A New Path

by Xander Jade

  "What is happening out there?" Cori yelled.

  "I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," Estelle said.

  Cori went to look and found herself gagging at the site of mangled orcs and mutilated wolves, as well as dead guards and knights. This is crazy. She looked around the area and found they were losing. Shea was beside the carriage flinging spell after spell and looked exhausted. Sir Nathan had blood and gore over his armor, and also looked injured. The situation was bad. All of a sudden they heard a whistling noise in the air. Cori thought it was Shea since she was an air mage, but it wasn't coming from her. She heard a yelp and howl to her left and roar to the right. Looking around she found arrows sticking out of wolves and orcs. That was odd, they didn't have anyone that had a bow. Everyone looked around to see where they were coming from.

  "Where the hell are those coming from?" Shea yelled while fending off her attackers.

  Nobody answered but kept looking around. More and more fell from either sword or arrow. Whoever it was, they were an awesome shot. Then a roar Cori has never heard before filled the air and the whole battlefield just stopped. You could hear a pin drop, it was that quiet. Some movement up on the hill caught everyone's attention and saw a man running down the hill towards their foes. He was about 6 feet tall, dark hair, and tan complexion with a muscular physique. He looked like a man with a mission, killing one creature after another, but he wasn't the one these orcs feared. The one next to him was, and a magnificent creature to look upon. It was a siba!! A creature of legend in the flesh. Cori couldn't believe what she was seeing, but if the legends are true then this fierce animal is one. You could see the muscles it had while the siba ran, decimating the orcs and wolves. These two were a well-oiled killing machine. It came to a point that the orcs realized they had lost, so they bellowed to each other and fled. Out of sixty there was only ten left, the three wolves that were still around took off through the woods as fast as they could. After making sure that it was over, the entire caravan was standing there in awe of the raw power that the duo showed.

  "I can't believe what I just saw," Shea whispered reverently as she bowed her head for a moment.

  "What kind of creature is that?" Estelle asked in fear and her handmaidens shook their head not knowing.

  "Are you kidding?" Cori asked in disbelief. "You don't know what that magnificent animal is?"

  "It's ok Cori, many people don't remember or know of them anymore," Shea said with a wistful look. "It's a siba. One of the creatures of legend come to life,"

  "Pardon me, Your Highnesses. Is everyone okay?" Sir Nathan asked with a pained and tired expression.

  "Yes, Sir Nathan," Cori replied to the gore covered knight. "We are stressed and exhausted, but okay."

  "I was afraid everything was lost until those two showed up. I'm glad everyone's okay your highness. This is a day I'll never forget, a siba came to our rescue," he said watching the huge beast. "What do you make of it, Lady Shea?"

  "I'm not sure, Sir Nathan," Shea stated with some concern. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole situation. Starting with why orcs were here with those wolves, and where that gentleman came from that has a siba with him."

  "It doesn't matter where he came from. He saved us," Cori argued.

  "I know Cori, but how could he have a siba with him? Unless it's bonded to him," the air mage responded.

  Cori was stunned and asked, "Is that even a possibility?"

  "I'm not sure," the air mage carefully replied. "Like I said, mages haven't seen or heard from these creatures in centuries. They are very agile and cunning. You just saw how it can be in a fight. Look how massive it is."

  "We need to tell King William and High Mage Edward about this," Sir Nathan suggested.

  "Yes, but not until we know the whole story," Cori advised, shaking her head.

  Shea looked at the princess and her eyebrows rose, asking a question in her stare.

  "Your Highness, this isn't a matter that should be kept from them," he advised with an uncomfortable stance. He didn't want to keep any information from his king.

  "We will discuss it amongst ourselves, sir knight. In the meantime, what is the head count for us?" Shea asked not wanting to know.

  "Thirty dead and ten injured," he said shaking his head. "We need a healer, milady."

  "I can help some but not with fatal injuries. I'm sorry," she stated with remorse.

