“Okay,” Olyva said.
She pulled on the clothes reluctantly then turned her face up toward the sun. She rolled the baggy sleeves of the tunic up, and left her feet bare so her toes could wiggle in the soft turf.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Lexi asked.
“Thirsty,” Olyva said.
She felt dry, not just thirsty but dry all over. She walked over to the river and squatted to scoop up some of the clear water. She drank and felt the cold water as it flowed down her throat and into her stomach. It was almost intoxicating. She felt a giddiness she had never experienced before. She wanted the water to cover her body, but she settled for wading into the stream with her bare feet. Then she stood up, stretching as far as she could and stood with her face turned up toward the sun, a look of ecstasy on her face.
Chapter 32
Tiberius
The horses were still nervous. They were comfortable around humans, but they had never been around other animals before. The leather reins Lexi and Tiberius had used to hobble the horses were now a tangled mess. Tiberius and Rafe set about calming the horses. They spoke to them in soothing voices, rubbing their jaws, foreheads and necks. Then they untangled the leather straps and put the bridles back on each of the horses. Finally, they tied the reins to one of Tiberius’ packs, which was set on the ground between them. The pack wouldn’t keep the horses from bolting, but it would keep them from wandering too far away.
“Now,” Rafe said, once the horses were seen too. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
“You think I know?” Tiberius asked.
“You’re the wizard aren’t you? Does your book say anything about trees that can turn people into more trees?”
“Of course not,” Tiberius said, trying not to laugh.
“This isn’t funny, Ti,” Rafe said angrily.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me. I warned you that something wasn’t right about those trees.”
“You didn’t say that would turn the love of my life into a tree!”
“How was I supposed to know what would happen? Besides, she wasn’t in their clutches that long. The sleeping toxin or whatever it was has worn off. There’s a very good chance the transmutation won’t progress.”
Rafe looked downstream and saw Olyva standing with her arms outstretched and face turned up toward the light, like an ardent worshiper overcome with ecstasy.
“That looks like it isn’t progressing to you?”
“Rafe, I don’t know what’s happening. I’m just hopeful that whatever happened to her won’t be potent enough to transform the girl you know into something else.”
“The girl I know?” Rafe said. “She’s more than just a girl I know, Ti. I love her. I would do anything for her.”
“I know,” Tiberius said. “I get that. But right now, we just don’t have any answers.”
“Where do we get answers?”
“The only place I can think of would be Sparlan Citadel.”
“The Princess?”
“No, but she did mention that she had access to books on magic. Maybe there is something in them that would tell us what is happening to Olyva.”
“The Citadel is a long way from here,” Rafe said.
“I know,” Tiberius said sadly. “But I don’t have any other answers.”
Tears filled his friend’s eyes, but there was nothing Tiberius could do to ease the pain. He could tell just by looking at Olyva that she was changed. He only hoped that whatever the trees had done to her wouldn’t be permanent.
“I’m going to skin the Graypees,” Rafe said in a husky voice. “You coming?”
“Of course,” Tiberius said.
He didn’t want to spend the day carving up the huge lizard creatures, but he understood Rafe’s desire. Personally, Tiberius just wanted to go to sleep. He didn’t care about food, or protecting the camp, just sleep. But he knew that rest would have to come later. They didn’t have the manpower to lift the Graypees which Tiberius guessed weighed as much a horse or more. Instead, they cut large sections of the tough hide off the stinking beasts where they lay. When they finished, they had four large squares of Graypee hide, each the size of a small blanket.
“You know how to tan hides?” Rafe asked.
“I’ve read about it,” Tiberius said. “We need to harvest their brains to make a solution that actually tans the leather so we can use it.”
“The brains?”
“Yes,” Tiberius said, grimacing. “Disgusting, I know.”
They used Rafe’s rapier to cut off the triangular heads. The sword was long and narrow, a weapon built for finesse, not hacking and slashing, but it did the job in the end. They had to cut away tendons and muscles in order to pull the brains out of the flat skulls. The heads were big, easily the size of a war shield, but the brains were small, only slightly larger than a grown man’s fist.
By the time they finished, they were covered with blood and other congealing bodily fluids. Tiberius immediately stripped down, casting his own modesty aside and plunging himself into the cold water of the stream. He came up sputtering, but he stayed in the water, scrubbing every inch of his body with the smooth pebbles of the riverbed. Then he scrubbed his clothes. Rafe followed suit and Lexi brought them both blankets to warm up in. She had gathered more dung and built up the fire.
“So,” she asked them once they were standing as close to the fire as they could get without burning themselves, “do we stay here or push on. It’s past midday.”
“I’d like to stay,” Tiberius said. “But we at least need to move away from the carcasses of the Graypees.”
There were carrion birds circling overhead and a few of the most desperate were already feasting on the dead Graypees.
“I want to move on,” Rafe said. “I want to get to Sparlan Citadel as soon as possible.”
“You think it’s okay for Olyva to travel?” Lexi asked.
They all looked over to where Olyva still stood with her feet in the water and her arms reaching up toward the sky.
