Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “I would like that,” beamed Tedi. “And I’ll let you practice throwing this nasty little thing at trees. I don’t know how we are going to alert the townspeople, though. My father has warned me to stay out of the woods at night and you know what he’ll do if he finds out.”

  “Esta knows that I hunt in the woods,” offered Arik. “I can tell him that I saw the bandits and you won’t get in trouble. Tell me exactly where you saw them on the way back to the inn.”

  Arik went back to the front stoop to retrieve his bow and quiver while Tedi ran next door to get his own. The boys walked along the shore to the quay, lost in conversation of bandits and battle and the town finally standing up to the thieves. The problem, of course, was that most of the able-bodied men were out to sea trying to haul in meager catches of fish. At the quay, the boys turned up the broad street heading for the coastal highway that ran through the town of Lorgo. Many of the shops were abandoned and boarded up. Arik, once again, began to think of what the town must have been like before the Collapse. He pictured all of the businesses open and people bustling about with gaily wrapped packages under their arms. He imagined grand carriages bearing nobility up and down the street with their footmen keeping pace and their mounted guards fore and aft. He fantasized columns of Sordoan soldiers marching along the coastal highway on their way to a frontier fort, their uniforms all with matching bright colors and gilded with gold. It took him a moment to realize that Tedi was no longer beside him. He looked up and down the street and the only person moving was a sturdy woman in a long green dress and wearing a felt hat with an embroidered strip of flowers around it. She was walking down the center of the wide avenue and staring at him. Without knowing why, Arik turned and dashed between the two closest buildings and turned down the alley towards the sea. Arik was halfway down the alley when Tedi called to him. Arik stopped short and peered around. Tedi was hiding beside some old crates behind one of the buildings.

  “Why did you leave me?” panted Arik.

  “I had my reasons,” laughed Tedi, “but I’m not running like I just saw a revenant. What are you running from?”

  Arik winced as he thought of overheard stories of revenants, beings brought back from the dead that could not be killed. Suddenly he broke out laughing. “I don’t know,” he offered. I guess I was daydreaming on the way to the inn and looked up to see this woman walking towards me. At least I thought she was heading towards me. It felt like her eyes were burning into me. I don’t know why, but I just started running. Pretty stupid, I guess.”

  “If she was wearing green,” Tedi laughed, “it wasn’t so stupid. That was the woman who screamed this morning at the inn and she saw us walking together before I took off running. I don’t know if she saw me through her window earlier, but I’m not about to take any chances. Best off if we just avoid her.”

  “I wonder what she is doing in Lorgo,” Arik mused. “Her dress is one of the finest I’ve ever seen and Esta remarked about her traveling without a bodyguard. I can’t see her getting past all of the bandits along the highway and if she had family here, she wouldn’t be staying at the inn. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  Tedi stared down the alley and tugged at his woolen breeches. “You know,” he began, “in all the time I’ve been checking out the Fisherman’s Inn, there has never been a lone woman staying there. In fact, I don’t remember any woman ever staying there. Most of the women who come through town stay at one of the inns along the highway. That’s a pretty fine dress to be heading for the quay. Well, at least we know she won’t see us when we talk to Esta. Come on, we’ll go up the alley to the inn.”

  The boys were laughing at being so skittish as they proceeded up the alley, but, still, they each turned and looked towards the street as they passed any opening that afforded a view. As the boys neared the Fisherman’s Inn, the distinctive sound of a traveling merchant trilled the air. The two boys looked at each other with their mouths hanging open and raced between two buildings to the street. Where the street met the coastal highway, a lone merchant's wagon was just pulling into a small courtyard. The boys forgot all of their thoughts regarding bandits and finely dressed women and raced towards the courtyard.

  Chapter 2

  Witch

  Arik and Tedi screeched to a halt just as the old merchant was climbing down from the driver’s seat of the wagon. The old man was dressed in drab gray woolen breeches and matching tunic. His garments were clean, but had obviously been mended many times over the years. A gray woolen cap was stretched over his head and he moved as if he had been sitting too long on the wagon. A young boy, similarly attired but in brown, was already bringing oat buckets from the rear of the wagon for the two old horses that stood quietly at the front of the wagon. The old merchant moved to the rear of the wagon and lowered a small gate that kept parcels from falling off.

  “Say, old timer,” hailed Tedi, “what news do you bring from the North?”

  The young boy had returned for a couple of buckets to get water from the well for the horses. Hearing Tedi’s remark, the young boy shot a disapproving glare at the two town boys, but left to accomplish his tasks. Tedi knew that they only had moments for any news before the townspeople started gathering and then there would be no talk of old times.

  The old man turned towards Tedi and looked him up and down before answering.

  “The news from up North, child, is that their children are better mannered. The name I use is Boris Khatama. That means that you will address me as Master Khatama and if it’s news you want, then you will wait for the townspeople to assemble and hear it with the rest.”

  “Forgive my friend’s lack of manners, Master Khatama,” offered Arik. “We are eager to hear of news that the townspeople never speak of. Lorgo is a small town and most people refuse to discuss things that Tedi and I read about in books. I hope you will forgive our poor manners.”

