by Susan Simone
“Are you sure it’s him?” Bear asked.
“We went to the clearing the next day. His body was still there. It was him. I’ve known him since boyhood. It was like my own brother had been cut down. She helped me bury him.”
Bear turned to me shocked. “You helped?”
‘Of course I helped,’ I gestured. ‘No one deserves to die like that. They tortured him, Bear. They laughed at his screams. And when he saw me there I think he tried to warn me away when he could have pleaded for his life. He was a man and his soul was bare for me to see. And I was the only one to see him die. I had to see him cared for.’ I wiped tears out of my eyes. Stone was watching me with the oddest expression. I couldn’t place it, not that it mattered.
“Well thank you for your help,” Bear said to Stone. “But I am home now. You can leave and see to Evard.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’ve told you they will come for her. If she runs they will search for her until they find her.”
“I understand that, but I’m home. I’m her brother. I will protect her. It’s not proper to have you here. How do I know you haven’t compromised her already?”
‘Bear!’ I stomped my foot for emphasis.
“Why don’t you ask her?” Stone challenged.
‘He hasn’t laid a hand on me,’ I insisted.
“It doesn’t matter,” Bear said. “It’s not proper and I think it’s time you go. Take the pictures to Evard. It’s the best testimony she can give.”
“I don’t think you understand. These are the most ruthless killers I’ve ever seen. If I’m no match for them you certainly aren’t, puppy.”
“Who are you calling, puppy?” Men. I couldn’t take it anymore. This was a fight I wasn’t going to be able to end. Bear stopped translating every word and I couldn’t follow it all. Something about travel, and fighting, and chaperones. I shook my head bewildered and got up to check on dinner. It smelled like it was almost done. I glanced over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure the men hadn’t pulled any weapons out.
Every time I tried to pull my thoughts back into focus, the blue eyed man—Prince Rinald—was waiting for me. Drawing and burying him had taken the worst of the visions away, but now finding out he had a name and a father who was looking for him it all came back. Every time I so much as blinked his diamond blue eyes cut fresh wounds and I bled anew.
Were ghosts real? Was he haunting me? Was he still pleading for his life? Or was he pleading that I do the right thing and go tell his father where he lay. Stone could, and would, do that of course. Stone was his friend and knew his father. He would take care of this, wouldn’t he? He would, I knew, but something inside me told me that wasn’t enough. If I wanted his visions to go away, I had to leave him in peace. I had to go with and make sure his father knew what really happened. I would want no less if something ever happened to Bear.
There wasn’t much dinner. I hadn’t been expecting three extra people. No matter. I’d find a way to stretch it. Digging through my cool box I found some cheese and sliced it up for my guests. That would help at least. Bear was still translating the odd word confirming my suspicion that they didn’t realize I left.
I served the two forgotten men sitting on my brother’s bed first. They accepted with nervous smiles. I kind of pitied them. They had no idea what kind of drama they were walking into. They came because they were loyal to my brother. They probably thought I was some poor invalid slightly touched in the head. They rode into chaos with an overprotective brother, a stubborn intelligent sister, and some apparently high ranking stranger. They were in so far over their heads I had the odd urge to feed them and put them to bed.
I put plates together for Bear and Stone. I thought first before choosing silverware. The last thing I needed to give either one of them was a potential weapon. Setting my jaw I slammed the food on the table in front of them. They startled out of their argument.
‘Did you two decide whose is bigger, or should I take a walk and check back later?’ Having a twin brother gave me quite a phraseology when I chose to use it. I watched Bear start to translate absently and then fumble. He just stared at me open mouthed. Stone covered his face to hide a laugh and concentrated on his dinner. Bear turned away and wouldn’t look at me. I pounded my hands on the table making them both look at me.