“She hasn’t moved all day,” Lexi said.
“She can travel,” Rafe grumbled. “She isn’t a tree yet, no matter how she acts.”
“She could be dangerous,” Lexi said. “If those killer trees turned her into one of them, won’t she try to make us trees too and start a new grove?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Tiberius said.
“No!” Rafe said. “Because she’s not turning into a tree.”
“I’m not suggesting we leave her behind or anything,” Lexi said stiffly. “But we should be careful around her, especially at night.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Rafe said. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m the one who brought the horses and saved your stupid life,” Lexi said.
“Don’t start fighting,” Tiberius said tiredly. “Let’s cross the river, find a place to camp for the night, and get some rest. We’re all exhausted.”
“I’ll get the horses,” Lexi said.
It took a little while to get all of their things gathered back up, including saddling the horses. Rafe and Tiberius had to put damp clothes on, but they were clean. They stayed busy so that they didn’t get cold. Rafe spoke to Olyva, who left the stream, pulled on Rafe’s spare boots and helped around camp, but she wouldn’t eat.
Tiberius returned to the Graypees and cut a large hunk of meat from one of the rear legs. He then cut the meat into thin strips and cooked them over the fire until they were very well done.
The meat had a strange taste, but it was a change from their camp rations and everyone except Olyva ate the meat gladly as they rode across the river and out over the plain beyond. The river ran east and west, but Sparlan Citadel was far to the north, so they left the river and rode north. The horses didn’t like the Graypee hides, but they eventually got used to the smell.
When it was an hour before dark, they stopped and made camp. It was obvious as they rode across the plain that som
e kind of large animal herds had passed that way in the not too distant past. The round dung patties littered the ground; they had only to stop and gather up as many as they wanted to surround their camp.
Tiberius made sure that a ring of the dried dung patties were arranged around their sleeping area, including where they hobbled the horses. He also set up piles of the combustable dung in all four directions around the camp. When the sun set, they lit the piles so that whoever was standing watch could actually see around the camp. It wasn’t a perfect setup, but it was better than the previous night’s.
As the sun set, Tiberius looked back toward Avondale. The huge mountain seemed twice the size of the other mountains around it. The summit was lost in the layer of mist that blanketed the blighted lands. And in front of the mountain, the blackened remains of the grove of trees Tiberius had set on fire still smoldered. Dark smoke wafted up into the pink sky, even though the fire had been set two days before.
As soon as the sun set, Olyva curled up and went to sleep.
“Not that I would trust her to stand watch,” Lexi said, “but shouldn’t she at least have offered?”
Tiberius nodded. “She’s changed.”
“Don’t talk about her,” Rafe said. “She can’t help what’s happened to her.”
“Lexi, you and Rafe get some sleep. I’ll wake Rafe when I’m too tired to stand watch anymore.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s your turn to get some rest.”
“Okay,” she said, kissing his check and then curling up on their blanket with his cloak wrapped around her.
“She’s been a big help,” Rafe said once he and Tiberius had lit the four fires around the camp.
“Don’t be sarcastic,” Tiberius said.
“No,” Rafe replied. “I’m not. She’s been great. I’m sorry if I’ve been hard on her, or you for that matter. I just can’t believe how things have turned out.”
“Me either,” Tiberius said. “Nothing about any of this is what I expected.”
“I’d be dead right now if it weren’t for you,” Rafe said. “I wouldn’t have made it past the trees.”
“Yeah, well, the Graypees would have eaten me,” Tiberius said.
“We make a good team, don’t we?”
“We always have,” Tiberius said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Rafe said. “No matter what happens. I’m honored that you stood by me.”
“You would have done the same for me,” Tiberius replied.
Rafe did one last check on the horses, then lay down by the fire. Tiberius was sad that he didn’t lay down with Lady Olyva, but they had agreed that it was better not to. Olyva didn’t seem to like the fire; she stayed far away from it as they prepared their evening meal. Rafe had tried to convince her to eat, but she refused, and when the sun went down, she moved even further from the fire and went to sleep right on the mossy grass.
Tiberius walked the circuit of the camp, peering out into the darkness and listening for any sound of danger. The night was quiet, and there was nothing to see beyond the light of the fires. Hours passed and Tiberius was exhausted. He was forcing himself to wait as long as possible before he woke Rafe. His friend needed to sleep as much as Tiberius did. Ti’s arms and shoulders were sore from wielding his whip so long when they were fending off the Graypees. He’d just decided to go and wake Rafe when dozens of men came sprinting toward the camp.
“Rafe!” Tiberius shouted.
“What?” his friend replied, but Tiberius was too busy to answer.
The men that invaded brandished clubs. Two ran straight for Tiberius. The first raised his club, but Ti jumped out of the invader’s path. He reached for the small, leather strap that held his whip in place, but in his panic his fingers couldn’t grasp the thong. He had to drop to the ground to avoid the second invader’s attack. Tiberius rolled to his knees and started to get back up when he saw Rafe struck down by one of the invaders. Two more pounced on Lexi, holding her down as she struggled and cried out.