  Master Khatama focused his attentions on Arik as he pulled down small crates of goods from the wagon. “And why should I talk of things that your own parents would rather not have you hear?”

  “Oh, it’s not that they don’t want us to hear,” Arik responded quickly, “but I fear that they still think of us as children and too young to hear such stories. Why just this morning at the inn . . . a friend was telling me about the old times, but he had to return to work. Our fathers are fishermen and they are gone most of the day and tired at night. Besides, what they know is very limited as they have not traveled far and wide as I’m sure you have.”

  Master Khatama peered at the boys again as if measuring them. The clatter of approaching footsteps announced the coming townspeople. “We’ll see,” Boris whispered. “You go help Tanya brush the horses, while your friend here helps me unload the wagon and you two can join us for dinner. I will consider then what I will speak of.”

  “Yes, Sir,” replied Arik.

  “Tanya?” questioned Tedi looking at the young boy watering the horses. “I mean, yes, Sir. Right away, Sir.”

  As Tedi moved to help the merchant unload the wagon, Arik walked to the front to help with the horses with Tedi’s comment ringing in his ears. As he approached the merchant’s helper, he looked more closely. While her face still sported the glare given to Tedi for his comment, Arik could now see that she was indeed a girl, a rather beautiful girl if she had not been dressed in those rags. “Pardon me, Tanya,” Arik greeted the girl, “but Master Khatama requested that I offer you assistance with brushing the horses.”

  “As if I required assistance,” snapped Tanya. “You can only brush the horses if you know what you’re doing, fisherboy. And if you have any more sly comments about my uncle, you’ll lose your teeth.”

  Arik stepped back and raised his hand to ward off the expected attack. “Tanya, please,” he said soothingly. “Tedi did not really mean anything disrespectful. He just has a brash way of talking. He thinks if he acts tough, tough people will leave him be. I am no horseman, but I do occasionally help out at Master Tern’s stable
s. I do know how to brush a horse.”

  Tanya tossed a brush to Arik and began using one herself. The pair worked on in silence for some minutes before Arik spoke again. “Tanya, I really do apologize for Tedi’s remarks. He was anxious about hearing some news of the old times and he knew the townspeople would be arriving soon.”

  After a few more minutes of silence, Tanya finally asked, “What’s your name, fisherboy?”

  Arik looked over the horse at the young girl. “I am Arik Clava,” he finally answered. “And I would prefer that you do not call me fisherboy. You make it sound like a derogatory term and my father is a fisherman. I find nothing dishonest or unsavory in his character because of his profession. He provides the best he can and I’m proud to be his son.”

  Tanya stopped brushing and gazed at the village boy. “It would appear that I also owe you an apology, Arik Clava,” the merchant’s niece responded. “It was meant as a derogatory term and I apologize for it. Why are you so interested in the old times? I thought all of you Sordoans feared the Dark One coming in the night if you spoke of them.”

  Arik dropped his brush and started. “You know about Sordoa?” he exclaimed. “I never heard it mentioned until earlier today. I’ve read a little about it, but only of times long gone. Do you know about the Collapse and what happened?”

  “Did this Master Tern teach you how to do that with the brush?” Tanya smirked.

  Arik apologized profusely and retrieved the brush, once again applying long strokes to the horse. “What can you tell me of the Collapse?” he questioned.

  Tanya stopped brushing the horse and stuck out her hand for Arik’s brush. “You did good enough for a f . . . boy who is not used to taking care of horses,” she quipped. “I will tell you nothing of the Collapse or the old times. If your townspeople found out, my uncle would be driven out of town and times are poor enough as it is without losing some trade here.”

  “I won’t tell anyone,” Arik promised. “I won’t tell a soul. We could just be friends talking. No one will suspect what we are talking about.”

  “You won’t tell a soul because you will have nothing to tell,” she stated. “And I don’t have friends. Friends cause you pain and grief and I don’t need anymore of either, thank you very much.”

  Tanya disappeared around the side of the wagon and a befuddled Arik headed towards Tedi, who was now standing with the crowd of townspeople that had gathered to hear the latest news. Tedi noticed the woman in the green dress on the other side of the crowd and she seemed to be trying to slide through the group nonchalantly. After fifteen minutes of tales of bleakness and starvation, bandits and rogue armies, the two boys left the gathering with the mysterious woman only several feet away. People started crowding around the merchant and picking out small items from a rather poor selection of goods. Tedi pulled anxiously at Arik’s sleeve and started to run towards the harbor.

  When the boys reached Arik’s home, they leaned against the back of the house in silence. Finally, Tedi turned towards Arik. “Did you see her trying to get closer to me,” he wheezed.

  “I’d say it was your imagination,” offered Arik, “but she sure didn’t seem to be interested in anything the merchant had to sell. What did the old . . . Master Khatama have to say after I left?”

  “Not much,” Tedi replied. “He griped a lot about youngsters today and their lack of respect for their elders. He also asked our ages about three different times. I guess my big mouth got us off to a rather poor start.”

