His heart sank. If he did kill them, then that made him a murderer. What was he going to do?
As he sat in his corner, he overheard Aiden and his band of brigands talking by the campfire.
“Are ye sayin’ we gotta leave an’ go south?” said an unknown voice.
“Aye. That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Aiden. “When the barbarian hordes of the Shadowlord sweep through these lands I for one don’t want to be here.”
“So it be true, then?” The deep voice was Rolf’s.
“True enough,” said Aiden. “Two days ago Bertram there and I were returning from trading our loot at Geegan’s Hold. We planned to stop at Millhaven for a night’s rest and entertainment.”
Geoff heard a few grunts and snickers.
“Aye,” agreed someone by the fire. “But we saw smoke rising before we got to Millhaven. We heard the sounds of battle and screams.”
“Then,” continued Aiden, “we crept closer. Till we found a hill overlooking Millhaven.”
There was a moment of silence and then Rolf spoke. “An’ what did ya see?”
“We saw him,” said Aiden. The others became quiet.
“We saw Lord Zorn. We saw that evil bastard.”
“He just appeared. Dressed in armor as black as the night,” said the one called Bertram. “Swinging a wicked blade, cutting down everyone like they was grass. He was strong and fast. Too fast for any man. No one could stand against him. The whole town was overrun by his barbarian horde.”
“From what we could see,” said Aiden, “they killed everyone and burned Millhaven to the ground.”
Another moment of silence passed and then Rolf spoke. “What’re we gonna do, then?”
“Run,” answered Aiden. “We run as fast and as far south as we can. I tell you no one can stop him, the Shadowlord. His black hordes are covering the lands like a plague of locusts. War is here.”
“I ’member hearin’ tales ’bout him,” said Rolf. “I ’eard he was a ’ero, though.”
“Ha! He was. Not anymore,” said Aiden.
“But what about the kingdom of Chalon?” someone asked. “Surely they can stand against the Shadowlord? They have a powerful army, don’t they?”
“Aye,” grunted Rolf. “And what ’bout them Knights of Caladar? They ne’er lost a battle.”
“Chalon and Caladar were nowhere to be found,” said Aiden. “And if they had been, they wouldn’t have made any difference. Millhaven would still be gone. Every man, woman, and child. Gone.”
“I still hear the screams,” said Bertram. “It was a slaughter, I tell ya. Aiden and I got outta there as fast as we could.”
As Geoff listened, he noticed the mood of his captors had become anxious. Whoever Lord Zorn was, he frightened them. He wished Jane and Sawyer were there. Ariel too. He wanted to go home now more than ever. Geoff looked at Ishara. Her green eyes were open, and she was also listening to the conversation.
“Too bad you are not a wizard,” she said softly. “You could make these bars disappear and we could escape.”
Geoff thought about what she had said for a moment.
“If I were a wizard,” said Geoff, wriggling and turning his hands. “I’d be home.”
“And where is your home?”
Geoff thought for a moment, then said, “It’s a long way from here. It’s a different—”
To his surprise, Geoff worked his hands free before he had finished.
A second later Geoff heard footsteps as someone approached the cage.
“Ha!” said a voice Geoff didn’t recognize. “You? A wizard? Don’t think so. Rolf and Cedric musta been drunk in the catacombs again. You’re just a lil runt.”
Geoff turned his head and saw the backside of another brigand as he bent over and began gathering up his sleeping blankets. A large, rusty key ring dangled loosely from his belt. Without thinking, Geoff reached through the bars and grabbed it. The key ring easily detached itself from the brigand’s belt and Geoff quickly tucked it under his shirt.
He looked at Ishara. She was leaning forward, watching him intently. The brigand, none the wiser, collected his blankets and returned to his spot by the campfire.
“You may not be a wizard,” whispered Ishara, “but you are an excellent sneak thief.”
Geoff tried to smile, but the best he could manage was a quick nod. He thought of Jane, Sawyer, and Ariel. Did the bandits see him kill his friends? He shook his head. No way, he thought. He didn’t kill them. He just couldn’t do that.
“We will make our escape when they are asleep,” said Ishara. “My weapons are there.”
She pointed at a large brown tent facing the campfire. As Geoff watched, most of the brigands started to settle down for the night near the tent.
“How’re we going to get in there?” he asked. “They’re all around the tent.”
“We sneak,” said Ishara, smiling for the first time, “little sneak thief.”
“Just like that?” he said. “What if we get caught?”
“Then you will not have long to await your fate,” said Ishara. “As for me, I would rather die than live as a slave to a human master.”
Geoff sighed and turned his attention back to the brigands, who were still talking among themselves.
“Seems ta me, Aiden,” said Rolf, “that’ll be better for us if we ride ‘round Zorn’s armies. We can pass through Eldritch Forest an’ he’ll ne’er know.”
“It’s no forest anymore,” said Aiden. “’Tis a marsh, I tell ya. The Eldritch Marsh. It’s changed. Something evil resides there. There is talk of a great beast roaming the marsh. A beast that cannot die. Even the trees and flowers and bugs will kill ya. No, it’s too dangerous. The evil in that bog is seeping out, oozing into the surrounding countryside. Nearby crops have withered and the water is polluted. The townsfolk of Somerdale have abandoned their homes. That is no place for us. We go south. Keep to the trees.”
