Daniel gave a quick glance Aidan’s way and saw his lips curl up at the corners. His eyes flashed, and he moved quickly to Atreyu’s heels, his thirst for a fight burning in his chest. Daniel allowed the two girls to exit in front of him, and he closed the door softly behind him before descending the stairs. Down in the market, Daniel hustled to catch up with Atreyu.
“Is there a secret way out of town?” Daniel asked.
Atreyu cocked his head to the side. “Why?”
“I just want to involve as few people as possible in this. If the guard at the gate sees us leave, he might realize it was our group when he hears of the fight with Argyle’s men. If someone here knows we...you were involved, the town will be in danger. If we can sneak out and take care of what needs to be done without anyone seeing us, I think it’ll be safer for us all.”
Atreyu still didn’t look convinced, but turned north toward the back end of town instead of south to the main entrance. After weaving their way through the dark and deserted streets, the small clan ran into a dead end.
“What the…?” Aidan began.
“Shhhh,” Atreyu replied, putting his finger to his lips. Atreyu leaned down and pulled at a few stones that had been piled in the corner at the end of the street. Moving them out of the way, he squatted down and began pushing at the rocks on the other side. When they shifted out of the way, the others could see the moonlight bouncing off the surface of the pale stones on the other side. Atreyu slid quickly through the hole, followed by the others. When Daniel had pulled himself back up into a standing position, Atreyu quickly set the rocks back in their places. From this side, it was impossible to tell there was an entrance there. They were standing in a small culvert that ran the length of the walls of the town. The entire waterway was filled with identical bone-white rock. Without Atreyu, Daniel doubted they’d be able to find their way back into the town via this route even though they now knew it was there. It was just impossible to see amongst the identically colored stones.
Now that they were out of the village, Daniel again took the lead, taking them into the forest for a while rather than using the main road where they’d be at risk of being seen by the gate guards. Once out of view of the town, Daniel moved them back to the road.
“I’m going to go scout up ahead,” Daniel announced. “Keep to the road. If you hear anything, get into the forest quickly. You’ll be able to hide and fight better in there. And Aidan,” Daniel continued, turning to face his brother, “you may want to start gathering some of your friends as you go.”
Aidan nodded. “I’ve already got six or seven coming this way that I’ll be able to bring with us,” Aidan answered. He ignored the bewildered expression on Atreyu’s face.
“And why don’t you fill Atreyu in on our gifts. He needs to know what he’s gotten himself into, and with whom.”
Daniel gave them all a quick pat on the arm before vanishing.
“How does he do that?” Atreyu questioned.
“Come on,” Lilly giggled. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. “I’ll fill you in on all the interesting quirks of our little circle of friends.”
Olivia took the lead, followed by her sister and Atreyu, while Aidan and friends brought up the rear. Whenever Aidan felt another animal presence in the vicinity, he tried to bring it into the fold before it could get back out of his range of influence. By the time Lilly had finished her summary of everyone’s skills, Aidan had assembled a support team of six wolves, two mountain lions, four wolverines, two badgers, six deer, and a colony of bats. Custos had also rejoined the group and was lumbering along through the trees to the south.
Atreyu and Lilly kept chatting as they walked, Atreyu asking an occasional question about the others as they popped into his head. Olivia stayed alert at the front, scanning the road as far out as she could see when they crested small hills. Aidan focused his attention on gathering more animals for the impending fight. He’d had some luck when they first left the village, but they seemed to have hit a relatively uninhabited area. The concern that he wouldn’t get enough warning if werewolves approached crossed his mind more than once. They trudged along, mindful of their surroundings until Daniel came jogging up the road toward them.
Olivia put her arm around his shoulders and led him to a nearby boulder. He sat down, out of breath and sweaty. Olivia pulled her canteen out and popped the top off. Daniel took a long pull from the flask before choking. Spewing water on Lilly, who happened to be standing in front of him, Daniel gasped for air between lung busting coughs. When he finally caught his breath, he looked up at Lilly.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
Lilly stood, still dripping. “Gross,” was her only reply as she raised her arms from her sides and flung them about like a dog trying to shake water from its tail.
Olivia chuckled to herself before looking back to Daniel. “Did you find them?”
Daniel nodded. “They’re still a ways off,” he replied, “and there’s a good spot for an ambush up ahead. If we hurry, we can get there and set up before they arrive.”
“How many are there?” Atreyu asked from behind Aidan.
Daniel craned his neck to see around his younger brother. He locked eyes with Atreyu before answering. “There are fifteen of them.”
