The Dark Path

by James M. Bowers

  “Am I free to go now?”

  “How much further is it to your friend's house?”

  “It's not far, but why would I lead you there? You may kill us both then.” Her eyes held a look of defiance.

  “I'm not here to harm anyone. I merely thought that you were following me.” He reached out a massive hand connected to a well muscled, tattooed arm. “My name is Duncan. What is yours?” He smiled a warm smile that made her forget all her worries. No one with a smile that warm and open could harm her.

  “Anouk.” She took his hand and shook quickly. His grip was strong but he was gentle.

  “I'll walk you to your friend's house and then be on my way.” He smiled that warm smile again and offered her his arm. She declined the offer and began to walk once more down the trail. They walked in silence for a time and she noticed that even though she had grown up in these woods, and walked the paths every day, she made more noise than him. She couldn't even hear his footsteps.

  “Where did you learn to walk so quietly?” She asked innocently as she looked up and to her right where he was walking beside her.

  “I'm not really sure. Probably something I picked up in training.” He shrugged and put on the smile again, but she noticed that his eyes were pained and did not reflect the smile.

  “It must come in handy while out hunting.” She smiled and kept the tone light. She wanted to start a conversation, not push him away.

  “I don't hunt,” he said nonchalantly.

  “Everyone hunts around here. Everyone but the rich anyway.” She arched an eyebrow. “Are you a noble?”

  “I don't believe so.” He chuckled a bit then turned to look down at her. “I don't eat meat anymore. So I have no need to hunt.” He flashed her another warm smile and she felt silly for having brought it up.

  “Where are you from?” she asked. She hoped that question was innocent enough.

  “I'm from a ways south and west, here on the island. I'm actually on my way home to visit.”

  “That must be nice. Have you been away from the island?” She loved to hear stories of places far away. She had never gone much farther than the village though she longed to travel.

  “I've been around the world actually.” He looked away from her and his eyes took on a far away look. “Just recently, I was a sailor.”

  “Do you like the sea? I've never been to see it.” He had been around the world! Maybe he would tell her some stories she could share later with Sally.

  “I love the sea. There is nothing else like it. I recommend that you go see it at least once in your life. It's really not that far from here. A few days walk to the nearest shore.” He looked down to her again. “Maybe I'll take you to see it after I visit home.” He smiled that warm smile once more and she found herself smiling back at him. She wished now that she had taken the arm he had offered. She looked him over more closely. He wore a loose fitting, sleeveless shirt made of a soft gray material. She was thinking of removing her cloak as the walk and the excitement from earlier were warming her up. He carried a small pack made of dark brown leather. He wore leather pants that looked to be a bit tight. She blushed slightly as she looked at places she knew she shouldn't. She looked down and saw that he wore well worn boots made of black leather. They looked like very comfortable boots.

  “You have lovely boots. Where did you get them?” She asked as she looked back up into his blue eyes.

  “I made them actually. They have served me well. Though I had horrible blisters for the first week I wore them.”

  “I thought you said that you didn't hunt. How did you get the leather?” She wondered if he had lied about the hunting. Maybe she shouldn't trust this man just yet.

  “I didn't hunt for the leather. I purchased it from a family that needed coppers more than leather.” His eyes grew distant and they walked in silence again for a time. She was just about to tell him that her friend's house was right around the next bend when suddenly he dove and knocked her off the path. She opened her mouth to scream and he covered it with his large right hand. Her mind began to go blank with fear at what he would do to her when she noticed that he wasn't looking at her at all. His eyes scanned the nearby trees. He leaned down close to her ear and whispered in a barely audible tone.

  “I'm going to move my hand. Please don't make a sound. They think that they got me. I have to use that to surprise them.” He removed his hand and she looked up to him in question. She looked down as she felt her hand, where it lay upon his upper arm, grow warm and wet. She saw that blood poured down from an arrow that stuck in his shoulder. She looked back to him and opened her mouth but he put a finger to her lips and shook his head. He motioned that she remain there and he quietly crawled off of her and stood up, vanishing into the nearby trees.

