by Travis Kerr
"I thought I saw the same thing," Grant answered. If he had noticed the change in Bane's voice he said nothing of it. "I don't believe that was a dragon at all. I've read that some mages can conjure shadows, spirit beings that take on the form of whatever the mage wants it to. The shadow creature will have the same appearance of whatever form the mage puts it into, though only a fraction of the actual power that original being possesses.”
It was just a shadow. So it wasn’t real?
“I wasn't aware that Bloodheart had the power to create shadow beings, but I shouldn't be surprised. That creature wouldn't have been as powerful as a true dragon, but it would still have been a formidable opponent. Thankfully it seems that we were beneath its notice. I'm not sure if we could have fooled a true dragon, and I'm sure a real one would have been more than we could handle. I not even sure that we could have handled the shadow version if it had decided to attack us."
The bags on the pack horse shuffled a little, and Trick peered his head out from beneath the bags. After a quick glance the dragonling decided that the dragon must have been gone. With a short chirp he flew back up into the trees, quickly disappearing from Bane's sight. He would be watching for any dangers from above, as Bane knew he had been, and would certainly warn them of any impending dangers, like the shadow dragon that had just passed them by.
"If that dragon was nothing more than a shadow, why was it colored so brilliantly?" Raine asked. "I don't know much about magically created creatures, but shouldn't it have been a black, smokey color, like a shadow?"
"Shadow creations are made to mimic an actual animal. The original dragon would have been red, it seems, so its shadow clone would look the same."
A sudden thought came to Bane. "Could it have been a shadow dragon that attacked and killed your father all those years ago? You said already that it would have taken several mages working together to summon a real dragon, or Sloan did anyway, but a shadow dragon would have been something that a single mage could have summoned, right?"
"Not a chance. Unlike some mages, my father's magic was just as powerful as many of the original great mages from ancient times. A simple shadow creation wouldn't have been dangerous to him. A real dragon, on the other hand, would have been an entirely different story. It’s possible, however, that this shadow was created from that very same dragon. I don't know for certain."
Bane decided to drop it for now. While he wasn't convinced that his companion was really as certain of his father's power as he claimed to be, he knew that talking about that time pained him greatly. His friend had been in a good mood for the most part, and he wanted Grant to stay that way. He enjoyed his friend's easy going manner, though he knew that, more often than not, it was little more than a facade. The assassin kept his true feelings well hidden most of the time.
Once the group had settled their horses they continued on. Now that they were farther from the cities the guards were fewer and farther between, and they didn't see a single patrol the rest of the day, nor did they see any further signs of the shadow dragon.
The same was true for three more days before Grant led them away from the road entirely, heading eastward. Within an hour, Bane found himself completely surrounded by swampland. Once more they were forced to lead the horses, who nickered nervously, not happy about walking so close to the murky water.
In places the water crossed over the narrow path they traveled entirely. Bane wouldn't have known there was a path at all if Grant hadn't led the way. The man must have known where he was going however, for though Bane often found himself walking through murky water, his feet never sank below a few inches.
Underneath the water was thick mud and muck, which clung to his boots and tried to hold him in place. Ignoring the mud entirely, his companion led them forward. Bane thought with each step that he would be pulled under by some unseen danger, or step into a space without a muddy bottom near the surface, but amazingly it never happened.
Mile after mile the group continued. As the sun began to fade in the west, Bane began to wonder where they would stop for the night.
Certainly Grant doesn't plan on continuing on in the dark, he thought, hoping he was right. He didn't think it could possibly be very safe for the horses, and a broken ankle now would surely be the death of one of the large animals.
As the light dimmed, Bane began to notice movement in the water on both sides of him. It could have been a fish, he definitely hoped it was. He knew, however, that it was just as likely that a large snake, or even an alligator, lurked just beneath the surface, ready to attack an unwary and unsuspecting traveler.
Just as Bane began to lose hope entirely, he once again felt firm soil beneath his feet, and the path that they were on opened into a small clearing of earth. It was not a high above the water line. Bane was certain that it would have been underwater completely if there had been any rain in recent days.
Their luck held, however, and the clearing was dry enough to make camp. Bane was very grateful for that. He was not certain he could have gone on much longer.
"We'll make camp here," Grant announced needlessly. Bane doubted there was a better location nearby. They were completely surrounded by murky, dank smelling swamp-water in every direction. If Grant hadn't known the way to lead the group along the hidden path they were on, and Bane was certain that the man did, they wouldn't possibly have been able to make it this far without being swallowed by the swamp completely.
If I were to disappear out here no one would ever find me, he thought with a shudder.
"We won't be able to make a fire tonight," their leader continued, as Trick flew down from above and wrapped his tail around Grant's neck, shifting slightly to make himself more comfortable on his master's shoulder. "It's not that we need to worry about someone coming across us here, though we should still set up a watch just in case that shadow dragon flies by this way. It's simply that we aren't likely to find enough dry wood to make a decent fire. Even if we could start a strong enough blaze to dry wood on, the wet wood we would have to burn beforehand would create enough smoke that it would be seen for miles. It's better not to give our pursuers any advantage in finding us."