Daniel watched Atreyu’s mouth fall open. “Fifteen?! How are we supposed to fight fifteen of Argyle’s men? We’re only children! We can’t win a battle like that.” Atreyu dropped into a sitting position in the middle of the road. “Impossible,” he muttered, picking up a small rock and throwing it into the bushes.
“No,” Olivia remarked, her voice full of defiance. “Not impossible. I watched Aidan fight ten of Argyle’s men by himself and win. I’ve fought with Daniel, Aidan, and Lilly, and we’ve won. We can win this one too. Now get up off the ground Atreyu and act like you care about fighting back, about defending your town, about defending your brother.”
Atreyu rose slowly to his feet. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Whatever, let’s go. Yay,” he commented, twirling his finger in the air.
“Listen,” Olivia growled, “if you don’t want to fight, that’s one thing. If you WON’T fight, that’s another. Your brother is back there, and if we don’t stop Argyle’s men, what do you think will happen to him?”
Atreyu kept his head down and shuffled his feet. “I’ll fight. I just don’t see how we can win.”
“Well then watch. You’re about to see it firsthand.” Olivia looked over at Daniel. “Lead the way.”
The walk was quiet and hurried. Daniel kept the pace swift, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to make sure nobody was falling behind. Just as Atreyu was about to ask for a break, Daniel halted.
“Here we are.” Daniel pointed to a field to the left, littered with fallen trees. “Olivia and Lilly, you two will be in there. Find a good spot and keep your heads down until they come around that curve up there. When they get to about where we’re standing now, that’s when I want you to start firing. That gives them the least amount of cover. Atreyu and I will move a bit farther up the road here and hide. Once they pass, we’ll be able to cut off their retreat. Aidan, you and your...friends can stay out of sight back down the road a little where all those boulders were, remember? Once Olivia starts things off, you can move in. Oh, and look!” Daniel added with a sweeping gesture of his right arm, indicating the forest that lined the southern border of the clearing. Aidan, Olivia, and Atreyu peered into the gloom.
“What about it?” Aidan asked.
“Notice all the bones?” Daniel asked, the excitement building in his voice.
Aidan stepped a little closer, his eyes squinting as he tried to see into the shadows. Daniel saw one of his eyebrows lift and a smile form when Aidan made the connection.
“Assassin vines,” Aidan almost laughed. “Perfect!”
“They stretch pretty far along this edge, so everyone be sure to stay away from them. Once the fighting starts, we’ll have too much to do to fight off plants too.”
“Creepy creepers,” Olivia answered. “Stay away from them. They’ll eat you.”
Atreyu’s eyes bulged.
“Just don’t go in there. I’ll give you a closer look on our way to our hiding spot so you know what they look like and can stay away from them.” Daniel looked back to the others. “Everyone clear on their roles? Let’s go.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Atreyu blurted out. “You’ve got a magical centaur bow and arrow and can disappear and reappear whenever and wherever you want. He can talk to animals,” he went on, cocking a finger in Aidan’s direction, “and they have rifles. All I’ve got is my sling and you want me to cut off the retreat of fifteen of Argyle’s men while keeping an eye out for killer plants?”
“You’re with me,” Daniel said patiently. “I’ll put you in a safe place. Make sure you stay out of sight as much as possible. I’ll make sure they don’t get near you. Just sling away. The more confusion we can cause, the better.”
Atreyu looked about to retort, but bit his lip instead. Daniel looked to the others. “You ready? They’ll be here soon.”
“Be safe everyone,” Olivia mumbled before grabbing her sister by the arm and trotting off into the field to find a good location from which to shoot.
Aidan slapped Daniel on the back. “See you soon,” he chuckled. He dropped a quick wink before running back the way they’d come.
Daniel watched him disappear around a bend before turning back to Atreyu. “Follow me.”
Daniel and Atreyu took a closer look at the assassin vines so Atreyu could identify them. Daniel kept his knife out just in case, but either they weren’t close enough for the plant to notice them, or maybe it was full. Either way, both boys moved a little faster than needed as they moved away from the carnivorous vegetation. They jogged up to where the forest again lined the sides of the road. Here, the trees were large and thick enough that the light of the moon could not penetrate the canopy that had grown together overhead. The path loomed like an open mouth, black and forbidding. Daniel peeled off to the north and entered the trees quietly, slowing to allow Atreyu to catch up and grab his shirt. No point in risking getting separated. Daniel only moved a few steps into the trees before squatting down. In the process he bumped his quiver and sent his arrows spilling out into the darkness. Daniel hissed in frustration.
Atreyu hunkered down next to him. “What is it?”
“I dropped my arrows.”
