by Tom Mohan
Sara peered out the tunnel opening. There were a few trees just outside, but other than those the area was clear for a good thirty paces. She had never read anything about the accuracy of a Horde archer, but she knew that chances were good that at least one of them would be hit on the way to safety.
Sara pulled her sword from its scabbard. She needed the power that had flooded her in the cavern. Concentrating on the image of her dead parents, she allowed herself to relive the pain of her mom’s death, to feel the blade slicing into her flesh. She allowed the hatred of the one called Manasseh to flood her and, with it, the strange and powerful gift from her dying mother.
Master Eleazar frowned at her. “Glory be, girl. Be that what I think it is?”
“I don’t know what it is, but I know it can help us.” Sara shook with raw power as she fought to keep from racing blindly into the battle.
“’Tis the light of Ash-Shaytan,” Master Eleazar said in an awed voice. “None but the Holy Father has wielded the power since the great war.”
“My mother did,” Sara said.
“Nay, girl, ‘tis not possible.”
Sara shrugged, seeing no reason to argue. She spun her sword before her, faster than she ever imagined possible—yet almost effortlessly. Sparks of light formed a glowing shield, and a plan occurred to her. “If I go out alone, they will all aim in the same direction—at me. The rest of you keep your backs to the cliff and move to that point over there.” She motioned with her sword to a spot where an outcropping would allow the group to advance about ten paces into the clearing without being easy targets.
“That still leaves a long way to go, even if they are concentrating on you,” Dana said. “We’d never make it.”
“Besides,” Kyle chimed in, “you’ll probably be dead by then.”
Sara had known they would react this way, but she knew she could do it. “I can cover the arrows. When you get to that point, fall into single file behind me. That way they will still only have one place to aim. As long as the group stays tight, I can block anything that comes at us.”
The group remained silent for a moment before Kyle spoke up. “You were impressive in the cavern, I’ll give you that. But you don’t really know how to use this sudden power.”
Another shriek echoed from deep within the tunnel.
“Can you think of a better idea?” Ryan asked. “I don’t like putting Sara out front any better than you do, but we’re running out of time. I trust her. If she says she can do it, that’s good enough for me.”
Sara looked back and forth between the two boys. Kyle still looked unhappy but refrained from replying. Another scream from the monster, this time accompanied by the rotting stench that followed it, decided the matter for them.
“Looks like we go with yer plan, lass,” Master Eleazar said.
Sara took a deep breath. Now that it was time to move, she was nearly paralyzed with the fear of failing her friends and getting them all killed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on clearing her mind of all distractions. She was dimly aware of her friends backing off to give her room, and then even they faded from her awareness. Finally, she opened her eyes and stepped to the opening. Just outside, a bird fluttered from one tree to another. Sara saw it as though in slow motion, each beat of its wings distinct in her mind.
An unnatural calm spread through her. She turned her back to the clearing and moved out of the tunnel. From above, she heard the thrum of a bow string and felt, more than saw, the released arrow fly toward her. With hardly a thought, her glowing sword deflected the annoying object. As if that were the signal for the rest of the Horde archers, arrows filled the air above her. She kept her mind calm as her blade danced before her, destroying anything that came near. She backed further into the clearing, moving to her right to get into position for the rest to fall in behind her. She had no attention to spare for her friends and hoped they were doing as she had instructed.
And then she was in position. A light touch on her back told her all she needed to know, and she began backing toward the trees. Then something so unexpected happened that she nearly lost her grip on her sword.
The sneering face of a man appeared in the glowing aura of her twirling sword.
Manasseh.
The ice-blue eyes stared at her beneath unkempt wavy brown hair. They bore into her soul like they knew every aspect of her being. She flinched back as the face appeared to grow nearer…and then something changed. The face was still there, still Manasseh, but for an instant all the hate faded and he was just a man—a familiar man. Like a memory from her past.
A flash of pain in her left shoulder brought Sara back to her surroundings. She staggered, almost dropping her weapon.
“Sara! Are you okay?” Dana’s voice came from behind her, but Sara couldn’t answer. A quick glance at her arm told her the arrow had only scratched her flesh. She struggled to maintain the barrier as more arrows rained down on her and her friends. Sweat trickled down her face and back, further distracting her from her task. Her arms felt like lead, and she knew her energy was about spent. The distraction, no matter how insignificant, had pulled her out of her calm, and she couldn’t get it back while in the thick of things.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to. A strong hand grabbed Sara by the back of her shirt and jerked her into the safety of the trees. Her knees buckled, and she felt herself pulled behind a large tree and lowered to the ground. A wave of dizziness washed over her.
“Sara, are you all right? Talk to me.”
That was Dana, Sara knew, though the girl’s voice sounded strange and hollow in her ears.
“We can’t stay here,” someone else said.
Master Eleazar? Yes, it must have been him. Sara felt herself pulled to her feet, but her legs refused to support her. Her arms were draped over the shoulders of two people, but she couldn’t even raise her head enough to see who they were. Then they were moving, her feet dragging the ground behind her. She wanted to help, but her body had turned traitor, refusing her every command. Awareness came and went as the small party wound its way through the dense forest. Though she never lost consciousness, Sara’s numb mind felt as though she slogged through the thick mire of a dream. Ghostly shadows all around her, the sound of heavy breathing, and her own parched throat morphed her surroundings into a helpless nightmare.
