It was midday by the time Mistral had finished tending to the twins’ wounds. Fabian had helped her move the Wolverine’s heavy body off Phantasm and then retreated, lingering a short distance away holding both Cirrus and his own horse, his eyes constantly scanning the treeline for any signs of the wolverines returning.
Phantom had lost a lot of blood and was weak but Mistral had quickly cleaned and stitched his wound, minimising the damage done. Phantasm was bruised but otherwise unhurt. Both their horses had deep bites on their haunches and shoulders.
‘These need the Equus,’ muttered Mistral as she tentatively examined the wounds. ‘I can clean them but I don’t have enough silk to stitch them.’
The twins were uncharacteristically subdued. Mistral had seen them injured before and knew that it took more than wounds to silence them. She finished cleaning the last bite on Jupiter’s shoulder and turned to face them both. They were stood, side by side, looking at her with tense expressions on their faces.
‘Do you know, I could get used to you with mismatched wounds. At least I can tell you apart now,’ she joked.
The twins didn’t return her smile. Phantasm sighed heavily and looked suddenly defeated.
‘You know we can’t continue with the Contract, don’t you Mistral?’
‘Of course you can’t! I’m not nursing you for the rest of the journey!’ Mistral said in a light tone and began packing away her medical kit into its canvas pouch to avoid his gaze; she knew what he was about to say.
‘We can’t let you go on your own Mistral. I’m sorry, but it looks like we’ve failed … just as Master Sphinx knew we would.’
Mistral kept her gaze averted and finished rolling up the canvas pouch then tied it securely before she replied.
‘The ford’s less than half a day’s ride from here. With any luck I’ll be back in the Valley before you two manage to drag yourselves to the Infirmary,’ she said briskly.
‘No Mistral! Didn’t you hear me? I just said you can’t go on your own! It was an unachievable Contract with the three of us … but it’s nothing short of a suicide mission if you go on your own! What if the wolverines attack again?’
‘I can handle them,’ Mistral said and shrugged lightly.
‘Mistral! Don’t be so infuriating! They nearly killed you just now, or have you forgotten that already?’
Mistral stood up and fixed him with a hard look, ‘I made a mistake. I’ve learned how they hunt now and next time, if there is a next time that is – I’ll be prepared. Now, if you think that I’m riding back to the Valley and giving Leo the pleasure of failing the Contract while there’s still breath in my body then you don’t know me at all Phantasm!’
There was a tense silence while they locked gazes.
‘Fine!’ Phantasm snapped. ‘I realise that I can’t force you to come back with us but I think you’re seriously deluding yourself about this! Think about it Mistral! Just how are you going to get Mage Grapple to even consider speaking with you? What do you think the warlocks that exist to solely to protect him will do when they see a lone Ri apprentice riding up to him? They’ll kill you before you even get close enough to shout a greeting!’
‘You’re wasting your breath Phantasm.’ Mistral turned away from him to check her swords and slide them back into their holder. ‘I would rather die at the hands of the warlocks than admit defeat to Leo.’
‘That’s exactly what I’m worried will happen!’ Phantasm exploded.
‘Just go Phantasm. There’s absolutely nothing you can say that’ll make me change my mind.’ Mistral responded tersely.
He glared at her for a moment longer then abruptly sighed, ‘Please promise me that you’ll at least try and curb your more reckless side.’
Mistral smiled at him, ‘I’ll try,’ she promised.
‘And if by some miracle you do get to meet with him, don’t shout at Mage Grapple! He won’t take it well.’
‘I’ll be on my best behaviour … no swearing or anything,’ Mistral laughed.
She spent a few minutes helping them prepare to leave being careful to make sure they had enough provisions for the journey home. Both horses were sound enough to ride, but only at a slow pace; hunting would be out of the question. Mistral watched Phantasm help his brother mount up before pulling himself awkwardly onto Jupiter’s back. Satisfied that they were both securely in the saddle and as comfortable as they could be, given their injuries, Mistral turned to go.
‘See you in a couple of days,’ she called over her shoulder and walked quickly away before Phantasm could change his mind about letting her go.
