Marshal positioned himself where he could see all three men. He scowled at Otho and lowered the spear a bit. Otho backed further.
“What’s your play, then?” Valens demanded. “Are you Rasnians?”
“They don’t look like Rasnians,” Rufus said.
“Shut your lip, Rufus. Let me handle this.” Valens aimed his spear at Aelia. “Well?”
“We are loyal citizens of Varioch,” Aelia said. “We mean no harm to you or anyone else. We were attacked, and I just want to save this man’s life. That’s all.”
“Why are you here?”
“We are on our way to Reman. We have business there, and this Eldani warden has offered to help us on the way.”
“Eldani,” Rufus murmured. He touched the palm of one hand with the index finger of the other, nearly dropping his spear in the process.
“Was the gold a lie, too?” Otho asked.
“No.” Aelia moved to her pack and removed a pouch. She dumped three gold coins in her palm. “I have one for each of you. All I ask is that single drop.”
Valens put a hand to the pouch hanging from his belt. Marshal felt a sudden surge of desire. That was starshine. These men posed no threat. He could take it, easily. He could spare a drop for Victor, but the rest could be his.
Talinir moaned and rolled over. Rufus nearly jumped out of his skin.
“What will it be, Valens?”
“Take the gold and let’s get out of here!” Rufus urged.
Valens continued to hesitate. He looked from Aelia to Talinir to Marshal. Then he looked to Otho. “Are we in agreement?” he asked. “We tell the Decanus what he wants to hear. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Rufus said.
Otho looked long and hard at Marshal. Finally, he nodded. “Gold first.” Marshal turned the spear around and offered it back. Otho grabbed it and stepped back again.
Aelia tossed the three gold coins onto the ground at Valens’ feet.
Valens tore the pouch off his belt and threw it to her. “Take your drop, but no more. The Decanus will be wanting that back.”
Aelia caught the pouch. She squeezed one drop onto her palm and threw it back. “Marshal, will you walk these gentlemen just far enough to find their own way back?”
Marshal looked at the pouch and gritted his teeth. The pull was strong, but he could resist. He had to. He started back toward the stream. After collecting their gold, the conscripts followed.
As they walked, Valens made sure Rufus and Otho would tell Scaevola the same story. They ignored Marshal as much as possible. Once they reached the clearing, Marshal stopped and pointed the direction back to the war camp. They gave him odd looks, but left without saying anything else.
He hurried back to the camp. By the time he arrived, Aelia had already finished with Victor.
“I have treated the cut on his back directly,” she said. “He should heal almost completely within a day or so.”
Marshal sat down and took a deep breath. He had been tense since they left for the war camp in the first place. In a way, that had helped mask his own pain. It now returned with a vengeance. He removed all his weaponry and stretched out on his bedroll.
“Get your rest now,” Aelia said. “I’ll watch over the three of you.”
Marshal took a last look at Aelia sitting by the fire, the warpsteel blade across her knees. Her face, so confident with the conscripts, now looked worn and exhausted. He marveled at her strength, then fell asleep.
Victor’s recovery was nothing short of amazing. Marshal wondered why he didn’t suffer the negative effects from the starshine. At any rate, Victor was standing and walking around, though stiffly, the very next morning.
Aelia insisted they move their camp right away. Maybe the bribe of the conscripts would keep their mouths shut, and maybe it wouldn’t. Either way, it was safest to get as far away as possible.
Talinir would not move easily. He moaned, vomited, and seemed barely able to stand. But somehow, with Marshal’s help, he managed to walk a few feet at a time.
Moving that slow, they made little progress. Step by step, they left the stream behind. Aelia led them almost due east for now. With luck, they wouldn’t run into any major trouble until Talinir could take over the lead again.
The slow pace gave Marshal some relief from his own aches and pains. He had tried to hide his injuries from the conscripts the day before, as much as possible. All that extra walking on his bruised hip, combined with a fitful night’s sleep, made his own steps laborious today. Victor probably wasn’t feeling too well, either, even with the starshine’s help.
