The Sword

by Bryan M. Litfin

  CHAPTER

  6

  Through the eyeholes in the jester’s mask, Teo caught the expression on Ana’s face—tentative, uncertain, hardly daring to hope. He hurt for what she had endured over the past several days. Although she had been cleaned up, she didn’t look well. She was gaunt in the cheeks, and her weakened movements told Teo her ordeal had taken a heavy toll. Like a rabbit caught by a pack of wolves, she had been preyed on, made sport of, and wounded by the evil men in the room.

  Despite her abuse, though, Ana still had spirit. Teo could see a spark of defiance remaining in her. Even in her diminished state, she fought against the men’s attempts to degrade her. Ana’s plight aroused Teo’s protective instincts, fueling him with burning anger and cold courage. It was time to make war.

  The raucous catcalls intensified as Teo and Ana swirled around one another, playing out their mock dance before the lusty crowd. As they stepped close, Ana leaned toward Teo and whispered, “I’m ready, Captain.”

  Maneuvering Ana in front of the fireplace, Teo pretended to threaten her with the bucket of filth. The feasting men urged him on, thrusting forward as they spouted encouragement. Even the king was calling for his new consort to be doused. Intense male aggression dominated the room.

  Teo acted swiftly. He ran at Ana, but she dodged him. Without stopping, Teo hurled the bucket’s contents into the fireplace. The fire went out with a loud hiss as an acrid cloud of steam billowed into the hall. In the same motion, Teo swept his ax from his baggy sleeve and brought it down hard on the ring to which the candle chandelier was tied. The ax severed the knot as steel rang against iron. The chandelier plunged to the floor, its candles extinguished. Shouts and confusion cluttered the sudden darkness in the feasting hall.

  Teo threw the jester’s mask to the floor. “Anastasia! I’m here!” He extended his hand in the dark.

  “I’m with you!” Teo felt Ana’s body next to his. Wrapping his arm around her, he stumbled toward the door. Tables and chairs overturned everywhere as drunken men careened around, shoving and cursing each other.

  The door to the hall opened as Teo and Ana ran toward it. A man with a lantern barred the way, holding a spiked club. Teo clicked the gemstone on his ax and sent a steel ball flying at him. The outsider dropped his lantern, which shattered in a cascade of burning oil. The man fell to the ground, moaning. Teo and Ana hurdled his writhing body and escaped into the night.

  In a stable around the corner, Teo had a horse saddled and packed with his gear. It was a big animal, and tonight it would have to prove its strength. Teo shed the jester’s robe and buckled on his sword.

  “Just one horse?” Ana asked as she gathered her skirts and swung into the saddle.

  Teo looked up at her with an amused expression. “Should I stroll around town and find us another?”

  “Look out!” Ana pointed behind him.

  Two armed men burst through the door. With his ax, Teo parried the first man’s slashing blow, then thrust his sword deep into the man’s abdomen. Before the other assailant could get into position, Teo kicked him hard in the chest and sent him sprawling into a pile of tack. Ana urged the horse forward. Teo leaped onto a hay bale, then into the saddle in front of her. His feet found the stirrups, and he galloped from the stable with Ana clinging to him.

  The banquet hall had caught fire. Flames licked its wooden sides and thatched roof. In the dancing yellow light, Teo guided the horse through the trees on the island until he found the bridge to the south bank. Lanterns illuminated its length. He had started across when he heard Ana’s urgent voice in his ear: “Archers! Ahead!” At the same moment, a barrage of arrows landed on the cobblestones around him. Teo wheeled the horse and galloped in the opposite direction, along the bridge to the north.

  “We’re heading away from home,” Ana said.

  “Home is overrated. Hang on!” Ana tightened her arms around Teo’s chest.

  Men had gathered at the end of the bridge, blocking the way with their spears. Teo leaned to the side of the bridge and grabbed a heavy lantern from a pole. As he charged the spearmen, he hurled the lantern into their midst. The sudden blaze forced them to draw back. Sword in hand, Teo thundered through the opening, slashing at his enemies. He dodged through the alleys of the riverside village until he reached the forest. The men’s shouts receded, and then Teo and Ana were enveloped by the Beyond.

