Off Track: A Romantic Magical Quest Series (The Madeline Journeys Book 1)

by P. A. Wilson

  “Yes,” Jode said, “I would prefer you run. I would really prefer you were not required to be in a fight at all. But since we have no guarantee of that, you are, at least, as prepared as we can make you.”

  Madeline felt her heart squeeze at the thought of not surviving a fight. It came home to her that this wasn’t a game. They were practicing fighting because she might have to do just that. She might have to stick steel into another person so they wouldn’t do it to her.

  She watched as Jode turned to pick up their plates. At the simple task, a vision of their future flashed in her mind. Jode and her in twenty years, at home, cleaning up after a meal. She felt an overwhelming knowledge that she couldn’t leave this man.

  And that she couldn’t leave it up in the air. This man who loved her was doing everything he could to prepare her, not to protect her. Her fears about losing herself in a man’s life were stupid in the face of his actions. That realization seemed to bring a brightness to her world.

  “Jode.” Her voice was soft and seemed to be caught in her throat.

  “We should be getting back to the tents,” he said turning towards her. “We will want to clean up and change for dinner.”

  “Jode, please, just listen for a moment before we go back. I’m afraid we won’t have time to talk until it’s over.”

  “I do not wish to hear anything that might lay a curse on the outcome.”

  “Please,” Madeline said. “I have to say this.”

  “I am listening.” He stood very still looking at her, his focus on her face.

  “I have made my decision.” She paused and swallowed to ease her dry throat. Now that she had decided to say it, she was afraid to say the wrong thing.

  “Yes.” Jode looked down, apparently not willing to see her say the words.

  “I love you,” she blurted out. “You must know that already.”

  “I had hoped, but no, I did not know it. I am overjoyed to hear you say the words.” He kept his eyes on the ground. “Is that the only decision you have made?”

  “No. That would be cruel to say I love you but don’t know if I’m staying. Do you think me cruel?”

  “I do not think that,” He looked up at her, shock on his face. “I could not love you if I thought that.”

  “Relax.” She smiled to soften the word. “I have decided to stay. I think I want to study magic.”

  Jode looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Everyone nearby was rushing about on camp business, so he put the plates down and pulled Madeline into his embrace. She reached up and drew him into a kiss – the first time she had kissed someone she loved. His lips were firm and warm; the scent of his skin filled her senses.

  He pulled her tighter to his chest and she could feel his heart beat against her. Jode straightened and lifted her off her feet. He leaned away from her and stared into her eyes. “We should not be doing this,” he said before he kissed her again.

  They drew apart at the sound of a cough. Blu was standing watching them. “I am sorry to interrupt you,” the priest said with a smile. “I think you should make arrangements immediately to replace your chaperon.”

  “Thank you for protecting our reputations,” Madeline said as Jode placed her back on her feet.

  “Not at all.” The priest laughed. “I only interrupted to save us from a pile of broken plates from people bumping into each other as they avoided watching you.”

  “Have you finished your meditation?” Jode asked.

  “Yes. I have already notified Lady Arabela, and now I will tell you before I seek out Sir Simon. It is not a good idea to have a formal announcement, the fewer people who know the details the better. I am approving the plan proposed by Lady Madeline. The signs are all positive, not a guarantee, of course, but then there never are guarantees in battle.”

  The priest bowed and left them standing together beside the stream. Jode picked up the plates and mugs again and nodded towards the camp. “We should return. Perhaps you could ask your servant to act as chaperon tonight?”

  29

  The next morning, they all met at Blu’s wagon. The priest sat them in a circle and carried out a short ceremony of protection.

  “Now,” he said taking his hands from Arabela’s and Jode’s heads. “You will be safe from magical treachery, but you must be alert for a more practical attack. Be ready to ride back to camp to avoid danger.”

  “What about Simon and me?” Madeline asked. “You didn’t do anything to protect us.”

  “That is because you are not coming,” Arabela said.

  “Wait.” Madeline couldn’t believe the words she heard. “I’m not sitting here waiting for something to happen. I’m supposed to have a role, a critical role.”

  “You must stay,” Blu answered for Arabela. “You may have already completed your task when you created the plan. If not, you will be needed after this step fails.”

  “How do you know I’m not needed to make the negotiation work?”

  “You may be, but you do not have to be there to help.” The priest held out a long stick of what looked like bone. The stick was carved intricately in a pattern that reminded Madeline of Celtic knot work. The pattern radiated out from the center, a mirror of each twist above and below. The only difference was that the pattern above the center was dyed red and the pattern below blue.

  “We will observe the events and you will have one opportunity to speak instructions,” he explained. “When the rod is broken, you must not speak to either of them unless it is vital.”

  “But negotiation is based on back and forth, a dialogue,” Madeline said confused. “What is the point of only speaking once?”

  “You will only speak once. These two will not be able to answer; we will only be able to hear them as they speak.” Blu passed the rod to them, the red end to Arabela, and the blue end to Madeline. “It would be better not to speak if you are not sure the information is needed.”

  “How long will they be gone?” Madeline asked.