Mistral strode towards where Fabian was waiting with the two horses and frowned at the thought of the unpleasant task she now had to perform. If Fabian hadn’t shown up then she and the twins would have been killed. Mistral groaned with displeasure. She was going to have to thank him.
Reaching out wordlessly to take the reins from his hand, Mistral grasped the front of Cirrus’ saddle and swung herself lightly up. She gritted her teeth and turned to speak to him but was surprised to see that he was no longer standing on the ground but was mounted on his own horse beside her.
Mistral looked at him coldly, all thoughts of gratitude wiped from her mind, ‘I hope this doesn’t mean that you think you’re coming with me!’ she said in an icy voice.
He nodded grimly and abruptly kicked his horse into a fast canter across the clearing.
Mistral stared in open-mouthed astonishment at his back before angrily urging Cirrus after him. Shaking her head in disbelief at his audacity she immediately resolved to leave him for dust at the earliest opportunity; his horse was swift, but Cirrus had more stamina.
Mistral soon caught him up and matched his horse’s pace, cantering alongside him, deliberately not looking at him or making any attempt at conversation. After a few minutes of silence she decided that riding with him for some of the journey would be a good idea ... he might prove useful to have around if the wolverines attacked again ... but she would definitely try and lose him once they were clear of the forests.
They quickly crossed the large clearing and slowed to a walk when they reached the treeline. The forests were less dense here, the trees narrower and more widely spaced, allowing enough room for them to ride side by side but still remain a comfortable distance apart. Mistral kept up her stony-faced silence, staring steadfastly straight ahead. Fabian didn’t seem at all bothered by her cold manner and rode in matching silence, seemingly preoccupied by his own thoughts. With nothing to feed it, Mistral’s irritation with him gradually faded leaving her even more intrigued than ever by the dark and brooding Mage. She stole occasional glances at his face out of the corner of her eye. He looked unusually calm, almost peaceful and once or twice she could have sworn that she saw the corners of his mouth lift in a smile as if he’d caught her looking at him.
An unusual feeling of tranquillity stole over Mistral while she rode beside the silent Mage. It was pleasant to be able to hear the gentle sounds of the forests and the rhythmical thud of hooves on the earthy floor without the distraction of the twins’ ceaseless chatter. She waved a hand lazily to dispel a cloud of small black insects basking in a shaft of warm autumn sunlight. The trail they were following was faint but easy enough and Mistral gave Cirrus his head. He seemed content to pick his way over tree roots and fallen branches without her direction, leaving her free to idly watch patches of bright gold sunlight dappling the horses’ sweating flanks. She closed her eyes, savouring the scents of dry earth and wood. The sound of Fabian’s mare swishing her tail irritably disturbed her. She pulled Cirrus away when the mare kicked out at the insects that repeatedly bothered her. Fabian controlled her easily with one hand; the other remained on the hilt of his sword.
‘Hush Spirit,’ he murmured soothingly when she snorted and shied from another cloud of insects.
Mistral looked over at him. It was the first time he had spoken since they had left the twins. His voice had a softness to it that was far from w
eak, it was strong but low with a curious gruff quality, like velvet.
‘Spirit?’ she echoed the name questioningly.
‘Esprit de Coeur; Spirit of my Heart.’
‘The Equus in his French phase,’ Mistral said dryly.
A ghost of a smile crossed Fabian’s face, ‘It was one of his less successful phases. Most of the warriors couldn’t pronounce the names so there was a whole generation of Ri horses nicknamed “Froggy”.’
Mistral laughed and was surprised to hear Fabian joining in.
They trekked on through the forests for the best part of an hour, never managing more than a walk. The day grew warmer and Mistral was glad of the cooling shade the trees provided. The trail suddenly led them out of the treeline and into an unnaturally large clearing. The trees had been felled and a huge pile of logged trees was stacked up on the far side next to where the trail continued. Some of the heavier logs had fallen from the pile and rolled across the trail, blocking their route.