“I heard druids protected that forest,” said Cedric. “What happened to them?”
“Who knows?” said Aiden.
“Who cares?” said another brigand, prompting a raucous chorus of laughter from the others.
“Guess the druids left, too,” said Aiden. “Or they were killed. It’s not our concern. Let’s turn in. We’ve an early start tomorrow.”
Geoff looked on as Aiden disappeared into the large tent that held Ishara’s weapons. The other outlaws merely bedded down for the night by the fire.
Geoff quietly slid over to Ishara.
“We should just run for it when we open the cage. If we try to go into that tent we’ll get caught.”
“No,” said Ishara. “We will need weapons.”
“But we’re going to get caught,” said Geoff.
“It is worth the risk,” she said. “However, if you think you can conjure another fireball and turn our captors to ash…”
Geoff shook his head. He sat beside Ishara and leaned his head back against the bars.
“I don’t think any of that happened,” said Geoff. “I just can’t remember how I got out of the catacombs. I’m not a wizard.”
“The two brigands who brought you here are convinced you are a wizard,” said Ishara, “and if they are right, you killed your friends.”
Geoff turned his head away. “I don’t think I did that. I couldn’t do that.”
Several minutes passed before Ishara put her hand on Geoff’s wrist.
“We wait until they are asleep,” she whispered. “Then we escape.”
“Here,” whispered Geoff as he handed her the keys. “You take them.”
A few hours later they heard snoring coming from around the dwindling campfire. Geoff watched as Ishara silently moved to the front of the cage to gain a better view
of the slumbering bandits. A moment later, he followed her and observed them for himself. As far as he could tell, they were all asleep. He looked at the large tent. It was dark.
“Now?” he asked.
Ishara gave him a quick nod and crept to the cage door. She reminds me of Ariel, Geoff thought again. She never makes a sound, either. I wonder if they know each other. He made a mental note to ask Ishara when they were away and safe.
Geoff watched Ishara try a couple of keys on the lock before she discovered the correct one. She slowly turned it in the lock until Geoff heard a faint click. He glanced over his shoulder at the group of sleeping men. He felt a rush of adrenaline run through him. Oh crap, he thought. Are we really going to try this? What if we get caught?
No one appeared to have heard Ishara unlock the cage. She looked at Geoff, raised her eyebrows, and smiled as she quietly opened the cage door.
Ishara hopped down off the wagon. She motioned for Geoff to follow. Geoff, still holding his injured arm, walked as quietly as he could to the cage door. When he reached it, he grasped the bars to steady himself, but the door swung open further, squeaking as it did so. Geoff winced and looked at Ishara, who was glaring at him.
They listened for sounds of movement from around the campfire, but heard nothing other than an occasional pop or crackle from the fire. Ishara took Geoff by the arm, lifted him off the wagon, and quietly set him down. Wow, she’s strong, he thought. They stepped away from the wagon and made their way to the tent. Geoff was using his usual toe-heel method to sneak. He saw that Ishara, like Ariel, also employed that technique.
When they got closer to the tent, Geoff noticed the large shape of Rolf slumbered in front of the opening. His chest rose and fell as he slept. Geoff concluded that he couldn’t safely step over the large man. He squeezed Ishara’s hand to get her attention. She turned and looked at him. Geoff shook his head frantically while pointing at Rolf.
Ishara tugged on Geoff’s hand and nodded, signaling that he should follow her and step over the large outlaw. Geoff scanned the campsite. The other men were still asleep. Ishara let go of his hand and easily, gracefully stepped over Rolf. She turned around and motioned for him to follow. Geoff lifted his foot, but he was so frightened, he couldn’t stop his leg from shaking. He put his foot down and took a deep breath. He just had to get over this big guy. C’mon Geoff. You can do it, he told himself.
He steadied himself again. Ishara held her hand out to assist him. He took her hand and stepped over Rolf. He was about to bring his back foot over when Rolf shifted. The large man rolled over onto his side, scratching his exposed belly. Geoff’s back foot was caught under his heavy leg.
A small bead of sweat rolled down Geoff’s forehead and cheek, and his whole body started to shake. He looked at Ishara, pleading with his eyes for help. Ishara bent down and gently slid Geoff’s foot from under Rolf. Geoff wasted no time. He quickly stepped over the big man. Ishara still held his hand, which comforted Geoff.
They quickly opened the flap at the front of the tent and stepped inside.
Chapter Seventeen
Lessons
“Come,” said Ariel. “We do not know if Eben killed the beast. Hurry.”
She turned and continued following the deep horse tracks that lay before them. Jane and Sawyer looked at each other for a moment and then hurried after Ariel. They jogged behind the elven druid, whose graceful, brisk walk outpaced them. At times Jane and Sawyer stumbled over unseen tree roots or rocks. Ariel hopped over and stepped around obstacles with ease. From time to time she stopped and waited for Jane and Sawyer to catch up.
After a few hours of trotting through the forest, Jane gasped for air and her lungs began to ache. She took a deep breath and blurted out, “Can we stop and rest?”