The only one of them in decent shape was Aelia, and she recognized that fact. She took care not to strain anyone more than he appeared able to accept. At the same time, she was determined to get them away. Her strength alone kept the party moving.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
THE SHARDS OF rock still lodged in Kishin’s back burned. The pain, only just bearable, kept him going. If he didn’t get them removed soon, infection could set in, and all the starshine in the world wouldn’t be able to help.
Fortunately, the solution had presented itself. From his perch in a tree near his target’s former camp, he watched the three amateur soldiers stumble around.
“I’m telling you, this is pointless. They’re long gone! If Scaevola finds out we’re gone–” said the redhead.
“Shut it, Rufus,” the largest of the three growled. “Just see if they left anything behind.”
As entertaining as this might be, Kishin had work to do. He dropped from the tree, sword in hand. All three conscripts took a step back and exclaimed in surprise. Tiring.
“Tell me your curse,” he said.
“No curses here,” the large one said. “Who are you?” He peered closer. “What are you?”
“Leper,” whispered Rufus, the redhead. He stood to Kishin’s right. Easiest target.
“Tell me your curse,” Kishin repeated.
“You’re the cursed one,” the large one said. He stood the furthest away, directly in front. “But that sword you’re holdin’ is worth its weight in gold, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Pretty,” the third one said. He stood to Kishin’s left.
“I will give you one last opportunity. All men are cursed. Tell me yours now, and I may let you live.”
“I’ll give you a curse!” The third man lunged forward with his spear. Idiot. If he had used an atlatl like those Kishin had trained with as a boy, he would be more effective.
Kishin stepped back, easily dodging the spear. He pivoted on his left foot, spun completely around and slashed across the throat of his attacker. The conscript’s eyes went wide. He dropped his spear and grabbed at his throat as the blood erupted.
“Otho!” screamed Rufus.
As Otho collapsed, Kishin turned and leaped off his right foot directly at the leader. He grunted and attempted to parry Kishin’s strike with his spear. The warpsteel sword cut through the spear’s shaft as if it were made of soft clay, but narrowly missed the conscript’s chest.
He dropped the remains of his spear and snatched a dagger from his belt. Kishin nodded. This one had a little bit of training, at least. Not that it would help him.
Kishin stepped forward. The conscript stabbed at him. Kishin caught his wrist with his left hand and stabbed with his right. The sword cut through skin and rib cage as easily as it had the spear shaft. He yanked it back out and watched the conscript’s eyes lose their focus before his body fell.
He turned to the last one.
Rufus dropped his sword and fell to his knees, cowering. “I am cursed, I am cursed, I am cursed!” he moaned.
Kishin stood over him. “Tell me.”
Rufus pointed toward Otho’s body, his hand shaking. “Four years back, I stole some corn from Otho’s field,” he said. “The next day, my foot twisted all on its own. Been that way ever since.”
Kishin bent down and placed a hand on the red hair. “Embrace your curse,” he said. “And you
will be free.”
Rufus looked up at him, clearly perplexed.
“I will let you live, but first, there is something you must do for me.”
Rufus nodded, hope springing up in his eyes.
Kishin thumbed over his shoulder. “Look at my back and remove the shards you find there.”
Rufus’ expression alternated between amazement and disgust. Kishin turned his back on him.
“Go ahead.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
MARSHAL WOKE UP to see an eidolon standing over Talinir, sword drawn. He rolled out of bed, grabbing his sword. He barely managed to get his sword, still in its sheath, in between Talinir and the eidolon’s descending blade. His wrist shook as the shadow sword smashed against his own.
The eidolon stepped back, perhaps surprised someone would resist him. Marshal got to his feet as fast as he could, drew his sword and aimed it at the shadowy form. Could he actually hurt one of these creatures? Until the two swords struck, he hadn’t realized they could be touched physically. Or maybe they still couldn’t. Maybe only the sword existed in the real world.
