by Cadman, Dean
Lusam balanced the knife on the small pebble using its natural central balancing point. He thought to himself how much more difficult it would have been to do this with an unbalanced knife. He smiled to himself knowing Neala would never in a thousand years have listed this amongst the important reasons to have perfectly balanced throwing knives. Concentrating on the knife, and especially the enchantment he had placed upon its blade, he pictured in his mind what he wanted to achieve; to use the one knife he already had to seek its companion blades.
The knife began to move slowly to the left, then it moved to the right. Rocking back and forth through one hundred and eighty degrees. The range of movement gradually reduced over several seconds until it stopped completely, pointing towards a position on the map. Lusam eyed through the line where the dagger pointed intersecting the representation of the road, and marked it with another small stone.
“There. That's where they are,” Lusam said excitedly pointing at the small stone he had just placed on the map. Renn studied the location of the stone in relation to their position, then crouched down beside the map.
“If you're correct then they are exactly where I would have expected them to be right now. To have reached that location in the time they have been travelling would mean they are neither in a rush, nor taking their time traversing the road. Maintaining a pace like that would indeed take them about nine days to reach Stelgad, which means we should arrive before them, but only if we continue at the pace we have set, and they don't increase their speed of course,” Renn informed Lusam.
“That's good news,” Lusam said retrieving Neala's knife and placing it safely back in his belt. “We should refill the waterskin while we are here; who knows where the next water-source will be?”
Renn glanced back over his shoulder at the steep muddy riverbank, still wet and very slippery from where he had managed to clamber up to safety after escaping the river water. Lusam noticed the resigned look appear on Renn's face; that of a man who knew he was about to lose his dignity once more to the slippery riverbank. Lusam chuckled at the images he still had in his head of Renn's ungraceful accent of the steep muddy riverbank.
“What's so funny?” Renn asked, obviously guessing exactly why Lusam found the situation so amusing. Lusam momentarily contemplated not saying a word, and letting Renn attempt to refill the waterskin just for the entertainment value. But he knew Renn was wet enough to make running very uncomfortable for the rest of the day already, and he didn't want to make his journey even more arduous than necessary just for his own entertainment.
“Give me the waterskin, I can fill it from here,” Lusam said with a grin on his face. Renn paused a moment before handing him the waterskin, just long enough for Lusam to realise how astute a man Renn actually was. He seemed to know exactly what had been on Lusam's mind seconds before, but he never said a word. Lusam tried very hard to keep a straight face, but failed miserably as he often did in similar situations. He uncorked the waterskin and then manipulated the river water in a similar fashion to when he removed the gold from the river in Helveel. A long fountain-like stream of water arced through the air from the river and terminated inside his waterskin, quickly filling it to capacity. Lusam cancelled the spell and the excess water fell to earth with a splash, then he re-stoppered the waterskin and held it out to Renn.
“Tell me something, if you can lift water like that, can you lift heavy objects like that log over there?” Renn asked pointing to a large fallen log.
“Sure, why?” Lusam replied, then instantly knew what was coming next, so he decided to own up to it. “Before you ask. Yes, I could have lifted us both over the river, but the truth is I didn't even think about it until after you fell in the water. By then it was too late, and I didn't think you would be very amused with me if I floated in the air across the river bone dry, while you were drip drying on the opposite bank.”
Renn stared at Lusam for what felt like an age, then he just grunted and nodded his acceptance at what he had just been told.
“Okay, let's get moving, we still have a long way to go,” Renn said while retrieving his tunic from the tree branch, and then he took off running in a southerly direction, with Lusam matching his steady pace.
Chapter Nine
Neala had stubbornly remained silent all afternoon; ever since the group of strange men in black robes had thundered past them on horseback earlier that day, and Skelly had callously used her as a human shield against any possible attack. She had refused to even acknowledge him, refusing his offers of conversation, or even water. They had just passed through a small sparsely populated village without stopping, and were now entering a large flat plain at the other side, when they both once again heard the sound of horses approaching fast from behind.
Neala could tell it was only two, or three riders at most this time by the sounds of the hoof-beats as they approached. Neala's hands were still tied securely to her saddle making it impossible for her to turn and look directly at the approaching horse riders. She saw Skelly turn in his saddle to see who was approaching them, then as he turned back she noticed him stealthily remove a knife from his belt and conceal it in his hand. He casually pulled both horses over to the side of the road to allow the riders to pass easily, and then continued his pace as if nothing was amiss. Neala realised either he expected them to ride straight past them like the last group had, or he was confident enough that he could handle the smaller group alone if they decided to challenge him.
Sure enough the two riders thundered past them without even slowing their pace, both wearing the same black robes as all the others. Even though they passed quickly, she thought she recognised one of them from when they had first left Helveel. The one on the left had a distinctive bald head with a strange design tattooed on it. She was sure it was one of the two men that had created the strange feeling of insects crawling around in her head when they had first left Helveel, but she didn't mention it to Skelly. Five minutes later they approached another crossroads, and saw the two men that had just ridden past them talking with yet another two men in black robes. She expected Skelly to slow, or even stop their horses completely, but he didn't. He didn't need to. The two men who had been guarding the crossroads mounted their horses and promptly left with the other two men, galloping out of sight long before Neala and Skelly reached the crossroads.
Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. First she and Lusam were followed in Helveel by the man in black robes, then when he eventually caught up with them he had attacked only Lusam. When she had asked Skelly if Lusam had survived the encounter, he had not mentioned anything about being attacked himself by the man in black robes. So, if the man in black robes had allowed Skelly to take her unchallenged, it stood to reason that he was only ever interested in Lusam, and not her at all. It also explained why none of the men in black robes guarding the crossroads they had ridden past had paid them much attention. If they were only looking for a boy, a man and girl travelling together would not interest them.
Over the next hour several more groups of riders passed them by, riding hard in a southerly direction, but none of them paying the slightest attention to either of them. They had also passed two crossroads during the last hour, neither of which was guarded, but why? Neala's stomach clenched as she came to the horrible conclusion, Lusam must indeed be dead, and the men in black robes were obviously no longer needed to guard the roads out of Helveel. It was several minutes before she managed to regain her composure enough to think clearly. When she finally did, she went over all of the possibilities in her head again. One thing didn't make sense though; if Lusam was dead, why were all the men in black robes riding their horses so hard?
Neala had travelled this road when she had escaped the clutches of the Hawks' guild in Stelgad several months earlier. She knew there was nowhere between Helveel and Stelgad to acquire fresh horses, and anyone riding an animal so hard could easily find themselves with a lame horse long before
arriving at Stelgad. It made no sense at all to her. There had to be a good reason why so many riders would risk their horses like that. They were obviously desperate to reach Stelgad as fast as possible, but why? What could they want in Stelgad? Unless, Lusam had actually survived the attack, and escaped Helveel already, and was on his way to Stelgad to try and rescue her. But that also made no sense. This was the only road from Helveel to Stelgad, and if he was travelling on it, the riders would have been heading back towards Helveel to intercept him, not towards Stelgad at break-neck speed.
“Oh, Gods!” Neala said out-loud, as realization struck her. Lusam must be trying to reach Stelgad by going through The Black Forest, it was the only logical explanation for what was happening.
“What?” Skelly asked, feigning interest, and not bothering to look at her.
“Erm.... Nothing.... I just needed the bathroom, but I can hold it for a while,” Neala lied. Skelly just grunted and continued riding.
Neala had never entered The Black Forest, in fact she didn't know anyone who had, or even anyone foolish enough to try. The stories of the monsters that inhabited The Black Forest were enough to keep most people from even considering it. Knowing that Lusam had grown up well away from The Black Forest, she doubted he would even be aware of the dangers that may be awaiting him inside. She had heard the stories herself many times as she grew up in the thieves' guild, how anyone entering the forest at night was more often than not lost forever, never to be heard from again.
Neala felt panic growing inside her just thinking about Lusam alone in such a place. She knew he had become powerful in his own right with his new magic, and more than capable of defending himself against any hungry animal, or hostile human he may encounter, but against what may lurk in the darkness, she wasn't so sure. Most people agreed the monsters within The Black Forest were remnants of the great war countless centuries ago, trapped there after the rift was closed by the Gods Aysha and Driden.
There were three theories as to why the creatures had never left The Black Forest: first that they were somehow tied to the rift, and couldn't travel too far from its location: second was they were still controlled by either Aysha or Driden to this day, and forbidden to leave the forest: and third, Neala always thought the most unlikely, was the theory that the creatures could not cross water, and because The Black Forest was surrounded on all sides by water, rivers on two sides and the sea on the other, it became a natural prison for them. Whichever it was, it didn't matter, the fact that no creature had ever been seen outside The Black Forest since the rift closed, was a good enough reason for most people not to go poking around inside to find out why. Neala closed her eyes, and offered a silent prayer to Aysha, to watch over Lusam while he was in The Black Forest, and keep him safe.
Neala thought long and hard about why Lusam would have chosen to travel through The Black Forest, instead of taking a much easier route by road. He had more than enough money back at the book shop to buy a horse, and then come after her by road. He must have somehow known about the men in black robes waiting for him on the road she concluded. If that were true, at least he would be on the look out for them when he reached Stelgad, she hoped.
Neala had no doubt about Lusam's ability to forage food in any forest environment. He had taught her about many edible plants and berries easily found within a forest, and she felt sure he knew about many more he hadn't yet shown her. He would be taking a much more direct route south through the forest, whereas they would need to follow the much longer arc of the road as it followed the base of the Elveen mountains. Even so, the pace that Lusam would need to set on foot would be gruelling, to stand a chance at all of beating them to Stelgad on horseback. She needed to slow their pace a little, but not overtly enough so that Skelly would become suspicious of her motives, and discover the reason why. She had no doubt that if Skelly suspected something was amiss, he would extract the truth from her, one way or another. She needed a plan.