“What do we do?”
“We’ll have to come back for them later,” Daniel replied, “after the fight.”
“Later? You don’t have any arrows!” Atreyu retorted.
“I’ll be fine, now quiet. It shouldn’t be long until we see them coming up the road,” Daniel whispered. “They’re carrying torches.” He smiled. Atreyu frowned. “We’ll be able to see them,” Daniel explained, “but they won’t be able to see us in the dark.”
“Oh,” was all Atreyu could find to say.
Both the boys focused their attention on the path winding its way through the woods. Soon, a flickering glow announced the arrival of Argyle’s men. Atreyu held his breath, the light growing brighter. He let out a huff of air when the first man rounded the corner. Daniel elbowed him sharply. “Shh.”
Atreyu and Daniel pushed themselves against the tree as the group of men passed. With the exception of the stomping of their feet and creaking of their equipment, not a sound was made. No talking, no laughing. These mercenaries were here for business and business only.
When the last one passed, Daniel crept around the tree he’d been hiding behind, keeping it between him and the men before peeking out. After a few seconds, Daniel beckoned Atreyu to him.
“Stay in the trees if you can,” Daniel whispered. “Some of them have crossbows and the trees will give you cover. Remember, sling as many rocks as you can as fast as you can. Understood?” Atreyu nodded. “Good. Remember to wait for Olivia to take a shot. That will be your signal, okay?” Again Atreyu nodded and squatted down. He fumbled around in the dark before picking up a few stones. Daniel picked up a thick branch. “I’m going to go introduce myself. I’ll see you when it’s over. If each of us is careful, we should all come out of this in one piece. Think about Halem. He needs you to fight, and he needs you to live.”
As Daniel had requested, Olivia waited until the small unit of men was centered in the clearing. Taking an easy breath and slowly releasing it, she sighted in on one of the men, the only one who carried a rifle, and squeezed the trigger. He collapsed to the ground and the other men scrambled in all directions. Olivia dropped behind the moss-covered log and exchanged guns with Lilly. Popping back up, she searched for another target.
“Not good,” she muttered, taking aim and firing again.
“What is it?” Lilly asked as she pulled the ramrod out and again traded rifles with Olivia.
“There are a few moving this way. They know we’re here.”
“You’re right, not good,” Lilly responded. She worked to reload quickly.
Aidan meanwhile had again transformed into his favored form of a mountain lion and was working with his animal friends to deal with the men who had continued forward along the path when Olivia had started the assault. He moved quickly in and out, searching for weak points in their improvised defenses. They had huddled together in a tight formation facing out when Aidan had first attacked. He’d peeled off at the last second and dashed into the nearby trees as an arrow whizzed just over his sleek back. For the most part, they were at an impasse. The men couldn’t move much farther down the road, pinned in by the circling pack. Nor could the animals move in to attack across the relatively open terrain without risking being shot. Aidan dashed to and fro, circling the men. He let out periodic growls to keep the men guessing as to where, and how many, animals were out there.
On the opposite side of the clearing, Atreyu began his assault as instructed, waiting for the first report of a gunshot before letting loose his first stone. It caught one of the mercenaries squarely over the right ear, dropping him to the ground in an unconscious heap. A small trickle of blood oozed out of the enormous knot forming just behind his temple. Atreyu quickly stepped behind a nearby tree while reloading his sling. Taking a quick peek to check for his next target, he swung the sling around his head before leaping out and firing. His shot again found its mark, this time between the eyes of one of the other men who’d been carrying a crossbow. Atreyu also noted the two additional men who lay prone at the edge of the road, only their legs sticking out, their torsos hidden in the tall grass that lined the trail. One of the bodies began sliding slowly toward the forest.
The assassin vines must still be hungry, Atreyu thought to himself before realizing what was about to happen. He grimaced and tried to refocus on the battle. Atreyu scanned the scene and saw the two men working their way toward Olivia’s position. He watched as one of the men pitched forward and collapsed, disappearing into the grass.
Olivia, still hidden behind the log at the northern edge of the clearing, was about to fire when the man she’d been aiming at slumped to the ground. Daniel, she thought to herself. Frustrated that he’d taken out her target instead of the man’s companion, she shifted her weapon toward the remaining mercenary advancing on her position when she saw him fire his crossbow. A scream caught in her throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut, sure the arrow would find a home in her bosom. Nothing. She opened her eyes, shocked to still be alive, and saw the man redrawing his bow. Confused, but with instinct taking over, she pulled the butt to her shoulder, sighted her weapon and fired. He dropped. Olivia collapsed against the log, shaking violently, the scream in her throat threatening to break free. A whimper fought its way out.
