Akira Rises

by Nonie Wideman

  Staying away from well-worn paths was a much pondered over calculated risk. To chance meeting travelers alone on the vast prairie lands was dangerous enough when accompanied by armed guards. Travelling alone was more so. It was foolhardy. A girl armed only with a knife was no match for bandits who would gladly steal her horse and leave her to face the scavengers if they had no use for her. Trading one prison for another was a possibility if she let down her guard. Far better to stay away from danger. She could not be too cautious. Akira knew she had to outwit the men that would come after her. Cunning would have to replace strength. Endurance was her strength. Resolve was her strength. Freedom was to be earned.

  As the day wore on she knew by now there would be search parties looking for a silly female on a dappled light grey heavy horse looking for refuge in one of the local villages. They would not be looking for a boy or a young man heading for the mountains.

  Her thoughts turned back to her father. Baron Rolfe hated being thwarted. If he caught her, he would beat her and make her watch as he killed Pegasus. We must not get caught dear Pegasus. If you die, my heart will be broken. I shall never have another chance of escape for I shall be under lock and key until I die or am broken and obedient. I’d rather die than submit. Safely past the dirt mounds and underground labyrinths of the very industrious prairie rodents, the young woman who left all traces of childhood behind her, the young woman who looked like a boy, on a black horse, that was really almost a white horse, nudged her horse into a gallop. The plains ahead of her were even more open, and she did not want to take her time crossing them. She would be too exposed. She had to get across the last of the brown grass covered plains to reach the foothills before the mountains. In the foothills there was a small village where she could buy more food and hire a guide for the mountains. She gave Pegasus his head and they raced across the plains. Her eyes scanned the prairie looking for signs of rodent tunneled ground. It was exhilarating to race into the wind. When her mount slowed of his own accord she patted his neck and thanked him for his speed and the distance he had covered safely. Only the wings of your namesake would have carried me faster. Her thoughts were full of gratitude. I’m lucky so far. I hope it is not at Ann or Tom’s expense. May the god of my father’s people protect them. May the spirits of my mother’s people protect them.

  If everything went according to plan, she would beat the snowfalls. Her thought turned from prayer to her own safety. According to plan.... stick to the plan. A surge of sadness engulfed her. Already the plan had been changed. For this was to have been an escape for two, accompanied by a guide and a body guard. She looked back over her shoulder. A new feeling of being watched was hard to shake. It was nothing she could put a finger on. A roaming raven flew high above her. Was it the raven’s eyes causing the feeling? She shook herself mentally. A silly bird was nothing to worry about. She looked at the mountains. The tops of the majestic peaks were already covered in brilliant white fresh snow. The snow line was creeping further and further down. Soon the pass into the mountains would be a closed wall of white, an effective gate for those who may have thought to look for her in the direction of the mountains. She needed to reach the sanctuary of the White Rose ahead of the impending snows. Thankfully, the skies were still blue. There was no sign of grey impending clouds in the horizon north, south, east or west.

  The winds picked up speed as the afternoon wore on. The wind was in their faces. Chapped lips, and dry eyes added discomfort. Riding against the wind was adding fatigue to both horse and rider. Akira turned Pegasus for a moment so their backs would be to the wind. As she raised her flask to drink she spotted dust billowing up in the far distance. Riders! Her heart beat faster. Had someone picked up her trail or was it by chance they were behind her? Dare she not assume they were enemies? She wondered how she could slow them down. The wind had been taxing enough and Pegasus was tiring. Suddenly, the answer to her dilemma was the very wind she had cursed for the last few hours.

  The dried grasses of the plains were brown and tinder dry. A grass fire will slow down the riders if they are actually following me. If the riders are not actually following me, they will have time to avoid the fire by skirting it. It could buy me more time. The riders' dust was still heading straight for her. She could not see them yet over the soft swells of the landscape. She slid off her horse and dug her tinder box and flint out of her satchel. She quickly started striking the flint in a thick clump of prairie grass. Her cold fingers fumbled at first. She took a steadying breath and tried again. Within seconds a spark took hold and the grasses started burning. The flames spread quickly, racing ahead of the wind. Satisfied that flames would be between herself and whomever was behind her Akira remounted and urged Pegasus into a canter.