  How long they rode through the forested hills, Teo couldn’t say. It seemed like several hours. He sensed they were wandering northwest, though he had no specific destination in mind. Of one thing he was certain: he needed to find shelter right away.

  It was a windy night. Rain began to fall in big, slow drops, then the downpour intensified, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Despite the chill, Teo was encouraged by the knowledge their tracks would be washed away. Yet he knew he couldn’t keep Anastasia exposed for much longer. She had begun to shiver.

  “Captain?” Ana’s voice was faint. “I’m feeling weak. I think—”

  Her grip on his chest loosened, and she started to slip from the horse’s back. Teo swung around and caught her before she could fall. He slid to the ground and took the trembling girl into his arms. Setting her feet lightly on the ground, he dug into his saddlebags with one hand while he supported her with the other. She hung on his neck to stay upright. Teo pulled out her winter cloak and wrapped it around her chilled body, with the hood covering her dripping hair. He lifted her back into the saddle and climbed behind her, holding her close for warmth. She murmured in her delirium and rocked gently as they rode along. Teo kept her from falling with his arm around her slim waist.

  In the driving rain, a bolt of lightning illuminated the woods for a moment. Teo glimpsed a man-made structure on a rocky outcrop above them. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he believed it would offer shelter from the elements. He turned the horse uphill.

  The building was a fortress of some kind. As Teo approached, he discerned it was very old. In fact, he guessed it predated the time of the Ancients’ great war by many centuries. Now its towers were crumbling, and its walls lay open to any intruder. The forest had encroached. Nevertheless, the dilapidated castle would provide protection from the wind and rain.

  Teo let the horse pick its way forward in the dark. By the intermittent lightning flashes, he could see they had entered a stone courtyard that once served as the castle’s outer defense. Up the cobbled path they climbed, toward an inner keep with two square towers. The wind was less ferocious here, but Teo sensed that even better shelter lay ahead. They crossed a deep moat on an old bridge, then slipped through an arched passageway into the protected heart of the castle.

  Most of the chambers in the ruins were open to the sky, but Teo found one that had managed to keep its low ceiling. He led the horse into it, knowing the animal’s body heat would warm the space. While Ana shivered in the saddle, Teo unfurled her bedroll and laid it on top of his own to create extra thickness on the stone floor. Ana tumbled from the horse into his arms, and he carried her limp form to the bed, covering her securely.

  As he turned to go outside to gather firewood, he heard Ana speak in a soft voice. “Teofil . . . thank you for coming for me.”

  “I always will,” he answered without thinking. The inexplicable reply puzzled him, and he felt embarrassed as the words left his mouth. He shook his head at the strange statement. Hunching into his cloak, he walked into the cold rain that fell upon the lonely castle.

  Ana awoke with a scream. A man loomed over her with malicious intent. Hysterical, she beat him with her fists, crying, “No! No! No!”

  “It’s okay, Anastasia, you’re safe! It’s me—Teofil! You’re safe!”

  Awareness of her surroundings gradually returned. Ana’s eyes came into focus, and she looked up to see Teofil kneeling at her side. The kind expression on his face, the weight of his hand on her shoulder, and the confirmation that she was no longer with the outsiders—these things caused a jumble of feelings to rush through he
r mind. Relief overcame her, and also gratitude for what this man had done.

  “I’m sorry. I—I must have had a nightmare.”

  “You’ve been living a nightmare. But it’s over now.”

  “Are we safe?”

  “For now, yes. And I intend to make that permanent. Until then, you need to recover your strength.”

  “Where are we?”

  “In a very old castle. I believe it was built by an early generation of the Ancients, long before the ones who destroyed their world. The last of the Ancients didn’t build stone fortresses like this.”

  Ana swiveled her head and examined the room. A campfire cast a soft glow on the bare walls. Nearby, the horse blew through its nostrils and clicked its hoof against the stone floor. Ana burrowed under her blankets, experiencing a sense of security she had never expected to enjoy again. “It’s warm in here,” she said. “I feel much better already.”

