by K. C. M.
“No more questions.” Connor said with finality.
He saw her frown, but she had learned not to push him on topics he didn’t want to discuss.
The trees were thinning out already. His sharp ears could hear the soft rush of water ahead. The end of the Forest Elves territory was a relief and yet his energy tingled, multiplying in waves as adrenaline started to pump through his veins. The werebeast could be anywhere.
Connor let out a breath, letting go of that thought. It wouldn’t do any good to worry. He needed to get across the river first. Then…then he would worry about what might lie between the village of Pharo and them.
The river was shallow here. At the sight of it, he started to jog. His legs were long and he covered the rocky ground quickly. Behind him, he heard the girl muttering strange curses, as was her way. He kept half an ear trained on her to make sure she was following and the rest of his senses were focused on their surroundings.
There were fewer birds here. Overhead, squirrels ran for cover. There was even one of the strange brownie creatures, a lesser fairy, that scrambled among the squirrels and took refuge in his nest.
Behind him, the maid’s toe caught on a rock and she started to tumble forward.
He turned and grabbed her arm, hauling her upright.
“Thanks,” She panted.
He didn’t reply, sliding his hand down to grasp her elbow and half dragging her along as he ran through the river. In this part of the forest, the river didn’t get deeper than mid calf. The water here was not so powerful as at the heart of the forest. Here he felt only the barest tingling, as if the water was irritated that he and his companion were escaping the forest.
Once on the other side, he pulled Holly behind a few trees and then dropped to his knees. She eyed him curiously, but he ignored her. The fingers of his free hand brushed the ground, melding with the shadow from the tree closest to them.
A tingle raced through him.
Something that emanated strong magic was nearby. It came from the direction of the setting sun. He rose quickly, smoothly pulling the girl behind him, and drew his preferred knife. The shadows shifted restlessly at his feet.
“What—” Holly started to ask and then gasped.
Saragon stepped out from between two trees, his head down as he nibbled on a line of grass, ambling slowly towards them.
Connor relaxed, sheathing his blade. He took two steps towards the horse and laid his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Saragon,” He said simply.
The horse turned his head, briefly nudging Connor’s booted calf with his muzzle, before returning to the grass.
“How did he get here?” Holly asked, moving forward, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Connor almost sighed on seeing that light. She would have a thousand new questions now. What’s more, most of them would probably be repetitive. He echoed his words from earlier. “He comes and goes as he pleases.”
She shot him an annoyed look. “I got that. I meant, how does he come and go and appear and disappear?”
Connor was silent for a moment. “He’s an element horse from the painted plains.” He finally said in a soft voice.
Her eyes grew brighter.
Knowledge is power. It gives advantage to those who are willing to bear its burden.
“What’s an element horse?”
In a strangely open mood, Connor held his hand out to the maid. “I’ll tell you while we walk.”
She smiled and took his hand. He wasn’t sure if her eyes were brighter from the knowledge that she was learning or from the trust she was gaining in him. He wasn’t sure which was more dangerous.
7 Pharo
While Connor explained what little he knew of element horses, Holly looked over her shoulder occasionally to study the horse that ambled leisurely behind them. Although Connor kept them at a brisk walk, the horse showed no sign of exerting any energy. Was everyone on the magical side naturally stronger and faster then normal humans?
The other day when Connor had ridden the horse to her rescue, the animal had been the color of moonlit clouds. Its eyes had literally glowed and stemming from its eyes, traveling down its face, along the curve of its neck, and over its back and legs had been strange, iridescent zigzags. It was as a thousand lightening bolts had shrunk and laid themselves like a design upon the horse’s fur.
Today, its coloring had darkened, its body covered in stormy grey fur with a black mane and tale that swung in a wild wind although she herself could only feel a pleasant breeze occasionally stirring through the forest. Woven within the animal’s mane and tail were feathers and…rolled up parchments? The designs that had shone like lightening had faded, turning into gentle colors that swirled graceful along the animal body. It was as if someone had painted the creature.
Yet, despite his odd appearance, the horse looked noble.
Something about seeing him made Holly want to cry.
Connor noticed and commented. “Element horses have long looked after the races. Saragon is particularly special to humans. He’s a wind horse. He combines the grounded power of the earth with the wisdom of the winds in order to carry prayers to the heavens. When the human races were attacked during the war, it was the wind horses who carried them from their separate villages and cities to the Protected Isles.”
Holly started and looked at Connor, surprised. “I’ve never heard that before.”
His eyes were locked ahead, studying the trees ahead of them. “Human memories are short lived and this war has lived far too long.”
Holly was quiet and then she admitted, “When I was in school on the Bright Isle, they taught that the War of the Races had ended.”