  She regretted setting the prairie on fire, but she feared what was behind her more than the daunting and dangerous mountains ahead. When she looked back, a wall of fire high as a horse's shoulders was racing ahead of the wind. The fire had found a stretch of high dried grasses. The riders behind her would be forced to divert their course. Akira now thanked the wind she had earlier cursed.

  Hours later, she reached the foothills and the cover of tree lines. Pegasus was exhausted. She was exhausted. She looked for the greenest, tallest trees and grass ahead of her and headed for them. With any luck, she hoped she would find water. Her mother had schooled her well on how to find water. The escape plan had been years in the making. She just never thought she would be going alone.

  Her keen observations were rewarded. A small creek provided Pegasus a much needed drink, and some almost green grass. Akira slid off Pegasus and checked his legs for any signs of heat and inflammation. They had travelled hard with few breaks. His legs felt sound. There were no warning hot spots. Akira was relieved. She hugged his neck when he raised it from the creek. Water dripped off his soft muzzle. The soot was wearing off. Much of it was on Akira now. She dusted her clothes off. “I'll bet we are make a sorry sight.”

  “Well Pegasus,” she said, looking around. “This place is as good as any to make camp tonight. The sun is going down and we need to rest.” She uncinched the saddle and put it under a group of thick evergreen trees. The thick sweeping branches would be a canopy over her makeshift bed. It would be another night without a fire. Well at least a campfire. She smiled. She had done her fire setting for the day. She wished she could have enjoyed a small portion of the warmth it had created. Looking outward to where she had come from, she saw no sign of riders. The smoke behind her had dissipated hours ago. She rubbed down Pegasus with her hands and then washed her blackened hands and smudged face in the creek. The water felt good but it did not remove all the sooty smudges. She looked as if she had been assisting a chimney sweep. Her feminine features were masked by oily smudges. Had she seen her face she would have approved. Her eyebrows had accumulated a fair share of the soot that transferred from her hands to her forehead. It made them look thicker, bushier, masculine. She tethered her horse close to the creek and listened to the sound of grass being greedily ripped and chewed. It was almost a rhythmic peaceful sound.

  As the sun faded so did any vestiges of warmth in the air. Akira shivered. She felt grubby and dirty despite her quick splashes to remove dust and refresh herself. She checked her food supplies. She had chewed on jerky strips whenever her stomach growled, and nibbled on the dried berries. The biscuits were gone. She had a carrot for morning. She would need to find the small village at the foot of the mountain. I can buy food soon, and perhaps a bath, she thought as she let herself relax She dreamed of soaking in a hot tub and scrubbing the dust and soot from her skin, then chastised herself. She needed to look like a tired and weary messenger carrying an important message to the White Rose monastery. A bath was a long way off. For the time at hand, she would have to satisfy her desire for cleanliness with a splash in the cold creek. Being a messenger to the White Rose would afford her a safer passage among those who knew of the reputation of the White Rose and respected it, or feared it. Those who har
med friends and allies of the White Robes often disappeared without a trace. Akira mulled over what she knew, and decided fear of the unknown was probably stronger than fear of what people could understand. It seemed like a good strategy to scare the scat out of people with warnings of enemies they could not assess. The White Rose were a mysterious society, a society very able to protect their place of sanctuary. It was rumored ghosts protected them. White ghosts, and dragons....

  Akira shivered. She unconsciously rubbed the symbol her mother had tattooed onto the back of her neck, and the smaller one on the underside of her wrist. Her hair covered the larger symbol most of the time. If Baron Rolfe had noticed the symbol, he knew not of what it meant. His exotic wife had several tattoos and it added to her mystique. It would not seem out of the ordinary for their daughter to have similar skin embellishments.