Fabian reined in his mare and gazed cautiously across the empty space, ‘There must be a village near hear,’ he muttered.
Mistral didn’t look at him; she was eying the pile of logs with a dangerous glint in her eye. On a sudden impulse she dug her heels into Cirrus’ side and the powerful horse immediately lunged forward. She heard Fabian swear as his horse reared and tried to follow and smiled to herself.
Time to lose you Mage!
Mistral felt the familiar wild exhilaration as Cirrus thundered towards the fallen logs. When she drew nearer she realised that the pile was wider than she’d first thought. Gauging the distance between her and the logs Mistral shifted her weight forward in the saddle, checking Cirrus with a light pull on the reins she squeezed her legs against him, signalling for him to take off. He responded instantly; the muscles in his haunches bunching and his forelegs curling up to launch into the air. Mistral felt her heart soar. She glanced down at the endless logs passing beneath them and gave a wild laugh. Cirrus’ front hooves touched the ground on the other side and a hollow double thud followed as his back hooves clipped the last log.
Mistral grinned to herself and slowed him to a canter, not stopping to wait for Fabian. She was certain there was no way his slighter built mare could clear that. He’d have to find another way around and Mistral intended to be long gone before then.
A dull wooden clunk made her look over her shoulder in surprise. Fabian’s mare had struck the same log on landing and was now cantering towards them, snorting and tossing her head excitedly.
Mistral couldn’t believe it. She hardly dared looked at Fabian, expecting him to be furious with her for being so reckless. She bit her lip and risked a wary glance at his face when he caught up with her and stared. His face was blazing with wild elation, his black eyes dancing with laughter. Mistral couldn’t help but grin in response. She knew exactly what he was feeling. He caught her expression and a smile lifted one corner of his mouth, melting the hard expression he usually wore. She laughed and slowed Cirrus so that they were cantering together along the trail.
‘Some warning would be good, next time.’
Next time ...
Mistral didn’t reply, she was too busy wondering why those words should make her feel strangely pleased.
They spoke little, riding together in easy silence for a couple of hours. Gradually the trees began to thin giving way to scatterings of tall pines, patches of low growing scrub and sloping rocks. They would soon be heading down towards the banks of the River Amber.
‘Let’s stop here and rest the horses before we reach the ford. We might have to ride hard to catch up with Eximius.’ Fabian reined in and leapt down lightly, leading his horse over to some scrubby grass to graze.
Irked by his assumption that he was in charge, Mistral glowered at him and seriously considered riding on. She was still mounted, scowling undecidedly, by the time he had unpacked a small meal of bread and dried meat from his saddlebag.
‘Would you care to have dinner with me?’ he asked with a mocking smile, proffering the food in her direction.
‘No thanks,’ she retorted and quickly dismounted. Looping Cirrus’ reins over the pommel of her saddle to let him forage. She may not want a rest, but Cirrus deserved one.
Fabian shrugged dismissively and sat down at the base of a large spruce. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the trunk, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
Mistral shot him a glare as she took a long drink from her waterskin. She had given all of her provisions to the injured twins, knowing that they would be unable to hunt. Her stomach growled loudly.
Fabian sighed but did not open his eyes, ‘Please eat something,’ he murmured. ‘I promise I haven’t poisoned it.’
‘I’m not hungry,’ she replied shortly. Her stomach rumbled emptily again.
Fabian’s eyes flew open, fixing her with a black stare, ‘Don’t be so stubborn. Eat something or you won’t have the strength for the rest of the journey.’
Mistral’s first instinct was to refuse. She hated being ordered to do anything, but she could see reason in his words. She hadn’t eaten since the previous evening and didn’t know when she might get the chance to eat again.
She stomped ungracefully over and threw herself down a short distance away from him.
‘Here,’ he said, offering her a strip of dried beef and a hunk of rye bread. He studied her face for a moment as she took the food, watching her tear off a piece of bread and begin to eat.
‘That’s better,’ he smiled and leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes once more. ‘I have had enough of the damsel in distress for one day. I don’t think I could cope with you fainting in the saddle as well.’