  He hung his head and said, "Without help they won't last the night. ... Our two rescuers are coming over here; what shall I say to them?"

  "Bring them over to us," she commanded and Sir Nathan walked to meet with the stranger. The women just stood there watching and waiting for the newcomers to join their group. When the stranger and his beast started walking over, the guards gave them a wide berth not wanting to agitate the huge animal.

  "Milady, this is Maximus and Reaper," Sir Nathan stated as he introduced man and beast.

  They all smirked at the name Reaper. That name was well given.

  "Hello, I am Lady Shea," Shea chuckled. "That's an appropriate name for a siba."

  Maximus smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Lady Shea."

  He lit up the area when he smiled and Cori’s heart skipped a beat. Woah, where did that come from?

  "I'm happy that you got involved, but I have to ask where you came from." She said as Cori shot her a dirty look.

  "I was in the woods a little ways back, hunting and looking for supplies when I heard the screams," he replied.

  "Hmmm... I have lots of questions, but we need to find a healer for our guards," she said quickly.

  "I have some supplies. How bad off are they?" The young man asked.

  "We have them setup over there in a group," Sir Nathan said as he pointed over to the group.

  "Okay, I’ll go get my pack and be right back," Max responded as he walked back up the hill with his siba in tow.

  "My goodness, did you see that mammoth animal?" Estelle asked in a stunned manner. "My heart is still pounding."

  "Yes, but that boy can't be no more than twenty and he says he can heal those men. Anybody else not find that peculiar?" Shea asked with disbelief. The ladies around also thought he was young to be a healer, but guessed they will find out in a few minutes.

  "I don't care how old he is. If he can heal our men then by all means, do it," the knight said with emphasis.

  They all glanced at each other as Maximus came back with his pack and headed over to the people that were injured. The group followed behind and watched as he set out his supplies on a makeshift table made of wood. He organized what he thought was needed into rows and started looking at the injured men. They were again dumbfounded that this guy literally came out of nowhere and was helping them. Maximus looked around and shook his head at the injuries. Most were still gushing blood out of the cuts and slashes from the orc weapons. In the mix were broken bones, some actually sticking out of the skin.

  "Okay, I'm going to need some help," he advised looking at them.

  "I'll help," Shea volunteered.

  "I'll help too," Cori said as Shea looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Shrugging, he looked around at the ladies and his brow furrowed. The other ladies volunteered too.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't get your names," he said politely.

  They all looked at each other and Lady Shea stated, "This is Lady Corisande and Lady Estelle," pointing at Cori and her sister. She narrowed her eyes at Shea and the air mage gave her a subtle shake of her head that said not now. Cori followed her lead at that notion.

  He watched intently as a dubious look came across his face. This guy is intelligent. They wouldn't be able to get away with anything around him, she thought. "Well, if you want to help then you will need to change your clothes. It's about to get messy," Max suggested as he pointed at their dresses.

  "Give us a few moments and we'll be right back," Shea told him and we walked back to the carriage. "Don't tell him who you are for right now. I know he saved us, but I still don
't trust him."

  Cori’s jaw dropped and asked, "Are you serious? Did you not witness what he did for us?" Her sister agreed and looked at Shea in disbelief.

  "Just until we find out some answers, okay? I know he's done a lot for us but for your protection we do this for right now."

  "Fine, but if he asks me about it I'm not going to lie. If he was going to do something harmful, do you think he would have helped us?" Cori replied with a huff.

  She nodded and the group changed into some other clothes in the carriage. They walked back to the gathered injured and saw that Maximus already started without them. The other guards were trying to follow directions to set bones and close gashes and cuts. Maximus was mixing some ingredients in a bowl. He saw them walk up and asked for them to come and watch over the guards carefully to make sure none are still in shock or unconscious. They watched him put a poultice mixture on a guards arm and had him drink something else.