  Lady Shy had told Akira the symbol would grant her the assistance and protection of the people high on the mountain top. Her mother did not tell her it was a mark of membership in a secret society. Shy had lifter her own long hair and showed Akira her matching tattoo after she finished rubbing ink into the small needle marks she made on her daughter's neck. It looked like a dove. Her mother said it was a symbol of peace and freedom. Peace and freedom, what beautiful dreams they had shared. They shared the secret of the tattoos. Akira took a deep breath. Because her mother had been a member of the society her daughter was a legacy member. If she could reach the mountain monastery, if she could enlist help, she would search for her mother's family. She would exonerate her mother’s memory.

  Pegasus had filled his belly. The swipes he took at tender pieces of grass were becoming slower and more selective. The temperature was falling fast. It almost felt like it could snow. Akira suddenly decided she should sleep against Pegasus. His body would keep her warmer. She had fallen asleep with him in the stables many a time, especially when he was a young colt. His closer presence would be comforting. He would hear and sense danger sooner than she and if he moved she would awaken quickly. She untethered him from the creek side and signaled for him to lay down close to the saddle and her bundle of supplies. The huge horse folded himself down at her bidding. She put her cape on the ground beside him and pulled her mother's fur robe over herself as she leaned against Pegasus. The robe reminded her of her mother. It was as comforting as the warm equine body she snuggled against. She sighed. Feeling his breathing her loneliness lessened. They had survived day two of freedom. She didn't really care if she was dirty, sore and smelly. Hope was burning as high as the grass fire flames she had set earlier in the day. A coyote yipped in the distance. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. If Pegasus wasn't worried, neither was she. She let herself give into the need to sleep. Pegasus made a quiet nicker. Akira snored.

  ~

  Earlier in the day that had just passed, Baron Rolfe had slammed his fist so hard on the table planks his wine goblet shook and spilled. The vibration hurt his head. It was pounding with a headache from hell. Akira was gone. Ann was gone. “That snot nosed bitch defied me! That little witch is trying to make a fool of me.” He slammed his fist down again to his own detriment. A sharp pain seared his temples.

  The servant who informed him that Akira too was gone was nervous, and rightly so. It mattered not to the master who the master struck in one of his temper tantrums. He dared not agree with the master… correct the master, tell him that indeed the girl had made a fool of him. The baron had thrown objects at him in the past and held back his wages. Sometime the throws were accurate, and the temper tantrum shorter if the objects hit their mark. Sometimes it paid to be struck.

  “Has she taken off on the horse I forbade her to ride?”

  “Yes m'lord. The horse is gone too.” The servant answered carefully. It would have been suicide to say what he was thinking. It’s her horse you piece of rotten shit!

  “It is time for that bitch daughter to learn her place,” shouted Baron Rolfe. His face was redder than ever with anger. A blue vein pulsed at his temples. “I shall put a price on her head! I want her back alive. She can be beaten, mounted like a bitch in heat. She shall beg for her life and ask for permission to breathe and bleed when I’m through with her. She has turned up her nose and refused to be a dutiful daughter for the last damned time!”

  Baron Rolfe rose from the table and pushed his chair back so violently it fell over. “Send for my hunters you fool and pick up that buggered chair.” Baron Rolfe kicked the bitch dog waiting for table scraps. It yelped and ran from the dining hall. Baron Rolfe continued his rant as he stomped off. “I shall kill that horse and make her eat its heart.”

  The servant let out his breath and rushed to right the chair again. He pitied Akira, but he admired her guts. He would pray to his gods for her safety. He would even fast for his late mistress's' daughter. Surely the gods would favor his prayers for the girl if he did. Shy had always been kind to him and the other servants, and taught her daughter to extend the same kindnesses. They had both been like candles in the dark. They had made life bearable for those forced with the thankless job of serving Baron Rolfe and his spoiled sons. He missed Lady Shy. He had held off informing the master of Akira’s disappearance for as long as he dared. He hoped she had a very good head start. She would need it. The baron was an evil and cruel man. The servant allowed himself one more hidden smile. She had made a fool of him. It was a pity the young serf had been caught. He was to be made an example of in a public display within the week. If no one could come up with payment to free him from his indenture, the young man would be missing body parts. Even if he survived a bloody amputation, his ability to work off his indebtedness would be gone. The old servant hoped for a miracle. An unknown benefactor needed to be found. Rumors were that a secret order had been contacted.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The pawing of Pegasus's hoof woke. Akira. She yawned and peeked out from under the fur robe. Frost was on the ground and trees. Pegasus was standing. Akira rose and patted his shoulder. There seemed to be no danger.