‘I’ve had enough of the pissing contest. I’m a grown woman, and I’ve been living on my own for a long time.’ I sat down. ‘I will not have either one of you deciding my fate. Bear, you are not Father. It was you who fought so hard for everyone to treat me like a normal person. I know you love me and worry but it’s time you start letting me be that normal person. Stone, I barely know you. You have the best of intentions, but woman or not, deaf or not, you will not ever tell me what to do or where I must go or stay. I’m deaf, not stupid.’
“No one would ever call you stupid,” Stone interjected. I frowned at him and he ducked his head. He was enjoying this a little too much.
‘I’ve made a decision and you two can either deal with it or be on your way. Bear, you have duties. Go back to your army.’
“Paige—.”
‘Fold your hands Bear.’ That was our way of saying shut up. ‘Stone, I have to see this through. Evard should know what happened to his son. I would expect no less if something happened to Bear. I would like you to take me to him. Then I know Rinald will rest in peace.’
“No,” Bear said. “It’s not right. I won’t have you alone, traveling with some strange man. If you insist on going I’ll go too.”
‘You have a job. Stone has no interest in me. I can take care of myself. I’ll be well escorted.’
“You don’t know that he has no interest in you.”
‘Ask him. Trust me, if he wanted to try something he had plenty of opportunity.’
“You’d do well to remember that,” Stone commented over a mouthful of food.
‘You fold your hands,’ I said to him. Bear snickered translating that and then explaining it.
“You should trust the lady, Bear,” Stone said. “Your sister is a smart woman.”
“And what do you know about it?” Bear challenged.
“I’ve already learned to try not to cross her. My first night here she made me help cook or threatened not to feed me, then she made me sleep on the ground rather than give me your bed. When I scared Garland she didn’t even look at me the rest of the day. She’s a lot smarter and more willful than your average woman. Do you really think she couldn’t keep me in line? She seems to handle you with ease.”
“That’s different,” he seethed. Oh for the love of God!
‘That’s it! My mind is made up and you’re not changing it Bear,’ I declared. Bear should have known when not to fight with me but it seemed time away had made him forget. I was the more outspoken of the two of us. I wouldn’t last a day in the army unless I was proving a point. I didn’t take direction well. Bear was all brawn. He wasn’t dull by any sense but he followed orders better. As children it was usually my ideas that got us into trouble.
‘Stone will you take me?’
“It would be my pleasure, just please don’t get mad at me again,” he joked. I had to laugh.
“Where’s your food?” Bear asked. He was sullen but always did look after me. I waved a hand dismissively. Truthfully there wasn’t enough. Bear pushed his plate at me. “Eat. You’re too skinny.” He got up and made his own meal out of what was in the cool box.
“Well if you can be pushy, so can I,” Bear said sitting down again. “I’m coming with.”
‘Oh no you’re not,’ I warned.
“Oh yes I am. Stone did she explain about her condition?”
‘Bear I’m warning you.’ He didn’t translate that.
“What condition?” Stone asked. “That she’s deaf? It doesn’t seem to affect her much.”
“She’s weak.”
‘I am just fine!’
“Oh stop it,” Bear said. “You’re weak. You’ve alway
s been weak. It’s not your fault. It’s the way we were born.” To Stone, “Something went wrong before we were born.”
“Her hearing,” Stone said.
“Yes, but you see how small she is. We grew unevenly. The midwives and healers have been telling us all our lives about it. She didn’t get all the nutrition she needed when Mother was carrying us. I got it all. She got next to nothing. We came too early. I was normal. She was too small. They didn’t think she’d live. Then they didn’t think she was smart. She’s always been frail. She gets sick easily. She bruises and gets hurt easily. She doesn’t gain weight or muscle the way she should. Once she got the fever and didn’t eat for a day. We nearly lost her. Hard travel is just not safe.”
‘Fine, I’m some invalid,’ I said angrily. ‘But it’s not like I’m charging out there alone. And I’ve been living without you all this time. I do know how to take care of myself!’
“Paige you’ve been sheltered. You don’t know the hearts of men.” I gestured to my bruises and raised my eyebrows. “That was a low blow,” he countered. “I’m sorry but I just don’t trust you alone with any man.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Stone said. “We need to travel light and fast. I can’t do that looking after two people.”