At one point, the sound of steel on steel and cries of pain brought Sara back to reality. She was lying on the soft ground, able to do little more than open her eyes. Damp leaves and grass filled her vision, and, once, a foot stepped almost on her nose. Then she was dragged again, uncertain how much time had passed. Later, she was again settled on the ground, this time sitting against a tree, and water was poured over her dry lips.
“Stay with us,” a male voice said.
Ryan? She thought so and struggled to focus her eyes on him.
“What’s wrong with her, Master?”
“Legend says usin’ the power can do this to a person if they ain’t used to it,” Master Eleazar said. “Might have burned herself out. Could be poison, too.”
Sara felt a hand on her arm and flinched as white-hot pain shot through it.
“Look here,” he continued, “see how red and swollen the wound is? You’ve all had the healin’ classes. Fan out. Find some witch bane and aloe.”
Sara’s consciousness faded out for a time, and when she next woke she was screaming into a hand that was pressed tightly over her mouth. Her arm felt like it was being torn off.
“Hush, Sara, it’s all right. It should be better soon.” It was Kyle’s voice this time, and his hand preventing her from screaming and bringing the Horde upon them.
In moments, the pain began to fade, replaced with a cool numbness. Sara felt the tension ooze from her body. She raised her good arm and shoved Kyle’s hand away. Her vision was still blurred, but she could see Dana, Ryan, and Kyle hovering over her.
“Master Eleazar?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
“He’s aro
und somewhere,” Dana said, kneeling beside Sara. “How you feeling? You gave us quite a scare.”
Sara wasn’t really sure how she felt. Her arm was almost completely numb now, but she was still dizzy and weak. “I think I’ll live,” she said. “Don’t think I’ll be fighting for a while, though.” She looked around again. They were still in the forest, but she had no idea where. “Are we safe?”
“Safe as we can be, considering,” Master Eleazar said as he slipped into the group.
Sara often forgot how stealthily the weapons master could move—her usual experience with him involved him yelling in the training arena.
“I scouted a ways out, and there’s no sign of the vermin. Doesn’t mean we can sit around having a tea party, though. They’ll be on us if we lollygag.”
As if the old master’s words were prophetic, Dana grunted and fell forward over Sara’s outstretched legs, a dagger embedded in her back.
“Dana!” Sara screamed in unison with Ryan.
Master Eleazar spun and scanned the woods while Ryan and Kyle stood over the two wounded girls. Sara’s eyes were locked on the rough wood handle protruding from Dana’s back. Blood trickled from around it—not much, but enough. Sara reached for it and, without thinking, jerked it out. More blood oozed from the gash, and Sara pulled the medicine-soaked moss from her own arm and pressed it against wound.
“I don’t see whoever ‘twas threw it, but we can’t wait around for the rest of his buddies to get here. We must move.” The old weapons master was already hurrying off into the trees.
Ryan was wide-eyed as he grabbed Dana and tossed her limp body over his shoulder while Kyle helped Sara to her feet. She already felt stronger and could stand on her own. Her heart melted at the pain and fear that contorted Ryan’s face. The three young warriors followed the weapons master as he wove an intricate trail through the trees. Had Sara lost sight of the man, she doubted she could have followed the nearly nonexistent trail he left. She did her best to leave as little evidence of her passage as possible, but knew Ryan would not be able to follow suit with his added burden.
Sara had no idea how long they ran, but in her weakened condition it seemed miles. She held the moss bandage to Dana’s wound with her right hand as she stumbled along beside Ryan. Her left arm still hung numb at her side. Master Eleazar continued to lead the way, and Kyle ran behind them, urging them on. The young warrior sounded much like the weapons master did in the training arena. And, while Sara was sure Kyle meant it as motivation, he was getting on her nerves.
“Shouldn’t they have caught up to us by now?” Sara asked, voicing a thought that had nagged at her for quite some time.
“What? You want them to catch us?”
Sara could almost picture the familiar sneer on Kyle’s face.
“Of course not. But it seems like we’re getting away awful easily, doesn’t it? I mean, the two of you had to drag me who knows how long, and now Ryan’s carrying Dana. We aren’t exactly being quiet, either.”
Ryan’s panting confirmed her remark. “She has a point. They should have caught up to us by now. What’s holding them back?”
“I should have known you two would take sides against me. Always Sara and Ryan. Never any room for me in your little group.”
Sara tried to turn her face to Kyle without slowing, but her hair hung in the way. “What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with you. I was just making an observation.”
“Well, keep your lame observations to yourself.”
Ryan was about to retort, but Sara shook her head, and he held his tongue. Sweat ran freely down the red-haired young man’s face, and Sara’s heart went out to him. She knew he must be frantic to check on the condition of his twin, but they couldn’t risk stopping even for a few moments. She smiled at him, and he returned a tired smile of his own.