  The woods were silent. Not even the birds sang their usual tune. She heard a sudden crash off to her left and turned to look. She saw a branch sway a bit as if in a breeze but no other movement. She crawled backward till her back was against a nearby tree. She looked all around her but she still saw no one. Just when she thought it was over, she heard a louder crash directly in front of her. She flinched as she heard a man let out a scream that ended in a gurgling sound. She heard the sound of shouting by many men then. She had heard the language they spoke before and she shuddered. The sounds of struggle went on and on. She thought it would never end. She wondered what the people that had shot Duncan would do to her after they killed him. She shuddered and drew the cloak up tight as she hugged her legs close to her chest. The noise of combat grew less and less till finally there was silence once more. She sucked in a quick breath as she heard the sounds of someone coming through the foliage toward her. A giant form broke though the bushes and she screamed in terror. She was brought out of it by a sudden slap. The slap was gentle though. It was more just to bring her back to herself. She looked up at the figure and gasped. It was Duncan. He was nearly covered head to toe in blood and gore. She couldn't tell if any was his own till he helped her up and turned around. Six arrows stuck out of his back making it look like a giant pin-cushion.

  “My friend's house is just ahead. Let's hurry and patch you up.” Anouk's voice held nothing but concern for her wounded companion.

  “I'll be fine for a while. I don't know if there are any more soldiers out there.”

  “How many were there?” She asked as she placed herself under his right arm letting him rest some of his weight upon her.

  “Twenty. Luckily only a third of them were archers.”

  “Let's hurry then. Sally should have something we can use as bandages.” They walked on in silence and soon arrived at Sally's small cottage. Sally sat out front breaking beans. She rushed to them when they rounded the corner. Her long blond hair was tied back with a blue ribbon to match her pale blue summer dress. She looked questioningly to Anouk but said only that they should get him inside quickly. Duncan objected slightly but he was quickly losing consciousness. He remembered them laying him face down on what seemed like the softest bed he had ever lay upon when the world went black and left him.

  “Duncan?” a voice called him from far away. He could barely make it out. He looked up to where he had been playing fetch with his new puppy in the field behind his house. He looked down at the puppy and the puppy met his gaze with a sad one. It looked to him then looked behind him and barked once.

  “What is it, Boy? It's not time for dinner yet and I finished the chores earlier. We don't have to go home yet. Here, I'll toss the stick again.” He pulled back his arm and threw the stick far across the field but the puppy didn't chase after it as usual. Instead, he sat and stared up at Duncan.

  “Duncan? Can you hear me?” He turned this time at the voice and suddenly he was flying upward through a dark tunnel away from his house and the field and his puppy. “NO!” He cried as his eyes shot open. He saw a strange young woman staring at him with concern. She had such lovely short hair he thought. It looked so soft. He reached out and ran his left hand over he
r hair and down her cheek. She smiled but grabbed his hand and pushed it back down to the bed.

  “Good you're awake. We weren't sure you were going to make it. You lost a lot of blood.” She turned away from him and raised her voice. “Sally! Sally, come back in here. He's awake. Help me sit him up.” She turned back to face him and smiled again. He liked her smile. It was a bit crooked but it made him feel warm inside for some reason. He smiled back and tried to sit up. He got his legs swung around when the room started spinning. He felt hands on each of his arms helping him to sit up. He stayed for a second then began to fall backwards. The hands pulled hard and he was upright once more. Slowly the room stopped spinning and he looked over to his left. A beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed young woman stood holding his left arm.

  “Hello,” He said with a goofy grin. She smiled at him and then looked past him to his right. He turned his gaze to follow hers and saw the brown haired girl again. He smiled again. “Hello.” She smiled and giggled nervously a bit.

  “My name is Duncan,” he said with a large smile. Her smile left when he said that and he wondered if she didn't like his name.