Later that day Neala noticed a few castor bean trees growing next to the road, and dotted throughout the nearby fields. It was one of the many plants and trees Lusam had shown her that were poisonous, but this particular tree would suit her needs perfectly. Its seeds when broken caused nausea, vomiting and other intestinal problems, but the symptoms were delayed, often not coming on for hours, sometimes even longer. It would be perfect for her needs, and Skelly shouldn't even suspect she had anything to do with it, if she did it right. Although the poison wasn't deadly in small doses, it also wasn't very pleasant apparently, often putting people out of action for at least a day or more.
Neala saw in the distance a group of the castor bean trees close to the side of the road. She waited until they approached the copse of trees before asking, “Can we stop please? I need the bathroom now, I can't hold it any longer.” Skelly turned in his saddle to look at her, and was greeted by a desperate look on Neala's face. He stopped the horses adjacent to the trees and dismounted. He untied Neala's hands from her saddle so she could dismount, and then dragged her over to his horse. “Take off your shoes,” Skelly said removing a coil of rope from his saddle.
“My shoes?” Neala asked confused.
“Yes, your shoes. If you're considering making a run for it I wouldn't bother. That field is freshly cut straw, trying to run across it barefoot would be like running over thousands of nails. I doubt you would make it twenty paces without shredding your feet, but just in case you're still considering it, remember what I told you before; if you try to run, I'll make sure you never run again,” he replied coldly.
Skelly tied the rope around Neala's waist and said, “While you're behind that tree keep the rope moving, if the rope stops moving, I'll drag you out of that field with my horse, pants or no pants. Is that clear?”
“Yes. Very clear,” Neala replied, fighting the urge to retort. She removed her shoes, and carefully stepped into the field of spikes. Skelly wasn't kidding when he said the uncut stalks would cut her bare feet to bits if she tried to run, they were doing a good job of it even at her tip-toe pace. More than once she cried out in pain as a hidden stalk punctured the skin on her feet. She was worried the length of rope would not be sufficient for her to reach the tree she needed, but as she disappeared behind the first bush she was relieved to see several castor bean seeds already on the ground. She only needed one, and quickly removed the outer prickly casing to reveal the dark nut-like bean inside. She placed the bean in her mouth to hide it, and then went about her business behind the bush. She wouldn't put it past Skelly to actually check to see if she had been up to something else, other than relieving her bladder.
Neala had been told by Lusam that the castor beans were only poisonous if broken, and could even pass through a person's gut without causing harm if they were intact. She hoped he was right about that, as it nestled under her tongue, well away from her teeth. She gingerly made her way back out of the field to where Skelly awaited her return, and thankfully retrieved her shoes. Her feet were certainly worse for the excursion, but inwardly she smiled to herself at the knowledge that Skelly would suffer far worse soon enough.
They were soon back on the road to Stelgad, plodding along at their usual steady pace. Neala had managed to spit the castor bean from her mouth into her hand, which hadn't been as easy as she'd expected, almost dropping the precious bean in the process when the horse jolted slightly on the uneven road. She used her thumb nails to peel the bean and expose the toxic inner nut-like centre. Using her thumb nails again, she began to scratch at the nut, creating a fine dust-like powder in the palm of her hand. Any coarse material she discarded as they continued to ride for the rest of the day. She decided to try and slip the powder into the waterskin, but she would wait until she was offered a drink rather than asking for the waterskin herself, which she felt would cause less suspicion later.
Eventually as the sun began to set, Skelly brought their horses to a halt. He tied both horses to a sturdy branch, and then untied Neala from her saddle, allowing her to dismount
from her horse. He followed the same pattern as the night before, securing Neala to the tree, and removing food and water from his saddlebags, before offering Neala some dried beef and fruit. She decided to take only the fruit, claiming she didn't like the taste of the last dried beef he gave her. Her plan would work better if she didn't eat exactly the same food as Skelly. It would be easier to blame his condition on the spoiled beef, which of course it had to be, because that was the only thing he had eaten, that she had not.
Neala waited patiently until finally Skelly offered her the waterskin. She was relieved he didn't drink from it before handing it to her, as it may have been the following day before he had drunk any water with the poison in it. She took the waterskin and unstopped it, carefully making sure not to contaminate the spout. She drank deeply knowing it may be her last for quite a while, then deftly slipped the poison into the waterskin, before restoppering it and handing it back to Skelly.
Neala's heart beat furiously in her chest, like a thousand horses at full gallop. She was certain Skelly would hear it as she rested her head against the tree, feigning relaxation. If he smelt or tasted the poison she was done for, that she knew for certain. With her eyes closed she prayed to Aysha fervently that he would not notice anything strange about the water, and take whatever revenge on her for trying to poison him. To her immense relief he seemed not to notice anything, and he drank his fill before tucking in to his dried beef strips.