“Yes,” said Sawyer. “Please.”
Ariel stopped and watched Jane and Sawyer make their way to her.
Jane sat on a mossy rock and Sawyer sat with his back against a tree.
“I thought I was in better shape than that,” he said. “That was rough.”
Jane noticed a throbbing pain from her injured hand. She untied the leather strap and peeled the leaves away.
“Ouch,” she said with a grimace. “I hope it doesn’t get infected.”
Ariel walked over to Jane and knelt on one knee. She took Jane’s hand and examined it. Jane felt the softness and warmth of Ariel’s touch, which surprised her. She had expected Ariel’s hands to be rough and coarse. To Jane, Ariel was an Amazon warrior or martial artist. She had muscles and moved and fought like an action hero.
“You said you lost your mage stone. Take this one.”
Jane looked at the round, faceted gem in Ariel’s palm. It was bigger than the one she had lost. She took the gem and deposited it in her pocket.
“Thank you.”
“You are in need of healing,” said Ariel.
Jane nodded. “It’s really starting to hurt now.” She held her hand out to Ariel expectantly.
“You can do it,” said Ariel.
Jane looked at her for a second and rubbed the dryness from her eyes. She was tired from their nighttime trek through the forest and she wasn’t sure she had heard Ariel correctly.
“I…I don’t understand,” said Jane. “What do you mean? You aren’t going to help me?”
“I do not need to help you,” said Ariel as she knelt in front of Jane. “You can heal yourself. Would you like me to show you?”
Jane glanced at Sawyer. He was sitting with his back against a tree. In the moonlight, she could see he was looking on intently.
“Jane,” said Ariel, “just as I believe Geoff has the makings of a wizard, I believe you have the potential to be a druid. Do you remember the wounded unicorn? How your first instinct was to try and stop the bleeding and help it?”
“Yes,” said Jane. “I remember, but you healed its wounds, not me.”
“Yes, but it is your instinct to which I am referring at the moment. You tried to help it, did you not?”
Jane nodded. The goblins had inflicted grave wounds on the poor beast. It had broken her heart to see such a beautiful creature suffer.
“Okay,” said Jane. “What do I do?”
Ariel took Jane’s hand in hers and removed the leaves from Jane’s palm. They were warm and moist and soaked with blood. The cool night air flowed over Jane’s wounded palm. It felt refreshing, even a little invigorating.
“Do you remember the incantation?” asked Ariel.
Jane shook her head. “No.”
The druid once again removed a few small dried leaves from her pouch and crushed them with her fingers. Then she took Jane’s uninjured hand and dropped the leaf bits in it.
“Now,” said Ariel, “sprinkle and press these leaves over your wound and repeat the charm of healing, Ilinara tae ullnara taethos.”
Jane did as Ariel instructed. The throbbing pain in her hand subsided the instant the leaves touched her skin. She looked at Ariel. It was amazing. She had never felt such a peaceful sensation.
“Ilinara tae ullnara taethos,” said Ariel.
“Ilinara…,” said Jane, still looking at Ariel.
“Tae ullnara,” said Ariel slowly.
“Tae ullnara…”
“Taethos.”
“Taethos,” repeated Jane.
As soon as she completed speaking the spell, she saw a tiny green glow and the wound in her palm closed. It’s tingling, she thought. It feels like a thousand little needles, but it doesn’t hurt. It feels good.
“Well done,” said Ariel. “You have more power within you than you realize.”
“Wow, Jane,” said Sawyer, who was now standing. “That was awesome!”
Jane smiled and looked at her palm again. The leaf bits had turned to dust. When she tilt
ed her hand and poured the dust out she didn’t see the nasty cut anymore. She looked closer and wasn’t even able to see where she had injured herself.
“I don’t feel any pain,” she said with a laugh. “It feels great.”
“Yeah,” said Sawyer, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could do that when we get home?”
Jane looked at Ariel, who had stood up and was smiling at her.
“Can I do it when I go home?” she asked. “I mean, will I be able to heal?”
Ariel shrugged. “Why not?”
Jane looked at Sawyer. He also shrugged.
“Yeah, why not?” he said. “You just gotta hope no one burns you at the stake for being a witch.”
Ariel turned to Sawyer. “They burn spell casters in your world?”
“Well, no,” he said. “Not anymore. People were burned for being witches, but that’s different. Isn’t it?”
He looked at Jane for help.
“It was a long time ago,” said Jane, “but you aren’t a witch. A druid isn’t a witch, right?”
“No,” said Ariel. “Druids are not witches.”
“So will I be able to heal people with spells?”
“Yes,” said Ariel.
“Suppose magic won’t work where we come from?” asked Sawyer. “What then?”
“Then you will live your lives as you desire. You have lost nothing.”
“Can I use that spell to heal animals too?” asked Jane with newfound enthusiasm. “Will it work on other injuries? Broken bones? Diseases? What about age? Will it extend an animal’s life?”
“The spell you just learned will mend bones and wounds,” said Ariel, “but it will not cure diseases, nor will it extend life. There are, however, other spells that can accomplish such things.”
Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1) Page 20