  “If Goddard is not willing to speak with us, we will return within two hours,” Jode said. “If he will talk, then it may be much longer.”

  “Are you ready?” Blu asked.

  “Yes,” Arabela and Madeline said at the same time.

  The priest pulled a curved knife from a fold in his robes. He placed the knife under the center of the bone and whispered a word Madeline could not hear. The knife twisted and the bone snapped perfectly in half, a thread of purple smoke rising and dissipating quickly.

  “Now,” Blu said. “Go, and remember to keep the rod in your possession. We will hear everything you say, you will only hear what Lady Madeline will say once.”

  Jode and Arabela left, walking towards the horse paddock. The remaining three watched as they rode out. Jode’s voice provided a running commentary on where they were and what they saw. Blu motioned them to enter his wagon while they waited. “I will have someone bring refreshments. Lady Madeline, please remember as long as you hold the rod you must not speak to either Sir Jode or Lady Arabela. To be sure, please use the name of the person you are addressing before you say anything.”

  “Blu,” Madeline said immediately, “Do I need to hold the rod all of the time?”

  “No, but when you do not touch it we will not hear their voices.”

  “Simon, do you have any advice? If I can’t speak to them until something is critical, it’s important to know what might be critical.”

  “My advice?” Simon shrugged. “You won’t know or you will. I think they both know more about the situation, and the people, than you do. That means your contribution won’t be about whether someone is lying or not, or something is valuable. It will be about your experience. I think you should wait until you think they might be missing a key question, something only you would think of.”

  “It would be better if you didn’t speak rather than speaking foolishly,” Blu added.

  “Blu, what do you mean?” Madeline tried to keep half her concentration on
the words coming from the two travelers. “Is there a price for using this magic to speak to them?”

  “Yes, but not how you probably think. The price will be giving Goddard the knowledge you are here, and you have unknown potential. If he knows that, he may offer to give up his feud for the price of you. You would be putting them in a position of weakness. You will be putting Sir Jode in a position where he would have to decide for his heart, or for his duty.”

  “Blu, I will not do that.”

  For the next hour, they listened to Jode talk to Arabela about mundane issues around their estates. He gave instructions to their escort regarding their duties. Arabela talked to him about his love of music, asking what his plans were for the time after the quest. They were clearly staying away from any specific discussion of Simon or Madeline. She appreciated it. Something about listening into the conversation felt wrong. Even though they were aware that she could hear, it felt like spying.

  “We have arrived at the edge of Goddard’s estate,” Arabela announced. “The escort is going forward with the banner of discourse. If Goddard comes out, he should abide by the rules.” Madeline pressed her lips together to avoid speaking. It was excruciating not to ask questions.

  “The gates are opening,” Jode said. “It seems Goddard is willing to talk. He comes on horseback with three escorts. It will take him a few minutes to arrive.”

  The three in the priest’s wagon waited, listening to the horses shift, the birds sing in the trees, and finally, the sound of approaching horse hooves.

  “Goddard,” Arabela’s voice called. “I thank you for coming.”

  “Get on with it woman.” The man’s voice was deep, and rough, and loud. “I came to hear you out, not to exchange pleasantries.”

  “Very well.” Arabela’s voice became more controlled as she spoke. “I have come to ask that the blood feud be ended.”

  “It is ended.” The laugh that followed made Madeline’s skin crawl. “Your weak husband’s line is ended. If there are no more Summer Land heirs, then the feud is over.”

  “And, my people, will you leave them in peace?”

  “Why would I? The Summer Lands are fertile and my people are hungry.”

  “Your feud was with my husband’s family not with the people of the Summer Lands.”

  “You have come to beg for peace.” His voice sounded surprised. “Pledge the lands to my rule and they will be left in peace.”

  “I cannot do that. You know that is not within my power. Only a crowned ruler can do that; we are a free state.”

  “No, you have come for revenge. That is why you are here.” He paused. The three listening heard horses snort and stamp. “But you would not trust my word, so you must be going through the motions of avoiding war.”

  “We could find a way to bind you to your word.”

  “No. You ask me to give up the prize of the Summer Lands after many generations of feuding. That was the agreement. The prize, the survivors would take the lands of the dead.”

  Madeline started to shake her head and Simon placed his hand over her mouth. “Tell me first.”

  “Simon,” Madeline whispered, rubbing her burning skin. “There is something wrong, he’s stalling. I think this is a trap, I feel it in every breath. This is a trap.”

  “Tell them,” Blu said. “Only they will hear.”

  “Arabela, leave, it is a trap. I don’t know what is about to happen, but I know it is treachery.”

  “I see we will not come to agreement,” Arabela said, interrupting Sayer in the middle of a taunt. “I trust you will honor the rules of discourse and allow us to leave?”

  “Go,” Goddard said. “I will meet you over the corpses of your people.”

  The three listeners heard the sound of horses retreating. “Thank you for your advice,” Arabela said quietly. “We will be back…” The sudden sound of an arrow hitting a tree cut off the words. The horse hooves started to pound rapidly. Madeline realized the party was fleeing.