  “You’ve slept for several hours. It’s the middle of the night, but I imagine you’re hungry. I’ve made you something.” Teo moved from her bedside to the fire, returning with a small cookpot. She sat up in her bedroll and took the pot from his hand. It was melted cheese garnished with slivers of dried meat. Ana decided even her mother’s cooking had never smelled so good. Teofil set down some bread chunks and his knife.

  “Captain, how are my parents?” Ana speared a piece of bread and dipped it in the cheese.

  “They’re worried about you, of course. They grieve for you. Yet they took comfort when I swore to them—” Teofil glanced away.

  “What did you swear?” Ana waited for an answer. The campfire crackled and sent up sparks.

  “I swore I would bring you back or die in the attempt.”

  For a long time, neither said anything. At last Ana asked, “Why?”

  She noticed Teofil studying her face. Was he searching for an answer to her question? Or did he hesitate to give an answer he already knew? Sitting so close to him, Ana became suddenly aware of his masculine strength. He had a strong, square jaw, and his wide shoulders lent him an aura of power. His hands were the capable hands of a man who knew how to make good things happen. Ana looked him in the eyes and did not break off her gaze.

  Teo ended the moment. He stood up, laughing to himself. “I guess I owed you one! You saved my skin from the bear that time. Now we’re even!”

  Ana felt there was more to say than this but decided to let the matter drop. “How did you find me?”

  “I caught up with you at the camp on the lake where the outsiders were trading with trappers. I knew I couldn’t snatch you from the camp—you were too heavily guarded. So I hid in the cargo boat for three days, coming out only at night. When we reached the settlement, I waited until dark, then followed the sound of feasting. I sneaked into a stable and prepared a horse for our escape. Then I climbed onto the stable’s roof and looked through a window. I saw the men in the banquet hall. That jester was tormenting you.”

  Ana shivered at the mention of her ordeal. She chewed on her bread and cheese, reluctant to speak, yet wanting to hear the full story.

  “It angered me,” Teo said, pacing around the firelit chamber with his fists clenched. He seemed to be reliving the events as he spoke. “I was furious. Battle rage overtook me. I couldn’t wait any longer. The jester came into the alley to drink from a flask, and I decided on a plan.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Let’s just say he will jest no more.”

  Ana sucked in her breath at Teofil’s words. “You were bold to act when you did. It wasn’t an opportune time.”

  “Yes and no. Certainly it wasn’t the secretive approach. But since all the men were drunk, I took a risk. Besides, it was my last chance.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Teofil came and knelt at Ana’s side. “You’re tired, Anastasia, and you need to finish your food. We can talk of your hardships another time.”

  “It is hard to speak of,” she acknowledged, “but it feels better to talk about it than to keep it inside. Why was it your ‘last chance’?”

  Teofil sighed. “My last chance until you would be—”

  “What?”

  “Ravished.”

  The word seemed to embarrass the young captain of the Royal Guard. Ana was touched by his awkward concern for her. Somehow it seemed out of character for such a rugged man. And yet she had always known he had this softer side. Unfortunately, his tenderness was too often hidden by bravado.

  “Thank you, Teofil, for considering my purity. I remain untouched.”

  “Then your parents will be relieved. And I’m very glad I acted when I did.”

  “Well, Captain, if you hadn’t come in time, I was prepared to use this.” Ana withdrew a tiny dagger from her neckline.

  Teo’s eyes widened. “Do you always carry a knife hidden on your body?”

  Ana tilted her head and glanced at Teo from the corners of her eyes. A smile played at her lips. “Perhaps I’ll let you think so,” she said with a wink.

  The sun didn’t rise that morning but only lightened the mist that shrouded the ancient castle. Ana was asleep again. Good. She needs the rest.

  Teo faced the age-old dilemma of any hunted quarry: flee at top speed, or go into hiding? He had chosen the latter option out of necessity, but now their lack of movement made him uncomfortable. He knew searchers would start combing the forest at first light. He felt trapped.