Bane had to agree. He had no idea just how close anyone looking for them might possibly be, but knew it would be foolish for them to take unnecessary chances. Even if there was not any people close enough to see the smoke, that shadow dragon might still be about, and Bane had little doubt that it was searching for them. It would certainly take notice of a group traveling straight through the swamp itself, instead of keeping to the main roads.
No, we’re the only ones crazy enough to do that.
They quickly unburdened the horses of their saddles and packs, leaving them untethered to wander the camp. There were trees they could have attached the ropes to, but Grant was certain that they would not wander into the deep water. The only possible danger to the animals here was from only the largest of alligators or, this far south, perhaps a rare crocodile. He was knew, however, that if any animal large enough to harm one of the horses was near, Trick would waste no time at all in warning them of it.
Bane expected Raine to bring out her fishing equipment as soon as the group was settled for the evening. They were completely surrounded by water after all. Surely she would find fish in these waters, perhaps even another gar fish like before. He recalled how happy she had been when she caught the last one, and knew they were her favorite.
Raine knew, however, that they would have no way to cook such a treat here, and that catching one would only be a waste. As much as she liked to eat them, she was not an animal. She was not about to eat meat that was not properly cooked. Instead, she sated her hunger on a few thick pieces of the jerky they had bought at the market.
Trick, on the other hand, had no such scruples. Flying off of Grant's shoulder, he flew up several yards and began several slow, spiraling loops over the water surrounding their campsite. Finally spotting something that fit his tastes, he folded his wings behind him and d
ropped like a stone into the water, re-emerging a moment later with a small fish impaled on his sharp claws.
Unlike Raine, he doesn’t seem to care if his fish is raw, Bane thought with amusement.
Bane wasn't actually certain whether the dragonling liked fish more than jerky or not. He seemed quite happy eating meat in nearly any form, as far as the sorvinian could tell. Unlike Raine, their small friend couldn't ask for something in particular. More likely the dragonling had moods that changed from moment to moment, and ate whatever he happened to feel like eating at that time, just like the rest of them. It certainly didn't act like any normal animal, that would eat whatever was put in front of it as soon as the food was given.
Bane had hoped to find something he could eat from the plants around him, but couldn't see anything he knew to be edible nearby. Thick grasses carpeted the areas along the outside edge of the swamps that surrounded them. The only trees nearby that he could see were mainly thick cypress, though he also spotted several mangroves intermingled with them, their gnarled roots often sticking several inches out of the water beneath the twisted trunks. If any part of those plants and trees were edible, he was not aware of it.
In the end, he had to draw on their supplies once more. While they had plenty for now, he knew that Grant had planned on those supplies lasting them through much of the winter. As such he ate sparingly, though he was very hungry after trudging through the muck all day.
The clearing they sat in was bare of anything to use as a seat. Bane briefly considered trying to pull a log out of the water, he saw one likely suspect nearby, but discarded the thought. The wood would have been so sodden that it would undoubtedly have ruined his already soiled clothing, and the wet wood wouldn't have been very comfortable anyway.
Bane once again took the first watch. Without a word he piled a couple of the packs on the ground to rest his back on. As long as the water level didn't rise the packs and their contents would stay dry at least, and for the most part he was still dry as well. The water they had walked through had not crested the top of his knee-high boots, though he had been splashed a few times as he walked through it. The ground he stood on, and would be sleeping on, was damp, but it wasn’t completely soaked.
Grant fell asleep immediately. Bane wasn't even certain that the man had bothered eating anything that night. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't been paying very close attention. Trick finished his small meal with a disturbing crunch, which Bane had no intentions of trying to identify. He looked back again over the water, as if considering whether to go in for more or not.
The last of the light had already fading into darkness, so how the creature could see into the depths Bane couldn't understand. Perhaps it couldn't, or perhaps it just decided it didn't need another morsel. Instead of going back to the water, Trick waddled over to Grant and curled up behind the man's knees. Grant slept on, oblivious.
"The sooner we reach the Hut, the better," Raine commented grumpily, walking over to sit down next to him. "I hate walking through water like this. At least my boots aren't soaking up the liquid."
"I thought you've been to this place before. Didn't you expect this when we started out?"
"Of course I did. It doesn't mean I like it any more than I did the last time. Still, this place would be impossible to get to for anyone who doesn't already know the path. This trail is invisible to anyone trying to follow."
"How did Raiste find it?" he asked.
No one will be able to overhear us here. It should be safe enough to use the man's real name now.
Raine shrugged. "Beats me. This is the same way we took the last time he brought me here. As far as I know, it's the only way in or out. I don't really know what he plans on doing with the horses once we get there. There's enough dry land for them, but most of it is covered with either thick swamp forest or tall grasses that come up nearly as high as my head. I don’t remember offhand if there’s any grains nearby, but if there are I would think that the two of you would want to save them for yourselves. There certainly can’t be enough to winter four horses. On the up side, no one will be able to find us there. We'll be completely hidden away. Well, we might still have to watch out for that dragon. We didn't have to worry about anything like that the last time we were out there."
