“I guess,” Mykal said. “If I used a lot of magic, powerful magic, she’d locate me easy. If I just used a little, the . . . ripples wouldn’t be as strong?”
“Exactly. We need to travel to the Cicade Forest. Somewhere inside the woodland is a mirror. The object is the only way I can contact Pendora. We are going to need her help battling Ida. Stopping King Cordillera won’t be easy. He has been preparing for war for some time. We need more power, more magic. We need the other wizards,” Galatia said.
“You can find this mirror?” Blodwyn said. “And then you can use it to summon Pendora, and the two other wizards from hundreds of years ago?”
“That’s right,” Galatia said.
“And Mykal is a wizard, but he’s safe; safe because he’s not used magic. So if he Ida can’t find him, why do you need him?”
“Mykal was safe. Was. Like I said, up until a few days ago, he’d not used magic.”
Mykal shook his head. “Wait a minute. What do you mean, was? I haven’t used any magic. I don’t even know how magic works.”
“When you were thrashing for your life in the sea, you unintentionally conjured magic. It was undirected, and wild. It saved your life. How do you think you managed to get away from the sea serpents? The second you did, I knew where you were. It’s why I showed up when I did. I was on my way to the forest,” she said, and then looked directly at Blodwyn, “on my own. Confident that Mykal’s whereabouts were unknown. With that action he revealed his location and changed everything.”
“Ida will know where I am?”
Grandfather groaned.
“Correction. Ida already knows where you are.”
Mykal said. “And she will be coming for me.”
“She will. She’ll be coming for you. With King Cordillera and his men. They could be on their way as we speak. It won’t be much different from Nabal’s Watch. Only when they catch you, when they catch me, they won’t kill us. Any of us. We’ll be captured instead. Captured and returned to the Osiris Realm as prisoners. It’s why I’ve wanted us to leave. It’s why I’ve been stressing the importance of us getting out of here.”
***
“I need your counsel, Wyn. I’m torn about what I should do.” Mykal and Blodwyn walked toward the barn. They would saddle horses, and pack supplies. “I mean, here we are getting things ready for this journey across the Old Empire, and I’m not even sure it is the right thing to do.”
“Galatia is telling the truth. I think the Mountain King is a dangerous man. Living forever in a castle amongst the clouds, I’m not sure anyone could hold onto sanity for long. Ultimately, however, the choice is yours.”
“And you think I’m a wizard?”
“Your mother was.”
“That’s not an answer, Wyn.”
“I don’t have a better answer than that. Not until I see you do something magical.” He shrugged, looking down at his feet while he walked. His boots squished in the wet grass. His staff poked holes in the soft dirt. “You want to know if you should go with Galatia?”
Mykal nodded.
“You should. You won’t be alone.”
“I know. Karyn said she’s not leaving my side. I can’t talk her out of it.”
“Might not be bad company. A wizard, a seer, and me.”
“And you?”
“I promised Anna I would keep you under my wing. I can’t rightly let you go gallivanting across the Old Empire and expect to protect you unless I’m there. Besides, this isn’t just about you. I know it may seem that way. If the Mountain King starts a war, it affects everyone. If we could have done something to prevent countless deaths, then I personally feel obligated to at least try.”
“I can’t ask you to come along, Wyn.”
“Are you listening to me when I speak” Blodwyn stopped walking. He stood tall, one hand on his hip. “You haven’t. Let me get the horses ready. You run off to your tree and get your sword, and dagger. You’ll need to bring your bow and arrows as well.”
“You know about the tree?”
Blodwyn arched an eyebrow. “I know many things. I’ll let you in on a secret though. Everyone knows about your tree.”
“Even my Grandfather?”
“Who do you think it is that told me about it? He wanted me to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself.”
“I just didn’t want Grandfather worrying. The sword you gave me is not something most farmers own. I just wanted to keep it . . . safe.”
Blodwyn winked. “Now, go, and hurry back.”