He had no more time to think about it. The eidolon stepped in and slashed at him. It was a good stroke, not unlike some of the moves Talinir had been teaching him. Whatever this creature might be, it knew how to wield a blade.
Fortunately, Marshal knew what he was doing, also. He dodged the slash and countered with his own stroke, aiming low. The eidolon jumped back to avoid it, but quickly struck back. Marshal deflected it, but was unable to strike back before the eidolon struck again. Marshal found himself stuck on defense, parrying, dodging, deflecting. For every three or four attacks the eidolon made, Marshal accomplished one. The creature clearly outmatched him, but he managed to hold his own for a few moments.
The two combatants moved around Talinir’s sleeping body. Marshal worked to keep it there. If he allowed himself to be driven back, the eidolon might strike at Talinir again.
“This has to be the quietest duel in history,” Victor said. He stepped up next to Marshal. Faced with two opponents, the eidolon backed off, but did not retreat.
Marshal glanced at Victor, who stood in a defensive stance with both sword and flail at the ready.
“What?” Victor said. “The stupid Bond woke me up, of course.”
Now that the eidolon stood still only a few feet away, Marshal had time to examine it. The glimpses he had seen before had told him little of the shadowy creatures. This close-up view did not tell him much more. It looked exactly like people always described it: a man made out of shadow. But it wasn’t an ethereal shadow; it looked more like a solidified shadow, if such a thing existed. It had hard edges, nothing wispy or vague, like one would expect from a shadow. The sword appeared to be made out of the same substance as the creature.
Victor inched forward. “We finally see it up close.” He made a half-hearted strike with his sword. The eidolon dodged. “Seems a lot more solid than shadow, huh?”
Marshal stepped to his right. The tactic had worked, somewhat, against the assassin. Maybe it would work here, though he had his doubts. He had no clue what an eidolon was capable of. For all he knew, it might start flying at any minute.
As if to illustrate his thoughts, the shadow creature stepped to the left and vanished. It didn’t disappear all at once, but looked more like it stepped behind something. Before Marshal could wrap his head around that, the eidolon re-appeared three feet to the left. Victor wasn’t expecting that and barely managed to get his flail up in time. He clumsily blocked a sweeping assault that made him stagger back several steps. The eidolon darted back the other way and disappeared again.
“That’s… hardly fair,” Victor complained. He began swinging his flail, trying to keep it moving.
Marshal lunged forward and stabbed at the spot where the eidolon had disappeared the first time. He almost succeeded. The eidolon reappeared in almost the same spot. Marshal’s sword slid along its waist, narrowly cutting it. If it had been human, Marshal wasn’t sure whether he would have cut through clothing, or actually drawn blood.
With the eidolon off-balance, Victor attacked. His arms crossed as he slashed high with his sword and swept low with his flail. The eidolon could not block both. It leaped backward, going horizontal to avoid Victor’s sword. It dropped its own sword in mid-leap so as to be able to land on both hands and somersault back to its feet. Marshal noticed the sword immediately vanished when it left the eidolon’s hand. Curious.
“Now we have him!” Victor pressed forward, continuing his attacks. Before he could reach it, the eidolon again seemed to step sideways and vanished.
Victor spun around. Marshal rotated more slowly, watching every direction. The creature did not return.
“What are you boys doing?” Aelia sat up and looked at them from her bedroll.
“We were fighting an eidolon!” Victor said. “It just disappeared!”
“Oh, really?” Aelia’s sleepy voice did not sound impressed.
“Marshal was fighting it, and that woke me up, and then we both were fighting it, and… now it’s gone.”
“Why were you asleep?” Aelia asked. “Weren’t you supposed to be guarding?”
Victor stopped talking.
At that moment, Talinir groaned and rolled back and forth. Marshal sighed. All this to protect him, and the Eldani warden didn’t even know anything had happened.
“It was really here,” Victor grumbled. He took a last look around and sheathed his sword.
Marshal examined his sword to see if the eidolon had left any blood. He found nothing.
