to the city.