Mykal retrieved his weapons and made it back in time to help Wyn finish saddling the last two horses. They draped blankets over the backs before tightening saddle straps around the horses’ bellies. The bridle and bit were secured over their heads, and reins draped over the saddle horns. “I’ll get grandfather’s horse from the stall.”
“Mykal,” Blodwyn said.
Mykal stopped, turned. “What?”
Blodwyn didn’t say a word. His meaning clear in his facial expression; lips pursed and brow furrowed.
“I can’t leave him. He’s my grandfather. He can’t take care of himself. He needs me!”
“He is not going to be able to travel with us. When’s the last time you saw him on his horse.”
Grandfather couldn’t ride. Missing the leg made staying in the saddle almost impossible. Mykal remembered a time when he’d tried. They’d brought the horse to the porch, and helped him up. He would have fallen to the ground if Blodwyn hadn’t caught him.
“We’re going into the Cicade forest. You know as well as I who lives among those trees. It’s going to be dangerous. Even if your grandfather could ride we may have to leave the horses . . .”
There was no way Grandfather could go with them. Resolved, and deflated, Mykal shook his head. “Then I can’t go. I can’t leave him.”
“If Galatia has been honest, then your life is in danger.”
“I’m not worried about my life. If the evil wizard thinks I am here, and King Cordillera’s men come looking for me, who will they find? Not me. Because I’m not here. They’ll find my grandfather.”
Blodwyn set a hand on Mykal’s shoulder, as loving a gesture as any father might make to comfort a troubled son. “If you stay, and the king’s men capture you, he’ll still be alone assuming they don’t harm or capture him as well. This way there’s a chance you can stop the king before harm befalls him.”
“Galatia said they won’t kill any of us. That means Grandfather, too. If I’m not here and King Cordillera shows up, he’ll take my grandfather prisoner. The king will use my grandfather against me. He’ll be able to control everything I do just by threatening to hurt my family. That’s what she meant in the kitchen.” Mykal said.
“We’ll take your grandfather to my place. He’ll be safe there. No one knows where I live, except you.”
Mykal shook his head. “He won’t go, Wyn.”
“He’ll have to,” he said.
Mykal waved his arm around. “He won’t leave, not when someone has to take care of the farm and the animals. It won’t be possible for him to do so alone. Not only that, but he won’t admit that he can’t do it.”
Blodwyn held up a hand. “I have friends. On the way, we’ll stop off. I’ll have a few extra hands come by. They’ll help out with chores. They won’t ask permission. And they won’t let the old man shoo them off the property. When they understand the situation, they’ll agree to camp close by and keep an eye on the place, and your grandfather as well. At the first sign of trouble, they’ll get him out of here.”
“You really think they’ll do all of that?”
“Remember when you called me a sellsword? Well, these are the finest around. For the right price, they’ll do most anything,” Blodwyn said.
“It will cost you coins? I couldn’t ask you to do that. I have some saved. It’s not much. Let me pay,” Mykal said.
Blodwyn smiled. “The way I’ll ask them; they’ll think they’ve volunteered for the job.”
“So, I’m the only one who knows where you live?”
“Have you seen me throw many parties?”
“I didn’t even know you had other friends until just now. If you’ve had parties, I’ve never been invited.”
“I don’t have parties, Mykal, but if I did, you’d be first on the guest list.”
Chapter 16
On horseback there was no reason they couldn’t reach the Cicade Forest in half a day’s ride. After two hours of riding, the sun began to set. The recent rains had finally stolen the heat from the day. The evening was cool. The few clouds that remained above were spread thinly across a dark pink sky. Blodwyn slowed by a small grove of trees.
“Whoa, Babe,” Mykal said, and tugged on the horse’s reins. He loved the mare’s palomino hide, with its brushed-gold coat and white mane. He had been grooming, walking, and riding her for the last four years. Actually, he’d groomed, walked, and rode all of the horses on the farm. Babe just happened to be his favorite. Feeding her an extra carrot or apple was his little way of letting her know his feelings.