Tiberius was wracking his brain for a spell that would save them, but then a thick wooden club hit the back of his head and Tiberius was knocked unconscious.
Chapter 33
Tiberius
When he finally woke up, the sky was bright overhead. Unlike the brilliant blue sky he’d known growing up in Avondale, the sky in the blighted lands was the thick layer of mist. The sun seemed to make the entire cloud bank glow, so that the sky was a bright amber color and shadows were practically non-existent.
His hands and feet were tied, and his head ached from being hit with the wooden club, but he didn’t feel as if any permanent damage had been done. The wood of the club must have been soft and Tiberius wondered where it had come from. He sat up slowly and looked around. Lexi glanced at him with a worried expression. Olyva sat with her face upturned toward the sky, a look of rapture on her features. Rafe was busy trying to escape his bonds. Tiberius could still see the ring of dung patties he’d made in case they needed to fend off wild animals. He hadn’t thought of lighting it when the invaders came sprinting into their camp. Not that it would have stopped them, but he felt foolish for not even trying.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“We were captured,” said Rafe angrily.
“What do they want?” Tiberius asked.
“Who knows?” Rafe said. “Maybe they want to eat us. They’re savages, just look at them.”
Tiberius could see that most of the invaders were lounging around on the soft grass; many were asleep. They were all bare-chested men, with strange designs painted on their bodies with some kind of white powdered ocher. Their heads were shaved, and they wore breeches that looked like they had been woven from some type of long bladed plant. None wore boots or shoes; their feet were bare. They had weapons, mostly flint bladed knives, but there were a few spears as well and some had swords.
“Have they said anything to us?” Tiberius said.
“Not yet,” Lexi said. “I think they’re waiting for someone.”
“Yeah,” Rafe agreed. “This was just the raiding party, the rest of them will be along eventually.”
“I don’t guess they cooked breakfast,” he said.
“No,” Rafe said. “But they ate all our rations.”
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what they want,” Tiberius said.
He laid back, resting tense muscles and raising his hands over his head to form a makeshift pillow. Lexi scooted over next to him.
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
“Fine, they didn’t hurt me any more than they had to. I didn’t get hit on the head like you and Rafe.”
“Did they do anything else while we were unconscious?”
“No,” she said. “They explored the camp. They tied us all up and left us a short way from the fire, then they laid down for the rest of the night. They’ve just been lounging all morning.”
“Not what I expected,” Tiberius said. “I thought they would kill us for sure.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re wrong.”
“Have you heard them talking?”
“A little. I can understand them, but they have a strange accent.”
Tiberius wondered who the people could be. He’d known that a majority of the people who once occupied the realm of Valana had been caught in the cataclysm. He’d expected that at least some had managed to survive, but the fact that none ever climbed the mountain or tried to get into one of the cities high above the misty barrier had made it seem as if none had survived. Now he knew his first instinct was right. There were survivors, and while they had taken Tiberius and his friends hostage, they didn’t seem like bloodthirsty killers.
It was almost midday before the rest of the tribe arrived. The invaders forced Tiberius and his friends onto their feet. Tiberius could see a long line of women and children coaxing some of the animals he’d seen when they’d first come down the mountain. The bo
vine animals were loaded with supplies, and some were even marked with white paint, just like the men who’d captured Tiberius’ party.
There was also a large wagon being pulled by what looked like draft horses. The wagon was driven by a huge barrel-chested man, and in the back was a man with huge spikes rising out of his back. He had a golden headdress that rose up and back, angling to a narrow point. A wispy beard grew from his chin and was twisted together so that it also ended in a narrow point. He held a strange staff made from two twisted sticks and covered with animal talismans. There were feathers and skulls hanging from the short staff, and Tiberius guessed it was his mantel of leadership among the tribe. Ti had hoped that the people who had taken them hostage would help them, not hurt them, but the man in the wagon had a cruel look on his face as he glared down at them.
“Walk,” said one of the invaders who had hustled Tiberius and his friends to their feet.
Their feet were cut free, and they moved toward the wagon where the Chieftain waited. When they were close enough, the invaders used their clubs, hitting Tiberius and Rafe behind the knees and forcing them to kneel. Lexi and Olyva quickly knelt as well.
“You have come down from the mountain, yes?” the Chieftain asked.
“Yes,” Tiberius said. “We have come down from Avondale.”
“Criminals,” the man said. “Your kind no longer wants you.”
“We are not criminals,” Tiberius said. “We left Avondale because of personal differences.”
“No one comes down the mountain unless they have to,” said the Chieftain. “This is my kingdom. You have no rights here.”
“We meant no disrespect,” Tiberius said.
“You have slain our creatures,” said the Chieftain, holding up the Graypee skins. “You have burned our ancestors. Your kind knows nothing of this place. You steal and destroy, scaring all you touch, with no regard for those whose lives depend on this land.”
“Please forgive us,” Tiberius said. “We were just trying to survive.”
The Chieftain nodded as if he understood.
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