  Pegasus was relaxed. His ears told her so. His yawn and shake told her so. She led him to the creek, Scalloped edges of thin ice had formed on the slower moving stretches of water trickling along the creek. Pegasus broke edges of ice as he drank and took his fill of the crystal clear water. Once again, Akira filled her flask with water. She wished she had thought to steal some mead. The potent honey flavored spirits would have warmed her insides.

  A piece of ripped shirt served well enough to clean her teeth. Rinsed again, it felt icy against her face as she scrubbed at her cheeks and forehead. Another rinse and she scrubbed under her warm armpits. “Boy that sure is cold, ooh ooh” she talked to Pegasus as she wiped, rinsed, and wiped again. “If I wasn't wide awake a few minutes ago, I certainly am now! I hope you appreciate my effort to keep from offending your velvety soft nose.”

  It was worth tearing her shirt for the sake of cleanliness she decided. In lieu of bathing, a splash and wipe cleaning was as good as it could get under the circumstances. She felt the call of nature, and looked at the handy piece of cloth. She hid behind the trees and discarded the ragged piece of cloth when she was finished. It had served more than one purpose. Akira felt quite pleased with herself, glad to be closer to her destination, thinking if I’ve to be on the run for long, my shirt tail is going to get shorter and shorter. A grin broke across her still grubby looking face. Despite her efforts to clean her face, a mirror would have revealed a need for soap to remove the gray smears remaining. A mirror would not have affected her wide grin. Now she knew why her brother's shirts had pieces missing occasionally. She chuckled. The asses had asses to wipe. She had helped mend their shirts. The big tough towering men she had for brothers seemed just a little less daunting.

  It was time to make haste once more. She needed to get back away from the trees so she could look at the mountains and get her bearings. She turned her fur robe inside out and wrapped it around her belongings, tying it securely with strips of leather to the back of her sa
ddle. Reaching under her shirt to the satchel of gold coins tied around her waist, she removed a few of the smaller coins.

  If and when she was to find the village, she did not want to appear like she was carrying a large sum of money. She put the selected lesser value coins in a smaller bag and hung it around her neck, tucking it inside of her shirt. With her hair carefully tucked out of sight and her hooded cape dusted off with a good shaking, she was eager to saddle Pegasus and be on her way.

  Her eyes examined Pegasus's sides. Having slept against one side of him, and with the other side of him against the ground, much of the soot had rubbed off. A frown came and went very quickly. It mattered not what color Pegasus's hair returned to. She decided to gamble that she was far enough away from eyes that could report the whereabouts of a grey dappled horse and rider to Baron Rolfe. If she had the head start she hoped for, there was no longer a need to disguise Pegasus. The soot had served its purpose, making horse and rider become dark shadows that melted into the night when it had been most dangerous for them to be seen. She rode out from the shelter of the trees, hoping her confidence was not a mistake.

  Mountains observed, map reviewed, bearings confirmed, Akira followed the edge of the foothills until she came upon a well-traveled path leading back into the deep green forest. The thick forest dressed the bottom of the mountain like a green skirt. The sound of wings overhead made her look up. A white owl skimmed over the top of the trees and disappeared from sight. Akira shivered. It seemed odd to see an owl, after hearing one so recently. Was it a sign? Did it follow her? It was an unsettling thought. Had her father enlisted the powers of his dark and sinister mages to defeat her escape attempt? A rabbit scurried for the dense cover of some gnarly underbrush. Logic argued that the owl was only interested in a meal. She tried shaking off the feeling of being watched, attributing the feeling to an overactive imagination. The feeling persisted. The owl had not brought bad luck. Perhaps it was a good omen. She decided to take it as such. Perhaps her mother was speaking to her from the spirit world. It was a comforting thought.