“I’ll have you know I’m a decorated officer! I might even be of some help.”
“You might. But I’ve never seen you fight and your sister already said no. At the moment she’s calling the shots.”
“And just why is that? Why are you so eager to run off with her by yourself…?” Here they go again, I thought. Bear stopped translating altogether and the two of them were at each other’s throats…again. Sigh. Disgusted with them both I got up and walked away.
Bear was my brother, so I was stuck with him. Stone held my fate in his hands so I was kind of stuck with him too. Men. This wasn’t nearly as dramatic as either one of them was making it out to be. I leaned against the wall and stared at the fire. At least I could close my eyes without being cut by blue diamonds. I made the right choice.
Six
The ground rumbled beneath my feet. It took me a minute but I realized that there were riders coming. A lot of them. Why were there riders coming? Did Bear send for more back up? That’d certainly be like him. I picked up the toy horse and showed it to the two half forgotten men. They obediently pointed to the stables. Well that was no help.
The rumbling got stronger. There were at least half a dozen of them. That couldn’t be good. I had to interrupt the fight. I waved my hands at them. They ignored me. The riders were getting closer, fast. I pounded on the table hard enough to make things rattle. They ignored me. I was sure now. There were six of them. I grabbed Bear’s shoulder. He batted me away. Ironically that got Stone to his feet but he was still concentrating on Bear. They were close, so close. They would be there any minute. Why couldn’t they hear them?
‘Riders!’ I gestured frantically
‘Not now,’ Bear told me without even looking. One of the riders pulled up short. Oh God they were here. I picked up the toy horse and grabbed Stone, shoving it in his face. Finally I got someone’s attention. He looked at me intensely.
‘How many?’ he asked.
‘Six,’ I said just as the door was kicked open with a house shuddering crack I could feel like lightning. Stone threw me behind him and I caught glimpses of black capes. Bear lunged for his sword still resting against the wall. The other two men leapt to their feet. Stone pulled out a knife and backed me towards the privy door. My makeshift curtain was pulled down and chaos erupted in the tiny home.
Men in black stormed the house. Steel glinted against steel as my men countered the attackers. Everyone’s mouth was hanging open in contorted yells. My brother faced off with the skeleton man both of them moving gracefully and well trained. I watched both land blow after blow, leaving both of them bleeding. Bear’s friends were trying to prevent more from coming in the house. Two men advanced on Stone and me.
Stone fought them off with only his wit and his one dagger, and me behind him the whole time. Stone fought differently than the others. I was used to sword play with a certain civility. A standard of movements that are matched and countered as men flowed with the fight. Stone fought dirty. He thought nothing of booting an opponent in the crotch, or stepping on one’s foot and then upper cutting him in the jaw.
A lantern was knocked over and Bear’s bed caught on fire. The flames oozed like living paint to the floor boards with the oil. A man was thrown on it and he leapt to his feet, his clothes on fire. Another man picked up the sheet/curtain and lit it on fire. He threw it across the room. My paintings and paper; all my supplies caught on fire. It grew spreading thick smoke about our heads. The heat picked up and soon the walls were engulfed. I watched in horrified detachment as it spread to the chests my father had made and my own bed smoldered.
Across the room the skeleton man held a sword to my brother’s neck keeping him pinned against the wall. Blood trickled down his neck. I caught his eyes. He was terrified but not defeated. ‘Go,’ he said with one hand. ‘Go with Stone.’ I blinked smoke and soot out of my eyes and his gaze was only for his opponent. With eyes of pure hatred he bled his hand pushing the sword away in a mighty thrust. The fight took him out of my view into the billowing smoke. His two friends were nowhere in sight.
A man grabbed my arm. I pulled back with force, but he was stronger than me. I stomped on his foot and pulled at my arm. They were not going to get me. I reached up and pulled the man’s ear as hard as I could and bent my head down to bite his hand. My little teeth clamped down until I tasted blood. He punched me in the gut powering me into the wall with the force.