Sara ran into Master Eleazar’s back. The old battle master had stopped and held up a hand, indicating the rest of the team should halt and remain silent. Sara held her breath and listened, but the woods were still. No birds, no crickets, no wind. Master Eleazar lowered his hand and pointed. Sara followed his finger and saw a small cabin nestled in the trees ahead. No sign of movement came from the small building. Even the windows were dark.
Master Eleazar turned toward them. “You wait here,” he said. “Watch our backs while I check it out.”
Sara split the time between watching the old man and keeping an eye on the woods around them. The battle master advanced on the cabin, circled it, and peered inside the dirty windows. Finally, he motioned for them to join him in front of the cabin.
“I don’t really like stopping, but young Dana needs tending, and we ain’t got nowhere to run to. At least the cabin will keep their arrows off us.”
“They’ll just burn us out, if it comes to that,” Kyle said.
Sara couldn’t argue with his logic.
“Then don’t let the vermin get that close.” The old master scowled and stomped to the cabin door. The rest of them followed.
Four walls, one with a cold iron stove, greeted them inside the bare cabin. Sara took in the interior at a glance—two windows, one door, and no furnishings to speak of. She helped Ryan lower Dana to the floor as gently as possible. The girl was unconscious but breathing. Ryan rolled her to one side and pulled the moss from her wound.
“It isn’t all red and swollen like yours was,” he said. “I don’t think the dagger was poisoned.”
“Well, that’s something at least,” Sara said. She took another look around the cabin. “There’s nothing here to bandage her with.”
“I still be having some of the salve we made up for you. It’s mostly for the poison but will clean the wound well enough. You two keep a lookout, I’ll tend the girl.”
Sara could see that Ryan was torn between staying with his sister and obeying the master. In the end, his discipline won out. He nodded and moved away.
Sara reached up and put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “She’ll be okay. We’ll get her out of here.”
She could tell by the look on the young man’s face that he wasn’t so sure, but he nodded and walked to the window on the right side of the cabin. Sara turned toward the other window and caught Kyle giving her a look of something between disgust and anger.
“What?” she asked.
He grunted and turned his attention back toward the partially open door. Sara was becoming concerned with Kyle’s attitude. They had never been close, and she didn’t know him well enough to figure him out. Still, whenever she was around, his mood swung all over the place. One moment he was friendly and courteous, if somewhat overbearing, and the next he would treat her like she had done something horrible. She knew he wanted more of a relationship with her. But she wasn’t interested in him.
She sighed and gazed out the window. She had enough problems of her own without trying to figure Kyle’s out as well. She raised her injured arm and flexed her fingers. At least she was getting use of it back. Once the poison had been nullified by the medicine, the wound itself was little more than a scratch.
Sara thought she caught a glimpse of movement in the trees. Then she heard a sudden clunk, and the floor dropped out from beneath her. She tried to grab the window frame, but the action caught her so by surprise that her fingertips only caught the edge, and then she fell into darkness. The ground slammed against her feet before she expected it, jarring her knees and hips. She rolled as best as she could and collided with someone else. She heard a grunt and the sound of something snapping just before a gasp of pain. Before she could get a good look around, the floor above them popped back into place, becoming the ceiling and leaving them in total darkness.
“What is it with this underground crap?” Kyle said. “I’m getting tired of the dark.”
Sara struggled to her feet, reaching out with her hands, but felt nothing. I must have rolled toward the center of the room, she thought.
“Welcome, my friends. Welcome.”
Sara spun toward the
unfamiliar voice. A dim light floated about three feet off the floor. As she watched, the light grew in size and brightness. She felt someone move up beside her, but her attention was locked onto the vision. The light continued to brighten until it was almost too intense to look into. At the same time, it took on an almost-human shape, though shorter and stockier—the size of a member of the Horde. She took a step back and reached for her sword, but it wasn’t there. She realized one of the others must have taken it from her when she collapsed after escaping the tunnel.
The light radiating from the ghostly figure illuminated the dark space. A quick glance told her that none of the others had drawn their weapons yet. Sara pulled her dagger from her belt.
Finally the light dimmed, and a small figure stood before them holding up an old lantern. Sara thought he was the strangest man she’d ever seen. Not more than four feet tall, he had a long narrow face that was wrinkled with age. Tufts of white hair dotted his nearly bald head, and, though she thought it could be the light, Sara was pretty sure his skin was pale green. The man wore a tattered brown tunic that reached to his feet, the toes of well-worn boots peering out from beneath.
Sara held her dagger out in front of her, but the figure that stood before them didn’t look dangerous. Nor did he look like one of the Horde—though to call him human would have been a stretch. He stood no more than four feet in height, with a stocky body, large eyes, and long pointed ears. A tuft of white hair spouted from the top of his head. He was almost comical and almost familiar.
“At last you have come, but are you the one?” The small man’s voice sounded scratchy and ancient.
“You talk like you were expecting us,” Sara said.
“Expecting someone, but you? That we shall see.” The little man turned and moved toward the back of the room, his lantern illuminating a door in the wall that Sara hadn’t noticed. Without another word, he walked to the door—which swung open without any effort on his part—and passed through it.