“What happened?” Lilly asked, alarmed. She shuffled forward, searching the ground with outstretched hands until she found Olivia. Lilly grabbed her sister and pulled her to her chest, holding her close.
“I don’t...do
n’t know,” Olivia choked out. “I should be dead. I should...he shot me.” Her chest heaved as she held on to her sister and trembled.
Lilly ran her hands over her sister’s body. “You’ve been shot? Where? Is it bad?” Her hands continued their search, finding nothing to indicate her older sister was wounded in any way. She was frantic and breathing hard, but her sharpened senses picked up the rustling sound of someone or something moving their way. Lilly pried herself free of Olivia’s grasp, picked up a rifle and sprung up, ready to aim and fire. She was unlikely to hit whatever was headed their way, but she might be able to buy some time. Lilly was blind, but Argyle’s men didn’t know that. A second’s hesitation on their part might make the difference between life and death. Instead of a mercenary, Atreyu stopped dead in his tracks and raised his hands.
“Just me,” he stated. “Don’t shoot me please. It’s Atreyu,” he went on when he realized she might not recognize his voice.
“Is there anyone else?”
Atreyu scanned the clearing. “Uh, no.”
“Come here,” Lilly commanded before dropping back down to her sister’s side.
Atreyu raced around the end of the log and squatted down beside the two girls.
“What’s wrong with her?” Atreyu asked, his voice suddenly filled with concern. “Is she hurt?”
“No,” Lilly answered. “I don’t know. She said he shot her but she wasn’t hit by anything that I can feel. I don’t know what happened. Where are Daniel and Aidan?” Lilly asked.
“No idea,” Atreyu replied as he straightened up and looked around.
“Wasn’t Daniel with you?” Lilly asked, agitated.
“He started with me,” Atreyu answered defensively, “but you try keeping an eye on him.” He realized his mistake and was about to apologize when she cut him off.
“Well why don’t you go look for them,” Lilly suggested stiffly, “while I try to figure out what’s going on with Olivia.”
Atreyu trotted off in the direction that Aidan had been sent before the fight started. As he jogged along, he heard the snarls and howls of an array of animals. He could also hear yelling and shouting. Oh no, Atreyu thought to himself, they’re still fighting over here. He picked up the pace until he came over a small rise in the land and halted at the scene before him. The remainder of Argyle’s men stood huddled together in the middle of the path, a few lying on the ground at the perimeter. A variety of wild animals moved in and out among the trees and boulders that bordered the road. As Atreyu tried to figure out where he should be and what he should do, another of the soldiers collapsed. The men hollered and pulled in closer, their heads swiveling in an attempt to locate their attacker. Atreyu picked up a stone, loaded his sling, and let loose. It wasn’t as accurate as his earlier shots, but it got the attention of the three men. Having finally found a target—a reasonable target—the men attacked. In unison, they charged toward Atreyu, swords drawn, ugly sneers on their lips, and violent gleams in their eyes. They didn’t even make it halfway up the hill before being taken down from behind by the pack of wolves. Atreyu looked away, not wanting to witness the carnage before him. He waited, hoping for a quick end to the sickening noises behind him, when a hand patted him on the shoulder.
“Sorry for that,” Aidan chortled as Atreyu nearly leapt out of his skin. “Good job though,” Aidan added. “I was having a tough time getting close to them until you drew their attention. Thanks.”
“Happy to help,” Atreyu replied dryly. “Where’s Daniel?”
Aidan swiveled his head and called out. “Daniel!”
“Over here,” came a weak reply.
Aidan and Atreyu followed the voice through the rock field, weaving this way and that among the boulders. Aidan paused briefly to grab his clothes and get dressed before continuing the search. Atreyu spotted a bloody handprint on one of the stones, and rapped Aidan on the arm. “Look.”
Aidan followed the direction of Atreyu’s pointing finger until his eyes found the crimson palm print. “Daniel!” Aidan shouted. He moved frantically among the boulders following the drips of blood on the ground as well as the intermittent smear on the rocks. He finally saw Daniel’s feet sticking out from behind a boulder and ran to his brother.
Daniel sat slumped against the stone, pale and ashen. Aidan’s attention immediately fell to the arrow still stuck in his right arm. The sharp end had pierced clean through Daniel’s bicep, the slick tip resting against his chest. Having to hold his arm forward to allow for the arrow shifted his shoulder forward in an unnatural position. The blood slid slowly down his arm and pooled between his wide spread legs. His head wobbled as he looked up at his younger brother with eyes that didn’t seem to hold their focus.