Suddenly Stone pivoted on his toes and stepped in. He elbowed the man hard in the gut then the back of his fist connected with his nose as he bent over. Stone twisted and sunk his blade under his ribs. He pushed up hard and twisted. He didn’t pull it out, only let the man slither off and fall limply to the ground. He kicked open the privy door and pushed me in. He grabbed a fallen blade and pulled the door closed baring it with the bloody sword.
Before I could think, he started kicking the wall and ramming it with his shoulder. He used all his weight until the wall came down. The door was rattling and the sword actually started to bend with the force. Stone pulled me out into the clean night air. I gulped for the blessedly cool air to clean my lungs. Holding me close to his body we ran to the stable.
He half threw me into a corner on fresh straw and knelt down before me. Before I could try to ask what was going on, he took my face in both hands and closely inspected my head. He slid his hands around my neck, my shoulders, down my arms, my hips my legs. He patted down my back and pressed on my stomach. I winced. He stopped and looked at me. I mimed punching him in the stomach and he nodded his head.
He got up and quickly saddled Sugar and gathered what supplies could be had in a modest stable. I got the point and pulled out some extra horse blankets I stored away for winter. I handed them to him and he nodded gratefully. I packed up some feed and grabbed an old water skin I kept out there. I had a habit of forgetting to bring water with me when I went for a ride.
The ground shook, and we both froze. Neither one of us breathed until the vibrations grew dimmer and died away. He nodded and we slowly emerged with the horse. The smell of smoke and blood was acrid in my nose and the house was completely engulfed in flame.
‘Bear!’ I gestured urgently. Stone looked around warily and nodded curtly. He took my arm and led me to the front. It would be easier to see where he might be from that angle.
We didn’t have to go far. Bear was laid out on the ground by the front door. My heart stopped. No. No. Please God don’t let him be hurt. I broke away from Stone and ran to him. I skidded to my knees adding fresh abrasions to my already mangled legs nearly falling over him. I looked at his eyes, so blue, all the light gone. Not even a flicker of awareness left.
NO!
NO!
No, no,
no. It is not so. It cannot be so.
I shook his lifeless body and slapped his face. Come on Bear. Wake up. It’s me. He didn’t so much as stir. No. He couldn’t be gone. He just couldn’t. He was my twin. How was I supposed to live without my twin? Twins were born together. We shared a soul! How could he be gone!?
NO!
My soul moaned in agony. I must have screamed. My throat hurt. Of course I screamed. How could I just let his soul float away without a fight?
Why? Oh God why? Why him? My whole body shuddered with the sobs. I beat his chest, pounded it over and over. I couldn’t see through my tears. The fire raged behind us, the heat drying the tears before they could make it off my face. The smoke flowed overhead like some evil incarnate. I threw my head back and howled feeling the sound rumble in my chest and throat. I screamed at the smoke to give my brother back.
Stone’s hand was on my shoulder. I pushed him away. He persisted. I saw his other hand reach over and close Bear’s eyes. I just sobbed. I would never see those eyes again. Never would I see my eyes and my own soul reflected back to me in another face as long as I lived. I didn’t think I could live without those eyes.
Stone tried to pull me away. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay right where I was clinging to my brother’s body. He wrapped a strong arm around my waist and hauled me away. I grabbed frantically for purchase on Bear’s body. Stone had to pry my fingers away. He put me over his shoulder and carried me to the horse. He put me in the saddle and mounted behind me. We rode away as fast as Sugar could carry us. I clung to him and sobbed into his chest unable to watch everything I loved in this world disappear from view.
Seven
He made a tiny fire in a clearing of soft grass and searched us both for injuries. He wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and handed me the water skin. I drank a few meager mouthfuls and set it aside staring blankly into the flames. I hadn’t moved since we’d stopped. I had no idea how long or far we traveled. It was still night, the full moon mocking me high in the sky.