Connor snorted softly. Coming from him, that simple sound conveyed a thousand meanings that words couldn’t. “It is easier for humans to believe that then to face the truth.”
“What is the truth?”
Holly didn’t realize she’d stopped until Connor swung around and stood uncannily still in front of her. He reminded her of a snake that was preparing to strike. His eyes had darkened, like a fir tree caught in shadow. Were there shadows swirling around in his eyes? She’d seen him use them before…
“The War will likely never end.” He finally said.
His tone of voice, the darkness she sensed in him, was enough to make her tremble. As he tugged her forward, she stared at the back of his dark hair. If the war wasn’t over…if it was never to be over…what did that mean for her? And what did that mean…for her family? An ache settled in her heart when she thought of her parents. Autumn had arrived definitively and the fields probably needed to be harvested…if there even were any fields left after the gnome raid.
Behind her, the horse heaved a long breath that drifted like a warm breeze over her skin.
A horse that carried prayers on the wind…yet traveled with an assassin and a maid.
Connor slowed abruptly and Holly ran into him. “Sorry,” She murmured, but the assassin didn’t even bother to reply. He was probably used to her clumsiness by now.
She peered around his large form to see what he was staring at.
The trees had thinned out and ahead there was a field. Over the rise, she could see smoke. “What is that?”
“Pharo.” He replied. Something about his tone and posture didn’t bode well.
She licked her lips. “I thought you’d be happy to get here.”
The assassin’s eyes were narrowed, his gaze still directed at the village. He didn’t respond, but took off striding towards the village. Holly had to run to keep up with his long stride.
Still a good distance away, he abruptly whirled and grasped her wrist. “Stay here with Saragon.”
Surprised, she eyed him. “What? Why?”
His green eyes were glittering emeralds in the sun’s light. “Danger.” He said shortly and then he had whirled away. As he ran towards the village, the shadows of the trees and forests seemed to shift, wrapping around him, and melding with his darting form.
<
br /> Holly let out a breath and the horse behind her echoed it. Amused, she glanced over. The great creature shivered, tossing its mane and tail about like streams of color. Cautiously, she reached out and offered the horse her hand. It snorted disdainfully and instead shifted closer, bumping its neck against her hand. Recognizing what it wanted, she smiled and scratched the itch.
After several minutes, Holly was feeling antsy. It wasn’t just that Connor was gone. It was this place. Something felt…off. It was quiet. There were no birds singing. There were no bugs humming. And the village…it was completely silent and motionless. She glanced up at the sky. At home, the farmers would have been out working and the streets would have been filled with vendors. She squinted at the still far off village. As far as she could see, there was no movement at all.
She chewed her lip and debated, glanced at the horse, which had wandered off in search of grass, and then decided it couldn’t hurt to go a little closer. Picking her way carefully, trying to move silently as Connor had taught her, she drew nearer to the village.
Every so often she paused, to stare hard at the village. Nothing…no movement…but there was something…or, rather, many something’s littered in the streets…with a start, she realized she was looking at bodies. There were bodies littering the streets.
She hurried forward, less afraid of being seen now that she realized many, if not all, the occupants were dead.
The smoke was coming from a group of houses that were on fire. The rest of the houses were spaced so closely that she was sure they, too, would catch on fire eventually. She stopped near the edge of the village.
Bodies…her stomach twisted, yet she couldn’t look away.
A hand suddenly gripped her arm, yanking her around and she shrieked.
“I told you to stay in the woods.” The assassin’s face was white, his features tense.
“I…they’re dead.” She whispered lamely.
He ground his teeth for a moment. “Why didn’t you stay away?”
She blinked. Her mind felt sluggish. It felt like a horrible dream. “Did you…do this?” She asked, noticing again his angry features. It was a stupid question, he hadn’t been separated from her long enough to kill an entire village. Yet, the question slipped out anyways.
His hand tightened on her upper arm. “No.”
The numb feeling was wearing off. Tears threatened. “Why would anyone do this?”
“This is why I didn’t want you to come to the village.” He snapped and started to yank her away.
She dug in her heels. “We can’t just leave them!”
“I don’t have time for the dead.” He yanked particularly hard and she cried out.
“Stop!” She fumbled to regain her feet and free herself. He didn’t let go, though he did stop moving. “How can you be so unfeeling towards them? You knew these people!”
He leaned close to her, his breath a warm breeze. “I did not know them. I only came here to get payment. With them dead, I cannot get payment. Therefore, it is time to leave.”
She gaped at him. “They’re dead, Connor. Dead.”