  “I’ll say,” chuckled Arik. “The merchant’s niece practically bit my head off for that one comment she overheard you say. She’s a bitter one, she is. You hear people talk about bitter old maids, well, this girl is around our age and she already has the demeanor to put those old maids to shame.”

  “Well, I guess we won’t have to bother going back for dinner, then,” Tedi laughed. “The chance of either one of them knowing anything useful, or telling us if they did, is probably out of the question.”

  “I don’t know about that,” remarked Arik. “Even the girl knows about Sordoa and the Collapse. She wouldn’t talk about it, but I could tell that she knows.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I could almost be suspicious of you liking Tanya,” chuckled Tedi.

  “Forget it!” exclaimed Arik. “She doesn’t even want friends. I tried to be friendly with her and I had to keep an eye on her hands to see if she would pull a knife on me. That girl is poison and will never have any friends, never mind boyfriends. Still, she does possess knowledge that I’d like to have. I’m willing to go back and talk as long you come and keep an eye on her hands.”

  “Heck, if nothing else it’s a free meal,” smirked Tedi. “Why are you interested in the Collapse so much all of a sudden?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Arik. “Lately, I’ve been having dreams of what I think the old times must have been like. I guess it may just be not knowing what all of the older people know and frustration at their stubborn refusal to talk about it.”

  “You mean you are not afraid of calling down the Dark One on your family?” asked Tedi.

  Arik combed backed his shoulder length brown hair with his fingers and sat on the back stoop. “How are we supposed to believe that story about the Dark One if nobody is even willing to talk about him?” he quizzed. “You know, Tanya laughed about the Sordoans believing in that story. She called us Sordoans. She knows an awful lot about what I want to know. I’ve got to get her to open up and tell me.”

  “You have a better chance of her opening up a cut on your lip,” laughed Tedi. “Why don’t we go out in the forest and see what game we can find. I doubt the bandits are still around if the peddler got through, but we can go out the south end just in case.”

  The boys headed along the shore towards the south end of Lorgo. When they reached the quay, the woman in the green dress stepped out in front of them. Tedi grabbed Arik’s sleeve and the boys ran out to the end of one of the docks. The woman slowly marched after them and paused not ten feet from the end of the dock where Arik and Tedi stood with no escape. The woman stood staring at them, her long black hair twisted into a single braid as thick as an oar shaft. “Who are you?” she demanded.

  For several moments, the boys pondered their position. Certainly they could leap into the sea and she wouldn’t follow or maybe they could just run past her. When they refused to answer and the woman realized that they still planned to evade her, she moved her hands and the boys were frozen in place from the neck down. Arik tried to move his arms and legs and failed. His body refused to listen to his commands and it tingled like he was just doused with a bucket of ice-cold water. Only his head moved and he realized that it was sweating. Looking at Tedi, he realized that his friend was experiencing the same thing with sweat pouring down his face.

  “I’m sorry if we’ve offended you, Mistress,” Arik croaked. “Whatever it is you think we’ve done, I apologize for it. If you could just see it in your good grace to release us, I promise we won’t bother you anymore.”

  “Shut up!” she shouted. Lowering her voice as she came closer, she stared Arik in the eyes. “What is your name, youngling?” she demanded.

  “Arik Clava, Mistress,” Arik whispered, “and my friend is Tedi Markel.”

  “Tell me how old you are,” commanded the witch as she came toe-to-toe with Arik, her breath smelling strongly of onions.

  “Fourteen years,” wheezed Arik trying unsuccessfully to lean back away from the strong odor. “And so is Tedi,” he quickly appended.

  “You look much older than fourteen,” she scowled. “Perhaps you need a lesson in truth telling. How old are your parents and where do they live?”

  Sweat was dripping into Arik’s eyes and his nose was starting to twitch. Arik was focusing on the woman’s face when all of a sudden, she literally rose up and was tossed into the sea. The moment she hit the water, the spell binding the two boys broke and they took off running down the dock. They didn’t stop running until they
entered the woods at the south end of town. They both collapsed into a gully and turned to watch the path from town. Long minutes of silence passed before either one talked.

  “What was all that about?” asked Tedi. “And why did you lie about our ages?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Arik. “Nothing about today makes much sense. When she trapped us, I thought she was after you because of the incident at the inn this morning, but she seemed to be more interested in me. I guess I figured if she thought we were younger, the punishment for whatever it was that I was supposed to have done would be less because we were younger. I don’t know why, but I don’t mind telling you that I was scared like I’ve never been scared before.”

  Tedi nodded in agreement and wiped the sweat from his short black hair. “Why is everyone interested in our age all of a sudden? First the merchant asks me three times and now this . . . witch. This witch uses magic on us in broad daylight and demands to know how old we are. How did you manage to trip her anyway? I was frozen solid except for my head.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Arik quivered. “Somebody else tossed her into the sea.”

  “What do you mean someone else?” quizzed Tedi. “There wasn’t anyone else around. Nobody in sight anywhere.”