Victor probably thought the eidolon had been after Marshal, since the Bond had woken him up. Only Marshal knew it had been after Talinir. Why would a shadow creature want Talinir dead?
•••••
Talinir woke about an hour later with no knowledge of what had happened, nor any interest in it. Victor tried to tell him about the eidolon, but Talinir kept interrupting. He asked over and over if Victor had any starshine. Marshal somehow managed to keep from smiling as he waited for Victor to get tired of it.
Victor couldn’t take it for long. “Why do you keep asking me? I’ve told you already! I’ve never had any of that stuff!”
“Are you sure?” Talinir asked. “Maybe someone let you have some and you forgot?”
“This is ridiculous!” Victor threw up his hands and stalked away.
“It’s only been three days since he lost his supply,” Aelia said. She continued her work of cleaning the cooking supplies. “Based on his addiction level, I expect he won’t fully recover for another four to six days.”
“Six more days of this?” Victor said. “If he keeps this up, I might want to just leave him behind.”
Talinir frowned. “I can hear you, you know.” His voice still sounded hoarse and strained, not at all like his usual tone.
“Once recovered, he will once again be the powerful warden that we need,” Aelia said. “We must be patient.”
Talinir stood shakily and leaned against a tree. “The best thing for me is to have something to do,” he said. “We should probably keep moving.”
Aelia shook her head. “Not today. This morning notwithstanding, you’re not sleeping well yet. You need more rest. Victor and Marshal do, too. We can afford to wait one more day.”
Talinir nodded and lowered himself back down. Marshal frowned. His bruises would be better off with another day’s rest, but it seemed a risk. They still hadn’t traveled far from that war camp. The assassin was still around somewhere. And now they had been attacked by an eidolon. Staying in the same spot did not sound like a good idea.
While Aelia busied herself with other tasks, Marshal kept an eye on Talinir. The warden kept his head downcast. He seemed restless, toying with various items, but never able to focus long enough to do much. His body shook with strange tremors every so often, and looks of pain would take over his face. The longer Marshal watched, the lower Talinir appeared to sink. Despite the strange
facial structure, Marshal recognized the emotions Talinir was experiencing. They were all too familiar.
Aelia sat back. “And there’s one more reason to wait,” she said. “We are running out of some important supplies.” She glanced at Marshal. “For one thing, you men seem determined to get all of your tunics ripped to shreds.”
Marshal looked down at himself. The tears in his tunic hardly crossed his mind. The assassin’s sword had not pierced his skin, but the tunic was another matter. Victor’s clothing wasn’t in much better shape.
“Victor! You’re coming with me!” Aelia stood up.
“Where are we going?”
“If I’m right, we’re only about two to three miles from a small town directly north of us. We can get there and back today without any trouble, I would think. I should have enough money left to get what we need.” Aelia searched Marshal’s face. “Can you keep an eye on Talinir?”
Marshal nodded. “Talinir can keep an eye on Talinir,” the Eldani grumbled.
In short order, Aelia and Victor gathered only what they needed and set out. Marshal watched them go, then turned back to Talinir. He smiled and raised his eyebrows.
“I’ll be all right,” Talinir said. He leaned forward. “Now that they’re gone, you can tell me. Did you find any more starshine?”
Marshal rolled his eyes and turned away. “I was just asking,” Talinir muttered.
An hour went by. Marshal tried to find things to do. He straightened up their campsite, gathered more firewood, cleaned what he could. All the while, he kept watching Talinir. The warden spoke little out loud, but grumbled to himself from time to time. His other symptoms continued as before.
Marshal got up and started his own sword practice. His bruised muscles ached, but they needed stretching. More than that, he wanted to improve. Too many threats kept showing up. Besides, keeping his hand on the sword helped with his own shaking.
In a few moments, Marshal lost himself in the movements. He shifted from one stance to another, following a form Talinir had taught him. As always, he marveled at how comfortable he felt with a sword in his hand. It was so mesmerizing, he almost didn’t see the dagger approaching Talinir’s heart.
Until All Curses Are Lifted Page 30