Mistral choked on her mouthful of food. Of all the smug …
Fabian opened his eyes and grinned lazily at her. Mistral experienced the same odd swooping sensation from earlier and found herself, unusually, at a loss for a suitable retort. Shooting him another black look she concentrated on finishing the food as quickly as she could. The moment she had stuffed the last morsel into her mouth she leapt to her feet and stalked off to retrieve Cirrus. Ignoring Fabian, who appeared to have fallen asleep, Mistral mounted Cirrus and pulled him around to pick up the trail once again. She rode on alone, still seething at his arrogance and had only just begun to calm down when the sound of hoof beats behind her told her that he was catching her up.
‘Charming,’ he murmured, riding up alongside her and slowing his mare to match Cirrus’ pace. ‘Do you always walk out on your dinner guests?’ his face was set, his eyes fixed on the trail ahead, but his tone was light.
‘Only when they fall asleep on me,’ she snapped back.
He smiled, and his whole face changed, making him look younger, freer. She found herself glancing at him more often as they rode on again in the same relaxed silence as before. Before long the trail began to slope more steeply as it led them down towards the river, growing narrower and forcing the horses closer together. Fabian’s leg suddenly brushed against hers and her heart leapt at the contact, She yanked reflexively on the reins, pulling Cirrus behind his horse. Noticing her sudden reaction, Fabian gave her a peculiar look before murmuring an apology and urging his horse ahead.
Mistral was relieved that he’d taken the lead and couldn’t see her face anymore. She was disturbed by her reaction. In truth, she had avoided physical contact of any kind for most of her life, enduring only the briefest of hugs from her adoptive parents when it was absolutely unavoidable. Unless it was in a fight, Mistral rarely touched another person. She reasoned that this was probably why she had reacted so oddly – the unexpected contact had caught her off her guard.
They rode single file for the next hour, the trail dropping more steeply and then levelling out when they finally reached the banks of the River Amber where they halted to let the horses drink. Mistral dismounted and stood beside Fabian and gazed silently out over the wide stretch of water. Together they watched the afternoon sun spar
kling on the glassy surface of the river. A feeling of calm washed over her and she suddenly thought how pleasant it would be to remain there for the rest of the day.
‘The ford is less than a mile from here.’ Fabian’s voice dragged her out of her reverie. ‘The Port of Blackneath about two miles beyond that, our journey is nearly over.’
There was a note of satisfaction in his voice that made her wonder if he would be pleased to end their journey, as though travelling with her had been an irksome task he had been obligated to perform. Scowling angrily Mistral abruptly pulled Cirrus back from the water’s edge, mounted and rode on down the trail.
Fabian watched her go in surprise and gave his head a slight shake. He really had never met anyone quite as impetuous. One minute she was laughing and the next looking at him as though she desired nothing more than to run him through with one of her swords. He sighed and mounted up, cantering up behind her and overtaking to assume the lead again, smiling at how much that would irritate her.
They followed the trail as it wound alongside the sluggish river, the still air heavy with insects and floating cotton-white seed heads. The warmth of the sun combined with the long ride began to make Mistral feel sleepy, her irritation at Fabian faded and she found her mind wandering dreamily. She watched Fabian through half-closed eyes while he rode ahead of her, straight-backed and calm. Only the movement of the muscles in his shoulders betraying the effort it took to control his highly-strung mare. Sunlight cast a halo of golden light around his dark hair and glimmered against the marble white skin of his forearms. Studying him lazily, Mistral suddenly became conscious of an unfamiliar emotion sweeping through her. Alarmed by the irrepressible force of the sensation she was abruptly completely alert, struck by the strangest thought that something vital to her essence, her soul, had been irrevocably changed.
Mage Grapple
They rounded the bend in the river to a sight that made Mistral instantly forget her strange thoughts.
The ford lay before them; a rutted dirt track sloped down into the shallow section of river. The slow moving water was a frothing mass of brown water, churned up by the iron shod hooves of the army riding across.
The Assassin's Tale (Isle of Dreams) Page 30