He shook her hard. “What do you think I should do? Bury them? Weep over them as you do? If I wept over every death I encountered, I’d spend an eternity weeping and that won’t keep either of us alive.”
She had bit her tongue when he shook her and she tasted blood, but she glared back at him. “What’s the point of living if you aren’t ever going to care about anybody?” She snapped.
For a second, his eyes burned brighter. His grip grew so tight that she felt herself losing circulation in her arm and hand. It pinched and she was sure it would bruise. For just a second, his handsome face was that of an avenging angel, come to strike her down. Would he kill her now? If looks could kill, she would certainly be dead.
After a few more seconds, she couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re hurting me.”
Immediately, he let her go, so quickly that she nearly lost her balance.
He didn’t say a word, just continued to look furious.
She took a breath, lengthening her stance, stabilizing herself. “Are you going to kill me now?” She asked quietly.
The anger faded and instead his face went perfectly blank, all emotion wiped clean. “No.” He replied flatly. “If you want to grieve for the dead, it’s not my concern. You are not my concern. Travel where you will, but don’t expect me to protect you.”
Holly searched his face, but the cool detached expression he wore gave little indication of his thoughts. “You’ve already warned me about how I’m not your responsibility.” She whispered.
He turned and started to walk away. Seeing that flooded her with emotions and she asked, “Am I not to travel with you now?”
He paused and then he was off, striding into the forest, the shadows swirling up to cover him like a second cloak.
Holly turned slowly back to the village. The shock was back, perhaps more than it had been before. It wasn’t just the death stretched before her. It was the sudden loss, the feeling of being alone, amid such death. The sight of a small child, half hidden underneath a woman who was most likely her mother, brought Holly up short.
As she slowly sank down, leaning heavily back against a half demolished house, she felt the tears on her cheeks.
She wasn’t even sure whether she was crying for the girl, the whole village, or perhaps she was crying for her own selfish reasons. She was alone in a world she didn’t know or understand. She’d lost her life. She’d lost her family and her friends. She had no one. As a child, she’d always been convinced that someday things would get better. She’d forced herself to be strong; to laugh and to get by, all the while hoping that tomorrow would be different. The last week culminating with today had finally pushed her to her limit. The dam of strength that she’d always prided herself in had finally broken.
Long minutes drifted by as she curled into herself, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, her gaze and mind numb.
A shadow detached itself from a doorway. She flinched in surprise. Why had he come back? He’d warned her repeatedly that he wouldn’t. She knew he didn’t feel any responsibility for her and, frankly, she didn’t want him to feel responsible for her. She was responsible for herself.
Holly clenched her fists and glared fixedly at the ground between her shoes.
Unexpectedly, Connor reached down and stroked two elegant fingers along her forehead, brushing away the curls that had escaped from her braid. “Don’t sulk,” He murmured.
She pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. A part of her wanted to make a smart retort, but she was afraid her voice would wobble and give her away. Instead, she took several breaths. Then she turned her face away so she wouldn’t see him as she said, “I thought you were leaving.”
He crouched next to her, his fingers idly tucking a curl behind her ear. “I’m not going to leave you.” His voice sounded resigned.
Her spine stiffened. Her voice took on an angry, annoyed edge. “You keep saying that you will leave me! Which is it, Connor?”
He was silent and when he did finally speak, there was a spark of irritation in his voice too. “I don’t know.” He took a breath and continued honestly, “The only other creature I’ve ever traveled with is Saragon and he doesn’t questioned me as you do. I don’t make connections with people, Holly. It’s not in my nature to form attachments.”
She stared at him wide-eyed, her anger temporarily forgotten. His green eyes darkened and she didn’t know what the expression on his face meant. Studying him, trying to understand his words, she found all she could whisper in return was a stunned, “You called me by my name.”
His face remained expressionless but his eyes lit with a dark fire. “If you didn’t want me to use it, you shouldn’t have told me it.”
Her lips trembled, but she managed a pathetic smile back. Unable to keep meeting his intense gaze, she glanced away. “I know we need to run, but isn’t there anything we can do for them?�
�� She asked quietly, gesturing to the people.
Connor let out a breath, turning his head to survey the village. “We don’t have time, but the houses will continue to burn and the bodies will eventually do the same. Think of it as a cremation.”
She swallowed and nodded. “I just can’t believe someone…something could do this to an entire village.”
He stood suddenly. “An entire village would take several somethings and they must be under the control of a very powerful someone to have only killed without ripping the bodies to shreds or eating any of the people.”
It was a gruesome statement, but it also told a truth that she hadn’t thought about. She rose unsteadily to her feet and he grasped her arm, helping her up. “Do you know who did this?” She asked.