Karyn trotted alongside Mykal on Defiance. The horse’s coat was a reddish-brown with a thick black mane. He was a stallion and Babe’s father. “We stopping?”
“Why are we stopping?” Galatia pulled on Jiminey's reins, making her gelding walk in place, a beautiful chestnut hide with matching mane.
“We could reach the forest,” Blodwyn said. He sat leaning forward, his arms crossed over Applejack’s saddle horn. “But it’s not the kind of place we want to wander into at night. Sandwiched between the Isthmian Sea and the Lantern Lake, the woods have grown so dense that even in sunlight it appears more like dusk beneath that canopy.”
“Not really the kind of place we want to enter during daylight, either, then, I take it,” Mykal said. “I’ve heard stories about the Archers. None of them good.”
Mykal dismounted and held the reins close to Babe’s bit, stroking along her jaw. The saddlebags on each horse were filled with supplies. Babe carried Mykal’s sword and bow attached to the saddle. The quiver of arrows and long dagger were slung over his back, both the quiver and sheath he had made out of leather.
“There are many reasons for legends, though most aren’t accurate, or as true as they sound, legends persist. That’s something to keep in mind. Even now we may be too close,” Blodwyn said.
“I can’t even see the forest,” Karyn said.
“It’s there. Just at the edge of the horizon. Regardless, I’m sure they’ve spotted us, the Archers.” Blodwyn climbed off his saddle. “We should be safe for the night. We’ll take turns on watch. Mykal, keep your sword with you. Belt it around your waist. It won’t do any good strapped to Baby’s saddle.”
“Babe,” Mykal said. Blodwyn just stared at him. His eyes said it all. He didn’t want to repeat himself. The horse’s name was irrelevant. “Okay, I will.”
“Your highness, are you any good with a sword?”
Karyn shook her head. “But I’ve seen many used in fights during the king’s tourneys.”
“Wonderful,” Blodwyn said. “If we come upon a spectator’s box we’ll be certain that you have prime seats for the event.”
“Ha, ha,” Karyn said. “I’ll have you that my education is extensive. I often ask plenty of questions to be sure I know that what is said matches what is meant. It may seem foolish, but my mind has served me better than a blade on many occasions.”
Blodwyn’s grin faded. His mouth sagged some. “My apologies, your highness. I did not mean to offend you. My teasing was purely in good fun.”
Karyn locked eyes with Blodwyn for several seconds before she let out a laugh. “I’m not mad. And you haven’t offended me. While it is true my education is the finest, learning to defend myself with a sword would most certainly have been a useful skill to have acquired before now.”
***
They didn’t need a fire; the night hadn’t become that cold. Mykal was worried about Archers spotting them, anyway. The stories of their thievery bothered him. He’d never slept with one eye opened before. He hoped it wasn’t something difficult to achieve.
In their bags, Grandfather had wrapped bread, cheese, and tomato sandwiches. They ate while they set blankets on the ground. They arranged the blankets as if there were a fire between them, though. Blodwyn suggested Karyn, and then Galatia take first watch. It would be easier for them staying awake, instead of during the night when sleep threatened even the most alert person on watch. He sat away from the horses, in order to not be distracted by them.
Mykal didn’t think he’d be able to sleep due to worry for his grandfather. He hoped Blodwyn’s friends were true to their word and that they’d look after him and do the chores while he was away. If he didn’t do the work himself, though, he feared it wouldn’t get done correctly. He appreciated the amount of time Blodwyn took talking one on one with his grandfather. The hard exterior hid his deeply kind heart.
Despite Mykal’s concerns, sleep soon overtook him.
“Mykal.”
The voice was a whisper. Mykal opened his eyes. It felt like he’d only just closed them. The moon was full in the star-strewn sky. “Wyn?”