"How many times have you been here before now?"
"This is only my second time actually. The first time was about three years ago. We weren't running from anything then. He uses this place to store extra supplies and such, and I think as kind of a home base to go to when things got a little too hot elsewhere. He has dozens of different sets of clothing, a few extra weapons, and even had extra food stored away in jars out there, though I doubt that any of that is still edible. If not we can always empty and reuse the jars. There are a few places nearby where we can gather food you can eat this winter. We’ll have to do it soon, since we won't have much time before the citrus fruits won't be good to eat anymore."
With any luck, I’ll have time to gather enough fruits and vegetables before it starts to get too cold, he thought.
Raine had bought enough food to last them for a good portion of the winter, but since Raiste had wanted to use regular leather packs she had been limited by the amount that they could carry. Raiste had already mentioned that they would be able to hunt and fish for food, but that would not help Bane, who was a strict vegetarian.
He considered that for a moment. While it was true that sorvinians were, as a rule, all vegetarian, his mother had been human. She disdained from meat by choice.
Perhaps, if I had no other alternative, I could try eating meat, he thought.
The very thought disgusted him. Still, if given the choice of eating meat or starvation, he might at least try it. He knew that nothing short of the threat of starving to death would get him to do so, but it was still something to think about.
“Wake me for my shift when those stars there are directly overhead,” she told him, pointing to one of the constellations she had been trying to teach him. He couldn’t for the life of him remember the name of the constellation, but the pattern was easy enough to recognize.
That said, Raine left him with his thoughts and turned in. He settled in for a long night. Occasionally he would see a flash of light from a lightning bug signaling silently to its fellows, or he would hear the splash of a fish or some other creature hunting in the water around him, but otherwise nothing at all caught his interest. When it was finally time to wake Raine for her turn watching over them, he was grateful. The night had been so uneventful it was a wonder he hadn't fallen asleep.
At first she was difficult to wake. He had to quickly dance out of the way as she sent a hard kick in his direction. Luckily, her aim was affected by her groggy state, and her attack went wide.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. As she opened her eyes to glare at him he pointed at the sky. “You did say to wake you when those stars there were directly overhead,” he reminded her.
“You’re fine. It’s me that should apologize. I’m sometimes a little disoriented when I first wake up. I’ve got it from here. Go ahead and get some sleep.”
He lay his head on one of the softer packs. He couldn't tell in the darkness if it was his own or if the pack belonged to one of his companions. He believed that his friends wouldn't begrudge him what little comfort he could find in such a place, so he wasn't concerned. Laying directly on his back, he lay his head on his makeshift pillow. Within only a few seconds he slipped easily into sleep.
Chapter Twelve
The next day was more of the same, endlessly plodding through the water along a narrow path Bane could not even see. If it hadn't been for Raiste leading the way with his strong, self-assured gait he would have wandered off the thin bridge of land in seconds, and would surely have been lost in the depths of the warm swamp water.
Raiste never seemed to question his direction, as if every tree and vine they passed were old, familiar friends, just waiting for him to come along an
d say hello. Bane wondered if that was perhaps Raiste's magical talent, finding his way. Certainly the man was very tight lipped when it came to his magic.
Even Raine admitted that she did not know what power he might possess. He was the son of one of the great mages, and a powerful one if his tale was to be believed. However, Raiste had also said that there were times that powerful mages had children with little or no magical talent of their own. Perhaps he was one of those untalented offspring.
Thankfully, the path was not always underwater. At times the trail would lead them onto solid ground, and for a while they would push through thick growth where there didn't seem to be any sort of a path at all. At one point they walked through what appeared to be an entire orchard of orange trees. The growth of weeds and grasses around them proved that they hadn't been tended in a long time.
The fruit was already beginning to turn. Several of the overripe oranges had already fallen to the ground of their own volition. Bane did his best to take advantage of whatever was still viable without slowing them down.
Raiste seemed to have no intention of stopping, Much to Bane’s dismay. It was obvious that with the amount of oranges that were still on the several dozen trees around them they could have supplied themselves for the entire winter, as long as they found a way to safely keep the fruit from spoiling anyway.
As much as I don’t want to live on oranges all winter, at least I wouldn’t starve, he thought.
Raine had mentioned that Raiste kept jars, some empty and some likely still holding spoiled fruit from previous years, that they could use to store the access oranges. By filling them completely and boiling them for only a few moments in water they could keep the food away from the air, allowing them to easily store it for a longer period of time without spoilage.
As it turned out Bane's earlier assessment hadn't been correct, and Raiste called for a short rest in the grove, where they could relax in some comfort on the dry ground of the orchard. They had already been walking for several hours by that point anyway, so stopping for a brief rest and a quick bite seemed like a prudent idea. For a moment Bane even thought that the man would stop there for the night, but he obviously had other thoughts in mind.