  At the castle’s highest point, a square tower loomed into the sky. Teo guessed it would provide a good vantage point. He wanted to get above the fog to survey the surrounding terrain, so he hiked up to its base. The tower entrance was barred by a door, but its rusty hinges suggested it could easily be pulled out. When he gave the door a yank, however, it wouldn’t budge. Retrieving a coil of rope from his gear, he hitched his horse to the ancient door. It was no match for the horse’s strength, and it burst off its hinges at the first pull.

  Teo entered and peered upward, examining the tower’s hollow core. The sound of bats reached his ears from above, and their pungent guano covered the floor. A wooden staircase lined the interior wall. Teo tested the first step, then the next. The staircase felt strong enough. He decided to try it.

  As Teo climbed, he began to regret his decision. The higher he went, the less stable the staircase felt. To fall here would mean serious injury, if not death. Yet he was almost to the top. Teo was debating whether to keep going or turn back when the landing he was standing on collapsed.

  He dived forward, grabbing the steps ahead, clinging to the crumbling wood while his feet dangled over empty space. A colony of bats burst from their roost, swirling around Teo with high-pitched squeaks and fluttering wings as he desperately tried to claw his way up. With a lunge, he scrambled onto the wobbly staircase and bounded up the final steps to the safety of the roof.

  Out in the sunlight, he immediately realized that his gamble, though far too risky, had paid off. The tower’s top did protrude from the mist, providing a view of the black forest that extended for many leagues in every direction. White wisps clung to the low places, and a ribbon of fog lined the river by which he had arrived at the outsiders’ village.

  Teo was especially glad to get a bird’s-eye view of the river’s course. He knew the outsiders’ settlement lay to the south. There the river flowed east-to-west, but it made a right turn as it curved around in a northerly direction, not far from his current position. If he could somehow cross the river, perhaps he could lose his pursuers and get beyond their territory. He decided to pack up and make for the river.

  The damaged stairs were no longer an option, so Teo pulled the coil of rope from his shoulder, tied it to a merlon in the tower’s battlement, and slid to the ground. He hated to leave some of the rope’s length behind, but there was nothing else to do, so he cut it and stowed the remainder in a saddlebag. He found Ana awake in the stone hall. She had prepared coffee and a morning porridge.

  “Feeling better?” he asked.


  “Much better, now that I’ve taken some food. Rothgar wasn’t much of a host.”

  “Rothgar?”

  “The chieftain with the braided beard.”

  “Oh, right. I saw him. A cruel man.”

  “Someday he’ll get what he deserves.” Ana smiled ruefully, and Teo was encouraged to hear the spirit in her voice.

  “Anastasia, are you well enough to travel? I’m afraid if we stay here any longer, we’ll be discovered.”

  “Yes, I can travel. Where will you take us?”

  “I want to cross the river. I have a plan.”

  “It seems you always do, Captain. Have something to eat, and then let’s go.”

  While Teo wolfed down a breakfast, Ana saddled the horse. Even with two riders, the horse was in the mood to step out. Teo followed a trail to the northwest, knowing it would eventually intersect the river. From time to time they crossed roads of the Ancients, including a wide highway for steel carriages. Immediately after that, they reached the river.

  Teo dismounted and helped Ana from the saddle. She was still wearing her red gown, which was ill-suited to riding. He emptied the horse’s saddlebags and began to repack the contents into his rucksack.

  “We’re continuing on foot?”

  “That’s my plan. We’ll make the outsiders think we’re on this side of the river but we’ll secretly swim across it. We might shake them off our trail. It will be much harder to track us on foot.”

  “Not if they have dogs.”

  Teo looked at Ana. He hadn’t considered that possibility. “Let’s hope they don’t.”

  Gathering stones from the riverbank, Teo lashed them to the saddle and filled the saddlebags to mimic his weight for anyone reading their tracks. “That’s about right for me,” he said, then began to add weight for a second rider. Ana discerned what he was doing and gathered some small stones of her own. Teo hoisted a final rock and wedged it on top.

  Ana cleared her throat. Teo glanced at her. She had her hands on her hips, eyebrows arched, an indignant expression on her face.