  “I know, Duncan. My name is Anouk. Do you remember me? We met in the woods.” She gestured toward the outside of the cottage. He looked in the direction she indicated and saw the green trees now lying in deep shade.

  “It's very pretty here,” he said and he looked down because he had just realized he was in the presence of nice women and he should make sure he was dressed well or at least that his clothes were straight. He found when he looked down that all he wore was a towel wrapped around his waist. He felt his face flush red. He looked up at Anouk.

  “I'm sorry I seem to be under-dressed. I'm not sure why, but please excuse me.” She smiled back at him and giggled again. He smiled too then he looked down at his right arm that she still held. He saw deep black tattoos all over his arm. They drew symbols that he felt he should know. Suddenly, it all came back to him. He remembered it all at once and with the memory came a severe head-ache. He groaned and grabbed his head with his left hand. He looked over to Anouk.

  “How long have I been out?” His voice was no longer the innocent sounding boy's voice it had been just moments earlier.

  “Half the day. We had to remove your clothes to dress the wounds. The arrows were very nasty to remove. We were afraid you had lost too much blood.” She smiled. “It's good to see you again.”

  “I have to leave.” He tried to stand and had to stop and grab his head again when the room once more began to spin.

  “I think you need to rest.” She gave him the serious look like his mother used to give that meant there was no arguing allowed. “Isn't that right, Sally?” He turned to face the blond. Her face looked like the blood had just rushed out of it.

  “He's so big,” she said softly as if to herself. “I never noticed till he stood up.” She shook her head and came back to herself. “Sir, please sit back down and rest. I'll fix you something to eat. Would stew be alright?” The thought of eating meat made him feel sick and that combined with the dizziness almost overwhelmed him. He managed to control himself though.

  “Do you have some simple bread and cheese?” he asked in what he hoped was a polite tone.

  “Duncan doesn't eat meat, Sally,” Anouk said gently.

  “Oh! I'm sorry, Sir. I'll go find the bread. I believe we have some yellow cheese. It may be a bit hard though.” She kept mumbling to herself as she walked off toward the other room. Duncan turned to Anouk.

  “You didn't have to bandage me up. I thank you though. I'm afraid I can't stay long. Those Eremian soldiers were hunting for me I believe. Why else would Eremians be here?” He shook his head. It still felt a bit foggy.

  “The Eremians have occupied the Island Kingdom for years now. They must have came after you left.” Anouk hung her head.

  “Why would they occupy this place? It's of no importance to the empire. I would have thought they would still be licking their wounds from the Artorian war.” He looked back to her and noticed she had tears in her eyes. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “What happened?”

  “The Eremians.” She shook her head and held back tears. Duncan held her till she pulled back away from him.

  “You would think I would be over it by now.” She didn't meet his gaze.

  “Three years ago the Eremians came to my father's lumber mill. They told him they wanted all his wood for free. He told them they would pay him like everyone else or they would get nothing.” She stared down at the floor and grew quiet for a time. Duncan heard her quiet tears hit the wood floor. He waited calmly.

  “They tortured him. When he still wouldn't bow down, they...” She grew quiet again. When next she spoke, it was in a whisper. “They hurt me. In front of him. It was just me and Papa for years. Mother died when I was very little. He finally broke when they... hurt, me. They killed him and then took turns with me till they left me for dead.”

  She stopped talking and Duncan reached out and wrapped her up in his large arms again. She sobbed against his chest. He didn't say a thing to her. He just kept running his hand down her short brown hair. She sobbed into his arms. She didn't know why she had told him that. Sally was the only other person she had told that to. Now he would hate her. He would call her a filthy whore and throw her away. She tried to pull away from him so she could hide but he merely held her. She relaxed finally. It felt so good to have his arms around her. She finally felt safe. She wondered if this was what love felt like. She brought her right hand up and slowly began to trace the tattoos that she had found covered Duncan's body. From his wrists to his face. His hands were the only part of him not covered by the strange symbols and patterns. She could only imagine what they stood for or why he had them. When they had pulled the arrows out of his back, the skin had started sealing back up before their eyes. He still lost a lot of blood but his back was nearly healed by now she knew. She shook her head. Who was this man? His voice brought her back to herself.