  “Arrows,” Jode said. “They are shooting from the trees. They seem to be only in one place. The arrows are coming from the same tree all the time. We are not injured.” As soon as he spoke, the sound of a man’s painful cry came through.

  “Jode, Jode,” Madeline called.

  “They cannot hear you,” Blu said.

  “One of the armsmen was struck,” Arabela’s voice came through. “Jode has dropped back to help him. I think we are out of range. We will ride hard to join you in any case. Expect us in the next half hour.”

  30

  Horses exhausted, Arabela and Jode returned to camp leaving the wounded man with the other guardsmen. In no better shape than the horses, they took food and drink offered by a servant then joined the others in Blu’s wagon.

  “We made a true effort at negotiation,” Arabela said then took a long draft from the water mug. “You heard everything?”

  “Yes, we did,” Simon said. “You did try, but you were right, he had no intention of making an agreement, or holding to any agreement he pretended to make.”

  “Our next attempt must be successful. We have only until tomorrow moonrise to complete the quest. If we are not successful tonight we will have one more chance tomorrow.”

  “The plan?” Madeline asked. “We need to get the details memorized so that we are ready for whatever happens.”

  “You will not be joining us,” Jode said in a tone that offered no argument. “You have already saved our lives that must be why you are here.”

  “Sure,” Madeline snapped. “I was brought here to talk you into putting yourselves in danger so I could get you out of it.”

  “Sir Jode,” Blu interrupted before Jode could respond. “I believe that Lady Madeline still has her task to complete.”

  “Do you know what it is?” Madeline turned away from Jode and stared at the priest. “Have you learned something?”

  “No,” Blu shook his head. “But the quest is not complete. We cannot assume you have done what we brought you here to do.”

  “Okay.” Madeline’s shoulders dropped and her smile faded.

  “But,” the priest continued. “We have learned something about you, something that might help us to understand your task.”

  “What is that?”

  “Your talent is, or includes, prescience; the knowing of things to come.”

  “True,” Simon said. “How did you know they were about to be attacked?”

  “I just knew.” Madeline thought back to the experience. “It’s like I could feel the presence of other people, not their bodies, more like their intent, an intent that didn’t have a body. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes,” Arabela answered before anyone could speak. “If my guess is correct you feel the future. I don’t know how far, only a few minutes if today is an example. But you felt the attack before the attackers were there.”

  “She has the same talent as your grandmother, then,” Blu said. “That is most interesting.”

  “Well we can investigate my possible talents after we’ve finished.” When Madeline saw the reaction of three faces, she realized she had not told anyone else about her decision. “If you will teach me, that is. I guess I should say I’ve decided to stay – if you will allow me. I would like to study magic, at least at first. Maybe I’ll find another interest later. But that’s not important right now.”

  “I will teach you,” Blu said. “Now, as you say, we have more urgent topics to discuss.”

  Simon looked at the others then said, “We sneak in. I think that’s the best way.”

  “How? Won’t there be guards. Won’t they be on alert?” Madeline asked.

  “You would think so, but they are arrogant, the Scree,” Jode said. “They will not expect us to come in a small group. They will be preparing for an attack on the camp. With luck, they will think we are preparing to leave.”

  “And if we have a distraction, they will not notice three people,” Madeline nodded. This was a good plan. She could feel it
.

  “Two people,” Jode said.

  “Three,” Madeline said.

  “You are not coming,” Jode said firmly.

  “I am. I feel that I must be there.” Madeline lied. She had no premonition. “You, me, and Arabela; three people.”

  “Why not me?” Simon asked. “I don’t want to sit around waiting to hear what happened.”

  “For this to work, we need a distraction,” Madeline answered. “You need to have a concert, a very loud concert; I’m talking heavy metal loud.”

  “So, they will be looking at us, not for you?”

  “And the noise will cover any sound we might make,” Arabela said. “It is a good idea, this distraction.”

  “I can’t make it loud enough from here to distract them.”

  “I can help with that, Sir Simon,” Blu offered. “We need to move people closer, but not so close as you think. I can increase the amplification spell we use in the castle. The sound will carry loudly for a large distance.”

  Simon grinned and rubbed his hands together. “And what about creating some light effects?”

  “Light effects? Ah, you mean fireworks.” Blu smiled in response to Simon’s question. “I see what you are planning. I can create fireworks of many kinds. That will provide them with a great distraction, Scree enjoy explosions and bright lights.”

  Madeline rolled her eyes at their enthusiasm. She pictured a future for the music of this place that would put the loudest craziest concert back home to shame. “What will we be doing while Simon is distracting them?” she asked.

  “I have been thinking of that very question,” Jode said apparently not willing to argue with Madeline any longer. “If they are distracted, we should be able to find Sayer Goddard alone. He will not share his enjoyment of the show with others. If we can find him alone, I will kill him and then we will leave. His body will be found after we have left.”

  “It sounds too simple a plan,” Arabela said. “What if you cannot kill him? What if something happens to you?”

  “You will be there to make sure we are not seen. If I am not able to kill him, you or Madeline can do so.”