He squatted beside Mykal. His long hair draped to his knees, and he held his staff in one hand. “There are torches in the distance. Four, maybe five riders.”
“From the forest?”
“No. Back from where we came. We need to get everyone up,” he said, and used the staff to push himself back up onto his feet.
Mykal woke the others, gathered up their things, and secured them on the horses. He kept looking over his shoulder. The two torches were getting closer. His heartbeat quickened. He felt it in his chest, and neck. This was new to him. There was no way of knowing who approached. He assumed the worst. Taking care of the farm, he’d never come across a situation where fleeing made the most sense.
“I’m scared,” Karyn said, as Mykal helped her into her saddle.
“Stay close to me. I won’t let anyone harm you,” he said. Thanks to Blodwyn’s instruction, he knew how to use the weapons he’d brought well. He would protect her with his life.
Applejack neighed as Blodwyn tugged on the reins. The sound echoed in the silence. Mykal cringed. They could only remain as silent as the horses allowed.
“If we flee, we’re going to kick up dust, attracting attention,” Galatia said. “I can stop them.”
“We don’t know who they are, or what they want,” Mykal said. He climbed onto Babe’s saddle. They were ready to race away, if the need arose.
“I could divert them.” Galatia raised her hands.
“No,” Mykal said. “No magic. You said the Mountain King’s wizard can detect the use of magic. We don’t want to let her know that we’ve moved, nor pinpoint where we currently are. I want to find the mirror for you, and be done with it. The sooner we complete the task, the sooner my life can go back to normal.”
“The boy’s right,” Blodwyn said. “Let’s ride toward the forest. I don’t think we’ll make it to the woods before they reach us, but we’ll be closer than we are now. If we have to run for it, the trees should provide sanctuary of sorts. People think the woods are haunted. Maybe they won’t chase us inside. We can ride side by side. If they spot four of us, it could make them think twice before doing anything sinister.”
“Sinister?” Karyn squeaked.
They started out walking, and worked their way up to a trot. When they could hear the horses behind them galloping, Mykal gave Babe a light kick. The others matched his pace. He knew they all felt it, the need to run for the trees.
“They’ll be on us in a few minutes. We’re still far from the Cicade. Should we make a break for it?” Mykal didn’t want to look afraid in front of the others. There was not a time he could recall ever feeling this apprehensive.
“If they weren’t after us before, it seems like they have us in their sights now. To the forest,” Blodwyn said. He kicked Applejack and snapped the reins. “Ee
h-yaw!”
The others followed his lead. The horses galloped hard. Galatia took a slight lead. Mykal wanted to look back. He knew the people with the torches would give chase. Reaching the forest for safety was dubious at best. It was better than being out in the open, but there were the Archers. Because of their reputation they were given wide berth. The Cicade was avoided by most, as best as Mykal knew. Better to cross Lantern Lake than pass through the woods. It was just safer that way.
Chancing a glance over his shoulder, Mykal almost sighed with relief.
He couldn’t see the torches. Maybe the riders had gone in a different direction. It was possible they’d run for no reason other than their overactive imaginations. Just because they knew the mission they were on was important, and dangerous, that didn’t mean that everyone else knew. Was it possible the four of them had scared the riders with the torches?
“I think we lost them,” Mykal said. He needed to shout to be heard. The horse hoofs pounded hard terrain. It sounded like a thunderstorm.
“Don’t stop,” Blodwyn said.
“The torches. They’re gone,” Mykal said.
“Because they dropped them to chase us!” Blodwyn kicked Applejack’s side again. The gelding picked up speed.
Mykal looked back once more, and saw only darkness. His mind played tricks on his eyes, made him think he saw things, as if the horsemen were almost on them. Ahead the moon bounced in the sky. Up and down, and up and down. If he stared at it, he’d get dizzy. He looked ahead, focusing on the trees ahead, looming more and more.
Severed Empire: Wizard's Rise Page 12