  The young healer looked at his supplies and was running low on calendula and lion’s mane mushrooms. He will need to go find some.

  "Gentlemen and ladies, I have run out of some ingredients and will need to go locate them in the woods. I will be back with haste when I locate some," he stated calmly.

  "Do you need some help?" Shea asked.

  "No milady, I will be back shortly. Come on Reap, I'll need your help," he yelled over his shoulder and walked off to locate some medicinal herbs. The siba took off in a sprint and it felt like the ground shook after he left.

  "Does anybody else know what he's doing with these mixtures?" Sir Nathan asked.

  "I can only tell what he's told us when we asked questions. We really don't know because we didn't want to bother him at the time. I would suspect those are healing poultices and he's got some drinking potions too. I can't believe that lad knows as much as he does. He must have someone close by that teaches him," Shea said hoarsely shaking her head, not knowing what to say about the uncanny talents that this lad possesses.

  Looking around at the clothes of others with blood and gore hanging off of them. It was the first time Cori and her sister have been in this situation.

  "Is this not normal, Shea?" Estelle asked. "I don't know much about this, but he seems to have a grasp on this healing thing."

  Shea laughed softly and said, "This whole day just keeps me in shock as the time passes. Ladies, I haven't seen anything like this since I was in training with the healing mages and herbalists. He doesn't use magic with his services, but I suspect if he did then he would be one of the most powerful healers there is."

  The group listened to her statement and couldn't begin to know what was in this extraordinary lads mind. "Well, I know for a fact this is the first time I've ever done anything like this. It's weird though. I don't think I would have volunteered if this happened somewhere else," Cori told them.

  "I was thinking the same thing," Estelle said and the other ladies nodded. It was strange having this conversation and Cori smiled to herself. She thought this situation brought them closer together. They waited and their little group kept to themselves thinking of how much the day changed dramatically. It wasn't long before he came back and started mixing again. A couple hours later he finished putting the last bandage on and checked his work. Maximus was methodical with his work ethic and Cori was captivated by him for some reason.

  "Does anyone else need some attention?" Maximus asked and heard some giggling from the ladies. Cori kept her comments to herself, but inside she was raising her hand saying she needed some.

  Chapter Seven

  I stretched out after I was done with my work and found Reap laying down beside me. I don't think he left my side the whole day. Hmmm... Maybe he wanted to make sure the orcs didn't come back I thought to myself and scratched behind his ears. I'm sure the whole camp could hear his purring and laughed softly at the notion. We were probably the last thing these people were expecting to see today. Thinking about what transpired, I could only come up with that it must have been a kidnapping or assassination attempt. These ladies were someone important and must want to keep a low profile, I'll play the game and keep myself that way as well.

  They had made some make shift beds for the guards to get some rest and recuperate, I shook the my thoughts of what would have happened if we weren't nearby out of my head. The ladies themselves were a surprise, and wouldn't have thought they would get their hands dirty, let alone their clothes. Everyone helped out though, and I needed it. The guards were even polite and didn't ask questions when telling them what needed to be done. I looked out among the survivors and found some were still in shock over the day’s events and knew it will take them some time to get back to normal, hopefully. Even though I was exhausted by the day’s events, my mind was moving in different directions; I petted Reap a few more times, then went to see if I could help with anything. Reap got up and followed me to the knight that I thought was in charge.

  "Pardon me sir knight, can I ask for your name again? I have forgotten it and apologize."

  He chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it lad. It's Nathan LeBlanc." He stuck out his arm and I grasped it.

  "I'm Maximus," I said and let go of his arm.

  He laughed for a few moments and stopped. Then with a serious look he said, "I will always remember your name lad. Not just because you have a siba either. I have never seen anything like what you did for us. First, the fighting for our safety, then offering your assistance. Lastly, what you did for my men. Not just my knights, but the royal guards too. They will never forget either."

  "I only did what I thought would help. I didn't do anything special," I stated starting to get confused.