  “Would you like to come meet my Mother and Father?” His voice was very quiet. She looked up and met his deep blue eyes with her hazel ones.

  “I would like that very much.”

  “Pack up some supplies then. We will have to leave tonight.” He hugged her once more and kissed her gently upon the forehead. She blushed. The spot he had kissed felt warm long after his lips had left it. He walked over to his pack that rested by the door and removed a shirt like the one he had worn earlier. He pulled it on and looked around for his pants.

  “We washed them,” she said as she figured out what he was looking for. “They will be dry soon.” He nodded and went back into his pack. He pulled out a pair of pants made from the same material as his shirt. He turned his back to her and dropped the towel. He was unashamed. He pulled the soft pants on quickly and carried the towel into the other room. She followed him into the kitchen. Sally was busying herself over the cook-fire. She had a pot of stew heating and was placing various herbs and spices into the pot between tastings. Duncan cleared his throat and she stood up so quickly she almost hit her head on the hearth.

  “I found some food for you, Sir. It's on the table here.” She saw that he held the towel and she rushed over to him. “Here, I'll take that for you.” She took the towel and rushed out the back door and out of sight.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “She's just shy around new people.” Duncan nodded as he walked to the table. He worried that maybe the small chair wouldn't hold his weight so he picked up the bread and cheese and walked out to the front porch to sit. Anouk followed him with two mugs of what smelled like cider. He nodded his thanks as she handed him a mug and sat beside him. He ate in silence for a time before she spoke.

  “What did you do to those soldiers? They outnumbered you by far.” She didn't look at him. Her eyes were looking at the place in the woods that she knew, from the amount of blood they had washed off Duncan, held a very gory scene.

  “I killed
them,” he said quietly. He stared off for a short time too then went back to eating and sipping the cider.

  “How? You only had a dagger. No one could have killed twenty armed soldiers with an eating knife.” She looked at him now. He didn't meet her gaze.

  “I killed them with my hands. Some quickly, some not so quickly. I'm glad you didn't see it.” He took another sip of cider. “This is good,” he said as he nodded to indicate the cider.

  “Yes the cider is good. Sally's husband George makes it. He should get back soon. Stop avoiding the question though. How did you do what you did back there?” Her voice held a stern tone. She wanted to know how he had done it. Her father hadn't been able to beat half the number this man had just taken out in a short time, with his bare hands no less.

  “Maybe this will help you understand.” He reached down and picked up a stone that was about the size of her fist. He wrapped his large hand around the stone and squeezed. She heard a cracking sound and when he opened his hand only dust poured out. She gasped.

  “Magic.” She looked at him again. “You're a mage!” He shook his head and looked down at the ground.

  “No, I am not a mage. I only know one spell. A simple spell someone taught me years ago. Someone I need to go see very soon, even though he may kill me for what I have done.” She saw that he had tears in his eyes. She scooted closer and placed her hand upon his shoulder.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” She could tell that he carried a large burden on his shoulders. She could feel it now. He sat for a long time without saying anything. Though he didn't remove her hand.

  “I killed the woman he loved more than life itself.” He looked directly into her eyes. “Because I wasn't strong enough, she died, a woman that was pure of heart, a woman that called me friend. I should have ended my life that day as well. Instead I ran away in fear of what I had done.” He hung his head in his hands. “I just wasn't strong enough.” He sobbed quietly. She stood and walked over before him. This time she held him while he cried. She held his head to her breast and stroked his hair. He cried quietly for a long time before he pushed her away and dried his eyes upon his shirt. “You shouldn't go with me really. I'll just get you killed. Everyone I care for gets killed because of me.” He didn't look up at her. She placed her hand under his chin and pulled his face up to look at her.