“Catching arrows is dangerous business,” Daniel slurred.
“What?” Aidan asked, shaking his head, sure that he’d misheard.
“One of them shot at her. I tried to catch it.” He paused and moaned as he shifted his arm. “I tripped as I reached for it. Missed the catch. Remember when we used to go do that with Father? I never missed then. I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
“Quiet now,” Aidan instructed as he stepped to his brother’s side. “Don’t waste your breath and energy.”
Atreyu made the connection. “That’s what Olivia was talking about back there,” he exclaimed.
Aidan had knelt down next to Daniel and examined the wound. He turned slightly to glance back at Atreyu.
“What was she talking about?” Aidan prompted, refocusing his attention back on Daniel’s arm as he gently rotated it back and forth to determine the extent of damage that had been done.
“She was saying something about being shot. Daniel saved her.”
Daniel’s head flopped to the side as he looked up at Atreyu. “Go get them,” he commanded. “Have Lilly find my bow and arrows and then bring them here. We need to get back to Exile and get your brother out.” Daniel looked back to Aidan, struggling to focus. “How bad?”
Aidan glanced up. “It’s not pretty,” he commented. “We need to get you back to Exile. I’ll need some supplies to fix this up. You’re bleeding pretty bad.” Aidan stood and removed his shirt. “Let’s get this cleaned up as much as we can before the girls get here.” He waved at Atreyu to go before squatting back down. He snapped the end with the fletchings off as close to Daniel’s arm as he dared. Checking for jagged edges that might catch on Daniel’s arm, he found none. “You ready?”
Daniel grabbed Aidan’s rolled up shirt and stuffed it between his teeth. He nodded. Aidan gave a quick pull on the arrow, forcing it the rest of the way through Daniel’s arm. Daniel jerked and let out a muffled scream before collapsing back against the boulder. His chest heaved as Aidan removed his shirt and tied it around the gory wound.
Aidan sat down between Daniel’s feet. “You all right?” he asked.
Daniel gave a loopy nod. “Thirsty.”
Aidan unplugged his water and leaned forward to pour some in Daniel’s open mouth. When Daniel had taken his fill, Aidan used what was left in the pouch to clean away the filth on Daniel’s arm. He then tossed a couple handfuls of dirt on the stain between his brother’s legs for good measure.
“No point in alarming the girls,” Aidan said, noticing Daniel’s cocked eyebrow. “Sounds like Olivia’s scared enough as it is. Your bandaged arm isn’t going to help, but we don’t need blood stains all over the place to make it worse.”
Daniel nodded. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
“What are brothers for?” Aidan answered.
Aidan stood as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. “We’re here,” he called out to the others. Atreyu led the two girls to where Daniel sat, leaning heavily against the rock.
“What happened?” Olivia cried, falling to her knees beside Daniel.
“Just a little scratch,” Daniel answered. He pulled his feet under himself and tried to push up into a standing position. Atreyu caught his uninjured arm and helped him. Olivi
a looked unconvinced.
“What happened, Aidan?”
“Nothing that can’t heal, and nothing we need to stand around here discussing.” Aidan turned his attention to Daniel. “You ready to walk?” Daniel nodded and Aidan ducked under his brother’s arm. “Then let’s get started.”
Atreyu and Aidan took turns helping Daniel along as Olivia followed behind, the worried crease in her forehead never smoothing. Not far into their trek, Daniel collapsed, panting hard and unable to continue. Aidan transformed into a bear and Daniel made the rest of the journey slumped over on Aidan’s broad back. They reached the walls to the city just as the eastern sky turned a fiery red, announcing the beginning of a new day. Aidan shifted back and helped Daniel navigate the uneven surfaces of the culvert as Atreyu located the entrance and shifted the rocks out of the way. Aidan went first, followed by a wobbly Daniel. The two girls were next and Atreyu last.
“Take him back to the rooms while I put this back together,” Atreyu urged. Aidan turned and pulled his brother along with him. Daniel’s strength was again diminishing quickly, and by the time they reached the market, Olivia had positioned herself on Daniel’s right side to keep him from stumbling out of Aidan’s grasp. They bounced their way down the aisle to the back of the store before Atreyu caught up to them. It was with maximum effort that the four younger members of the group hauled Daniel up the stairs and dropped him clumsily into Atreyu’s bed, careful to avoid waking Halem. Aidan stayed and tended to Daniel’s arm while the others retired from the bedroom and stumbled to their own beds before collapsing into dreamless slumber.
Chapter 21
Get Moving
Scepter Page 20