  He shook his head and asked, "You really have no idea what you did today, do you?"

  "No sir. I helped some people that were in battle and needed help. When it was over I helped some injured ones. My job wasn't over until I could do no more for them," my reply came with emphasis.

  "One day in the near future, you will find out just how much your presence meant today!!" He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. I raised my left eyebrow trying to get him to tell me. He shook his head and told me I would have to figure it out myself, stating it was part of growing up or something. Really? He couldn't just tell me?

  "Is there anything I can do to help your situation?"

  "No, but go ask Lady Shea. She may be in need of something," Sir Nathan said and bowed, then took his leave. I walked over to the group of ladies noticing they were in deep conversation, so I tried to make myself known by making some noise.

  Bowing to the ladies and asked, "Lady Shea, I came over to see if you need some assistance with anything?" She blushed at my comment, not sure what was embarrassing.

  "Umm...I'm not sure Maximus," she stammered with her answer. The other ladies giggled at her predicament and she gave them a dirty look. Corisande, Cori for short, looked around at the other ladies and said, "Our supplies are scattered at the moment. Can you locate them and see if we can salvage anything?"

  "Yes milady, I will do that. If you don't mind me asking, where are you headed? I need to see if you have enough for the rest of the trip."

  "We don't mind, Maximus. We are headed to Oakenshore for a celebration," Lady Shea said.

  I chuckled at that last statement and they looked at me with strange looks. "I'm not laughing at you for going to Oakenshore. I didn't realize how close we were to them," I said quickly.

  "Are you from around here, Maximus?" Lady Cori asked and for some reason the others perked up wanting to know too. Thinking about what to tell them, I replied very carefully, "No milady, I am not." Trying to deflect myself from that conversation but that lasted only a few moments.

  "Can you tell us where you’re from or live? Maybe tell us a bit about yourself?" Lady Cori asked with hope in her voice. I thought that was weird coming from a noblewoman wanting to know where a commoner was from. "Umm...I'm not sure you would want to know where I'm from milady," I said carefully but she looked confused
by that statement.

  "Why wouldn't I want to know where you come from Maximus?"

  "Because... after tomorrow, you ladies may never see me again." They looked shocked at my statement so I left them to think on that for a while.

  ***

  Cori was stunned at that last statement and voiced her concern. "What does he mean he won't be here tomorrow?" She asked Shea but the air mage looked shocked too.

  Shea finally found her voice to answer the question, "I don't know what to say to that question Cori. He doesn't have to answer to any of us. Especially with that big cat that dotes on him like he's his big brother. I am at a loss in this. I can't make him stay if he doesn't want to."

  Cori looked at her and threw up her hands wanting to demand he stay and answer some questions, but caught herself and knew she didn't like it when others demand things from her. "I don't want you to demand he stay. I'm just curious and want to know him a little better," she replied blushing after the words came out of her mouth. They laughed at that but Cori didn't care. She is fascinated by this guy that they only met today. He is an enigma, a puzzle that she wanted to be able to solve.

  "Uh-oh!! I know that look. You are infatuated by that lad aren't you?" Estelle accused and giggled at look she displayed.

  Cori froze and could feel her face heat up, knowing that her face was crimson after that question. "No!!" She replied, trying to deny it but they didn't believe her.

  "Your Highness, I'm not sure this is the time to be thinking about stuff like that," Shea calmly stated.

  "Besides, what about your suitors? What would they think about you trying to talk with another one?" Estelle asked with a smirk on her face.

  "I don't care what any of those twerps think. I will talk to anyone I want!!" She yelled and they started laughing again. Cori’s face had to be as red as a tomato but she didn't care. She just wanted to talk to Maximus and get to know him. Is that so bad?

  "Princess Cori, he is an unknown. Your father would have a fit if he knew what you were thinking. I'm not saying we can't trust him, but be wary. It's like he says, he may not be here tomorrow," Shea said sternly.